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[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 245 (Friday, December 20, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 104075-104076]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-30339]

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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

[Docket No. APHIS-2023-0050]

Addition of Black Stem Rust-Resistant Barberry Plant Varieties to 
Regulated Articles List

AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: We are adding 33 varieties to the list of black stem rust-
resistant barberry species and varieties. This change will allow for 
the interstate movement of these newly developed varieties without 
unnecessary restrictions.

DATES: Varieties were added to the list of black stem rust-resistant 
barberry species on December 20, 2024.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Allen Proxmire, National Policy 
Manager, Black Stem Rust, Specialty Crops and Cotton Pests, Emergency 
and Domestic Programs, PPQ, APHIS, USDA, 4700 River Road Unit 133, 
Riverdale, MD 20737-1231; phone: (480) 392-8754; email: 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Black stem rust is a destructive plant 
disease caused by a fungus (Puccinia graminis) that reduces the quality 
and yield of infected wheat, oat, barley, and rye crops. In addition to 
infecting small grains, the fungus lives on a variety of alternate host 
plants that are species of the genera Berberis, Mahoberberis, and 
Mahonia, known as barberry plants.
    The regulations in ``Subpart D--Black Stem Rust'' (7 CFR 301.38 
through 301.38-8, referred to below as the regulations), quarantine the 
conterminous 48 States and the District of Columbia for black stem 
rust, and govern the interstate movement of plants of the genera 
Berberis,

[[Page 104076]]

Mahoberberis, and Mahonia, known as barberry plants.
    Species and varieties of these plants are categorized as either 
rust-resistant or rust-susceptible. Rust-susceptible plants pose a risk 
of spreading black stem rust or of contributing to the development of 
new races of the rust, and therefore are prohibited from moving 
interstate into or through any protected area listed in accordance with 
Sec.  301.38-3. Rust-resistant plants do not pose such risks, and 
therefore may be moved into or through protected areas subject to the 
requirements in the regulations.
    In accordance with Sec.  301.38-2(a), the Animal and Plant Health 
Inspection Service (APHIS) maintains a list of Berberis species and 
varieties it has found to be rust-resistant at www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ourfocus/planthealth/plant-pest-and-disease-programs/pests-and-diseases/barberry/ct_barberry.
    Paragraph (c)(1) of Sec.  301.38-2 provides that if the 
Administrator determines that an article not already listed is 
resistant to black stem rust, APHIS will publish a notice in the 
Federal Register proposing to add the article to the list of rust-
resistant articles for black stem rust and request public comment. 
Following the close of the comment period, APHIS will review all 
comments received and will make a final determination regarding the 
designation that will be published in a second notice in the Federal 
Register.
    In accordance with that process, on March 20, 2024, we published in 
the Federal Register (89 FR 19796-19797, Docket No. APHIS-2023-0050), a 
notice \1\ proposing to add 32 varieties of Berberis thunbergii 
(Japanese barberry) to the list of black stem rust-resistant barberry 
species and varieties. The proposed additions were found, through 
testing by the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) of the United States 
Department of Agriculture, to be resistant to the fungus (Puccinia 
graminis) that causes black stem rust.
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    \1\ To view the notice, go to https://www.regulations.gov/document/APHIS-2023-0050-0001.
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    We solicited comments concerning our proposal for 60 days ending 
May 20, 2024. We received two comments, both from members of the 
industry involved in breeding the varieties addressed in this action.
    One commenter asked us to remove from the cultivar names all 
language after the nomenclatures that begin with `NCBT' and `SMNBT'.
    We will remove this nomenclature from our list of Berberis species 
and varieties we have found to be rust-resistant.
    The other commenter stated that Berberis thunbergii x B. calliantha 
`NCBX5', which was confirmed resistant in 2017, was missing from the 
listing in the notice.
    The commenter is correct that we mistakenly excluded Berberis 
thunbergii x B. calliantha `NCBX5' from the notice. This article was 
found to be resistant to the fungus (Puccinia graminis) that causes 
black stem rust through testing by ARS in 2017 and should have been 
included in the notice. We will include Berberis thunbergii x B. 
calliantha `NCBX5' in our list of Berberis species and varieties we 
have found to be rust-resistant. This article will bring the number of 
additions to 33, rather than 32.
    The commenter also stated that, in our current list of rust-
resistant Berberis species and varieties on the APHIS web page, the 
parentage listed for `NCBX3' was incorrect. The variety is listed as B. 
thunbergiix calliantha ``NCBX3', but should be listed as Berberis 
thunbergii x media `NCBX3'.
    The commenter is correct. We will fix this error by correctly 
listing Berberis thunbergii x media `NCBX3' when we update our list of 
rust-resistant Berberis species and varieties.
    Therefore, in accordance with the regulations in Sec.  301.38-
2(c)(1), we are announcing our decision to designate the following 
articles as rust-resistant:

 Berberis thunbergii `Citral'
 Berberis thunbergii `Coral Spice'
 Berberis thunbergii `Crimson Cutie'
 Berberis thunbergii `James Blonde'
 Berberis thunbergii `Lemon Cutie[supreg]'
 Berberis thunbergii `Lemon Glow[supreg]'
 Berberis thunbergii `Mr. Green Genes TM'
 Berberis thunbergii `Purple Plume'
 Berberis thunbergii `NCBT3'
 Berberis thunbergii `NCBT4'
 Berberis thunbergii `NCBT8'
 Berberis thunbergii `NCBT9'
 Berberis thunbergii `NCBT10'
 Berberis thunbergii `NCBT11'
 Berberis thunbergii `NCBT12'
 Berberis thunbergii `NCBT13'
 Berberis thunbergii `NCBT14'
 Berberis thunbergii `Schu20022'
 Berberis thunbergii `SMNBTAA'
 Berberis thunbergii `SMNBTAB'
 Berberis thunbergii `SMNBTAC'
 Berberis thunbergii `SMNBTAJ'
 Berberis thunbergii `SMNBTAK'
 Berberis thunbergii `SMNBTSSR'
 Berberis thunbergii x media `NCBX9'
 Berberis thunbergii x B. sieboldii `NCBX10'
 Berberis thunbergii x B. sieboldii `NCBX11'
 Berberis thunbergii x B. sieboldii `NCBX12'
 Berberis thunbergii x B. sieboldii `NCBX13'
 Berberis thunbergii x B. sieboldii `NCBX14'
 Berberis thunbergii x B. sieboldii `NCBX15'
 Berberis thunbergii x B. sieboldii `NCBX16'
 Berberis thunbergii x B. calliantha `NCBX5'
    These articles will be added to the list of rust-resistant 
regulated articles for black stem rust at https://www.aphis.usda.gov/plant-pests-dieseases/black-stem-rust-barberry.
    Authority: 7 U.S.C. 7701-7772 and 7781-7786; 7 CFR 2.22, 2.80, and 
371.3. Section 301.75-15 issued under section 204, title II, Public Law 
106-113, 113 Stat. 1501A-293; sections 301.75-15 and 301.75-16 issued 
under section 203, title II, Public Law 106-224, 114 Stat. 400 (7 
U.S.C. 1421 note).

    Done in Washington, DC, this 16th day of December 2024.
Michael Watson,
Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 2024-30339 Filed 12-19-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-34-P
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