UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20460

	OFFICE OF CHEMICAL SAFETY AND POLLUTION PREVENTION

  SEQ CHAPTER \h \r 1 MEMORANDUM

  SEQ CHAPTER \h \r 1

DATE:  October 30, 2011, updated December 22, 2011 and December 26, 2013

SUBJECT:	Crop Grouping – Part XII:  Analysis of the USDA IR-4 Petition
to Amend the Crop Group Regulation 40 CFR § 180.41 (c) (14) and
Commodity Definitions [40 CFR 180.1 (g)] Related to the Proposed Crop
Group 22 Stalk, Stem, and Leaf Petiole Vegetable.

PC Code:  NA	DP Barcode:   NA

Decision No.: NA	Registration No.:  NA

Petition No.: NA	Regulatory Action:  Crop Grouping Regulation

Risk Assessment Type: None 	Case No.: NA

TXR No.: NA	CAS No.:  NA

MRID No.: 484998-01	40 CFR: 180.41 (c) (22) and 180.1 (g)

FROM:	Bernard A. Schneider, Ph.D., Senior Plant Physiologist

Chemistry and Exposure Branch

Health Effects Division (7509P)

THROUGH:	Michael Doherty, Ph.D. and William Donovan, Ph.D., Chairpersons

HED Chemistry Science Advisory Council (ChemSAC)

		Health Effects Division (7509P)

TO:	Barbara Madden, Minor Use Officer

Risk Integration, Minor Use, and Emergency Response Branch (RIMUERB)

		Registration Division (7505P)

cc: 	IR-4 Project, Bill Barney, Jerry Baron, Dan Kunkel, Debbie
Carpenter, Van Starner

ACTION REQUESTED:

	William P. Barney, Crop Grouping Project Coordinator, and Tracy Switek,
Assistant Coordinator, USDA Interregional Research Project No. 4 (IR-4),
State Agricultural Experiment Station, Rutgers University has submitted
a petition (May 10, 2011) on behalf of the IR-4 Project, and the Stalk,
Stem, and Leafy Petiole Workgroup of the International Crop Grouping
Consulting Committee (ICGCC) to establish a new Crop Group [40 CFR §
180.41(c)] Crop Group 22, Stalk, Stem and Leafy Petiole Vegetable.

	The above-mentioned Stalk, Stem and Leafy Petiole crop group petition
requested the following three proposals:

IR-4 Proposal 1: “Add a new crop group to 40 CFR 180.41 (c) as
“Stalk, Stem and Leafy Petiole Vegetable Crop Group” with the
following 18 commodities:

Agave, Agave spp.  (Asparagaceae)

Asparagus, Asparagus officinalis L.  (Asparagaceae)

Bamboo, shoots, Arundinaria spp.; Bambusa spp. including B. blumeana; B.
multiplex; B. oldhamii; B. textilis; Chimonobambusa spp.; Dendrocalamus
spp., including D. asper; D. beecheyana; D. brandisii; D. giganteus; D.
laetiflorus and D. strictus; Gigantochloa spp. including G. albociliata;
G. atter; G. levis; G. robusta; Nastus elatus; Phyllostachys spp.;
Thyrsostachys siamensis; Thyrsostachys oliverii  (Poaceae (alt.
Gramineae))

Burdock, edible, tops, Arctium lappa L.  (Asteraceae (Compositae))

Cardoon, Cynara cardunculus L.  (Asteraceae (Compositae))

Celery, Apium graveolens var. dulce (Mill.) Pers. (Apiaceae (alt.
Umbelliferae))

Celery, Chinese, Apium graveolens L. var. secalinum (Alef.) Mansf.
(Apiaceae (alt. Umbelliferae))

Celtuce, Lactuca sativa var. angustana L.H. Bailey (Apiaceae (alt.
Umbelliferae))

Fennel, Florence, Foeniculum vulgare Mill. subsp. vulgare var. azoricum
(Mill.) Thell. (Apiaceae (alt. Umbelliferae))

Ferns, Edible (Fiddleheads):  Including:  Black lady fern, Woodsiaceae,
Deparia japonica (Thunb.) M. Kato; Bracken fern, Dennstaedtiaceae,
Pteridium aquilinum (L.) Kuhn; Broad buckler fern, Dryopteridaceae,
Dryopteris dilatata (Hoffm.) A. Gray; Cinnamon fern, Osmundaceae,
Osmundastrum cinnamomeum (L.) C. Presl; Lady fern, Woodsiaceae, Athyrium
filix-femina (L.) Roth ex Mert.; Leather fern, Pteridaceae, Acrostichum
aureum L.; Mother fern, Woodsiaceae, Diplazium proliferum (Lam.)
Thouars; Ostrich fern, Onocleaceae, Matteuccia struthiopteris (L.) Tod.;
Vegetable fern, Woodsiaceae, Diplazium esculentum (Retz.) Sw.; Zenmai
fern, Osmundaceae, Osmunda japonica Thunb. [all by crop definition]

Fuki, Petasites japonicus (Siebold & Zucc.) Maxim. (Apiaceae (alt.
Umbelliferae))

Kale, sea, Crambe maritima L. (Brassicaceae (alt. Cruciferae))

Kohlrabi, Brassica oleracea L.var gongylodes L. (Brassicaceae (alt.
Cruciferae))

Palm hearts, various species including:  Peach Palm, Bactris gasipaes
Kunth; Palmyra palm, Borassus flabellifera L.; African fan palm,
Borassus aethiopum Mart.; Coconut, Cocos nucifera L.; Cabbage palm,
Euterpe oleracea Mart.; Wine palm, Raphia spp.; Royal palm, Roystonea
oleracea (Jacq.) O.F. Cook; Salak palm, Salacca zalacca (Gaertn.) Voss;
Saw palmetto, Serenoa repens (W. Bartram) Small; Cabbage palmetto, Sabal
palmetto (Walter) Schult. & Schult. f.,  (Arecaceae (alt. Palmae))

Prickly pear, pads, Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) Mill. (Cactaceae)

Rhubarb, Rheum x hybridum Murray (Polygonaceae)

Udo, Aralia cordata Thunb. (Araliaceae)

Zuiki, Colocasia gigantea (Blume) Hook. f. (Araceae)”

IR-4 Proposal 2:” The proposed representative commodities for the
Stalk, Stem, and Leaf Petiole Vegetable Crop Group 22 are asparagus and
celery.”

IR-4 Proposal 3: “Propose establishing two new crop subgroups 22A –
Stalk and stem subgroup with ten commodities and 22B – Leafy petiole
subgroup with eight commodities as follows:

Crop Subgroup 22A. Stalk and Stem subgroup:

Agave

Asparagus

Bamboo, shoots

Celtuce

Fennel, Florence

Ferns, edible

Kale, sea

Kohlrabi

Palm Hearts

Prickly pear, pads

Crop Subgroup 22B. Leafy Petiole subgroup:

Burdock, edible, tops

Cardoon

Celery

Celery, Chinese

Fuki

Rhubarb

Udo

Zuiki”

PROPOSED REPRESENTATIVE COMMODITIES AND CROP SUBGROUPS

Crop Group / Subgroup	Proposed Representative  Commodities

Proposed Commodities

Stalk, Stem and Leafy Petiole

Crop Group 22	Celery and Asparagus	Agave;  Asparagus;  Bamboo, shoots;
Burdock, edible, tops;  Cardoon;  Celery;  Celery, Chinese;  Celtuce;
Fennel, Florence;  Ferns, edible (Fiddlehead);  Fuki;  Kale, sea;
Kohlrabi;  Palm hearts;  Prickly pear, pads;  Rhubarb;  Udo;  Zuiki

22A.  Stalk and Stem Vegetables	Asparagus	Agave;  Asparagus;  Bamboo,
shoots;  Celtuce;  Fennel, Florence;  Ferns, edible (Fiddlehead);  Kale,
sea;  Kohlrabi;  Palm hearts;  Prickly pear, pads

22B.  Leafy Petiole Vegetables	Celery	Burdock, edible, tops;  Cardoon;
Celery;  Celery, Chinese;  Fuki;  Rhubarb;  Udo;  Zuiki

IR-4 Proposal 4:”One new commodity definition [180.1(g)] for Edible
ferns will be proposed for the new crop group”.

BACKGROUND:

	The proposed Stalk, Stem and Leafy Petiole crop group proposal was
initiated at the USDA/IR-4 Crop Grouping Symposium in Washington, DC,
October 2002 (see Attachment 3 for the Symposium proposal).  This
workgroup was Chaired by Dan Kunkel (IR-4) and Co-Chaired by Tom Bloem,
Doug Dotson, Yuen-Shaung NG of EPA, Hong Chen (IR-4), Mary Lamberts,
Extension Agent, University of Florida Horticultural Crops, and Ray
Ratto, California leafy greens grower.

	The revised crop group was further discussed and developed within the
Stalk and Stem Workgroup of the International Crop Grouping Consulting
Committee (ICGCC).  This workgroup consisted of 74 U.S. and Canadian
crop or regulatory experts from agriculture commodity groups,
universities, agrichemical industry, IR-4 Project, USDA and EPA, and
also 68 international crop or regulatory experts representing 26
countries.  The Workgroup discussed and validated each of the proposed
commodities.  Tracey Switek (author, IR-4) researched the supporting
commodity data submitted with this petition, and William Barney (author,
IR-4) reviewed, edited, and submitted the petition.

	An important aspect of developing this new crop group was the
harmonization with the Codex Crop Classification of Foods and Animal
Feeds.  The Codex classification system is currently under revision and
revisions to the U.S. system are used as a basis for the Codex revision.
 The IR-4/EPA Crop Grouping Working Group and the ICGCC are making every
effort to collaborate with the revision of the Codex crop
classification.

The Codex Classification of Food and Feed Commodities was published in
1983, and has a separate Crop Group (017) “Stalk and Stem
Vegetables”.  EPA at that time did not propose a separate crop group
similar to Codex.  However, based on recommendation by International
Crop Grouping Symposium in 2002 and the reanalysis of the Leafy
vegetable crop groups, USDA IR-4 is proposing that EPA adopt a crop
group similar to the Codex group entitled “Stalk, Stem, and Leaf
Petiole Group

	In the current US system, Leafy Vegetable Group 4 includes both a Leafy
greens subgroup 4A and a Leaf petiole subgroup 4B.  In the current Codex
Crop Classification of Foods and Animal Feeds, the Leafy vegetables
Group 013 includes Brassica leafy vegetables while Stalk and stem
vegetables are included in a separate Group 017.

	Stalk, stem and leafy petiole vegetables are plant stalks, stems or
leafy petioles from a variety of annual or perennial plants that are
used as vegetables.  Many leafy and root and tuber vegetables contain
significant amounts of either stem, stalk or petiole portions, however,
the commodities proposed for this crop group are composed primarily of
the stalk, stem or petiole.  Petioles frequently include the leaf
structure, so petioles are referred to as leafy petioles.  Celery
(petiole) and asparagus (stem) are among the most popular and better
known vegetables in this group.  Stalk, stem and leafy petiole
vegetables are used to make a variety of vegetable dishes and contain
numerous vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.  Because of their
structure, stalk, stem and leafy petiole vegetables are fully exposed to
pesticides during their growth period.

	In 2010, IR-4 (Bill Barney and Tracey Switek) and the EPA (Bernard
Schneider, PH.) developed joint ChemSAC proposal to discuss various
options to be considered on updating the current Leafy Vegetable Crop
Group 4 and the Brassica Leafy Crop Group 5.  The first proposal
considered was to “Transfer the Brassica Leafy Vegetable Subgroup 5B
to Crop Group 4 (Leafy Vegetables except Brassica Vegetables) to form a
new Subgroup 4C (Leafy Brassica Vegetables) and rename Group 4 as Leafy
Vegetables and Crop Group 5 as the Head and Stem Brassica Vegetable
Group.  Analysis of this proposal is in a separate document (Crop
Grouping – Part XI, MRID 484817-01, October 26, 2011).  This proposal
was developed because Leafy Vegetables and Brassica leafy vegetables are
similar in growth pattern, leaf exposure and pesticide residues.
Inclusion of Brassica leafy vegetables in a separate subgroup are
desirable because of potentially different actions of herbicides on
leafy Brassicas verses other leafy (non-Brassica) crops.  This petition
concerns that adding stalk and stem vegetables to Crop Subgroup 4B (leaf
petioles) would be more comparable to Codex Group 017, Stalk and Stem
Vegetables.  The Codex Stalk and Stem group contains several petiole
crops, including celery and rhubarb, which are already members of
Subgroup 4B.  ChemSAC agreed that combining stem and stalk vegetables
into the Leaf petiole subgroup 4B was a good idea, however, they also
agreed that the stalk, stem and petiole vegetable could be a separate
crop group similar to Codex.  In an effort to harmonize with Codex, leaf
petiole crops in this submission are added to this proposed new Stalk,
Stem and Leafy Petiole crop group submission.

	Current members of Leaf Petiole Subgroup 4B include cardoon; celery;
celery, Chinese; celtuce; Florence fennel; rhubarb and Swiss chard.  All
of these commodities except for Swiss chard are being proposed for
inclusion in the new Stalk, Stem and Leafy Petiole crop group.  It was
proposed that in the submission for the revised Leafy Vegetable crop
group that Swiss chard remains in that group because both the leaves and
petioles are consumed and the leaves constitute a major portion of the
plant.  Celtuce is included in the proposed new Stalk, Stem and Petiole
crop group, but it is proposed to be included in the Stalk and Stem
subgroup rather than a leafy petiole subgroup, since the stalk is
primarily consumed as the leaves contain a bitter milky sap.

	Selection of representative commodities should be based on a
representative commodity that is most likely to: (1) contain the highest
residues; (2) be major in terms of production and/or consumption and (3)
similar in morphology, growth habit, pest problems and edible portion to
the related commodities within a group or subgroup.  Based on these
criteria, two representative commodities are proposed for the Stalk,
Stem and Leafy Petiole crop group: asparagus for the Stalk and Stem
subgroup 24A and celery for the Leafy Petiole subgroup 24B.  Celery is
already the representative crop for Leafy Petiole subgroup 4B which
includes cardoon, burdock, Chinese celery and rhubarb.  In the proposed
Stalk and Stem subgroup 24A, U.S. tolerances for celtuce, kohlrabi and
Florence fennel are based on their respective subgroup tolerances, while
asparagus tolerances have been established for asparagus itself as a
miscellaneous commodity.  Since a Leafy Petiole subgroup 4B already
exists in crop group 4, the majority of US and Codex tolerances for
celery, cardoon, burdock, Chinese celery and rhubarb are based on this
established subgroup.

	The addition of a new crop group “Stalk, Stem, and Leaf Petiole Group
22 would facilitate the establishment of pesticide tolerances on
numerous pesticides that are needed to control a wide diversity of leaf
stalk, stem, and leafy petiole vegetable pests, as well as integrated
pest control (IPM) programs to incorporate reduced risk pesticides,
organic pesticides, and cultural practices to reduce the development of
pesticide resistance.  This revised crop group regulation would also
benefit growers and consumers, save considerable taxpayer’s money on
residue studies, save time for government agencies on review of residue
data and facilitate the establishment of import tolerances.

HED RECOMMENDATIONS:

	Each of the proposals and recommendations will be discussed below,
followed by a series of other recommendations on terminology, database
development, and harmonization with Codex.  The EPA would like to
commend the valuable and high quality input of the ICGCC, all its
members, and the Committee Chairperson Bill Barney, USDA IR-4, as well
as Dr. Yuen-Shaung Ng, Biologist, HED, Jessie Cordova, HED Information
Technical Specialist, Susan Stanton, Roger Chesser, Andy Ertman, Sidney
Jackson, and Laura Nollen, Biologists, RD, EPA for their input and
development of various databases in this report and Dr. Paul Schwartz,
USDA, Office of Minor Use Pesticides for his advice and peer review of
the analysis.

IR-4 Proposal 1: “Add a new crop group to 40 CFR 180.41 (c) as
“Stalk, Stem and Leafy Petiole Vegetable Crop Group” with the
following 18 commodities:

Agave, Agave spp.  (Asparagaceae)

Asparagus, Asparagus officinalis L.  (Asparagaceae)

Bamboo, shoots, Arundinaria spp.; Bambusa spp. including B. blumeana; B.
multiplex; B. oldhamii; B. textilis; Chimonobambusa spp.; Dendrocalamus
spp., including D. asper; D. beecheyana; D. brandisii; D. giganteus; D.
laetiflorus and D. strictus; Gigantochloa spp. including G. albociliata;
G. atter; G. levis; G. robusta; Nastus elatus; Phyllostachys spp.;
Thyrsostachys siamensis; Thyrsostachys oliverii  (Poaceae (alt.
Gramineae))

Burdock, edible, tops, Arctium lappa L.  (Asteraceae (Compositae))

Cardoon, Cynara cardunculus L.  (Asteraceae (Compositae))

Celery, Apium graveolens var. dulce (Mill.) Pers. (Apiaceae (alt.
Umbelliferae))

Celery, Chinese, Apium graveolens L. var. secalinum (Alef.) Mansf.
(Apiaceae (alt. Umbelliferae))

Celtuce, Lactuca sativa var. angustana L.H. Bailey (Apiaceae (alt.
Umbelliferae))

Fennel, Florence, Foeniculum vulgare Mill. Subsp. vulgare var. azoricum
(Mill.) Thell. (Apiaceae (alt. Umbelliferae))

Ferns, Edible (Fiddleheads):  Including:  Black lady fern, Woodsiaceae,
Deparia japonica (Thunb.) M. Kato; Bracken fern, Dennstaedtiaceae,
Pteridium aquilinum (L.) Kuhn; Broad buckler fern, Dryopteridaceae,
Dryopteris dilatata (Hoffm.) A. Gray; Cinnamon fern, Osmundaceae,
Osmundastrum cinnamomeum (L.) C. Presl; Lady fern, Woodsiaceae, Athyrium
filix-femina (L.) Roth ex Mert.; Leather fern, Pteridaceae, Acrostichum
aureum L.; Mother fern, Woodsiaceae, Diplazium proliferum (Lam.)
Thouars; Ostrich fern, Onocleaceae, Matteuccia struthiopteris (L.) Tod.;
Vegetable fern, Woodsiaceae, Diplazium esculentum (Retz.) Sw.; Zenmai
fern, Osmundaceae, Osmuda japonica Thunb.

Fuki, Petasites japonicus (Siebold & Zucc.) Maxim. (Apiaceae (alt.
Umbelliferae))

Kale, sea, Crambe maritima L. (Brassicaceae (alt. Cruciferae))

Kohlrabi, Brassica oleracea L.var gongylodes L. (Brassicaceae (alt.
Cruciferae))

Palm hearts, various species including:  Peach Palm, Bactris gasipaes
Kunth; Palmyra palm, Borassus flabellifera L.; African fan palm,
Borassus aethiopum Mart.; Coconut, Cocos nucifera L.; Cabbage palm,
Euterpe oleracea Mart.; Wine palm, Raphia spp.; Royal palm, Roystonea
oleracea (Jacq.) O.F. Cook; Salak palm, Salacca zalacca (Gaertn.) Voss;
Saw palmetto, Serenoa repens (W. Bartram) Small; Cabbage palmetto, Sabal
palmetto (Walter) Schult. & Schult. f.,  (Arecaceae (alt. Palmae))

Prickly pear, pads, Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) Mill. (Cactaceae)

Rhubarb, Rheum x hybridum Murray (Polygonaceae)

Udo, Aralia cordata Thunb. (Araliaceae)

Zuiki, Colocasia gigantea (Blume) Hook. f. (Araceae)”

In addition IR-4 discusses some of the individual leafy vegetable crops
are where they will be recommended to reside.  Kohlrabi is currently in
the Head and Stem Brassica subgroup 5A in the Brassica Leafy Vegetables
Crop Group 5.  Kohlrabi with its exposed enlarged, bulb-like stem can
have higher pesticide residues than some of the representative
commodities of broccoli or cabbage (unpublished IR-4 data).  Therefore
kohlrabi was proposed for inclusion in this proposed new Stalk, Stem and
Leafy Petiole crop group with other stalk and stem vegetables that are
fully exposed to pesticides.  Note that Florence fennel plants also have
an enlarged bulbous leaf base and are also proposed for inclusion with
other stalk and stem vegetables instead of the leafy petiole subgroup.

	Several commodities including Alexanders, Good King Henry and Japanese
knotweed were also considered for inclusion in the proposed new Stalk,
Stem and Leafy Petiole crop group.  Alexanders and Good King Henry were
included in the recent Leafy vegetable proposal as although young stems
and shoots are consumed, these commodities are primarily consumed as a
leafy greens crop.  Japanese knotweed and giant knotweed were omitted
because they are considered a noxious weed in many states, are primarily
gathered in the wild and the only other use for knotweed is as a
medicinal crop to make the nutritional supplements (resveratrol).

	Cattail and sea asparagus were considered, but not included in this
proposed new crop group because they are aquatic vegetables.  Garlic
shoots were also considered, but not included as the primary use of
garlic is the bulb (crop group 3-07).

	Witloof chicory (sprouts) or Belgium endive is also included in Codex
Group 017, Stalk and Stem Vegetable, but this commodity was not included
in this submission because chicory is being considered to be added and
was included in a recent IR-4  Leafy Vegetable submission (EPA MRID No.:
484817-01).

	Globe artichoke is included in the Codex Group 017, Stalk and Stem
Vegetables.  Globe artichoke was not included in this proposal because
artichoke is not a stalk, stem or leafy petiole, but is an immature
flowerhead of the family Compositae and is morphologically dissimilar to
other stalk and stem vegetables.  In this analysis the addition of globe
artichoke to be included in the U.S. Stalk, Stem and Leafy Petiole crop
group in the interest of harmonization was considered.

	Burdock is currently in Crop Group 2 (Leaves of Root and Tuber
Vegetables (Human Food or Animal Feed).  Many of leaves of root and
tuber vegetables (human food) were proposed for inclusion in the revised
Leafy Vegetable crop group.  Burdock, edible is proposed for inclusion
in the Stalk, Stem and Leafy Petiole crop group since although the root
is the primary part valued, the young stalks and leaves are also
consumed.  The peeled stem is also eaten.  Since the leaves are also
consumed, EPA ChemSAC may want to consider if burdock should instead be
included in the revised Leafy Vegetable crop group.

	Fiddlehead ferns were proposed for inclusion in the recent revised
Leafy Vegetable crop group submission.  Because fiddleheads are
harvested and consumed before they unfurl, they are sometimes considered
as stalk and stem vegetables.  The analysis of the Leafy Vegetable Crop
group suggested that ferns may fit better as a commodity in the Stalk,
stem, and leaf petiole group.  Fiddlehead ferns are typically consumed
as the furled fronds of young ferns.  If left on the plant each
fiddlehead would unroll into a leafy frond.  Fiddleheads are harvested
early in the season before the frond open and they are cut fairly close
to the ground.

	The USDA IR-4, USDA ARS, and EPA HED held a meeting in May 2011 with
officials (Michael McGuffin, President and Merle Zimmerman, Information
Analyst) of the American Herbal Products Association (  HYPERLINK
"http://www.ahpa.org"  http://www.ahpa.org ) to discuss botanical herbs
and their possible inclusion in the Crop Groups, as well as in the
future review of the herb and spice crop group and the root and tuber
vegetables as well as the new Stem, stalk and leaf petiole crop group
22.  Botanical herbs that also have culinary uses would be desired.  The
AHPA stated that for the proposed Stalk, Stem, and Leaf Petiole Group 22
that Aloe vera (L.) Burm. F.) should be considered as member of this
crop group because of its similarities in culture to Agave.  Based on
similarities in culture to agave and its use as a natural flavoring
(21CFR 172.510 natural flavoring substances) and its use in preparing
smoothies IR-4 stated that aloe vera should be included as a member of
crop group 22 and crop subgroup 22A.

HED Recommendations for Proposal 1:

	I recommend that ChemSAC concur to approve a new Stalk, Stem, and Leaf
Petiole Vegetable Crop Group 22, based on similarities of the comparison
of stalk, stem, and leaf petiole vegetables, similar cultural practices,
edible food and animal feed portions, similar plant exposure to
pesticide residue levels, geographical locations, processing, food uses,
established tolerances, and for international harmonization purposes.
This group will have 18 commodities and combine 11 orphan crops
including agave; aloe vera, bamboo shoots; Chinese celery; edible ferns;
fuki; sea kale, palm hearts; cactus (prickly pear, pads); udo; and zuiki
to this group.

	We agree that globe artichoke should not be a member of this new crop
group Stalk, Stem and Leaf Petiole Vegetables.  Globe artichoke was not
included in this proposal because artichoke is not a stalk, stem or
leafy petiole, but is an immature flowerhead of the family Compositae
and is morphologically dissimilar to other stalk and stem vegetables and
pest problems are dissimilar.

	Burdock is currently in Crop Group 2 (Leaves of Root and Tuber
Vegetables (Human Food or Animal Feed).  Many of leaves of root and
tuber vegetables (human food) were proposed for inclusion in the revised
Leafy Vegetable crop group.  Burdock, edible is proposed by IR-4 for
inclusion in the Stalk, Stem and Leafy Petiole crop group since although
the root is the primary part valued, the young stalks and leaves are
also consumed.  The peeled stem is also eaten.  Since the leaves are
also consumed, EPA ChemSAC may want to consider if burdock should
instead be included in the revised Leafy Vegetable crop group.  Upon
further consideration it was felt that Burdock, edible leaves should
remain as a member of Crop group 2, leaves of root and tuber vegetables
and not become a member of the proposed Stalk, stem, and leaf petiole
crop group 22.

	In addition, I also recommend including fiddlehead ferns for inclusion
in the Stalk, Stem, and Leaf Petiole Vegetable Group because even though
they are found for a limited time in grocery stores and included in some
gourmet restaurants, they are rarely cultivated and are often gathered
from the wild for personal consumption, or sold to markets and
restaurants.  They have a very limited season, typically early spring
for a short time as the fronds first emerge, and some of the ferns can
be toxic if not harvested at the correct growth stage.  However, after
consideration of current research to develop it as a crop, use in
Europe, use in gourmet restaurants, and its potential as a commercial
specialty crop it is recommended to include ferns as a commodity in this
crop group

	Changes to Food and feed commodity vocabulary include bamboo shoot will
be bamboo shoots because this is how the crop is listed commercially.
Palm hearts will also be listed as palm hearts with no comma palm,
hearts based on its marketing name.  Edible ferns will have a new
commodity definition to cover all the types of edible ferns.

	Originally for terminology purpose it was also proposed to change
Prickly pear, pads to cactus to cover other edible cacti besides prickly
pear.  The RAC for cactus will be Cactus, pads and cactus, fruit which
was the current EPA practice.  However, commodity name for prickly pear,
pads was suggested to be changed to Cactus before the analysis of the
Tropical and subtropical fruit inedible peel crop group 24 by HED
(ChemSAC review March 12, 2013).  Included in this Tropical and
subtropical fruit – inedible peel crop group proposal the fruit of the
prickly pear cactus, whereas in crop group 22 the cactus RAC is
specifically for its pads and only the Prickly pear and the Texas
prickly pear will be members of crop group 22.  The commodity term
“cactus” as HED originally stated will now need to be changed to
Prickly pear, pads and Texas prickly pear, pads to distinguish it
clearly from the fruit of the prickly pear that develops from prickly
pear flowers.  The proposed Tropical and subtropical fruit – inedible
peel crop group 24 will have the commodities Prickly pear, fruit and
Texas prickly pear, fruit.

Also the name of the crop group should be Stalk, Stem, and Leaf petiole
vegetable group 22 instead of stalk, stem, and leafy petiole vegetable
group.  This will match the use of the term leaf petiole which we have
established as crop subgroup 4B which moves these commodities from crop
subgroup 4B to the proposed stalk, stem, and leaf petiole crop group 22.

The RAC for Florence fennel should be Fennel, Florence, fresh leaves and
stalk to distinguish from the commodity Fennel, Florence, seed in crop
group 19 herbs and spices and Crop subgroup Spice 19B.

	The list of acceptable Stalk, Stem, and Leaf Petiole Vegetable crops
and their scientific names for the seventeen commodities were also
updated and are listed below.

“HED Proposed Stalk, Stem, and Leaf Petiole Vegetable Crop Group
22”.

Commodities

Agave, Agave spp.

Aloe vera, Aloe vera (L.) Burm. f.

Asparagus, Asparagus officinalis L.

Bamboo shoots, Arundinaria spp.; Bambusa spp, Chimonobambusa spp.;
Dendrocalamus spp., Gigantochloa spp., Nastus elatus; Phyllostachys
spp.; Thyrsostachys siamensis; Thyrsostachys oliverii

Cactus, (Prickly pear) Opuntia spp.

Cardoon, Cynara cardunculus L.

Celery, Apium graveolens var. dulce (Mill.) Pers.

Celery, Chinese, Apium graveolens L. var. secalinum (Alef.) Mansf.

Celtuce, Lactuca sativa var. angustana L.H. Bailey

Fennel, Florence, fresh leaves and stalk, Foeniculum vulgare Mill.
subsp. vulgare var. azoricum (Mill.) Thell.

Fern, edible, Fiddlehead

Fuki, Petasites japonicus (Siebold & Zucc.) Maxim.

Kale, sea, Crambe maritima L.

Kohlrabi, Brassica oleracea L.var gongylodes L.

Palm hearts, various species including:  Peach Palm, Bactris gasipaes
Kunth; Palmyra palm, Borassus flabellifera L.; African fan palm,
Borassus aethiopum Mart.; Cabbage palm, Euterpe oleracea Mart.; Wine
palm, Raphia spp.; Royal palm, Roystonea oleracea (Jacq.) O.F. Cook;
Salak palm, Salacca zalacca (Gaertn.) Voss; Saw palmetto, Serenoa repens
(W. Bartram) Small; Cabbage palmetto, Sabal palmetto (Walter) Schult. &
Schult.

Rhubarb, Rheum x hybridum Murray

Udo, Aralia cordata Thunb.

Zuiki, Colocasia gigantea (Blume) Hook.

Cultivars, varieties, and hybrids of these commodities

IR-4 Proposal 2:” The proposed representative commodities for the
Stalk, Stem, and Leaf Petiole Vegetable Crop Group 22 are asparagus and
celery.”

HED Recommendations for Proposal 2:

	I recommend ChemSAC concur to have asparagus and celery, as
representative commodities for the proposed new Stalk, stem, and leaf
petiole group 22.  These proposed representative commodities account for
> 98 % of the harvested acres for the proposed members of this group.
They are the two most widely grown stalk, stem and leaf petiole crops in
the U.S. with both the largest acreages and geographical distribution.
The representative commodities are based on similarities in vegetable
morphology (stalk and stem and not leaves), and cultural practices and
geographical locations, as well as their high production (both acres and
yield) and consumption.  Comparisons of established tolerances on stalk,
stem, and leaf petiole commodities also supports that residue levels
will be similar between members of the crop group.

The name of the crop group should be stalk, stem, and leaf petiole
vegetable group 22 instead of stalk, stem, and leafy petiole vegetable
group.  This will match the use of the term leaf petiole which we have
established as crop subgroup 4B which moves these commodities from crop
subgroup 4B to the proposed stalk, stem, and leaf petiole crop group 22.

IR-4 Proposal 3: “Propose establishing two crop subgroups 22A –
Stalk and stem subgroup with ten commodities and 22B – Leafy petiole
subgroup with seven commodities as follows with asparagus being the
representative commodity for crop subgroup 22A and celery for crop
subgroup 22B:

Crop Subgroup 22A. Stalk and Stem subgroup - Representative commodity -
asparagus:

Agave

Asparagus

Bamboo, shoots

Celtuce

Fennel, Florence

Fern, edible

Kale, sea

Kohlrabi

Palm Hearts

Prickly pear, pads

Crop Subgroup 22B. Leafy Petiole subgroup – Representative commodity -
Celery:

Cardoon

Celery

Celery, Chinese

Fuki

Rhubarb

Udo

Zuiki”

HED Recommendations for Proposal 3:

	I also recommend that ChemSAC approve the two proposed crop subgroups:
22A   Stalk and Stem Vegetable and 22B - Leaf Petiole Vegetable.  The
petiole vegetable subgroup name of the crop subgroup 22B Leafy petiole
vegetable should be leaf petiole subgroup.  This will match the use of
the term leaf petiole which we have established as crop subgroup 4B
which moves these commodities from crop subgroup 4B to the proposed
stalk, stem, and leaf petiole crop group 22 (see table below).

Originally for terminology purpose it was also proposed to change
Prickly pear, pads to cactus to cover other edible cacti besides prickly
pear.  The RAC for cactus will be Cactus, pads and cactus, fruit which
was the current EPA practice.  However, commodity name for prickly pear,
pads was suggested to be changed to Cactus before the analysis of the
Tropical and subtropical fruit inedible peel crop group 24 by HED
(ChemSAC review March 12, 2013).  Included in this Tropical and
subtropical fruit – inedible peel crop group proposal the fruit of the
prickly pear cactus, whereas in crop group 22 the cactus RAC is
specifically for its pads and only the Prickly pear and the Texas
prickly pear will be members of crop group 22.  The commodity term
“cactus” as HED originally stated will now need to be changed to
Prickly pear, pads and Texas prickly pear, pads to distinguish it
clearly from the fruit of the prickly pear that develops from prickly
pear flowers.  The proposed Tropical and subtropical fruit – inedible
peel crop group 24 will have the commodities Prickly pear, fruit and
Texas prickly pear, fruit.

	The representative commodities for each of the subgroups represent over
99 % of the production and are widely grown in the U.S.  The Stalk and
stem subgroup 22A will have asparagus as the representative of
vegetables that have edible stalks and stems such as celtuce and
kohlrabi.  The Leaf petiole subgroup 22B will have celery as the
representative commodity of the other leaf petiole crops such as Chinese
celery, cardoon, and rhubarb.  Comparison of tolerances for the
individual members of each subgroup also supports that these two
representative commodities will support the crop subgroups.

PROPOSED REPRESENTATIVE COMMODITIES AND CROP SUBGROUPS

Crop Group Subgroup	Proposed Representative  Commodities

Proposed Commodities

Stalk, Stem and Leafy Petiole  Crop Group 22	Celery and Asparagus	Agave;
 Aloe vera; Asparagus;  Bamboo shoots;   Celtuce;  Fennel, Florence,
fresh leaves and stalk;   Fern, edible, Fiddlehead;  Kale, sea;
Kohlrabi;  Palm hearts; Prickly pear, pads; Texas prickly pear, pads

22A.  Stalk and Stem Vegetable	Asparagus	Agave;  Asparagus;  Bamboo
shoots;  Cactus;  Celtuce;  Fennel, Florence, fresh leaves and stalk;
Fern, edible,  Kale, sea;  Kohlrabi;  Palm hearts; Prickly pear, pads;
Texas prickly pear, pads

22B.  Leaf Petiole Vegetable	Celery	Cardoon;  Celery;  Celery, Chinese;
Fuki;  Rhubarb;  Udo;  Zuiki

IR-4 Proposal 4: “No new Stalk, Stem, and Leaf Petiole crop
definitions are proposed.”

HED Recommendation for Proposal 4 Commodity Definition [40CFR 180.41
(g)] for the Stalk, Stem, and Leaf Petiole Vegetables:

	However, there is a current commodity definition for celery and
previously had approved a revision to add Chinese celery to the
commodity definition for celery as follows (ChemSAC (Reviewer’s Guide
and Summary of HED ChemSAC Approvals for Amending Commodity Definitions
[40 CFR § 180.1(h)] and Crop Group/Subgroups [40 CFR  § 180.41],
Schneider, B., 6/14/02) :

“

(A) General Category	(B) Specific Commodities

Celery	Celery, Florence fennel (sweet anise, sweet fennel, finochio)
(fresh leaves and stalks only), Chinese celery.

“

	With the proposed establishment of a new crop group for Stalk, stem,
and leaf petiole vegetables, the need for a celery commodity definition
to cover Chinese celery is negated since the proposed Leaf Petiole
Vegetable subgroup 22C has celery as the representative commodity that
covers Chinese celery.  Also Florence fennel, fresh leaves and stalks
has been shown in this petition to fit closer to the Stem and Stalk
subgroup 22A with asparagus as the representative commodity.  Celery is
the proposed representative commodity for crop subgroup 22B Leaf
petiole.  Therefore, we recommend deleting the commodity definition for
celery as part of the establishment of the Stalk, stem and leaf petiole
vegetable crop group.

Also to avoid confusion from current celery tolerances, we have no
objection to not deleting this commodity definition.

	A new commodity definition for edible ferns is recommended so that the
various types of edible ferns can be easily distinguishable and defined.
 The edible commodity fern definition is as follows:

“

(A) General Category	(B) Specific Commodities

Fern, edible	Fern, edible; Fiddlehead including:  Black lady fern,
Deparia japonica (Thunb.) M. Kato; Bracken fern, Pteridium aquilinum
(L.) Kuhn; Broad buckler fern, Dryopteris dilatata (Hoffm.) A. Gray;
Cinnamon fern, Osmundastrum cinnamomeum (L.) C. Presl; Lady fern,
Athyrium filix-femina (L.) Roth ex Mert.; Leather fern, Acrostichum
aureum L.; Mother fern, Diplazium proliferum (Lam.) Thouars; Ostrich
fern, Matteuccia struthiopteris (L.) Tod.; Vegetable fern, Diplazium
esculentum (Retz.) Sw.; Zenmai fern, Osmuda japonica Thunb.

“

A new commodity definition for palm heart is also recommended so that
the various palm heart varieties can be easily distinguishable and
defined.  The palm heart commodity definition is as follows:

“

(A) General Category	(B) Specific Commodities

Palm hearts	Palm hearts, various species including: Peach Palm, Bactris
gasipaes Kunth; Palmyra palm, Borassus flabellifera L.; African fan
palm, Borassus aethiopum Mart.; Coconut, Cocos nucifera L.; Cabbage
palm, Euterpe oleracea Mart.; Wine palm, Raphia spp.; Royal palm,
Roystonea oleracea (Jacq.) O.F. Cook; Salak palm, Salacca zalacca
(Gaertn.) Voss; Saw palmetto, Serenoa repens (W. Bartram) Small; Cabbage
palmetto, Sabal palmetto (Walter) Schult. & Schult. f.

“

Additional HED Recommendations/Conclusions:

HED Recommendation 5:

	Another important aspect of crop grouping is the harmonization effort
with the Codex Classification of Foods and Animal Feeds.  Another
important aspect of crop grouping is the harmonization effort with the
Codex Classification of Foods and Animal Feeds.  The Codex
Classification of Food and Feed Commodities was published in 1983, and
has a separate Crop Group (017) “Stalk and Stem Vegetables”.  EPA at
that time did not propose a separate crop group similar to Codex.
However, based on recommendation by International Crop Grouping
Symposium in 2002 and the reanalysis of the Leafy vegetable crop groups,
USDA IR-4 is proposing that EPA adopt a crop group similar to the Codex
group entitled “Stalk, Stem, and Leaf Petiole Group.

	The proposed EPA crop group for Stalk, Stem, and Leaf Petiole is very
similar to the corresponding Codex Stalk and Stem Vegetables (Group
017).  The Codex Group 017, Stalk and Stem Vegetables consist of ten
commodities.  The U.S. has seventeen proposed commodities and twelve are
direct matches.  There are seven commodities proposed in the U.S. crop
group not yet in Codex (agave, aloe vera, Chinese celery, edible fern,
fuki, udo, and zuiki.  Codex also has witloof chicory sprouts (VS 469)
but it is not being proposed for the U.S. group since its cultural
practices are much different than other members of the group.  Witloof
chicory is also called Belgium endive.

A revision of the Codex Classification is underway with consideration to
include adding new commodities, creating subgroups, and selecting
representative commodities.  The new Stalk, Stem, and Leaf Petiole
Vegetable Crop Group and the representative commodities proposed in this
petition would facilitate the harmonization of the U.S. and the Codex
crop classification systems.  In the next proposed revision to the Codex
Classification of Foods and Animal Feeds we would expect these changes
to be considered as part of the Codex Stalk and Stem Vegetables Group in
the harmonization effort that Bill Barney, USDA IR - 4 is coordinating
with the Codex delegation.  Therefore, this proposal will not only
increase harmonization with the Canadian and NAFTA crop grouping system,
but it is compatible with the international system of Codex.  The Food
Quality Protection Act of 1996 also placed increased emphasis on using
Codex MRLs in setting tolerances for pesticides in the U.S.  We continue
to note that the current Codex crop group does not have representative
commodities.

HED Recommendation 6:

	The Health Effects Division Dry Matter database is prepared by Dr’s
NG and Schneider. Yuen-Shaung NG and B. A. Schneider, and was updated on
July, 2011 in Table 45 for the propose Stalk, Stem, and Leaf Petiole
vegetable crop group.

HED Recommendation 7:

Guidance for HED SOP 99.6 -  SEQ CHAPTER \h \r 1  “Classification of
Food Forms with Respect to Level of Blending” issued August 20, 1999,
and HED SOP 2000.1 – “  SEQ CHAPTER \h \r 1 Guidance for Translation
of Field Trial Data from Representative Commodities in the Crop Group
Regulation to Other Commodities in Each Crop Group/Subgroup” issued
September 12, 2000 can be updated to reflect the addition of the Stalk,
stem, and leaf petiole vegetable crop group 22

HED Recommendation 8:

Guidance on expressing tolerance terminology for the Stalk, stem, and
leaf petiole vegetable crop group 22 is discussed under the “Tolerance
expression guidance section of this analysis.

HED Recommendation 9:

New lookup and preferred EPA terms for the members of the Stalk, Stem,
and Leaf Petiole Vegetable Crop Group 22 are listed in the EPA Food and
Feed Commodity Vocabulary section of this report and these terms will be
to the updated EPA Food and Feed Commodity Vocabulary website (
HYPERLINK "http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/foodfeed"
http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/foodfeed ) when it is updated.

DETAILED ANALYSIS OF THE USDA IR-4 PROPOSAL TO ESTABLISH THE STALK,
STEM, AND LEAF PETIOLE VEGETABLE CROP GROUP:

	The leafy vegetables form a large commodity group of mainly annual or
biennial flowering herbaceous plants.  In general the leafy vegetables
and Brassica leafy vegetables are typically cool season crops that are
grown as row crops.  Crops that are consumed as leaves of roots and
tubers (human food) are typically warm season crops, and are also grown
as row crops.  Almost all parts of some edible leaf species or other
have been developed for food, including the root (  HYPERLINK
"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rutabaga" \o "Rutabaga"  rutabaga ,
HYPERLINK "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turnip_(Brassica_rapa)" \o
"Turnip (Brassica rapa)"  turnips ), stems (  HYPERLINK
"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kohlrabi" \o "Kohlrabi"  kohlrabi ),
leaves (  HYPERLINK "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cabbage" \o "Cabbage"
cabbage ,   HYPERLINK "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brussels_sprout" \o
"Brussels sprout"  Brussels sprouts ), flowers (  HYPERLINK
"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cauliflower" \o "Cauliflower"  cauliflower
,   HYPERLINK "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Broccoli" \o "Broccoli"
broccoli ), and seeds (many, including   HYPERLINK
"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mustard_seed" \o "Mustard seed"  mustard
seed , and oil-producing   HYPERLINK
"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rapeseed" \o "Rapeseed"  rapeseed , canola
varieties).

DEFINITION OF LEAFY AND STALK, STEM, AND LEAF PETIOLE VEGETABLE
COMMODITIES:

	A leafy vegetable is considered any of various leafy plants which have
their leaves and/or stems/or tender petioles or leaf stalk plant parts
eaten as vegetables.  The current crop grouping system has separate crop
groups for Leafy vegetables group 4 and Brassica Leafy Vegetables Crop
Group 5, as well as Crop group 2 for the Leaves of Root and Tuber
Vegetables.  Nearly one thousand species of   HYPERLINK
"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_plants_with_edible_leaves" \o
"List of plants with edible leaves"  plants with edible leaves  are
known.  These vegetables are leaves of plants that are cooked (steamed,
stir-fried or cooked) or eaten fresh as a vegetable.  They come from a
wide variety of plants, but share common characteristics in leaf
morphology (comparison of external plant structures).

	Stalk, stem and leaf petiole vegetables are the edible plant stalks,
stems or leafy petioles from a variety of annual or perennial plants
that are used as vegetables.  Many leafy and root and tuber vegetables
contain significant amounts of either stem, stalk or petiole portions,
however, the commodities proposed for this crop group are composed
primarily of the stalk, stem or petiole.  Petioles frequently include
the leaf structure, so petioles are referred to as leaf or leafy
petioles.  Celery (petiole) and asparagus (stem) are among the most
popular and better known vegetables in this group.  Stalk, stem and
leafy petiole vegetables are used to make a variety of vegetable dishes
and contain numerous vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.  Because of
their structure, stalk, stem and leafy petiole vegetables are fully
exposed to pesticides during their growth period.

BOTANICAL ASPECTS OF STALK, STEM, AND LEAF PETIOLE VEGETABLE
COMMODITIES:

Table 1.  Botanical Families of the Proposed New Stalk, Stem, and Leaf
Petiole Vegetable Crop Group (Currently commodities in bold are the best
known worldwide).

Botanical Family	Commodity

Apiaceae	Celery, Chinese celery, Florence fennel, Fuki

Araceae	Zuiki

Araliaceae	Udo

Arecaceae	Palm hearts

Asparagaceae	Agave, Asparagus

Asteraceae	Edible burdock, tops; Cardoon

Bambusa	Bamboo shoots

Brassicaceae	Sea kale, Kohlrabi

Cactaceae	Cactus (Prickly pear)

Osmundaceae	Fern, edible (Cinnamon fern)

Polygonaceae	Rhubarb

Woodsiaceae	Fern, edible (mother fern, vegetable fern)

	Edible ferns are members of several crop families and include:

Ferns, Edible (Fiddleheads):  including:  Black lady fern, Woodsiaceae;
Bracken fern, Dennstaedtiaceae; buckler fern, Dryopteridaceae; Cinnamon
fern Osmundaceae; Lady fern, Woodsiaceae; Leather fern, Pteridaceae;
Mother fern, Woodsiaceae; Ostrich fern, Onocleaceae; Vegetable fern,
Woodsiaceae; and Zenmai fern, Osmundaceae.

ORIGIN AND HISTORY OF STALK, STEM, AND LEAF PETIOLE VEGETABLE
CULTIVATION:

	Agave has its origins dating back to the Maya empire through the
Spanish Conquistadors and the first tequila made in 1600.  Tequila’s
resurgence in recent years is due to an explosion in the premium tequila
market.  The agave plant and tequila became one of the most important
treasures to the tribes of pre-Hispanic Mexico.  The sweet nectar of the
agave is used as a sweetener or distilled into what is now modern day
tequila.

	Asparagus over 20,000 years ago was eaten near Aswan in Egypt.  It has
been used as a vegetable and medicine, owing to its delicate flavor,
HYPERLINK "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diuretic" \o "Diuretic"
diuretic  properties, and more.  It is pictured as an offering on an
Egyptian   HYPERLINK "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frieze" \o "Frieze"
frieze  dating to 3000 BC.  It was known in Syria and in Spain. Greeks
and Romans ate it fresh when in season and dried the vegetable for use
in winter.  It originated near the Mediterranean Sea and was considered
a delicacy by the ancient Greeks.  Methods were described for growing
this vegetable in 200 BC.  It was cultivated in England in 1400 and
brought to America by the early colonists.  Highly prized for its
delicate flavor, "asparagus" is the Greek word for "stalk" or "shoot".
The waste steppes of southern Poland and Russia are covered with this
plant.  Asparagus has been grown in American gardens since the earliest
settlements were established, but it was not until after 1850 - 1860
that asparagus was planted by commercial growers in the United States.

	Cardoon was once an extremely important vegetable in Europe, known by
the Romans and by the ancient Greeks.  It is much less popular today but
remains a common vegetable in Spain and Italy, as well as some
cultivation in Asia and South America.

	Celery is believed to be originally from the Mediterranean basin.
Ancient literature documents that celery, or a similar plant form, was
cultivated for medicinal purposes before 850 B.C.  It’s claimed
medicinal purposes were probably attributable to its volatile oils,
contained in parts, but mostly the seed. During ancient times Ayurvedic
physicians used celery seed to treat the following many conditions:
colds, poor digestion, various types of arthritis, and liver and spleen
ailments.  Eating celery did not become popular until the 18th century
in Europe.  Celery was introduced in the United States early in the
early 19th century.

	Celtuce is consumed as a vegetable, particularly in China, and was
introduced to the U.S. about 1940 as a minor crop.

	The origins of kohlrabi are not certain, but the first mention of it in
European literature is a mention of Corinthian turnip by Pliny the Elder
in the first century AD, and Corinthian turnip resembled the kohlrabi's
growth patterns.  Kohlrabi was likely grown in many parts of the Roman
Empire.  By the year 800 A.D., the Holy Roman Emperor Charlemagne
ordered that kohlrabi be grown in Imperial gardens.  The name "kohlrabi"
is actually a German name that means "cabbage turnip."  By the 1600s,
kohlrabi had spread to India via trade, and became a staple crop in
India.  It has more recently been cultivated in China and other parts of
East Asia, the Middle East and Africa.  Although kohlrabi is available
in the United States, it was not common outside of the southern U.S.,
and it was first recorded as a crop in the United States in 1806.

	Rhubarb most likely originated in Mongolia or Siberia.  It was
introduced to Europe by Italian botanist Prosper Alpinus in 1608 as a
substitute for Chinese Rhubarb whose roots were used medicinally.  Ben
Franklin is credited for bringing rhubarb seeds to the North American
east coast in 1772, yet the red stalks did not catch on until the early
1800s, when it became a popular ingredient for pie.  In the late 1800's,
rhubarb was brought to Alaska by the Russians and used as an effective
counter-agent for scurvy.  By the mid-1900s, was popular in the New
England states where it was used as pastry and pie fillings and also to
make homemade wine.  The term rhubarb has also come to mean a "quarrel"
or "heated discussion."  Stage and movie directors would have actors
repeat "rhubarb" and various other phrases to simulate background
conversations or mutterings of a surly crowd.

GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE STALK, STEM, AND LEAF PETIOLE VEGETABLE
CROPS:

	Understanding how the stalk, stem, and leaf petiole vegetables grow and
develop is a key part of developing a pest control strategy for optimum
leaf yield and quality and a helpful reference for analysis of residue
field trials data by EPA scientists.  Proper timing of pesticide
applications, based on crop growth stage and pest growth cycle can
improve a product’s efficacy, prevent crop injury, and yield losses.
Pesticide labels often use crop growth stages and codes to identify when
to apply a pesticide, and State Extension pest control recommendations
and spray schedules are based on these distinct growth stages.  Rarely,
if ever, will a grower need to apply treatments at all of the key growth
stages shown for a given vegetable.  The number, distribution, and
content of needed treatments will vary between the major leafy vegetable
growing regions of the world and within any given region and are
dependent on pest pressures, which reduce the yield, quality, and
marketability of the edible leaves.

Some of the internationally recognized growth stages for the vegetables
are represented by spinach which does not form a distinct head are
listed as BBCH Codes (Biologische Bundesanstalt, Bundessortenamt and
Chemical industry), and the BBCH does not have separate tables for the
stalk, stem, and leaf petiole commodities.  But the general growth codes
do apply and are listed in Table 2.  Beginning as a small black seed,
asparagus develops into long tube like roots and called a crown.
Developed crowns, which take more than a year to establish, will send up
spears in the second or third year of growth that can be harvested over
a 6 - 8 week period.  Once the picking season ends, the spears
transition to a fern for the remainder of the summer gathering resources
for next year.

In biology, the BBCH-scale for these crops describes the   HYPERLINK
"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phenology" \o "Phenology"  phenological
development of the crop using the   HYPERLINK
"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BBCH-scale" \o "BBCH-scale"  BBCH-scale .
They are based on the principal growth stage such as germination, leaf
development, flowering, and fruit development, and they list a standard
BBCH Code for each stage as well as a description of each code.  The
selected growth stages are also essential for identifying the propose
timings to scout pest problems for control of these pests and for
applications of pesticides as part of an integrated pest management
program (IPM).

Table 2.  Selected Principal Growth Stages for Stalk, Stem, and Leaf
Petiole Vegetables.  BBCH Identification Codes (Adapted from Meier, 1994
and Feller et al., 1995).

BBCH Codes 	Principal Growth Stage

00 - 09	Germination

10 - 20	Leaf development (main shoot)

40 - 49	Development of harvestable vegetative plant parts

50 - 59	Inflorescence emergence

60 - 69	Flowering

70 - 79	Development of Fruit

80 - 89	Ripening of fruit and seed

90 - 99	Senescence Harvested product

CLIMATE AND SOILS AFFECT CULTIVATION AND ADAPTATION OF STALK, STEM, AND
LEAF PETIOLE VEGETABLE CROP COMMODITIES TO CERTAIN REGIONS:

Agave:

Most agave grows best in desert scrub climates in tropical and
sub-tropical regions, although some species can be found in more humid
regions and in pine forests.  Agave can tolerate temperate climates as
well, although it grows extremely slowly and may not flower for a very
long time, if at all.  It is often grown in the U.S. and Europe as an
ornamental.

Asparagus:

Asparagus performs best when the soil is in a pH range from 6.5 to 7.5.
Soils with a pH of 6.0 or lower must be limed or growth will be
restricted.  Soils with a pH above 8.2 indicate excess sodium and must
be reclaimed.  Excess salts in your soil or water can significantly
reduce yield. In high salinity areas it is necessary to design the drip
system so it can provide adequate leaching.  Asparagus does not tolerate
acid soils and will not grow well at a pH of less than 6.0.

Bamboo shoots:

Depending on the species bamboo can tolerate cool temperate climates,
although the majority of species are tropical or subtropical.  It can
grow in most soils as long as it has plenty of water, and tends to be
invasive and difficult to get rid of due to its thick culms and
extensive system.  Sandy loams to loamy clay soils that are well drained
are preferred.

Burdock, edible:

Probably native to Asia but now found throughout much of the temperate
world, including the U.S, where it is considered a weed where it is not
cultivated.  It can grow in most soils, full sun to partial shade.

Cactus:

Requires subtropical, tropical, or cool, semiarid climate with mild,
cool winters and hot summers (with temperatures above 40 °C (104 °F)),
an annual rainfall of 25 to 60 centimeters (10 to 24 inches), full sun,
and well-drained sandy soils, soils of low clay and sodium content, or
calcareous soil.  Cacti are naturalized in dry disturbed habitats.  A
higher pH is preferred in wetter areas.  A lower pH is tolerated in
drier areas.  Cactus thrives in USDA plant hardiness zones 8b to 10.  It
tolerates drought, high temperatures, wind, a wide range of climates,
and rocky or sandy soils of low fertility.  It will not tolerate
freezing temperatures, very acid soils, wet conditions or excessive
moisture.  Opuntia engelmannii var. lindheimeri requires full sun,
elevations of up to 1,900 meters (6,234 feet), well-drained acid to
neutral sand, gravel, loam, clay, or caliche soil, low annual
precipitation, and dry conditions.  It grown in drier areas including
rock outcrops and stony limestone soils of south and central Texas,
Mexico, and New Mexico, and it also grows in the plains, shrub lands and
woodlands.  It thrives in USDA zones 8 to 10 and it tolerates heat, part
shade and cold (10 °F or -12 °C).  It propagates by seeds and
cuttings.  Some cacti are native to Mexico.  Domestication of the plant
occurred over 9,000 years ago.

Cardoon:

		Cardoon tolerates most soil types and requires full sun.

Celery:

	For celery a muck soil is ideal because of their high moisture-holding
capacity.  A pH of 5.2-6.5 is required for good production. Fertile,
well drained mineral soils are also suitable where sufficient water can
be provided throughout the growing season. Sandy soils are not
recommended.

Chinese celery:

Require moist, fertile soil and cool temperatures to prevent it from
bolting.  It is best planted in spring, although summer crops may yield
an autumn harvest if conditions are favorable.  In hot weather requires
shade, and it may be overwintered in some areas.  Will often self-seed,
but can also be directly sown or started indoors before the last frost.
It germinates best in cool conditions, moist soil, and with seeds
uncovered and in the light.

Celtuce:

Celtuce is an annual herbaceous plant, originating in Southern China,
and prefers a well drained, loamy soil with a soil pH greater than 6.5.

Fuki:

Fuki is hardy to zones 4 - 5.  It will grow in most types of soil, but
requires constant moisture and does best in a rich loam, and cannot
tolerate standing water.

Kohlrabi:

It is typically a cool season crop and can be sown in spring or autumn
in temperate areas, and over winter in warmer climates, and does best in
full sun but can tolerate some shade.  It will grow in most soil types,
preferably kept moist.

Rhubarb:

A stand of rhubarb is most productive beginning its third year and
lasting through its sixth year.  Rhubarb prefers a deep, fertile, humus
rich soil, which is moist but well-drained, and grows well in heavy clay
soils.  Use a well-drained but moisture-holding soil with a pH of 5.5 to
7.0.  Hardy to at least -4 °F (-20 °C), and does best in a sunny
position.

Sea kale:

Sea kale does best in a sunny position and neutral to alkaline
conditions.  Can succeed in poor soils and sand; salt and wind tolerant,
although it does best in a rich, fertile soil.

Udo:

Udo grows well in most soils, including poor soils provided it is kept
moist, and it can grow in shade to partial sun.  Udo’s natural habitat
is in woodlands near to streams and ravines and can still be found
growing in these areas all over Japan.

U.S./NAFTA AND WORLD PRODUCTION AND GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION OF THE
STALK, STEM, AND LEAF PETIOLE VEGETABLE COMMODITIES:

	The proposed members of the Stalk, Stem, and Leaf Petiole Vegetable
Crop Group have widespread distribution throughout the world.  Table 3
(FAOSTAT) provides a list of the hectares and production in metric tons
in 2009 reported  n the FAO website for agave, asparagus, and
artichokes.  The world total hectares for agave are 45,848 ha, asparagus
is 1,399,217 ha, and artichokes are 133,326 ha.  The total production of
agave is 32,991 tonnes, asparagus is 7,309,432 tonnes and artichokes are
1,521,150 tonnes.

The predominate agave producing region is Central America at 39 % and
South America at 37 %, followed by Asia at 7.9 % of the hectares and
tonnes.  The predominate asparagus producing region is Asia and accounts
for 92 % of the hectares, followed by Europe at 4 %, and South America
at 2.5 %.of the hectares.  Asia also produces over 6,567,275 tonnes.
Europe is the predominate artichoke producing region at 59 % of the
hectares, followed by South America at 14 % of the hectares, Africa at
13 % and Asia at 11 % of the hectares.

Table 3. Stalk, Stem and Leafy Petiole Production in 2009 (FAOSTAT)

 (FAOSTAT:    HYPERLINK "http://faostat.fao.org/site/566/default.aspx"
http://faostat.fao.org/site/566/default.aspx , results as of May 21,
2011)

Countries/

Regions	Agave	Asparagus	Artichoke, globe

Australia	NA	1,616 ha

6,981 tonnes	NA

New Zealand	NA	639 ha

2,200 tonnes	NA

United States	NA	11,817 ha

49,670 tonnes	3,480 ha

50,710 tonnes

Africa	NA	532 ha

4,391 tonnes	17,666 ha

303,405 tonnes

North America	NA	13,677 ha

57,526 tonnes	3,480 ha

50,710 tonnes

Central America	17,956 ha

11,026 tonnes	12,602 ha

63,950 tonnes	59 ha

800 tonnes

South America	17,120 ha

15,783 tonnes	35,287 ha

341,971 tonnes	19,120 ha

279,210 tonnes

Asia	3,621 ha

3,639 tonnes	1,282,395 ha

6,567,275 tonnes	14,712 ha

131,842 tonnes

Europe	NA	52,469 ha

265,138 tonnes	78,289 ha

755,183 tonnes

World Total	45,848 ha

32,991 tonnes	1,399,217 ha

7,309,432 tonnes	133,326 ha

1,521,150 tonnes

Note:  This table reports only the Stalk, Stem and Petiole Vegetables
available on the FAO website

U.S. STALK, STEM, AND LEAF PETIOLE VEGETABLE PRODUCTION, GEOGRAPHICAL
PRODUCTION AND PER CAPITA AVAILABILITY (LB/YEAR):

	Production in the U.S. is based on the USDA 2010 Agricultural
Statistics, FAO Statistics, 2007, USDA ERS 2007, 2010, USDA NASS Crop
Production, 2007, and the U.S. Agricultural Census, 2007.  The planted
acreages for celery, artichokes, asparagus, and rhubarb in the United
States are listed in Table 4, 5, 6, and 7, respectively.

Table 4. U.S. Production of Celery for 2007 (USDA AG Census, 2007,
HYPERLINK
"http://www.agcensus.usda.gov/Publications/2007/Full_Report/Volume_1,_Ch
apter_2_US_State_Level/index.asp"
http://www.agcensus.usda.gov/Publications/2007/Full_Report/Volume_1,_Cha
pter_2_US_State_Level/index.asp ) and  HYPERLINK
"http://www.agcensus.usda.gov/Publications/2007/Full_Report/Volume_1,_Ch
apter_2_US_State_Level/st99_2_030_030.pdf"
http://www.agcensus.usda.gov/Publications/2007/Full_Report/Volume_1,_Cha
pter_2_US_State_Level/st99_2_030_030.pdf  )..

State	Total Celery Acres Harvested (2007)	% of Total U.S. Harvested
acres (2007)

California	24,769	82.8

Michigan	   1,968	  6.5

Arizona	     437	  1.5

Oregon	       50	  0.2

North Carolina 	       31	  0.1

Pennsylvania	       28	< 0.1

Washington	       17	< 0.1

Hawaii	       14	< 0.1

New York	       10	< 0.1

Massachusetts	         5	< 0.1

US Total	29,907	  =SUM(ABOVE)  91.1

	California, Michigan, and Arizona account for 90.9 % of the harvested
acres for celery (Table 4).  Twenty-six other states harvested acres
information for celery is not included in orders to avoid disclosing
data for individual farms.  These include: Alaska, Arkansas,
Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas,
Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire,
New Jersey, Ohio, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont,
Virginia, West Virginia, and Wisconsin.

Artichoke, globe:

Table 5. U.S. Production of Globe Artichoke for 2007 (USDA AG Census,
2007,  HYPERLINK
"http://www.agcensus.usda.gov/Publications/2007/Full_Report/Volume_1,_Ch
apter_2_US_State_Level/index.asp"
http://www.agcensus.usda.gov/Publications/2007/Full_Report/Volume_1,_Cha
pter_2_US_State_Level/index.asp ) and  HYPERLINK
"http://www.agcensus.usda.gov/Publications/2007/Full_Report/Volume_1,_Ch
apter_2_US_State_Level/st99_2_030_030.pdf"
http://www.agcensus.usda.gov/Publications/2007/Full_Report/Volume_1,_Cha
pter_2_US_State_Level/st99_2_030_030.pdf  ),

State	Total Acres Harvested (2007)	% of Total U.S. Harvested acres
(2007)

California 	9,612	  99

Oregon 	     30	< 1

US Total	9,687	> 99

	California accounts for almost all the harvested acres for artichokes
(Table 5).  Oregon accounts for less than 1 % of the harvested acres.

Asparagus:

Table 6. U.S. Production of Asparagus for 2007 (USDA AG Census, 2007,
HYPERLINK
"http://www.agcensus.usda.gov/Publications/2007/Full_Report/Volume_1,_Ch
apter_2_US_State_Level/index.asp"
http://www.agcensus.usda.gov/Publications/2007/Full_Report/Volume_1,_Cha
pter_2_US_State_Level/index.asp ) and  HYPERLINK
"http://www.agcensus.usda.gov/Publications/2007/Full_Report/Volume_1,_Ch
apter_2_US_State_Level/st99_2_030_030.pdf"
http://www.agcensus.usda.gov/Publications/2007/Full_Report/Volume_1,_Cha
pter_2_US_State_Level/st99_2_030_030.pdf  )

State	Total Acres Harvested (2007)	% of Total U.S. Harvested acres
(2007)

California 	20,211	47

Michigan	12,127	28

Washington	  7,005	16

Oregon	     369	  1

US Total	43,010	92

	California accounts for 47 % of the harvested acres for asparagus,
followed by Michigan, Washington, and Oregon at 28, 16, and 1 % of the
harvested acres (Table 6).

Rhubarb:

Over 44 % of the harvested rhubarb acres are grown in Oregon, with 31 %
grown in Washington, and 8 % grown in Michigan (Table 7).

Table 7.  U.S. Production of Rhubarb for 2007 (USDA AG Census, 2007,
HYPERLINK
"http://www.agcensus.usda.gov/Publications/2007/Full_Report/Volume_1,_Ch
apter_2_US_State_Level/index.asp"
http://www.agcensus.usda.gov/Publications/2007/Full_Report/Volume_1,_Cha
pter_2_US_State_Level/index.asp ) and  HYPERLINK
"http://www.agcensus.usda.gov/Publications/2007/Full_Report/Volume_1,_Ch
apter_2_US_State_Level/st99_2_030_030.pdf"
http://www.agcensus.usda.gov/Publications/2007/Full_Report/Volume_1,_Cha
pter_2_US_State_Level/st99_2_030_030.pdf  )

State	Total Acres Harvested (2007)	% of Total U.S. Harvested acres
(2007)

Oregon	  616	44

Washington	  437	31

Michigan	  106	  8

US Total	1,404	83

	The percent of the total produce sales for the stalk, stem, and leaf
petiole vegetable commodities in U.S. grocery stores for the years 2008
– 2010 for globe artichoke, asparagus, and celery are shown in Table 8
(The Packer, Fairchild, 2008, 2009, 2010).  Sales in pounds of these
three vegetables increased by 0.3 % for the three-year period and
account for > 3.1 % of the total produce sold in the U.S. Sales of
celery has increased from 281,344,886 lb in 2008 to 303,426,521 lb in
2010.  Growth in sales should increase with rise in immigrant
populations and essential nutritional components of these vegetables.

Table 8.  List of the Leafy Vegetable Commodity Percent of the Total
Grocery Store Produce Sales Sold for the Years 2008, 2009, and 2010. The
Packer (Fairchild, 2008, 2009, 2010).

Commodity	Percent of Total Produce Sales – 2008 and Pounds Sold in
2008 	Percent of Total Produce Sales – 2009 and Pounds Sold in 2009
Percent of Total Produce Sales – 2010 and Pounds Sold in 2010

Artichoke, globe	0.2 % and 33,235,757 lb	0.2 % and 34,061,741 lb	0.2 %
and 34,924,795 lb

Asparagus	1.2 % and 155,200,591 lb	1.3 % and 173,680,167 lb	1.4 % and
178,569,065 lb

Celery	1.4 % and 281,344,886 lb	1.4 % and 287,541,873 lb	1.5 % and
303,426,521 lb

	In the U.S. there is per capita consumption data for 1970, 2007 –
2009 for asparagus (Table 9), celery (Table 10), and globe artichoke
(Table 11). The per capita consumption for fresh asparagus increased
from 0.4 lb/capita in 1970 to 1.3 lb/capita in 2009.  Canned asparagus
has increased from 0.6 lb/capita in 1970 to o.2 lb/capita in 2009.
Frozen asparagus has declined greatly from 0.29 lb/capita in 1970 to
0.07 lb/capita in 2009.  Fresh celery per capita availability has
declined from 7.3 lb/capita in 1970 to 6.1 lb/capita. Globe artichoke
has increased from 1970 at 0.4 lb/capita to 1.5 lb/capita in 2009.

Table 9.  Asparagus U.S. per Capita Availability (lb/year) for 1970, and
2000, 2007 – 2007 (USDA ERS Food Availability, February 1, 2011, USDA
Agricultural Statistics, 2010).

Asparagus	Fresh	Canned	Frozen	Total Asparagus

2009	1.3	0.2	0.07	1.4

2008	1.2	0.2	0.09	1.5

2007	1.2	0.1	0.09	1.4

2000	0.9	0.3	0.07	1.2

1970	0.4	0.6	0.29	1.3

Table 10.  Celery U.S. Per Capita Availability (lb/year) for 1970, and
2000, 2007 – 2007 (USDA ERS Food Availability, February 1, 2011, USDA
Agricultural Statistics, 2010).

Celery	Fresh	Processed	Total Celery

2009	6.1	NA	6.1

2008	6.2	NA	6.2

2007	6.3	NA	6.3

2000	6.3	NA	6.3

1970	7.3	NA	7.3

Table 11.  Globe Artichoke U.S. per Capita Availability (lb/year) for
1970, and 2000, 2007 – 2007 (USDA ERS Food Availability, February 1,
2011, USDA Agricultural Statistics, 2010).

Globe Artichoke	Fresh	Processed	Total Globe Artichoke

2009	1.5	NA	1.5

2008	1.5	NA	1.5

2007	1.5	NA	1.5

2000	1.2	NA	1.2

1970	0.4	NA	0.4

Per Capita Consumption from USDA CSF II. Survey:

	Based on the USDA CSFII 1994 – 1996, 1998 survey, using two day
individual consumption for determined leafy vegetable consumption
(g/day) is listed in Table 12.  The highest consumed stalk, stem, and
leaf petiole vegetable is celery with 3.64 g/day.  Other stalk, stem,
and leaf petiole vegetables are asparagus at 0.751 g/day, globe
artichoke at 0.115 g/day, and rhubarb at 0.0797 g/dat.  The only
babyfood reported for this crop group is celery at 0.00264 g/day.

Table 12.  Consumption of the Stalk, Stem, and Petiole Vegetable
Commodities

Based on USDA CSFII 1994 – 1996, 1998 Survey.

COMMODITY	CONSUMPTION (g/day)

Asparagus	  0.751

Artichoke, globe	  0.115

Bamboo shoots	  0.148

Cactus	  0.0774

Celery, juice	  0.0161

Celery	  3.648

Celery - babyfood	  0.00264

Palm, heart, leaves	  0.00643

Rhubarb	  0.0797

Total proposed stalk, stem, and leaf petiole vegetables	  4.59444

IMPORTS/EXPORTS OF THE PROPOSED STALK, STEM, AND PETIOLE VEGETABLE
COMMODITIES:

	Despite the U.S. being a major producer of stalk, stem, and petiole
vegetables (Table 3) significant amounts of some of the stalk, stem, and
petiole vegetables are imported (Table 13).  The vegetables are fresh
asparagus (Table 14), frozen asparagus (Table 15), prepared asparagus
(Table 16), prepared artichokes (Table 17), bamboo shoots (Table 18),
and fresh celery (Table 19) is imported.  The amount of a commodity can
vary widely from year to year based on differences in U.S. production,
weather effects, and consumer demand.

	In 2010 over 281,780 MT of the proposed Stalk, stem, and leaf vegetable
commodities were imported to the U.S.  Over 171,090 MT of fresh
asparagus were imported in 2010 (Table 14) with 51 % of the fresh
asparagus imported from Peru, followed by Mexico at 48 % and from Canada
1,189 MT.  Over 5,683 MT of frozen asparagus were imported in 2101
(Table 15) with over 64 % of the frozen asparagus was imported from
Peru, 17 % from Mexico, and 9 % from both China and Chile.  Prepared
asparagus (Table 16) had over 98 % imported from Peru (10,072 MT).  Also
in 2010, over 55,634 MT of prepared artichokes was imported with 51 %
from Peru, 23 % from Spain and 13 % from Chile (Table 17).  In 2010 over
30,376 MT of bamboo shoots were imported from China (70 %) and 15 % each
from India and Thailand (Table 18).  Over 35,251 MT of fresh celery was
imported in 2010 with over 89 % from Mexico and about 10 % from Canada
(Table 19).

Table 13.  U.S. Stalk, Stem, and Leaf Petioles Imports for 2009 - 2010.

(USDA NASS, 2010 Fr Nt 1-3, USDA ERS, FTS – 2007, USDA FATUS, 2008,
2010).

Stone Fruit	2009 (MT)	2010 (MT)

Asparagus, fresh	156,035	171,090

Asparagus, frozen	    3,907	    5,683

Asparagus, prepared	  14,252	  10,436

Artichokes, prepared	  54,611	  55,634

Bamboo shoots, preserved	    3,626	    3,586

Celery, fresh	  24,660	  35,351

Table 14.  U.S. Fresh Asparagus Imports for 2007 – 2010.  (USDA NASS,
2010 Fr Nt 1-3, USDA FATUS, 2011   HYPERLINK
"http://www.fas.usda.gov/gats/ExpressQuery1.aspx"
http://www.fas.usda.gov/gats/ExpressQuery1.aspx

	2007	2008	2009	2010

Product	Partner	UOM	Qty	Qty	Qty	Qty

Asparagus, Fresh	Peru	MT	70,209	79,099	86,625	87,451

Asparagus, Fresh	Mexico	MT	51,703	58,631	67,323	81,969

Asparagus, Fresh	Canada	MT	1,054	1,255	1,410	1,189

Asparagus, Fresh	Ecuador	MT	436	332	296	253

Asparagus, Fresh	Argentina	MT	88.8	76	164	150

Asparagus, Fresh	Chile	MT	206	99	143	62

Asparagus, Fresh	Colombia	MT	242	145	36	9.1

Asparagus, Fresh	Panama	MT	0.0	0.0	0.0	4.2

Asparagus, Fresh	France	MT	4.3	6.4	4.5	1.9

Asparagus, Fresh	Germany	MT	0.8	0.7	0.2	0.6

Asparagus, Fresh	China	MT	0.0	0.0	17.7	0.0

Asparagus, Fresh	Guatemala	MT	96.7	163	16.7	0.0

Grand Total

MT	124,042	139,826	156,035	171,090

Table 15.  U.S. Frozen Asparagus Imports for 2007 – 2010.  (USDA NASS,
2010 Fr Nt 1-3, USDA FATUS, 2011  HYPERLINK
"http://faostat.fao.org/site/342/default.aspx"
http://faostat.fao.org/site/342/default.aspx ).

	2007	2008	2009	2010

Product	Partner	UOM	Qty	Qty	Qty	Qty

Asparagus, Frozen	Peru	MT	3,765	4,731	3,147	3,660

Asparagus, Frozen	Mexico	MT	53	76	13	9747

Asparagus, Frozen	China	MT	508	716	597	519

Asparagus, Frozen	Chile	MT	137	88	137	513

Asparagus, Frozen	Ecuador	MT	0.0	0.0	0.0	17

Asparagus, Frozen	Belgium-Luxembourg	MT	3.9	0.0	12.8	0.0

Asparagus, Frozen	Canada	MT	0.0	138	0.0	0.0

Asparagus, Frozen	France	MT	0.3	0.0	0.0	0.0

Asparagus, Frozen	Germany	MT	33.0	0.0	0.0	0.0

Grand Total

MT	4,502	5,749	3,907	5,683

Table16.  U.S. Prepared Asparagus Imports for 2007 – 2010.  (USDA
NASS, 2010 Fr Nt 1-3, USDA FATUS, 2011  HYPERLINK
"http://faostat.fao.org/site/342/default.aspx"
http://faostat.fao.org/site/342/default.aspx ).

	2007	2008	2009	2010

Partner	Product	UOM	Qty	Qty	Qty	Qty

Peru	Asparagus, Prepared	MT	10,867	17,752	13,672	10,072

China	Asparagus, Prepared	MT	659	629	496.2	295

New Zealand	Asparagus, Prepared	MT	13.3	26.4	59.9	51.8

Spain	Asparagus, Prepared	MT	22.9	61.5	23.9	17.0

Israel	Asparagus, Prepared	MT	0.0	8.1	0.0	0.5

France	Asparagus, Prepared	MT	0.3	0.3	0.0	0.0

Mexico	Asparagus, Prepared	MT	0.0	18.6	0.0	0.0

Grand Total

MT	11,563	18,497	14,252	10,436

Table17.  U.S. Artichokes Imports for 2007 – 2010.  (USDA NASS, 2010
Fr Nt 1-3, USDA FATUS, 2011  HYPERLINK
"http://faostat.fao.org/site/342/default.aspx"
http://faostat.fao.org/site/342/default.aspx

	2007	2008	2009	2010

Partner	Product	UOM	Qty	Qty	Qty	Qty

Peru	Artichokes, Prepared	MT	22,375	27,126	24,327	28,335

Spain	Artichokes, Prepared	MT	13,653	11,857	14,159	12,739

Chile	Artichokes, Prepared	MT	12,463	8,656	10,217	7,231

Ecuador	Artichokes, Prepared	MT	1,577	2,094	2,124	3,128

Egypt	Artichokes, Prepared	MT	10.4	0.0	67.1	1,760

Italy	Artichokes, Prepared	MT	3,134	2,381	1,772	1,190

China	Artichokes, Prepared	MT	1,439	1,264	1,591	931

Canada	Artichokes, Prepared	MT	1.0	110	195	188

Mexico	Artichokes, Prepared	MT	167	92.3	60.0	113

Syria	Artichokes, Prepared	MT	4.0	5.6	13.5	8.9

Thailand	Artichokes, Prepared	MT	0.0	0.0	0.0	7.1

Greece	Artichokes, Prepared	MT	8.3	5.7	4.8	5.3

Tunisia	Artichokes, Prepared	MT	5.0	1.0	0.8	1.1

Eritrea	Artichokes, Prepared	MT	18.4	0.0	0.0	0.0

Hong Kong	Artichokes, Prepared	MT	17.2	0.0	0.0	0.0

Lebanon	Artichokes, Prepared	MT	3.1	2.8	8.6	0.0

Morocco	Artichokes, Prepared	MT	201	297	72.1	0.0

Serbia and Kosovo	Artichokes, Prepared	MT	17.3	0.0	0.0	0.0

Grand Total

MT	55,108	53,894	54,611	55,634

Table 18.  U.S. Bamboo Shoots Imports for 2007 – 2010.  (USDA NASS,
2010 Fr Nt 1-3, USDA FATUS, 2011  HYPERLINK
"http://faostat.fao.org/site/342/default.aspx"
http://faostat.fao.org/site/342/default.aspx

	2007	2008	2009	2010

Partner	Product	UOM	Qty	Qty	Qty	Qty

China	Bamboo Shoots, Preserved	MT	19,219	19,009	18,1039	21,178

India	Bamboo Shoots, Preserved	MT	1,5065	1,749	3,251	4,586

Thailand	Bamboo Shoots, Preserved	MT	3,646	3,626	3,586	3,577

Taiwan	Bamboo Shoots, Preserved	MT	910	644	668	590

Japan	Bamboo Shoots, Preserved	MT	191	1839	169	171

Guatemala	Bamboo Shoots, Preserved	MT	39.1	106	131	148

Korea, South	Bamboo Shoots, Preserved	MT	96.3	42.6	44.3	34.0

Spain	Bamboo Shoots, Preserved	MT	56.8	84	45.8	31.2

Dominican Republic	Bamboo Shoots, Preserved	MT	25.0	14.8	7.0	24.2

Colombia	Bamboo Shoots, Preserved	MT	0.8	0.0	1.9	11.6

Hong Kong	Bamboo Shoots, Preserved	MT	32.0	19.9	43.2	9.8

Italy	Bamboo Shoots, Preserved	MT	36.1	7.8	2.7	5.1

Greece	Bamboo Shoots, Preserved	MT	13.3	3.0	3.2	2.8

France	Bamboo Shoots, Preserved	MT	1.6	4.6	2.0	2.6

El Salvador	Bamboo Shoots, Preserved	MT	0.0	1.5	0.0	2.3

Lebanon	Bamboo Shoots, Preserved	MT	47.8	12.4	3.6	1.5

Vietnam	Bamboo Shoots, Preserved	MT	18.4	4.4	0.0	1.0

Philippines	Bamboo Shoots, Preserved	MT	0.0	0.0	4.3	0.5

United Arab Emirates	Bamboo Shoots, Preserved	MT	7.9	0.0	0.0	0.0

Belgium-Luxembourg	Bamboo Shoots, Preserved	MT	7.6	3.6	0.0	0.0

Brazil	Bamboo Shoots, Preserved	MT	9.1	1.9	0.0	0.0

Bulgaria	Bamboo Shoots, Preserved	MT	38.9	4.7	0.0	0.0

Canada	Bamboo Shoots, Preserved	MT	293	184	29.7	0.0

Grand Total

MT	26,802	25,940	26,180	30,376

Table 19.  U.S. Fresh Celery Imports for 2007 – 2010.  (USDA NASS,
2010 Fr Nt 1-3, USDA FATUS, 2011  HYPERLINK
"http://faostat.fao.org/site/342/default.aspx"
http://faostat.fao.org/site/342/default.aspx ).

	2007	2008	2009	2010

Product	Partner	UOM	Qty	Qty	Qty	Qty

Celery, Fresh	Mexico	MT	19,587	19,520	21,204	31,703

Celery, Fresh	Canada	MT	8,886	6,571	3,433	3,541

Celery, Fresh	Dominican Republic	MT	23.1	5.2	23.0	3.8

Celery, Fresh	Netherlands	MT	0.0	0.0	0.0	3.0

Celery, Fresh	China	MT	353	0.0	0.0	0.0

Celery, Fresh	El Salvador	MT	0.1	0.0	0.0	0.0

Grand Total

MT	28,849	26,096	24,660	35,251

	The U.S. is also a major exporter of the proposed stalk, stem, and leaf
petiole vegetables including fresh asparagus and fresh celery (Tables
20, 21, 22).  The most widely exported commodity is fresh celery.  U.S.
exports totaled over 127.979 MT.  Total exports increased from 2009 –
2010 by 5,039 MT.

Table 20.  U.S. Stalk, Stem, and Leaf Petioles Exports for 2009 - 2010.

(USDA NASS, 2010 Fr Nt 1-3, USDA ERS, FTS – 2007, USDA FATUS, 2009,
2010).

 Exports, Metric Tons (MT).

Commodity	2009 (MT)	2010 (MT)

Asparagus, fresh	    7,422	    9,896

Celery, fresh	115,518	118,083

	In 2010, there were over 39,896 MT of U.S. grown fresh asparagus were
exported (Table 18).  Approximately 40 % of the fresh asparagus were
exported to Canada (3,944 MT), 37 % to Japan and 13 % to Switzerland.

Table 21.  U.S. Fresh Asparagus Exports for 2007 – 2010.  (USDA NASS,
2010 Fr Nt 1-3, USDA FATUS, 2011  HYPERLINK
"http://faostat.fao.org/site/342/default.aspx"
http://faostat.fao.org/site/342/default.aspx ).

	2007	2008	2009	2010

Product	Partner	UOM	Qty	Qty	Qty	Qty

Asparagus, Fr	Canada	MT	4,184	5,391	3,947	3,944

Asparagus, Fr	Japan	MT	1,280	1,380	2,642	3,634

Asparagus, Fr	Switzerland	MT	1,101	1,021	98	1,246

Asparagus, Fr	Netherlands	MT	31	126	212	185

Asparagus, Fr	Germany	MT	50	71	59	183

Asparagus, Fr	Australia	MT	63	144	5.3	159

Asparagus, Fr	United Kingdom	MT	112	46	105	155

Asparagus, Fr	Singapore	MT	13	86	123	118

Asparagus, Fr	Hong Kong	MT	6	10	15	74

Asparagus, Fr	Mexico	MT	63	39	2.8	50

Asparagus, Fr	Spain	MT	12	8.5	0.0	30

Asparagus, Fr	France	MT	52	38	0.7	27

Asparagus, Fr	Italy	MT	11	16	56	26

Asparagus, Fr	China	MT	0.0	43	51	22

Asparagus, Fr	Belgium-Luxembourg	MT	0.0	0.3	63	14

Asparagus, Fr	Taiwan	MT	105	103	10	9.5

Asparagus, Fr	Korea, South	MT	10	2.5	9	7.8

Asparagus, Fr	Bahamas	MT	3.4	3.0	2.2	7.3

Asparagus, Fr	Brazil	MT	1.3	3.9	0.0	3.9

Asparagus, Fr	Barbados	MT	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.8

Asparagus, Fr	Rest of World	MT	1.8	82	20.7	0.0

Grand Total

MT	7,101	8,613	7,422	9,896

	In 2010, there were over 118,083 MT of U.S. grown fresh celery were
exported (Table 19).  Approximately 80 % of the fresh celery were
exported to Canada (94,113 MT), 4.8 % exported to Taiwan, and about 3.5
% exported to Japan, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Mexico.

Table 22.  U.S. Fresh Celery Exports for 2007 – 2010.  (USDA NASS,
2010 Fr Nt 1-3, USDA FATUS, 2011  HYPERLINK
"http://faostat.fao.org/site/342/default.aspx"
http://faostat.fao.org/site/342/default.aspx ).

	2007	2008	2009	2010

Product	Partner	UOM	Qty	Qty	Qty	Qty

Celery, Fr	Canada	MT	96,995	94,524	94,007	94,113

Celery, Fr	Taiwan	MT	6,518	6,458	7,963	5,682

Celery, Fr	Japan	MT	2,575	3,217	2,113	4,423

Celery, Fr	Singapore	MT	3,197	3,864	4,027	4,299

Celery, Fr	Hong Kong	MT	3,114	3,147	3,313	4,093

Celery, Fr	Mexico	MT	2,948	3,460	2,350	3,704

Celery, Fr	Malaysia	MT	1,454	912	1,648	1,586

Celery, Fr	Philippines	MT	0.0	72	18	69.0

Celery, Fr	Ecuador	MT	0.0	0.0	69.9	35

Celery, Fr	Korea, South	MT	0.0	0.0	0.0	22

Celery, Fr	China	MT	0.0	25	0.0	19

Celery, Fr	Bahamas	MT	28	19.8	14	12

Celery, Fr	Norway	MT	0.0	10.4	0.0	10

Celery, Fr	Barbados	MT	0.0	0.0	4.6	5.4

Celery, Fr	Saudi Arabia	MT	0.0	8.1	0.0	4.6

Celery, Fr	United Kingdom	MT	214	0.0	0.0	4.0

Celery, Fr	Netherlands Antilles	MT	0.0	0.0	1.9	2.1

Celery, Fr	Honduras	MT	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.2

Celery, Fr	United Arab Emirates	MT	559.1	156	0.0	0.0

Celery, Fr	Australia	MT	32.7	0.0	0.0	0.0

Celery, Fr	Rest of World	MT	172.7	178	20	0.0

Grand Total

MT	117,806	116,052	115,548	118,083

SPECIFIC CROP PRODUCTION AREAS OF THE STALK, STEM, AND LEAF PETIOLE
VEGETABLES (See APPENDIX I Figures 1 – 3, Maps of the Asparagus,
Celery and Rhubarb Acres form the USDA AGCensus, 2002).

	There is no specific crop production data in the U.S. for the following
commodities: bamboo, edible burdock, cardoon, and celtuce.  However,
potential growing areas for the stalk, stem, and leaf petiole vegetables
occur in the U.S. and established production areas in the world will be
discussed below:

Agave:

Agave is produced Production in U.S.: primarily Texas, Arizona, New
Mexico, Nevada, Utah, and Southern California.  Other production regions
include Mexico, Central America, and northern South America.

Asparagus:

In the U.S. in 2005, 54,000 acres (21,852 hectares) total and 99,428
tons (90,200 tonnes) were produced.  California is the primary producer
with approximately 55,116 tons (50,000 tonnes) annually.  Other States
include Michigan, Washington, Oregon, New Jersey, and Utah.  Other
production regions in 2005 include China with 6,510,000 tons/5,906,000
tonnes and Peru with 227,109 tons/206,030 tonnes (See APPENDIX I, Figure
1. Map of the U.S. Asparagus Acres form the USDA AGCensus, 2002).

Bamboo shoots:

	Bamboo is grown in Hawaii, Puerto Rico, California, and Washington
State.  Other production regions are throughout the tropics, much of
Asia and the Pacific including India and China.

Burdock, edible, tops:

	Edible burdock is both naturalized and a common weed in North America,
but it is cultivated as a root crop in Hawaii.  Other production regions
include Japan, China, Java, parts of Europe.  Most of the Europe
production is for medicinal uses.

Cardoon:

	Cardoon is rarely grown in the U.S. but can be found in ethnic markets
and gourmet stores.  It is considered an invasive weed in California.
It is more commonly produced in Europe, Japan, Brazil, Spain, and Iran.

Celery:

Celery production in the U.S. include 11,735 hectares (29,000 acres)
producing 833,702 tonnes (919,000 tons) of fresh celery in 2007 (USDA
2008, See Appendix I, Figure 2. Map of the U.S. Celery Acres form the
USDA AGCensus, 2002).  Other temperate production regions include India.

Celery, Chinese:

Chinese celery production in the U.S. is difficult to determine as
reports may combine Chinese celery and stalk celery.  Dr. Ken Shuler,
Extension Agent Vegetables, University of FL, West Palm Beach indicates
that Chinese celery is presently grown in FL, CA, and southern TX, and
should be well adapted to the MI celery producing areas.  The
geographical distribution is the same as regular celery.  Other
production regions include China and Europe.

Celtuce:

There is no production in the U.S. but there is some cultivation in
Florida.  Other production regions include China and Egypt.

Fennel, Florence:

	Florence fennel is grown in California and Florida, and other
production regions include Europe.

Ferns, edible:

Ferns are not as important economically as seed plants but have
considerable importance in some societies.  Some ferns are used for
food, including the fiddleheads of   HYPERLINK
"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bracken" \o "Bracken"  bracken , Pteridium
aquilinum,   HYPERLINK "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ostrich_fern" \o
"Ostrich fern"  ostrich fern , Matteuccia struthiopteris, and
HYPERLINK "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cinnamon_fern" \o "Cinnamon
fern"  cinnamon fern , Osmunda cinnamomea.   HYPERLINK
"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diplazium_esculentum" \o "Diplazium
esculentum"  Diplazium esculentum  is also used by some tropical peoples
as food.  Tubers from the King Fern or para (  HYPERLINK
"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ptisana_salicina" \o "Ptisana salicina"
Ptisana salicina ) are a traditional food in   HYPERLINK
"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Zealand" \o "New Zealand"  New Zealand
 and the   HYPERLINK "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oceania" \o "Oceania"
 South Pacific . Fern tubers were used for food 30,000 years ago in
Europe.  Fern tubers were used by the   HYPERLINK
"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guanches" \o "Guanches"  Guanches  to make
  HYPERLINK "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gofio" \o "Gofio"  gofio  in
the   HYPERLINK "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canary_Islands" \o "Canary
Islands"  Canary Islands .    HYPERLINK
"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Licorice_fern" \o "Licorice fern"
Licorice fern    HYPERLINK "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhizome" \o
"Rhizome"  rhizomes  were chewed by the natives of the   HYPERLINK
"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pacific_Northwest" \o "Pacific Northwest"
Pacific Northwest  for their flavor.

Fuki:

Fuki is grown as a home garden plant for mainly ornamental uses in the
U.S.  Other production regions include China, Japan, Korea, and Russia.

Kale, sea:

Sea kale has been naturalized on the West Coast of North America.  Other
production regions include being native along shores of Western Europe,
the Baltic Sea, and the Black Sea.

Kohlrabi:

Kohlrabi is grown in many states of the U.S. including California,
Oregon, Washington, New Jersey, and Florida.  It is common to most of
the world particularly Canada, Mexico, W. Europe, China, the
Mediterranean, India, and Hungary, and Germany.

Palm hearts:

	The cabbage palm grows wild in Florida in great abundance but
authorization to cut for palm hearts is required.  Palmetto is native
from North Carolina to Florida, especially south Florida.  The peach
palm is cultivated in Hawaii.  Other production regions for
heart-of-palm production in Brazil was 20,000 hectares (49,421 acres) in
2002; production in Bolivia was 3,000 hectares (7,413 acres); Costa Rica
had 8,000 hectares (19,768 acres) in production in 2002, and production
in Colombia was 1,000 hectares (2,471 acres).  The total Neotropical
production area of heart-of-palm is greater than 43,000 hectares
(106,255 acres).

Prickly pear, pads (Cactus):

	Cactus is grown in the U.S. in California, Arizona, Texas, and Hawaii;
grown widely in home gardens and widely cultivated and naturalized in
small commercial plantings in southwestern and southern U.S.  Chile and
Mexico supply most of the US imports; widely cultivated and naturalized
in South America including Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Peru,
Bolivia; Central America; S. Europe, the Mediterranean including Italy,
Sicily, North Africa, Spain, Greece; Turkey, Jordan, Israel, Egypt;
Africa including South Africa, Ethiopia, Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia;
Asia, Australia, New Zealand, the West Indies, and Micronesia.
Approximately 100,000 hectares (247,105 acres) are used for fruit
production in commercial plantations worldwide.  Mexico, which is the
greatest consumer of the fruit, produces approximately 400,000 tonnes
(440,925 tons) fresh mass of fruit per year on more than 70,000 hectares
(172,974 acres).  Mexico exports more than 2,000 tonnes (2,205 tons) of
fruit annually, mostly to the U.S.  Italy (Sicily) is the second most
important country for producing the fruit.  Italy contains 3,500
hectares (8,649 acres) of intensively managed plantations that produce
approximately 70,000 tonnes (77,162 tons) of fruit annually.  An
additional 10,000 plus hectares (24,711 acres) produce some fruit.
Other countries including Argentina, Chile, South Africa, and Tunisia
grow over 1,000 hectares (2,471 acres) for fruit production.  Major
production also occurs in Brazil, Colombia, Peru, Bolivia, Spain,
Greece, Turkey, Jordan, Israel, Egypt, Ethiopia, Algeria, Morocco, and
the U.S.  The plant is cultivated on over 1.6 million hectares
(3,953,686 acres) for forage and fodder.  Fruit yields vary and range
from 4 tonnes (4.4 tons) of fruit fresh mass/year/hectare
(non-irrigated, marginal regions) to 30 tonnes (33 tons) /year/hectare
(intensive management).  Opuntia engelmannii var. lindheimeri:
naturalized in South Africa and Mexico including the Mojave, Sonora and
Chihuahua deserts.

Rhubarb:

Rhubarb is grown in many states, particularly Washington, Oregon,
Michigan, California, Massachusetts, and Wisconsin (See Appendix I,
Figure 2. Map of the U.S. Celery Acres form the USDA AGCensus, 2002).
Other production regions include Canada, Europe, and China.

Udo:

	Limited information in the U.S. and other production regions include
Japan and its surrounding regions.

Zuiki

Zuiki is commercially cultivated in Hawaii for local consumption and
export to the continental U.S.  Other production regions:  include
China, Laos, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Australia.

SPECIFIC INDIVIDUAL AND COMPARISON OF CULTURAL PRACTICES OF THE STALK,
STEM, AND LEAF PETIOLE VEGETABLES:

	Specific cultural practices for the stalk, stem, and leaf petiole
vegetables which include asparagus, celery, fennel, and kohlrabi will be
discussed in this section.  Also, a comparison of the stalk, stem, and
leaf petiole vegetable planting depth, seeds/lb, seeds/100 ft row, and
row spacing’s are shown in Table 23 and a listing of days to
germinate, time planting to harvest, yield/plant and range of yields for
each crop are shown in Table 24, respectively.

Agave:

Many of the agave species are edible in some way and nearly all are
useful for fiber.  Characteristically, the plant grows in a large
rosette with long, tough and thick leaves that taper to a point, often
have spines around the margins, and appear to spring directly out of the
ground.  The most commonly grown species for human consumption are Agave
americana, A. angustifolia, and A. tequilana, but many others are eaten,
either grown or collected from the wild.  Size and other characteristics
vary greatly by species, but some types may have rosettes up to 4 m (13
ft) across with leaves nearly 1.8 m (6 ft) in length.  Agaves are
monocarpic and grow for many years before they flower a single time and
then die.  In some species, the flower stalk may reach up to 7.9 m (26
ft) in height, usually with large yellow or white flowers borne in a
spike.  In many species the root, thick central stem, and flower stalk
are edible, although they must be well roasted first.  The flowers are
also edible in many species, and the seeds are occasionally eaten as
well.  Care should be taken prior to use, as the juice of the leaves of
some species can cause contact dermatitis and cut leaves and other parts
of the plant should be handled only with gloves prior to being dried or
cooked.  Aside from its major use as a source of fiber, arguably the
most famous usage of agave is for the sap of its flower stalk, which may
be fermented in mescal or tequila (depending on the species used) or
processed into agave “nectar”, a popular natural sweeter.  Prior to
consuming any part of a wild agave, care should be taken to ensure a
positive species identification, as not all species are edible even
after cooking and there is significant variation within each species.

Asparagus:

	Asparagus is an herbaceous perennial, native to east-central Europe,
but now widely cultivated and escaped throughout much of the temperate
world.  Asparagus plants may reach 1.5 m (4.9 ft) in height during the
growing season and die back completely after frost.  The leaves are
scale-like and reduced, with tiny modified stems growing needle-like
from the axils, giving the entire plant a feathery appearance.  The tiny
flowers (4.5 - 6.5 mm/0.18 - 0.26 in long) are bell shaped and green to
white.  The plant grows new from a crown of rhizomes underneath the
ground each spring.  The asparagus “spears” are a highly prized
vegetable, and are really the very young shoots cut before leaves or
branches have a chance to develop.  Mature asparagus plants have
feathery foliage referred to as ferns.  There are three main kinds of
asparagus: green (which is the most common in the U.S.), white (which is
green asparagus that has been blanched using mounded dirt or plastic to
cover the growing stems), and purple (which is considered to have a
sweeter and more delicate flavor than green).  Asparagus is grown both
commercially and in home gardens, and is economically important in
several countries.  Three methods are used to establish an asparagus
bed: transplanting one year old crowns, direct-seeding in the field, and
transplanting 8 - 12 week old seedling plants.  The underground portion
consists of stems or rhizomes, and the edible aerial stems grow upward
from them.  Young "crowns" consisting of roots and rhizomes are grown
from seed planted in beds and transplanted to the field.  A considerable
amount of labor, including irrigation and weed control, is required to
establish the plants.  They should be grown in a sandy loam soil to
facilitate digging the crowns the following year for transplanting.
Thus, one year of spear production is lost due to transplanting crowns.
Due to the high cost of hybrid asparagus seed, some growers will
germinate seed in flats in a greenhouse and grow these seedlings for 10
- 12 weeks before planting in the field.  These seedlings are called
"transplants."  They can be transplanted to the field in the spring or
in the fall if greenhouse space for growing seedlings is limited during
the spring.  A one-year-old crown is the crown and fleshy root system of
a one-year-old plant grown from seed.  Starting asparagus plantings with
one-year-old crowns is still the easiest and most popular method used by
Eastern and Midwestern U.S. growers.  Research has shown that using
one-year-old crowns is more economical and higher yielding than using
two- and three-year-old crowns.  The transplants or crowns are spaced
from 12 - 18 inches between plants in the row and 5 to 6 feet between
rows.  Fields with good care will produce for up to 15 years or longer.
The tender, succulent aerial stems are cut for 2 to 3 months as they
emerge in spring.  Then cutting stops and they are allowed to grow to
nourish the underground part for the following year's crop.  Cutting may
be deep in the soil with just the tip emerging for "white" or near the
soil surface when spears are 6 to 8 inches high for green asparagus.
All-male varieties are preferred, as males typically produce longer and
yield better than female plants.

	Asparagus cannot be harvested during the year of crown planting because
it must be allowed to grow and develop a strong storage root system.
Using vigorous varieties, high-quality crowns, good management, and
having a long growing season to permit maximum fern growth, it is
possible to harvest for 2 to 4 weeks the first year after crown
planting.  The harvest season can be extended to 4 to 6 weeks the next
year and to 6 to 8 weeks in subsequent years.  Buds on an asparagus
crown are arranged in a "dominant hierarchy" or "pecking order" system.
The first bud to emerge as a spear is the largest in diameter.  When a
spear from a crown is harvested, it signals another bud on that crown to
send up another spear.  With each successive spear that is harvested,
the spear diameter decreases because the lower-order buds are smaller
and produce smaller diameter spears.  The largest spears occur between
the second and fifth week of harvest and decrease rapidly thereafter,
and this is why asparagus harvesting should stop after a certain number
of weeks to allow the crown to send up small diameter spears that will
lignify and become ferns to manufacture carbohydrates to send down to
the crowns for next year's crop.  Spear diameter during the first year
after crown planting will be smaller and possibly more difficult to
market than the larger spears produced after the first harvest season.
Because the length of harvest season will vary from year to year
depending on air temperature, stopping the harvest when one-fourth to
three-fourths of the spears have a diameter of less than 3/8 inch (about
the diameter of a pencil) is a better guide than harvesting for a
specified number of weeks.  Over-harvesting will weaken the crown,
reducing the amount of carbohydrates stored for the following year, and
will lead to further decline of the planting, putting plants under
stress and making them more susceptible to insects and diseases.
Asparagus spears can be cut or snapped to produce spears of marketable
length, which is usually between 7 and 9 inches.  Asparagus spears may
be cut below the soil surface with a knife, or they may be hand-snapped
above the soil surface.  Cutting asparagus requires more labor, but
increases yield 20 to 25 % because spears are longer.  However, cutting
spears below the soil greatly increases the chance of the knife injuring
a bud or emerging spear on the same crown.  When hand-snapping, the
spear usually breaks above the area containing fiber.  In other words,
the portion of the spear left in the field will be fibrous, while the
harvested spear is tender and is all edible.  The small stub left in the
soil after snapping dries up and disintegrates. A new spear does not
come up at that spot, but comes up from another bud that enlarges on
another part of the crown.  Snapped all-green asparagus has no trim-off
waste and should command a higher price than cut asparagus with white
butts.

	White (blanched) asparagus is produced in the absence of sunlight.  It
is commonly grown in Asia and Europe.  However, fresh white asparagus is
rare even in major U.S. markets and supports a price structure of two to
three times that of green asparagus.  White asparagus is easily grown as
there is a consumer demand for it.  The traditional growing method was
to mound up soil over the plant row to an 8 to 10 inch height just
before spears start to grow in the spring.  Once the tip of the soil
mound started to crack above the emerging spear, the asparagus knife was
thrust into the mound, cutting the spear before it was exposed to light.
This growing method is very labor intensive.  When harvesting white
asparagus, avoid exposing spears to light for periods longer than 15
minutes or they will turn green.  After harvesting, spears are placed
into opaque bags and storage is similar to green asparagus.

Bamboo shoots:

	Bamboo is a woody, perennial, evergreen grass found throughout much of
Asia, the Pacific, and parts of Africa.  A huge group with incredible
variability; some species grow over 30.5 m (100 ft) tall, while others
remain relative small and shrub-like.  All species have a woody, jointed
stem and lanceolate, entire, alternate leaves.  The stem is usually dark
green and shiny, and the leaves light green to yellow green.  The
flowers are inconspicuous and small.  The group ranges from tropical
species which grow in jungles, to frost tolerant species which colonize
the Himalayas.  Bamboo is also the fastest growing plant in the world,
with some species able to grow a total of 4 ft (121 cm) in a 24-hour
period, and have even been measured growing 3.3 ft (1 m) in the space of
an hour.  Many species are economically important, and most have shoots
which are edible when young and which form an important part of many
Asian diets.  In addition, the seeds of several species are valued as a
famine food.  Bamboo can be propagated by seed, sown at surface, but
more commonly by rhizome division.  Clumping bamboos are extremely
productive.  D. asper can produce 60 shoots a year, with 2 - 3 pounds of
edible core on each shoot.  Bamboo is cultivated in plantations with 400
plants/ha, 5 m row spacing’s and 6 – 8 m between clumps.  The culms
(stems) are often used in construction, and have a lifespan of 5 - 7
years.  Culms for commercial use should be harvested at the peak of
growth, 3 - 5 years old.

Burdock, edible, tops:

	Burdock is a hardy, biennial plant, reaching up to 6.6 ft (2 m) tall.
Burdock grows thickly, and is much branching with large, alternating,
cordiform leaves, which are borne on a long petiole and are hairy
underneath.  The clusters of prickly purple flowers grow in terminal
clusters on each branch.  The fruit is an achene, which is surrounded by
burr-like capitula, which sticks to the fur of animals for dispersal.
It has a very long, thin, tapering taproot.  The tops die down in the
winter and new growth springs from the root.  Burdock was much used as a
vegetable in Europe during Medieval times, but has since fallen out of
favor and its primarily cultivated and consumed in Japan in other parts
of Asia.  The root is the primary part valued, but the young stalks and
leaves are also consumed, like asparagus and spinach.  The peeled stem
is also eaten.  Burdock is propagation by seed and often will self-sow
as it tends to be weedy.  For best results, soak overnight and sow in
seed tray, then transplant seedlings to field before taproot can
develop.  Space 10 - 23 cm (4 - 9 in) apart, or 5 - 7.6 cm (2 - 3 in)
apart within rows spaced 30.5 cm (12 in) apart.  It requires little care
after planting, although mulching will keep the weeds down, and can be
planted in early spring for harvest in fall, or in fall for spring or
early summer harvest.  Autumn planting should be done as late as
possible to prevent bolting before winter.

Cardoon:

		Cardoon is a prickly perennial native to the Mediterranean, and is
closely related to globe artichoke.  Growth is up to 1.8 m (6 ft) with
large pinnate leaves bearing sharp spines.  The thickened leaf petioles
are eaten as a vegetable.  Leaf stalks are bundled before harvest in
order to blanch the petioles and make them more desirable.  They are
usually tied up before harvest to blanch the inner stems and thus reduce
the bitterness, and they are nearly always eaten cooked.  The raw
petioles are very bitter, but are eaten in some places, particularly
after being marinated.  The flower buds may be eaten much like
artichokes.  The root is edible and may be eaten like parsnip.  Cardoon
can be highly invasive and is considered a weed in California and
Australia.

Celery:

	Celery is grown for the thick, succulent leaf stalks or petioles the
first year which are esteemed as salad and to a lesser extent as a
cooked vegetable.  Celery is a biennial plant, which produces vegetative
growth (the edible stalks, or petioles) during the first year and seed
stalks during the second year.  The leaves rise from a crown at ground
level.  Leaf stems are up to 30 cm (1 ft) long, with the greatly
compound leaf blades extending an additional foot during growth.  Plants
are usually started in beds, but seed may be field sown in cool
climates.  Outer leaves develop first and to largest size, inner leaf
stems are smaller and more succulent.  Formerly most of the celery was
blanched by placing heavy paper or boards against each side of the rows
to exclude most of the light.  At present, green or non-blanched celery
is mainly marketed.  Outermost leaves, particularly if the stems are
very coarse or scarred, are frequently removed before packing.  Plants
must be grown rapidly for most succulent and desirable quality.  For
seed production, celery plants are exposed to cold, mainly by
overwintering in mild climates.  They then develop the seed stalks, 0.6
- 0.9 m (2 - 3 ft) tall.  Seeds are numerous in compound umbels.  For
seed production, celery plants are exposed to cold, mainly by
overwintering in mild climates, and then harvested by pulling the
plants, allowing them to dry, and then threshing.  It is harvested about
90 days after transplanting, but if the plant were left to grow for the
second year and were exposed to low temperatures, it would produce a
longer stem and a seed head.  Celery is a cool-season crop that grows
best in temperatures under 65 degrees, but will tolerate a range of 45
to 75 - 80 degrees.  Freezing temperatures and hot weather conditions
should be avoided for optimum growing seasons.  In CA, celery growing
areas can produce up to 2.5 crops per acre per year. Planting and
harvesting schedules are coordinated to provide a steady supply of fresh
celery throughout the year with a peak in November for Thanksgiving.

Celery, Chinese:

Chinese celery is a biennial plant, typical grown as an annual.  Closely
resembles the wild celery, with thinner, hollow leafstalks and a more
pungent flavor than European celery.  Chinese celery has a branching
rather than bunching habit, which makes it easier to harvest individual
leafstalks.  The leaves are flat and lobed, with jagged edges, and the
whole plant may reach up to 1.2 ft (37 cm) in height.  The stems may be
dark green, yellow, or pale green to white and are sometimes blanched by
piling dirt around the base.  Mainly grown for its strongly aromatic
leaves and stalks which are cut like parsley, the whole plant top is
often chopped up for use.  Rarely if ever eaten fresh, Chinese celery
looks like the 'American' celery, except that its stalks are less
compact (< 1/2 in. diam.), hollow, more in number, and range from 10 to
15 in. tall with the average height 10 inches.  Celery stalks vary in
height from 6 to 15 inches, and are < 1 in. diameter.

Chinese celery is an important Chinese and Vietnamese vegetable that
adds flavor to dishes such as soups and stir fries.  The leaves
themselves may be used as a culinary herb, and both the leaves and
stalks can be dried for later use.  Chinese celery can be planted
indoors for up to 6 weeks until they grow to 3 to 4 in, and are then
transplanted to the field in the spring when the danger of frost is
over.  Celery can also be planted indoors for up to 12 weeks before
transplanting.  Both types of celery can also be seeded at a depth of
1/16 in. in July or August and will take 10 to 21 days to germinate.
Chinese celery is spaced at 4 to 6 in. apart in the row with 12 in.
between rows, while regular celery is planted 5 to 10 in. apart and up
to 24 in. between rows.  Chinese celery matures from transplanting to
harvest in < 90 days, while early maturing cultivars of regular celery
matures in 90 days and can range up to 125 days for a late maturing
cultivar.  The stalks are harvested when they are < 14 in. tall, and
regular celery can range from 15 to 24 in. tall.  Both Chinese and
American celery stalks can be blanched by mounding soil around them to
produce a bleached light green stalk.

Celtuce:

Celtuce is an annual cool season herbaceous plant, originating in
Southern China.  Celtuce is a variety of lettuce that does not form
heads but instead has a lush, thick leaf growth that bears a resemblance
to bolted lettuce.  It has a thick stem or flower stalk which harvested
before the plant flowers and is prized as a vegetable, particularly in
China.  The stem is usually harvested at a length of around 5.9 - 7.9 in
(15 - 20 cm) and a diameter of around 1.2 - 1.6 in (3 - 4 cm).  The
leaves are also edible, although old leaves may become bitter.  Young
leaves particularly are used in salad mixes, although the leaves are
considered much less desirable than the stem due to the milky sap that
forms soon after it matures.  The flavor of celtuce is said to be
delicate and unique, and the texture is crisp and tender.  The stem is
edible raw, but is usually cooked or pickled before eating.  The stem
should be peeled before consumption.  Even though it is a cool season
crop, although can tolerate warmer conditions once established.  Does
not germinate well in heat (optimum germination temperature is 59 - 68
°F /15 - 20 °C).  Except special summer cultivars, most celtuces are
sensitive to bolting in hot summer.  Shortage of water and fertilizer as
well as big day-night temperature difference may contribute to premature
bolting.  Recommended planting density is 7.9 - 10.2 in (20 - 26 cm)
between plants in a row.  For commercial production, transplanting is
recommended, although direct seeding is possible, and it is somewhat
frost tolerant.

Fennel, Florence:

This plant is an annual, native to Europe but is now grown in the U.S.
The plant reaches 60 - 90 cm (2 - 3 ft).  It is cultivated for the
thickened and enlarged leaf bases.  These make a bulb-like structure
just above the ground, up to 7.6 - 10.2 cm (3 - 4 in) long, and oval in
cross section.  By covering with soil, these are sometimes blanched.
They have an aromatic and distinctive flavor, and are generally used as
a boiled vegetable.  The foliage is also used as an herb.  All parts of
the plant have an anise-like flavor.  The seed-like fruits and root are
occasionally used, and a tea may be made from the leaves.  It is hardy
to zone 7 and is not frost tender.  It prefers a dry, sunny position,
and can inhibit the growth of some other species around it.

Fern, Edible:

Ferns are a group of about 12,000 species of non-flowering, vascular
plants which reproduce via spores.  They were one of the earliest
lineages of vascular plants, and they range in size from tiny floating
aquatic plants to tree ferns up to 20 m in height.  Many species of fern
are consumed in various ways, but the most common species used as leafy
vegetables are generally small to medium ferns, no more than 2 m in
height at maturity, with pinnate, much divided leafy fronds.  The young
fronds emerge from the ground curled up and are harvested before they
can uncurl, and are known in North America as fiddleheads.  Fronds are
generally not edible once they have uncurled.  Fiddleheads are rarely
cultivated and are often gathered from the wild for personal
consumption, or sold to markets and restaurants.  They have a very
limited season, typically early spring for a short time as the fronds
first emerge.  Many species of fern are not edible even when young, and
fiddleheads are usually eaten cooked as they often contain toxins which
may are destroyed in the cooking process.  Ferns are not as important
economically as seed plants but have considerable importance in some
societies.  Some ferns are used for food, including the fiddleheads of
HYPERLINK "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bracken" \o "Bracken"  bracken ,
Pteridium aquilinum,   HYPERLINK
"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ostrich_fern" \o "Ostrich fern"  ostrich
fern , Matteuccia struthiopteris, and   HYPERLINK
"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cinnamon_fern" \o "Cinnamon fern"
cinnamon fern , Osmunda cinnamomea.   HYPERLINK
"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diplazium_esculentum" \o "Diplazium
esculentum"  Diplazium esculentum  is also used by some tropical peoples
as food.  Tubers from the King Fern or para (  HYPERLINK
"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ptisana_salicina" \o "Ptisana salicina"
Ptisana salicina ) are a traditional food in   HYPERLINK
"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Zealand" \o "New Zealand"  New Zealand
 and the   HYPERLINK "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oceania" \o "Oceania"
 South Pacific .  Fern tubers were used for food 30,000 years ago in
Europe.  Fern tubers were used by the   HYPERLINK
"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guanches" \o "Guanches"  Guanches  to make
  HYPERLINK "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gofio" \o "Gofio"  gofio  in
the   HYPERLINK "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canary_Islands" \o "Canary
Islands"  Canary Islands .    HYPERLINK
"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Licorice_fern" \o "Licorice fern"
Licorice fern    HYPERLINK "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhizome" \o
"Rhizome"  rhizomes  were chewed by the natives of the   HYPERLINK
"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pacific_Northwest" \o "Pacific Northwest"
Pacific Northwest  for their flavor.

Fuki:

Fuki is a perennial dioecious herb native to temperate eastern Asia.
Tiny white, heavily scented flowers are borne in dense corymbs atop a
heavily bracted scape, which appears in the spring before the leaves.
The leaves are up to 2.6 ft (80 cm) across and borne on long, thick
petioles which come out of a spreading rhizome in the ground and may
cover large areas alongside rivers and in bogs.  The petioles may reach
up to 6.6 ft (2 m) and are valued as a vegetable, mainly in Japan and
China.  The leaves can be up to 16 inches wide, held 3 - 4 feet high.
The flower buds are also consumed, and occasionally the flower stems.
Full to partial shade; will wilt in full sun even when kept moist.
Spreads rhizomatous and can become weedy if not contained, and is
propagated by seed.

Kale, Sea:

Sea kale is a large-leaved perennial about 3 ft (0.9 m) high and wide,
native to the coasts of Western Europe, the Baltic Sea and the Black
Sea, and occasionally found in North America.  Sea kale resembles large
silvery gray cabbages.  Nearly all parts of the plant are edible, but
the primary crop is the young shoots, which are eaten in the spring,
like asparagus, and often blanched.  The plant has floppy, blue green
foliage, glabrous, and resembling true kale.  The small, white,
four-parted flowers are numerous, borne in loose heads in the spring,
and are also edible.  They are fragrant and flavorful.  The fruit is a
seed borne singly in a globular pod.  Sea kale grows wild in maritime
climates and is highly tolerant of salt and wind.  It may be cultivated
or gathered from the wild.  The roots may be forced like Belgium endive
and blanched.  Shoots are harvested in 4 to 5 weeks at 6 - 9 inches.
Plants may be grown from seed or from root cuttings, and usually are
given a year to become firmly established before any harvesting.  The
second year and thereafter the young, etiolated shoots are harvested
when 4 - 8 in (10 - 20 cm) high.  Usually they are blanched by covering
the crown deeply with soil, through which the young shoots grow, or by
otherwise darkening.  The plant may produce for up to 10 years.

Kohlrabi:

Kohlrabi is a cabbage relative, reaching about 2 ft (61 cm) tall and
wide, known only in cultivation.  It likely originated in northern
Europe, but it grown over much of the world including mountainous areas
of the tropics.  The leaves resemble those of turnips or collards and
grow directly out of a bulbous, swollen part of the stem, for which it
is grown.  The flowers are yellow and cross-shaped and the tiny black
seeds are born in sickle-shaped pods contain many seeds each.  The
enlarged stem is typically harvested when 2-4 in (5.1-10.2 cm) across,
and is most sweet and tender when small.  As the stem gets larger it
becomes tougher and less desirable.  Kohlrabi is extremely popular in
parts of Europe, the Middle East, India, and China, and although it is
less common elsewhere, it is still grown on some scale and available in
many parts of the world.  It is considered to be a versatile and highly
underrated vegetable by many gardeners, as it is easy to grow, has a
mild flavor, and is very nutritious.  Although most kohlrabi is green in
color, white and purple cultivars are not unusual.  Plants are grown
from seed, and must be grown rapidly for good quality stems.  It is
fairly tolerant of both heat and drought, and can tolerate temperatures
down to 10 °F (-12.2 °C).  .

Palm, hearts:

Palm hearts or heart of palm is a vegetable harvested from the growing
bud of certain palm trees.  Harvesting of the inner core kills the tree.
 Cultivated peach palm has supplanted wild harvested palms in most
producing countries, except for Brazil, where Euterpe species
predominant.  Peach palms are self-suckering and produce multiple stems,
up to 40 on a plant.  Harvesting of these stems does not destroy the
plant.  The peach palm, Bactris gasipaes, known in Ecuador as
“chontadure” and in Costa Rica as “palmito” is most widely used
for canning.  This palm is the only domesticated palm in tropical
America.  The Florida cabbage palm reaches a height of up to 90 feet at
maturity, most are 10 - 20 feet tall, but it is the 8 - 10 feet palms
that are cut for the heart or cabbage.  The heart is the growing bud at
the apex within and protected by the stem. The palm offers three
potential products: Palm heart, the tender leaves above the palm growing
point that are wrapped within the tender sheath of an older leaf; Palm
stem, the tender stem portion immediately below the growing point; and
Palm leaf, the tender leaves above the palm heart that are not wrapped
within the tender sheath of the older leaf; of which only the heart is
currently commercialized.  “All palms are propagated by seed.  Time to
harvest is from 5 to 10 years.  Most palm trees are cut down to harvest
the heart.  For peach palm, under orchard cultivation with about 2,000
plants per acre, the palm is a multi-shoot palm with each clump yielding
a harvestable stem to 4 feet from the base up to the lowest petiole
every 9 to 15 months and can weigh about 20 pounds.  Each stem can
produce 0.5 pound of edible palm heart and 1 pound of edible stem.  For
heart-of-palm crops, plants should be grown in high density (> 5,000
plants per hectare), high input stands, where standard spacing is 1 by 2
meters (3 by 7 feet).

Prickly, pear, pads (Cactus):

Cactus (Opuntia ficus-indica) is a large, segmented, branched,
succulent, spiny shrub (cactus) that grows to a height of 2 to 5 meters
(7 to 16 feet) and a width of 3 meters (10 feet).  Roots are shallow and
measure 10 to 20 centimeters (4 to 8 inches).  A woody stem is formed
from old pads or cladodes.  Dull green to grey cladodes are large, flat,
pad-like, succulent stem segments which are branched, leaf-like, oblong,
ovate, or broadly obovate in shape, and 25 to 60 centimeters (10 to 24
inches) long by 20 to 40 centimeters (8 to 16 inches) wide.  Margins are
entire.  Cladodes can hold large amounts of water.  New cladodes are
produced in a single flush on the terminal cladodes in the spring.
Cladodes contain areoles (similar to lateral buds) that are spaced a few
centimeters apart and contain 1 to 6 white or yellowish spines
(measuring 1 to 3 centimeters (0.4 to 1.2 inches) long) and glochids.
Each cladode can contain a few hundred areoles.  Each areole can produce
one flower that occurs near the apex (perimeter) of a cladode.  Yellow
or orange flowers are solitary, large, cup-shaped, and range in size
from 5 to 10 centimeters (2 to 4 inches) in diameter.  Flowers open for
only one day to limit water loss.  Individual flowers contain both male
and female reproductive organs, an inferior ovary that occurs beneath
the perianth parts and spirally-arranged yellow stamens, 150 to 400
ovules, a thickened greenish style and a stigma.  Flowers can be
self-pollinated.  Most fruit is produced on 1 year old cladodes at the
top and periphery of the plant.  Each cladode can produce 4 to 20 fruit.
 Purple, red-purple, yellow-orange, greenish-orange, greenish or red
fruit is a berry that is pear-shaped, roundish, or barrel-shaped, and 4
to 10 centimeters (1.6 to 4 inches) long by 4 to 9 centimeters (1.6 to
3.5 inches) in diameter.  The skin contains spines and glochids.  The
pulp is red, red-purple, yellow-orange, or greenish in color, fleshy,
watery, and succulent.  The flavor is sweet to slightly acidic and
resembles watermelon.  Fruit contains 150 to 400 hard edible seeds that
are similar in size and texture to those in grapes.  Some countries
regard the plant as an invasive noxious weed.  Opuntia engelmannii var.
lindheimeri is a thicket-forming, heavy-bodied shrub (cactus) that can
grow to a height of 0.9 to 3 meters (3 to 9 feet) and a width of 1.5 to
2.4 meters (5 to 8 feet).  The trunk is cylindrical and can be erect to
spreading.  Cladodes (joints) are green to bluish green in color,
obovate, subcircular, round, oval or orbicular in shape, asymmetrical,
flat, waxy, juicy, and 15 to 30 by 12.5 to 25 centimeters (6 to 12 by 5
to 10 inches) in size.  Tubercles are 3.8 to 6.4 centimeters (1.5 to 2.5
inches) apart.  Cladodes contain dense tufts of minute yellow to brown
barbed glochids (0.3 centimeter (0.1 inch) long) and 1 to 6 translucent,
yellow, creamy white, brown or black spines (up to 4 centimeters (1.6
inch) long) per areole.  Some varieties are spineless.  Red, yellow or
orange flowers are bowl-shaped, contain one pistil, many yellow stamens,
many greenish-yellow sepals, and measure 5 to 13 centimeters (2 to 5
inches) wide.  Most flowers are crowded on the edge of the cladodes.
Red to purple fruit (tuna) is variable in shape and size.  The thick
rind is covered with scattered tufts of glochids and small areoles.  The
skin is thin.  Pulp is juicy.  Fruit contain many seeds.  Flowering
occurs from the end of winter to summer.  Fruiting occurs in the summer,
but can be timed by low wintertime temperatures, the application of
fertilizers, or the removal of the spring flush of flower buds.  Bud
removal can lead to a second flowering and the production of fruit in
November and December.  Shade and gibberellic acid can inhibit
flower-bud initiation.  Flower opening to fruit maturity occurs in
approximately 70 to 150 days.  Fruit production occurs in 5 to 6 years
from seed and 2 to 3 years from cuttings.  Trees can bear fruit for 30
to 40 years.  Propagation is by seed, tissue culture and cuttings.
Cuttings are used in commercial practices.  Stem segments (pads) with
one to three cladodes are selected during late spring to early summer.
Detached cladodes are dried for 1 to 3 weeks before planting to minimize
fungal infections.  The basal cladode should be planted upright, with 30
to 50 percent of its surface area in the soil and spaced 30 to 40
centimeters (12 to 16 inches) apart.  New roots will develop from the
areoles in 2 weeks.  No irrigation is required for establishment.
Vegetative propagation can also be done with flower buds and fruit.  For
commercial production, plants are planted in a rectangular grid or in
rows oriented north-south.  Spacing for fruit production should be 3 by
4 meters (10 by 13 feet) or 400 to 1,600 plants per hectare.  Light
irrigation and fertilization aids production.  Pruning and shaping is
used to facilitate movement of equipment between plants and fruit
picking.  Thinning of flower buds can produce larger fruit.  Fruit
ripening is favored by temperatures above 25 °C (77 °F).  Temperatures
below 15 °C (59 °F) delay fruit ripening and extend the harvest
period.  Fruit are harvested over a 2 to 6 week period that is
accomplished by multiple pickings.  Fruit is harvested with gloved hands
and knives just after the peel color changes from green to its final
color.  Fruit are harvested on the outer portions of the canopy.  A
small piece of the underlying cladode is removed with the fruit to
prolong fruit shelf life.  During processing, the cladode is removed, a
de-prickling machine removes the spines and sizes are sorted.  Fruit can
be stored for 2 to 6 weeks at temperatures near 5 °C (41 °F).  Pads
are harvested twice per year.  Commercially pricky pear is the most
important cactus species.  Cactus fruit is cultivated in more than 20
countries.

Rhubarb:

Rhubarb is a cool season perennial plant, known only in cultivation from
ancient times and probably originating in China, that reaches up to 4.9
ft (1.5 m) in height when mature.  It forms large fleshy rhizomes and
large leaves with long, thick petioles, which are the edible portion.
Rhizomes and the crown persist for many years, and the leaves and
petioles grow from the crown in early spring.  Leaf blades (and roots),
which are highly, poisonous, are up to a foot or more in width and
length.  The leaves and roots can cause nausea, dizziness, convulsions
and even death.  The edible petioles are up to 18 in (45.7 cm) long, 1 -
2 in (2.5 - 5 cm) in diameter, generally somewhat hemispherical in cross
section, like celery.  They are ribbed and range in color anywhere from
a light pink to a bright, scarlet red and are highly distinctive.  Roots
may be taken up and bedded in cellars or houses in winter, forcing
growth in darkness to produce etiolated leaf-stems, which are much
prized.  Rhubarb is one of the earliest spring vegetables, and used to
be extremely popular in the U.S. and Europe.  Although this is the
primary species of rhubarb grown commercially, there are other species
of wild and cultivated rhubarb which hybridize readily.  It is
propagation is by seed or division of rootstock.  Sow seeds in autumn or
divide in spring or autumn.  Rhubarb may be produced in containers or in
greenhouses, which typically yield an earlier crop with redder stems
than field-grown rhubarb.

Udo:

Udo is large herbaceous perennial, native to Japan and China, reaching
up to 1.8 m (6 ft) when mature.  It is grown for its tender, etiolated
spring shoots, somewhat like asparagus, only much longer, reaching up to
2 ft (61 cm) at market.  The plant is a strong growing perennial,
producing the edible shoots from the roots each spring.  Only the young
shoot is edible; when the stem is older it becomes tough and hollow.  It
is grown primarily in Japan and to a limited extent by home gardeners in
the U.S.  The blanched stalks are mild in flavor and considered a
delicacy in Japan, China, and in higher class restaurants.  Udo is
propagated by stem or root cuttings or by seed.  In culture, the roots
are established in beds or rows, like asparagus.  As the young shoots
start in spring, they are kept covered with soil for complete blanching.
 The shoots harvested are up to 2 ft (61 cm) long and 1.5 in (3.8 cm) in
diameter at the base.

Zuiki:

Zuiki is an aroid herbaceous perennial plant with a large rhizome and
very large arrow head shaped leaves.  The long pale green petioles
extend from a thickened corm.  This aroid is cultivated for its edible
petioles (low oxalate content).  The corms of this variety are not
usually eaten.  It is propagated vegetatively by corms.  Cultivated
zuiki have less acridity and require less processing than wild forms.

	Comparisons of the stalk, stem, and leaf petiole planting depth,
seeds/lb, seeds/100 ft row, and row spacing’s are shown in Table 23
and a listing of days to germinate, time planting to harvest,
yield/plant and range of yields for each crop are shown in Table 21,
respectively.  Planting depths range from 0.125 - 0.5 inches, and seed
size is up to 1,500 seeds/100 ft row, and between row spacing’s are 18
-24 inches for celery and kohlrabi and from 48 – 60 inches for
asparagus, and between plant spacing in a row ranges 12 – 18 inches.
Days to germination range to 8 – 25 days (Table 24).  Average yields
of celery for fresh market are 53,500 lb/acre while good yields are
about 70,000 lb/acre.

Table 23.  Stalk, Stem, and Leaf Petiole Vegetable Planting Depth,
Seeds/lb, Seeds/100 ft, and Row Spacings (Splittstoesser, W.E. 1990,
Carolina Seed Co, 2006, Harris Seeds, 2007, Rupp Vegetable Catalog,
2010, Siegers Seed, 2010, Territorial Seed Co., 2009).

Commodity	Planting Depth (inches)	Seeds/lb	Seeding Rate (lb/A)	Average
Number of seeds or plants/100 ft)	Spacings between row and [between
plants in the row] in inches

Asparagus	0.5 -1.0	12,800	4 – 5	60 plants or one oz	48 – 60

[12 - 18]

Bamboo shoots	1.0	-	400 plants/ha,

6 – 8 oz seed/A gives 	1 oz  equals 10,000 plants	5 m

6 – 8 m

Celery	0.125	960,000	0.5 – 0.75	200 plants	18 - 24

[6 - 12]

Fennel, Florence	0.5

	0.25 oz

	Kohlrabi	0.5	144,000	1/4	1,500 seeds	18 -24

[15 – 18]

*number of transplants.

Table 24 Fruiting Vegetable Days to Germinate, Time Planting to Harvest,
Yield/plant and Range of Yields (Hessayon, 1997, Cranberry, 1999,
Carolina Seed Co, 2006, Harris Seeds, 2007, Siegers Seed, 2010,
Territorial Seed Co., 2009, Park Seed, 2011, Markle, et al, 1995, USDA
Agricultural Statistics, 2010).  Days may vary depending upon cultivar,
growing area and climatic conditions.

Commodity	Approximate Days from Seeding to Germination (days)	Planting
to Harvest	Approximate Yield/plant	Yield/100 foot row	Range of Yields

Asparagus	15	2 years	20 – 25 spears/mature plant	One crown yields 6
– 8 lb	1,500 – 4,000 lb/A

Plants/A 4,800 – 8,700.

Celery	12 – 25	90 - 125 days	12 lb/10 ft of row	100 heads/100 ft row
69,100 – 70,800 lb/A. Average yields of celery for fresh market are
53,500 lb/acre while good yields are about 70,000 lb/acre.  Yields of
celery for processing are about 35 tons/acre.

Fennel

120 days

	Kohlrabi	8 - 10	55 – 75 days	20 globe /10 ft	50 lb/ 100 ft row	12,000
– 16,000 lb/A.

Rhubarb	-	3 – 4 weeks in second year of planting and 6 – 8 weeks as
crowns become more mature.	-	-	A yield of 12,000 – 20,000 lb/A is
common at the first harvest

Ferns are not as important economically as seed plants but have
considerable importance in some societies.  Some ferns are used for
food, including the fiddleheads of   HYPERLINK
"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bracken" \o "Bracken"  bracken , Pteridium
aquilinum,   HYPERLINK "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ostrich_fern" \o
"Ostrich fern"  ostrich fern , Matteuccia struthiopteris, and
HYPERLINK "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cinnamon_fern" \o "Cinnamon
fern"  cinnamon fern , Osmunda cinnamomea.   HYPERLINK
"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diplazium_esculentum" \o "Diplazium
esculentum"  Diplazium esculentum  is also used by some tropical peoples
as food.  Tubers from the King Fern or para (  HYPERLINK
"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ptisana_salicina" \o "Ptisana salicina"