- Author: Pamela Kan-Rice
To help farmers make the best use of the water they have available, a series of new and updated drought tips fact sheets has been developed by UC ANR scientists and funded by the California Department of Water Resources.
“These drought tips provide irrigation management recommendations for a broad range of agricultural crops and under different water supply conditions,” said Daniele Zaccaria, UC ANR Cooperative Extension agricultural water management specialist at UC Davis and major organizer of the drought tip series. “The information in these tips will be of practical use for growers and other water-related stakeholders now and into the future as our agricultural community continues to adapt to climate variability and to a changing water supply situation.”
UC ANR scientists have identified best management practices for a wide range of annual and permanent crops and irrigation systems and methods during the drought. In the drought tips series, they also give advice for managing soil salinity and using shallow groundwater for irrigating crops. For beef cattle, they provide recommendations for culling herds and feeding to supplement grazing.
The following drought tips are currently available for free download at http://ucanr.edu/drought-tips:
- Drought strategies for alfalfa
- Drought management for California almonds
- Use of shallow groundwater for crop production
- Drought strategies for walnuts
- Fog contribution to crop water use
- Reclaiming Saline, Sodic and Saline-Sodic Soils
Decades of UC ANR research underlie the information contained in the drought tips. In the 1970s and again in the 1990s, UC ANR partnered with DWR to develop a series of drought management fact sheets.
“DWR has worked with UC ANR to update the drought tips and make sure the latest and best information on water management is available to growers,” said Peter Brostrom, DWR Water Use Efficiency Section Manager.
The California Institute for Water Resources, which coordinates water-related research and extension education across the 10 UC campuses and UCANR, has the drought tips and more drought resources online at http://ciwr.ucanr.edu.
“Even if El Niño brings rain this fall, water scarcity will continue to impact California farmers,” said Doug Parker, director of UC ANR's California Institute for Water Resources. “As climate change continues to reduce the average annual snowpack, it is likely that droughts in California will become more frequent and severe in the years to come.”
UC ANR's California Institute for Water Resources and the California Department of Water Resources also offer drought-related information in a series of videos. Water experts from UC and other agencies and institutions have recorded presentations on high-priority drought topics. Currently 38 videos can be accessed for free on computers and mobile devices at http://ucanr.edu/insights.
UC Agriculture and Natural Resources researchers and educators draw on local expertise to conduct agricultural, environmental, economic, youth development and nutrition research that helps California thrive. Learn more at ucanr.edu
- Author: Jeannette E. Warnert
With the ongoing interest in the California drought and water issues in general, the University of California's Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources (UC ANR) is pleased to offer the following expert sources to assist in your coverage.
We've selected UC ANR specialists and advisors from throughout the state who possess a wide range of research and scientific expertise related to water and agriculture, and who have agreed to serve as interview subjects as their time and schedules permit. One of our experts is fluent in Spanish. Another is fluent in Italian.
Please contact a member of the UC ANR news and media staff with additional questions.
Jim Baird, Ph.D.
UC ANR Cooperative Extension turfgrass management specialist, based at UC Riverside
(951) 827-5630
cell (951) 333-9052
jbaird@ucr.edu
Dave Fujino, Ph.D.
Executive director, California Center for Urban Horticulture, based at UC Davis
(530) 754-7739
dwfujino@ucdavis.edu
Missy Gable
Director, UC ANR Statewide Master Gardener Program
Home gardening, landscaping
(530) 750-1266
mjgable@ucanr.edu
Thomas Harter, Ph.D.
UC ANR Cooperative Extension groundwater hydrologist, based at UC Davis (speaks fluent German)
(530) 752-2709
thharter@ucdavis.edu
Mark Lubell, Ph.D.
Professor
Human behavior and water conservation
(530) 752-5880
mnlubell@ucdavis.edu
Loren Oki, Ph.D.
UC ANR Cooperative Extension landscape horticulture specialist, based at UC Davis
(530) 754-4135
lroki@ucdavis.edu
Doug Parker, Ph.D.
Director, California Institute for Water Resources
UC ANR Cooperative Extension specialist, statewide water policy
(510) 987-0036
doug.parker@ucop.edu
Dan Putnam, Ph.D.
UC ANR Cooperative Extension agronomy specialist, based at UC Davis
Alfalfa
(530-752-8982
dhputnam@ucdavis.edu
Samuel Solis Sandoval, Ph.D.
UC ANR Cooperative Extension specialist (speaks fluent Spanish), based at UC Davis
Municipal and agricultural water use
(530) 754-9646
samsandoval@ucdavis.edu
David Sunding
UC ANR Cooperative Extension specialist based at UC Davis
Water resource management
(510) 642-8229
sunding@are.berkeley.edu
Daniel Sumner, Ph.D.
UC ANR agricultural economist, based at UC Davis
Director, UC Agricultural Issues Center
(530) 752-1668
dasumner@ucdavis.edu
Daniele Zaccaria, Ph.D. (Speaks fluent Italian)
UC ANR Cooperative Extension water management specialist, based at UC Davis
(530) 219-7502 cell (email first)
dzaccaria@ucdavis.edu
Central Valley
David Doll
UC ANR Cooperative Extension farm advisor, Merced County
almonds, pistachios, walnuts
(209) 385-7403
dadoll@ucanr.edu
Twitter: @thealmonddoctor
Allan Fulton
UC ANR Cooperative Extension farm advisor, Tehama, Colusa, Glenn and Shasta counties
Irrigation and water resources
(530) 527-3101
(530) 200-2246 cell
aefulton@ucanr.edu
Craig Kallsen
UC ANR Cooperative Extension farm advisor, Kern County
Citrus and pistachios
(661) 868-6221
cekallsen@ucanr.edu
Robert Hutmacher, Ph.D.
UC ANR Cooperative Extension agronomic crops specialist
Director, UC West Side Research and Extension Center
(559) 260-8957
rbhutmacher@ucanr.edu
Dan Munk
UC ANR Cooperative Extension farm advisor, Fresno County
Irrigation and drainage
(559) 241-7521
(559) 284-6674 cell
dsmunk@ucanr.edu
Karrie Reid
UC ANR Cooperative Extension Environmental horticulture advisor, San Joaquin County
Landscaping under drought conditions
(209) 953-6109
skreid@ucanr.edu
Blake Sanden
UC ANR Cooperative Extension farm advisor, Kern County
Irrigation, soil, water
(661) 868-6218
blsanden@ucanr.edu
Central Coast
Michael Cahn
UC ANR Cooperative Extension farm advisor, Monterey, Santa Cruz and San Benito counties
Irrigation and water resources, vegetables and berries
(831) 759-7377
mdcahn@ucanr.edu
Ben Faber
UC ANR Cooperative Extension farm advisor, Ventura and Santa Barbara counties
Water, soils and subtropical crops, such as avocado and citrus
(805) 645-1462
bafaber@ucanr.edu
Southern California
Janet Hartin
UC ANR Cooperative Extension environmental horticulture advisor, San Bernardino, Los Angeles and Riverside counties
Landscape and turfgrass irrigation/graywater use
(951) 313-2023
jshartin@ucanr.edu
Darren Haver, Ph.D.
UC ANR Cooperative Extension farm advisor, Orange County
Landscaping and drought
(949) 653-1814
Twitter: @DHaverUCANR
dlhaver@ucanr.edu
Dennis Pittenger
UC ANR Cooperative Extension area environmental horticulturist, based at UC Riverside
Landscape irrigation management
(951) 827-3320
dennis.pittenger@ucr.edu
Northern California
Steve Orloff
UC ANR Cooperative Extension farm advisor, Siskiyou County
Alfalfa and irrigated pasture
(530) 842-2711
sborloff@ucanr.edu
- Author: Pamela Kan-Rice
“Mature fruit trees and landscape trees are worth saving!” said Janet Hartin, UC Cooperative Extension advisor. “Recognizing early signs of drought stress is important because irreversible damage can occur that no amount of watering will correct.”
Two seasons without enough water can result in severe drought stress and even kill a tree, warned Hartin, who serves San Bernardino, Riverside and Los Angeles counties. Also, drought-stressed trees are more prone to damage from diseases and insects than non-stressed trees.
Common symptoms of drought stress include
- Wilting or drooping leaves that do not return to normal by evening
- Curled or chlorotic (yellow) leaves that may fold or drop
- Foliage that becomes grayish and loses its green luster
- New leaves that are smaller than normal
“One or two deep irrigations with a garden hose several weeks apart in spring and summer will often keep these valued plants alive, especially if their roots are relatively deep,” she said.
“An important thing to consider when you're trying to conserve water in the garden and landscape is that plant water requirements vary,” said Hartin, an expert in environmental horticulture. “Water needs are directly related to the evapotranspiration rate of each particular plant. To meet the water needs of plants, you have to replace the water used by the plant and the moisture that evaporates from the soil surface.”
Besides differences among water requirements among plant species, microclimates within a climate zone affect how much water a plant will need and how often a plant should be watered, as well.
“Landscape plants in urban heat islands surrounded by asphalt parking lots may require 50 percent more water than the same species in a park setting,” Hartin said.
Also, soil type plays a large role in how often landscape and garden plants should be irrigated. Sandy soils drain faster and take water in faster than those containing clay and require more frequent irrigation. Water can soak down 12 inches in 15 minutes in sandy soil, whereas the water may take 2 hours to reach the same depth in clay soil and will spread out more horizontally.
“Dig into the roots,” she said. “Take a handful of soil and squeeze it. That'll give you a good idea of whether the soil is really dry and crumbly, which means it's not holding any water, or if it's medium, where it's just starting to crumble, but still holding together fairly well. We recommend waiting to irrigate until the soil just starts to crumble.”
To see a video of Hartin's presentation “How to Save Water and Beautify Your Landscape the Sustainable Way,” visit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MN4b5DML-bs. For water-saving gardening tips in Spanish, visit http://bit.ly/1uZ6Ztq and http://bit.ly/1xHNwQo. You can also consult the UC Master Gardeners in your community for advice. Check http://camastergardeners.ucanr.edu to find the nearest UC Cooperative Extension office to speak with a Master Gardener.
Factors involved in irrigation scheduling
- Plant water use
- Soil water holding capacity
- Water infiltration rate
- Plant rooting depth
- Irrigation system output
- Author: Pamela Kan-Rice
The 2014 Experiment Station Section Excellence in Multistate Research Award presented by the Experiment Station Committee on Organization and Policy on Nov. 2 recognizes the universities' exceptional collaboration on a multistate research project.
Patrick Brown, professor in the Department of Plant Sciences at UC Davis, Jan Hopmans, professor in the Department of Land, Air and Water Resources at UC Davis, Larry Schwankl, UC Cooperative Extension specialist emeritus, and Ken Shackel, professor in the Department of Plant Sciences at UC Davis, are the UC researchers participating in the project “Microirrigation for Sustainable Water Use.”
"The Multistate Research Program is one of the best kept secrets of the land-grant university system, and this award recognizes outstanding interdependent efforts of researchers and extension specialists that have come together to tackle a priority issue that no one institution can address on their own,” said H. Michael Harrington, executive director of the Western Association of Agricultural Experiment Station Directors. “This microirrigation project was selected out of more than 300 multistate projects because, since 1972, the group has made major advances in sustainable agriculture and water conservation.”
Using more precise irrigation management, California growers have increased water use efficiency on processing tomatoes by 54 percent and on almonds by 33 percent since 1990.
Conventional irrigation systems that apply high volumes of water over wide areas can lose a lot of water through runoff, wind, or evaporation. As a result, conventional irrigation systems often over water or under water plants. Instead, microirrigation, or drip, systems use special timers, sensors, and a network of narrow tubes to deliver the right amount of water at the right time.
In the last five years, the group's research has led to new microirrigation equipment and tools that are easier to install, more durable, and more precise. These advances, along with engagement with farmers, have encouraged adoption of microirrigation systems, which has led to significant economic and environmental impacts.
“As director of USDA-NIFA, my goal is to ensure the science we invest in leads to solutions to today's most pressing challenges,” said Sonny Ramaswamy. “One of those challenges is finding ways to feed the growing population while minimally impacting the environment. A safe, reliable supply of water is inextricably linked to food security. The five-fold increase in irrigated acres that took place during the 20th century cannot be repeated in the 21st century — there isn't the space. Instead, we must increase efficiency of the irrigated farmland we have, and that is what this project is doing.”
In addition to UC, other participating land-grant institutions include Auburn University, University of Arizona, Colorado State University, University of Florida, University of Hawaii, University of Idaho, Iowa State University, Kansas State University, Mississippi State University, University of Nebraska, New Mexico State University, Cornell University, Oregon State University, University of Puerto Rico, Texas A&M AgriLife Research, University of the Virgin Islands, Washington State University, and University of Wyoming. The universities collaborated with the USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service and Agricultural Research Service.
The award was presented by ESCOP chair Bob Shulstad and Ramaswamy at the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities annual meeting in Orlando, Fla.
The project's name will be added to a plaque at the USDA Waterfront Centre in Washington, D.C., and the group will receive $15,000 to support their ongoing work. The group's continued efforts are more critical than ever as the U.S. continues to experience extreme droughts that threaten water supplies and crops that depend on irrigation.
These efforts are supported, in part, through USDA-NIFA by the Multistate Research Fund, established in 1998 by the Agricultural Research, Extension, and Education Reform Act (an amendment to the Hatch Act of 1888) to encourage and enhance multistate, multidisciplinary agricultural research on critical issues. Additional funds were provided by contracts and grants to participating scientists. For more information about the microirrigation project, visit http://www.cropinfo.net/MI.
- Author: Jeannette E. Warnert
The California drought has ranchers desperate for inexpensive livestock feed. Air quality protection regulations that limit rice straw burning leave the rice industry with an abundance of typically low-quality straw to unload. Though it has rarely been done, Nader believes special treatment of rice straw will make it a nutritious cattle food. Two problems solved.
Nader will introduce producers to this new way to get through the drought at a meeting from 9 a.m. to 12 noon July 29 at the Veterans Memorial Hall, 525 W. Sycamore St., Willows, Calif.
When rice straw dries, its value as a forage declines dramatically. For 15 years, UC researchers have been trying to figure out why, but the reason for the significant change is not understood at this time.
“At one time, we thought the problem was silica in the straw,” Nader said. “We grew silica-free rice. That didn't work. We thought it was the crystallinity of molecules in the straw. We parsed apart the plant, and we still don't know.”
Ultimately, it was a rancher who suggested the scientists to put aside their desire to know why quality declines when rice straw dries and look for practical ways to get around it. Nader postponed his retirement to comply.
Normally, rice growers bale the straw two to four days after harvest. Nader and his colleagues instead baled the straw immediately after it exited the grain harvester. They stacked the green straw bales and covered them with a tarp to retain moisture and prevent spontaneous combustion. The result is a product they named “strawlage.” One worry is mold. The researchers found that treating the straw with propionic acid prevents fungus growth.
“We haven't figured everything out, but with the drought conditions as serious as they are, we feel the time is right to share our research with growers,” Nader said. “We invite producers to come to the meeting to see if this will work for their operations. Several producers who have already fed strawlage to their cattle will speak at the meeting about their experiences.”
Nader believes the UC research into using rice straw for livestock feed will be helpful throughout the world.
Asian farmers produce rice straw in great abundance and their livestock would benefit significantly if the farmers worked to maintain the plant's moisture until it reaches cattle feeding troughs.
The July 29 meeting will cover:
- Nutritional advantages of strawlage over rice straw
- The challenges of baling the straw at 50 to 60 percent moisture
- Additives to prevent mold
- How to stake and tarp strawlage
- The costs associated with the practice
- How cows that ate strawlage last year fared
“Our goal is to give producers information that will allow them to make rice strawlage during this fall's harvest,” Nader said. “Both cattle and rice producers are encouraged to attend.”