June 2002
Biologically integrated prune farming project receives UC grant award
Prune BIFS team exchanges information on orchard management in Tulare orchard. (photo by Marco Barzman)
DAVIS--A team of farmers, researchers and agricultural consultants in the Sacramento and San Joaquin valleys has received funding to continue promoting biologically integrated farming practices in prunes.
The Integrated Prune Farming Practices team, which began in 1998, received $80,000 to continue the project from the University of California Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program (SAREP). The Biologically Integrated Farming Systems (BIFS) model is characterized by a team approach to project management, on-farm demonstrations, monitoring key biological and economic variables, and farmer-to-farmer information flow. These farming practices, fine-tuned and evaluated by growers, UC scientists and consultants, are designed to reduce off-farm movement of pesticides and soil while enhancing natural processes.
"This voluntary farmer-researcher partnership has several years of experience in promoting sustainable agriculture in California and is now ready to mainstream its efforts," said Marco Barzman, BIFS coordinator at SAREP. "The team has a committed core of growers who can help other farmers adopt biologically integrated farming practices and make a difference on a regional scale."
Funding for this round of BIFS projects came from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 9 Agricultural Initiative. This initiative is intended to help California farmers with pest management challenges resulting from implementation of the 1996 Food Quality Protection Act.
Farmers involved in the BIFS projects integrate biological and cultural control of pests into their production systems; provide on-farm habitats for beneficial insects; use cover crops to provide all or part of the nitrogen needed by crops; and monitor pests, beneficials and water and nitrogen needs to assist in their farm management decisions. Biologically integrated farming practices, according to Barzman, enable farmers to maintain yield and quality while reducing reliance on agrichemicals.
BIFS teams include farmers, pest control consultants, University of California farm advisors and researchers. The prune BIFS project uses successful working orchards to demonstrate agricultural operations that reduce pesticide use. Other area growers have agreed to participate by adapting the methods demonstrated to sections of their own acreage and then monitoring and comparing results with conventional practices.
"Monitoring insects and irrigation needs has been very helpful," said Dan Aguair, a BIFS prune grower and manager of Simonich Farms In Tulare. "Since the BIFS team has been helping us monitor the predatory (beneficial) bugs and seeing when there's a good buildup, we've been able to cut back on some sprays. We're still in the early stages, but we're definitely getting results from the project."
Aguair is also using "pressure bomb" readings and water analysis to manage irrigation timings more efficiently and to reduce nutrient leaching. "Water analysis has helped," he said. "By knowing how much nitrogen is in our well water we've been able to cut back on fertilizer inputs."
"This project brings to the table an alternative farming system as good as or better than the conventional system," said Steve Sibbett, UC Cooperative Extension farm advisor emeritus in Tulare County. "Growers are learning to use alternative practices, some of which reduce costs, and some of which may cost more but are more beneficial to production and quality, and thus improved return, in the longer run."
According to Gary Obenauf, project manager for the California Dried Plum (formerly "Prune") Board and coordinator of the prune BIFS project, the prune industry is suffering an oversupply problem that gives urgency to new cost-saving practices such as those growers are learning from the Integrated Prune Farming Practices team. "California prune growers must cut costs and improve fruit quality to be profitable," he said. "Costly inputs such as insecticides and fertilizers that may only be marginally effective must be reduced."
Media Contacts:
Lyra Halprin, (530) 752-8664, lhalprin@ucdavis.edu
