[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 55 (Wednesday, March 20, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 19796-19797]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-05807]


 ========================================================================
 Notices
                                                 Federal Register
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
 This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains documents other than rules 
 or proposed rules that are applicable to the public. Notices of hearings 
 and investigations, committee meetings, agency decisions and rulings, 
 delegations of authority, filing of petitions and applications and agency 
 statements of organization and functions are examples of documents 
 appearing in this section.
 
 ========================================================================
 

  Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 55 / Wednesday, March 20, 2024 / 
Notices  

[[Page 19796]]



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.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: We are proposing to add 32 varieties to the list of black stem 
rust-resistant barberry species and varieties. This change would allow 
for the interstate movement of these newly developed varieties without 
unnecessary restrictions.

DATES: We will consider all comments that we receive on or before May 
20, 2024.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by either of the following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to www.regulations.gov. 
Enter APHIS-2023-0050 in the Search field. Select the Documents tab, 
then select the Comment button in the list of documents.
     Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery: Send your comment to 
Docket No. APHIS-2023-0050, Regulatory Analysis and Development, PPD, 
APHIS, Station 3A-03.8, 4700 River Road, Unit 118, Riverdale, MD 20737-
1238.
    Any comments we receive on this docket may be viewed at 
regulations.gov or in our reading room, which is located in Room 1620 
of the USDA South Building, 14th Street and Independence Avenue SW, 
Washington, DC. Normal reading room hours are 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., 
Monday through Friday, except holidays. To be sure someone is there to 
help you, please call (202) 799-7039 before coming.

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; [email protected]; (480) 392-8754.

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, 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.
    Recent testing \1\ by the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) of 
the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has found the 
following 32 varieties of Berberis thunbergii (Japanese barberry) to be 
resistant to the fungus (Puccinia graminis) that causes black stem 
rust:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \1\ Testing is performed as follows: In a greenhouse, the 
suspect plant, or test subject, is placed under a screen with a 
control plant, i.e., a known rust-susceptible variety of Berberis. 
Infected wheat stems, a primary host of black stem rust, are placed 
on top of the screen. The plants are moistened and maintained in 100 
percent humidity, causing the spores to swell and fall on the plants 
lying under the screen. The plants are then observed for 7 days at 
20-80 percent relative humidity. This test procedure is repeated 12 
times. If in all 12 tests, the rust-susceptible plant shows signs of 
infection after 7 days and the test plants do not, USDA will declare 
the test plant variety rust-resistant. The tests must be performed 
on new growth, just as the leaves are unfolding.

 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 GenesTM'
 Berberis thunbergii `Purple Plume'
 Berberis thunbergii `NCBT3 Himalayas'
 Berberis thunbergii `NCBT4'
 Berberis thunbergii `NCBT8 Pyrenees'
 Berberis thunbergii `NCBT9'
 Berberis thunbergii `NCBT10 Pichu'
 Berberis thunbergii `NCBT11 Rockies'
 Berberis thunbergii `NCBT12 Lanturn'
 Berberis thunbergii `NCBT13 Crobat'
 Berberis thunbergii `NCBT14'
 Berberis thunbergii `Schu20022'
 Berberis thunbergii `SMNBTAA Admir Askewpin 19'
 Berberis thunbergii `SMNBTAB Admir Borakis 19'
 Berberis thunbergii `SMNBTAC Admir Clopek 19'
 Berberis thunbergii `SMNBTAJ Admir Jaramy 19'
 Berberis thunbergii `SMNBTAK Admir Kidjip 19'
 Berberis thunbergii `SMNBTSSR Sunjoy Safberuprt Ropek 19'
 Berberis thunbergii x media `NCBX9 Chinchou'
 Berberis thunbergii x B. sieboldii `NCBX10'
 Berberis thunbergii x B. sieboldii `NCBX11'

[[Page 19797]]

 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'

    After reviewing any comments we receive, we will announce our 
decision regarding the designation of these articles as rust-resistant 
in a second notice. If the Administrator's determination remains 
unchanged, we will designate the articles as rust-resistant and add 
them to the list of rust-resistant regulated articles for black stem 
rust at www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ourfocus/planthealth/plant-pest-and-disease-programs/pests-and-diseases/barberry/ct_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 sec. 204, Title II, Public Law 106-
113, 113 Stat. 1501A-293; sections 301.75-15 and 301.75-16 issued under 
sec. 203, Title II, Public Law 106-224, 114 Stat. 400 (7 U.S.C. 1421 
note).

    Done in Washington, DC, this 12th day of March 2024.
Donna Lalli,
Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 2024-05807 Filed 3-19-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-34-P