Findings from a unique study site affirm the value of using the core soil health management principles of conservation agriculture to improve soil function, climate resilience, and increase the ecological sustainability of agriculture.

The Issue 

California farmers overall recognize the theoretical benefits that might come from implementing basic soil health management principles, but they lack concrete information and experience on how to actually use these principles at their farms and they also are in general, not currently implementing them. In other words, despite the now widespread high visibility that soil health is receiving from government programs, actual adoption of the prescribed core principles of soil health management occurs on very little California crop acreage. Ongoing estimates of the UC ANR Conservation Agriculture Systems Innovation (CASI) Center indicate for example, that in CA's annual cropping systems very little reduced disturbance soil management is employed whatsoever and there is virtually zero production that occurs in high surface residue, “soil cover” conditions. Further, farmers lack detailed information to guide cost-benefit economic analyses of soil health management approaches. 

UC ANR's Cooperative Extension Cropping Systems Specialist, Jeff Mitchell, sharing information with farmers and private sector participants at public educational field day at the site of the long-standing conservation agriculture systems study at the UC West Side Research and Extension Center in Five Points, CA

How UC Delivers

In 1999, UC ANR established the long-term University of California Conservation Agriculture Systems Project at the West Side Research and Extension Center in Five Points, CA with a group of San Joaquin Valley farmers, the U.S. Department of Agriculture National Resources Conservation Service (USDA NRCS), private sector, and university partners to measure changes in soil and crop productivity with implementation of the key soil health management practices of cover cropping and no-tillage. The original intent was to investigate farming practices that would reduce particulate matter emissions and increase soil carbon relative to the historically high soil disturbance practices that had been used in the region for over 80 years. At that time, no till practices were used on less than 2% of annual crop acreage in the San Joaquin Valley and informal estimates indicated that the extent of cover cropping and high surface was at similar low levels of adoption. Based on this project and the multitude of public educational events that it has conducted for over 3,000 people since its inception, UC ANR organized a group of about 20 California farmers and private sector supporters who are now working together on a USDA NRCS Conservation Innovation Grant Program project aimed at increasing the adoption of reduced disturbance cropping systems at organic vegetable production farms.

After 20 years of consistent soil health management at the UC ANR study site involving reduced soil disturbance, surface residue generation and preservation, and the use of cover crops, overall soil function improved dramatically compared to standard practices. Our findings indicate that dedication to the now widely touted and highly visible principles of soil health in ways that are uncommon in current production systems in the region results in not only changes in several soil chemical, physical, and biological properties, but also in improvements in the ecological and environmental services that the soil provides. After 20 years, nitrogen in the top 3 ft of soil increased 10%, water holding capacity and carbon in surface layers of the soil increased 20 and 30%, respectively, while overall soil biodiversity also increased in functionally significant ways in the no-till with cover crop system relative to the standard till without cover crop approach. Importantly, the period of the year with “green cover” of over the soil also increased by 3 months by the no-till cover crop system and dust emissions were generally reduced by more than 70% by the reduced disturbance systems. 

Public extension education field day on June 6, 2016 attracting over 220 participants on soil health at the NRI Project field at the UC ANR West Side Research and Extension Center in Five Points, CA

The Impact

This group of 20 farmers are now taking advantage of the findings of the unique UC ANR long-term work at their own farms and are enthusiastically sharing information about their own efforts at reduced disturbance approaches. Farmers have made structural changes to their practices such as reducing disturbance, increasing residue cover, cover cropping, and reducing tillage intensity. These changes have the potential to preserve natural resources and reduce pollution as described in the research findings above.

This study and the changes in practice align with new government focuses on soil health. Reliance on ecosystem services that result from healthy, functioning soils rather than the synthetic, non-renewable inputs and high disturbance practice is increasingly seen as a publicly desirable and environmentally sustainable way to improve our food production systems. Because preventing further degradation of soil function and productivity is often less expensive than remediation, the common good costs of achieving such sustained ecosystem improvement rightly need to be borne by our food system at large, rather than farmers themselves. 

In this way, UC ANR contributes to increasing ecological sustainability of agriculture and the public value of protecting California's natural resources by evaluating alternative management approaches and determining tradeoffs that might be associated with their implementation.

Our findings from a unique study site in one of the historically most productive agricultural regions of the world clearly affirm the value of using the core soil health management principles of conservation agriculture to improve soil function, climate resilience, and climate change mitigation.

Organic vegetable farmers who are part of the ANR NRCS Conservation Innovation Grant Program visiting farmers, Scott and Brian Park of Park Farming in Meridian, CA, to learn about reduced disturbance equipment, March 2019

Universities adopted UCCE agriculture production innovation and technology video series, contributing to workforce competency.

The Issue

Projections for near-future retirements of people working in California's agricultural production, marketing and post-harvest handling sectors indicate severe re-staffing needs in the coming years. Technological advances have reduced manual labor in agriculture, but increased the need for skilled labor to maintain the sustainability of the vegetable industry.  Maintaining California's leading role in producing abundant, safe vegetables is critical not only to Americans' health, but also to the state's economy. 

UC ANR Cropping Systems Cooperative Extension Specialist, Jeff Mitchell, filming weed management techniques in vegetable crop production in Salinas, CA for 26-episode vegetable video series

 How UC Delivers

 UC ANR's Cropping Systems Cooperative Extension Specialist, Jeff Mitchell assembled a team of professors from California's public universities with agricultural programs – UC Davis, Chico State, Fresno State and CalPoly San Luis Obispo - to pull together the series of videos designed to spark the interest and begin training future farmers and agriculture workers in sound agronomic, economic and environmental stewardship skills. The team received financial support from the California Department of Food and Agriculture Specialty Crops Block Grant Program.  The video series is offered on the UC Agriculture and Natural Resources (UC ANR) YouTube page on a playlist titled “Training of a New Generation of California Vegetable Producers.” 

The videos depict state-of-the-art technologies and techniques that are in use in many production regions of California today, vegetable farming systems used in other parts of the world, and increasingly popular cottage farming systems that are popping up in urban areas for easy access to healthful foods.  A key feature of the videos is their showcasing leading vegetable farmers and industry leaders and having them speak directly to students about their work and how they manage the complex dimensions of today's vegetable crop production systems.

“We know that maintaining California's leading role in producing abundant, safe vegetables is critical not only to Americans' health, but also to the state's economy,” UC ANR's Mitchell says.  “These videos have greatly increased knowledge and awareness of production practices.”

UC ANR You Tube Channel vegetable video playlist for the 26-episode series

The Impact

The video-series  has been adopted by four universities, used in courses to provide real-world information on state-of-the-art production practices and technologies to over 200 students each year.  Pre- and post-video viewing surveys indicate student knowledge of production innovation and technology provided by an example video on “urban agriculture” increased from 0% being very knowledgeable to extremely knowledgeable to 67% after viewing the video.  Because many of today's students in agriculture-related courses do not have practical experience with crop production, the videos have provided a critically important means for learning and increasing the practical knowledge of this next generation of production workers.  In addition, the video series has had broad interest beyond the classrooms.  The agricultural industry, students in other parts of the United States and the world, and the broader public all have an interest in understanding how the vegetables we eat are produced at the ever-increasing scale at which they are needed. Importantly, the California Agricultural Vision statement of CDFA (https://www.cdfa.ca.gov/agvision/docs/AgVision_2017.pdf(2017) strongly recognizes the critical need to equip the next generation of workers in the field and throughout the packing and processing chain. A World Bank study (2007) determined effects of agricultural education and training on agricultural productivity, including enhanced worker productivity; increased grower abilities to choose prime combinations of inputs and outputs, and increased grower capacity to innovate and adapt new technologies. In this way, UC ANR contributes to increasing workforce competency and the public value of developing a qualified workforce in California.

Essential services provided by CalFresh Healthy Living, UC delivered over 270 pounds of school garden produce and help farmers markets that accept EBT/CalFresh stay open during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The Issue

As the COVID-19 pandemic unfolds and shelter at home orders impact every aspect of our daily life from school closures to increased unemployment, uncertain access to food is increasing for many Californians. Food insecurity is defined as having limited or uncertain access to adequate food and is linked to a myriad of negative health outcomes. Food assistance programs such as CalFresh (known nationally as SNAP/EBT) and the federal school meals program have demonstrated positive outcomes for decreasing food insecurity.

An article posted to local media channels letting CalFresh/EBT customers know markets are open for them.

How UC Delivers

Staff from CalFresh Healthy Living, UC in San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties (UC) lead a working group of the local Food System Coalition to increase the utilization of CalFresh Food and Market Match benefits at local farmers markets. Farmers markets provide an essential service during the COVID-19 pandemic. As social distancing orders were put in place, market managers reached out to UC for support so the markets could stay open and safe for the community and vendors. In response, UC staff mobilized County resources to support social distancing measures at markets where EBT/CalFresh is accepted. Support provided by UC staff includes onboarding, supervision, and ongoing training of County Disaster Service Workers to staff high-traffic markets, signage to direct customers in following social distancing protocols in both English and Spanish, social media posting, and circulation of a media release to let the community know that the markets are safe, open, and accessible for people with CalFresh benefits.

An abundant lettuce harvest from a Santa Barbara County school garden

To further support the food system and food security efforts, UC staff in partnership with school garden stakeholders, continue to provide the essential service of maintaining school gardens to ensure food is harvested and does not go to waste. UC staff have created videos educating students on what is growing in their school garden, healthy recipes and showing home gardeners how to plant seeds and harvest food safely.

THE IMPACT

Carrots harvested from a school garden in Santa Barbara County

These efforts have resulted in the harvest of over 270 pounds of produce from three school gardens. This food has gone directly back to the community through use in school meals and local food pantry distributions. Ongoing harvests and re-planting of these gardens are scheduled to ensure food resources are maximized.

Additionally, the County Disaster Service Workers have provided over 65 hours of food safety and social distancing support to farmers markets that accept EBT/CalFresh and offer the market incentive Market Match. The collaboration and training provided by CalFresh Healthy Living, UC has made it possible for markets to stay open and provide a safe and reliable source of food for low-income clients throughout San Luis Obispo County. Indeed, the staff has heard community members saying that farmers markets feel to them like one of the safest places to shop for food during the pandemic.

Supporting and enhancing food assistance programs such as acceptance of CalFresh at farmers markets and school food programs and pantries has been shown to increase access to fruits and vegetables and strengthen local and regional food systems. Collectively, these efforts support UC ANR's Public Value: Safeguarding abundant and healthy food for all Californians, particularly as we face uncertainty during a global pandemic.

 Quote

“I am so thankful for this help and for you for making this happen for [our farmers markets]. I don't know that I would be able to manage this without the volunteers. Thank you again.”

– Farmers Market Manager on the support of workers to keep the markets open and support social distancing efforts.

CalFresh Healthy Living, UC in San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara is creating, posting, and sharing new content daily in both English and Spanish. You can follow them on Facebook (El Exito Es Salud, UC CalFresh SLOSB), YouTube (Spanish language channel coming soon), or Instagram (@elexitoessalud, @ucceslosb)!

UC ANR Cooperative Extension Advisor Surendra Dara's new IPM model is considered a practical and sustainable approach by educators and practitioners around the world, with an estimated benefit of $33.5 million from improved returns or savings.

The Issue

Integrated pest management (IPM) is a concept of pest management in an ecologically sustainable manner. Although IPM implementation has been promoted for decades and many farms apply IPM practices to some extent there are certain deficiencies in the understanding of IPM and its components and finding non-chemical management options or exploiting cultural practices to improve crop health and yields. The traditional IPM model faces certain challenges because of its limitations for practical applications. There is a need to improve the understanding of growers, pest control advisors, and crop advisors in developing comprehensive crop care strategies using IPM principles, and then there is also a need to revise the traditional IPM model to fit the modern production trends and consumer preferences. The ultimate goal is to improve IPM knowledge and implementation locally, regionally, nationally, and internationally.

How UC Delivers

UC ANR Cooperative Extension Advisor Surendra Dara has been conducting extensive research in providing multiple IPM options such as chemical, botanical, and microbial pesticides for pest and disease management. He also conducts research with biologicals exploring their potential in promoting crop growth and health and their direct or indirect contribution to pest and disease management. Dara recently redefined the IPM paradigm and developed a new model that is economically viable, socially acceptable, and environmentally sustainable. In addition to extending his research information locally and internationally, he has been speaking at various scientific conferences and extension meetings sharing the new IPM model. He has also provided IPM trainings to vegetable farmers in Mozambique and ornamental farmers in Guatemala in 2019, in addition to similar trainings in other countries such as Haiti and Myanmar. Through these efforts, Dara extended the IPM information to professors, researchers, extension professionals, growers, pest control advisors, crop advisors, and others and continues to do IPM education within and outside the United States.

Surendra Dara's IPM outreach within and outside the United States at various grower and professional meetings.

The Impact

An anonymous online survey conducted during one month between early December 2019 and early January 2020 received responses from across California, Hawaii, and several states on the east coast of the US as well as from international respondents representing Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Europe, Indonesia, Kenya, Nigeria, Pakistan, Turkey, Uganda, and other African, Asian, and Central American countries. Out of the 115 responses, 95.7% indicated that they found useful information from Dara's outreach and that they have applied or would apply the information on their farms. Dara's outreach information has been or expected to be applied on nearly 955,000 acres with a $33.5 million improvement in farm income or savings. Another study has shown that the value of UC IPM resources to state-licensed pest control advisors is estimated to by $34 million annually. Survey respondents also indicated that they have further shared the information developed by Dara to over 142,000 of their colleagues, students, clients, or subscribers. Survey respondents included growers, pest control or crop advisors, private researchers, agricultural industry partners, and university faculty or researchers. The new IPM model Dara developed was published in the Journal of Integrated Pest Management in late April 2019 and has been read or downloaded more than 9,200 times so far. This model improves the efficiency of pest management, optimizes the associated costs, and increases the farm profitability. As this model continues to be applied in many farming systems, it increases agriculture efficiency and profitability. In this way UC ANR contributes to the public value of promoting economic prosperity in California.