United States Department of Agriculture 376-CPS-1

NRCS, NHCP

July 2022

NRCS reviews and periodically updates conservation practice standards. To obtain the current 

version of this standard, contact your Natural Resources Conservation Service State office or 

visit the Field Office Technical Guide online by going to the NRCS website at 

https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/ and type FOTG in the search field. 

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Natural Resources Conservation Service 

CONSERVATION PRACTICE STANDARD 

FIELD OPERATIONS EMISSIONS REDUCTION 

CODE 376 

(ac)

DEFINITION 

Adjusting field operations and technologies to reduce emissions of particulate matter (PM) and oxides of

nitrogen from field operations. 

PURPOSE 

This practice is used to accomplish one or more of the following purposes: 

• Reduce emissions of particulate matter (PM). 

• Reduce emissions of oxides of nitrogen. 

CONDITIONS WHERE PRACTICE APPLIES 

This practice applies to cropland. 

CRITERIA 

General Criteria Applicable to All Purposes 

Document a demonstrated reduction in annual emissions from the benchmark (current system) to the

planned system by using one or more of the techniques below. 

Combined tillage operations 

Utilize equipment that allows multiple operations in a single pass to reduce the number of field passes per

acre in the crop rotation. 

Precision guidance systems 

To reduce total soil disturbance, use global positioning system and steering technologies that minimize

overlap of field passes. 

Alternative equipment technology 

Use alternative equipment and/or equipment retrofits that reduce emissions. This can include dustreducing technology (such as misters, deflectors, etc.), increasing equipment size to reduce net field

passes, and changes to bed/row size or spacing. 

Timing of field operations 

Modify the timing of field operations so that PM emissions are reduced. This can include conducting

operations when relative humidity and/or soil moisture levels are higher, winds are lighter, or by limiting

operations during high wind events. This could also include a reduction in the amount of time between

seedbed preparation and planting, and other such timing modifications that reduce PM emissions. 
Modify crop cultural and harvest methodologies 

Modify operations to use other means of crop production such as performing soil disturbance and/or

harvest operations at slower speeds. Examples include— 

• Harvesting a forage crop without allowing it to dry in the field. 

• Hand harvesting. 

• Applying water or other soil stabilizing material prior to soil disturbance or harvest. 

• Using transplants instead of direct seeding. 

• Applying chemicals and fertilizers through irrigation (using appropriate irrigation water

management) to reduce field passes. 

• Using chipping, shredding, composting, offsite disposal, or other alternatives for orchard and

vineyard trimmings, prunings, and removals in lieu of open burning. 

• Utilizing “low dust” technologies for surface harvesting of crops. 

For applicable mechanical harvest operations, manage preharvest irrigation water to create a more

consolidated and firm soil surface to reduce harvest-related PM emissions. 

CONSIDERATIONS 

Managing higher levels of crop residue can reduce the potential for PM emissions from wind erosion and

increase the potential for carbon sequestration. 

Maintaining cover between rows or on alternate crop rows will reduce the potential for wind erosion. 

Using alternatives to tillage for weed control (e.g., mowers, sprayers, flamers, etc.) can significantly

reduce the PM emissions. 

Increasing the time interval between uncombined tillage passes (e.g., disking) may help reduce PM

emissions by reducing the effects of thermal profile changes that cause additional entrainment of the soil

particles. 

PLANS AND SPECIFICATIONS 

Develop plans and specifications for each field or treatment unit according to the Criteria section

requirements above, and Operation and Maintenance section requirements below. Specifications must

describe the requirements to apply this practice to achieve the intended purpose. Record the following

specification components in an approved NRCS Conservation Practice Standard Field Operations

Emissions Reduction (Code 376) implementation requirements document: 

• Field number and acres. 

• Purpose of the emission reduction. 

• Listing of the current benchmark field operations system. 

• Listing of the planned field operations system. 

• Listing of emission reduction activities including when, where, and how the activities will be applied. 

• Special considerations. 

OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE 

Record and review the emission reduction activities seasonally or annually as appropriate to ensure the

activities are working properly and modify if needed. 

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July 2022
REFERENCES 

USDA NRCS, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control

District. 2004. Agricultural Air Quality Conservation Management Practices for San Joaquin Valley Farms.

14 pp. 

USDA NRCS and EPA. 2012. Agricultural Air Quality Conservation Measures Reference Guide for

Cropping Systems and General Land Management. 32pp.

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NRCS, NHCP

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July 2022