CDFA resources help Central Coast growers comply with new pesticide requirements

2021 was an important year for Central Coast agriculture. 

That's the year when the Regional Water Board adopted the latest version of the Irrigated Lands Regulatory Program, also called Ag Order 4.0.  The new regulation will soon impact how farmers grow crops and handle irrigation and storm water drainage from Central Coast fields.

The Surface Water Follow-Up Strategy component of Ag Order 4.0 outlines how growers in priority watersheds must address exceedances of pesticides, nutrients, and sediment identified in water sampling. 

A new video, created by the Coalition for Urban Rural Environmental Stewardship (CURES) and funded by CDFA’s Office of Pesticide Consultation and Analysis (OPCA), highlights key Ag Order 4.0 requirements and showcases techniques to address pesticides in surface water. This includes simple practices such as sprinkler irrigation management and spray drift mitigation, as well as innovative techniques such as the use of polyacrylamide (PAM) and constructed wetland treatment systems that prevent contaminants from leaving the field.

A new study by OPCA and University of California scientists also addresses Ag Order 4.0 compliance. Instead of focusing on practices to reduce drift and runoff, this study identifies alternative, lower-risk pest management practices for three key Central Coast crop groups: 1) cole crops, including broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage; 2) lettuce; and 3) strawberry. The researchers then compared the economic and environmental impacts of implementing these practices versus current pest management programs.

The Central Coast Regional Water Board is strengthening its focus on agricultural runoff and will take actions against growers and operators if impacts to water quality are not addressed soon. We hope these resources will help growers understand the new regulations and identify which solutions best fit their needs. 

Dairy and Livestock Sustainability Incentive Grants Coming

A call for applications is coming soon for three of OEFI’s dairy and livestock manure methane reduction programs: the Dairy Digester Research and Development Program (DDRDP), Alternative Manure Management Program (AMMP), and Dairy Plus Program (DPP). The DPP is funded by a USDA Partnerships for Climate Smart Commodities grant that OEFI administers collaboratively with the California Dairy Research Foundation. OEFI will open the solicitation on July 23, 2024 and close it on October 18, 2024.

DDRDP incentivizes the installation of dairy digesters and will award approximately $8 million; AMMP supports the implementation of non-digester manure management practices such as conversion of flush to scrape manure collection and will award approximately $17.4 million. The DPP supports advanced manure management practices that also address nutrient surplus and has $58 million available for awards.

Prospective applicants are encouraged to start planning and preparing in advance of the application period. Each program’s webpage contains information that can assist with the planning process, including materials and resources from previous grant solicitation rounds and availability of free technical assistance. Sign up for email notifications to be alerted about the application period, workshops and outreach events.

CDFA’s State Water Efficiency and Enhancement Program continues to serve California Farmers and Ranchers through the Block Grant Pilot Program

The legislature established the State Water Efficiency and Enhancement Program (SWEEP) in 2014 as a response to drought, providing incentive funding for sustainable agricultural practices. SWEEP grants have a dual purpose: decreasing water use and reducing greenhouse gases associated with irrigation. Projects funded through SWEEP commonly include elements such as soil, plant or weather sensors; micro-irrigation systems; pump retrofits or replacements; renewable energy systems; and variable frequency drives – among others water and energy saving technologies.

The SWEEP Block Grant Pilot Program (BGP) was designed to facilitate financial assistance to California agricultural operations through regional Block Grant Recipients (BGR). Block Grant Recipients are organizations with close ties to producers who can offer incentive grants and technical assistance tailored to regional and commodity-specific needs. CDFA selected nine BGP projects across the state to support local efforts in increasing on-farm water use efficiency. 

The SWEEP BGP is well underway, with most of the nine Block Grant Recipients having completed their solicitations and awarding producers with SWEEP funds to implement their projects. CDFA is happy to see many high-quality on-farm water and GHG reductions projects starting installation and looks forward to visiting some of these sites in the coming months. Find your local block grant recipients at the link below. 

Header Photo: SWEEP project that is utilizing soil moisture sensing technology connected to remote telemetry to monitor water content in a hay field under subsurface drip irrigation (SDI) in Imperial County. Photo Courtesy of Scott Weeks.

CDFA Celebrated National Pollinator Week

CDFA celebrated National Pollinator Week (June 17-23), which promotes the valuable services provided by pollinators such as bees, birds, butterflies, bats, beetles, moths, wasps, and flies. The overwhelming majority of food crops rely at least partially on some type of insect pollination. Of the 115 most-grown foods around the world, 87 depend on pollinators. The United States grows more than 100 crops that rely on pollinators and 90 percent of them rely on some pollination from European honey bees. Native pollinators, however, also contribute significantly to California agriculture by providing approximately 35% of the state’s pollination services. Collectively, these pollinator-dependent crops make up a third of the typical American diet. In California, it is estimated that one third of the value of California agriculture comes from pollinator-dependent crops.

Despite their critical importance, pollinators face challenges and many species are in decline due to climate change and loss of habitat.

What is California doing for pollinators?

The 2021 California State Budget (Senate Bill 170, Skinner), dedicated $15 million to CDFA for the Pollinator Habitat Program, which provides funding for the establishment of pollinator habitat on agricultural lands throughout California. Grantee organizations work directly with farmers and ranchers to install habitats comprised primarily of native plant species and implement management practices that support pollinators.

OEFI’s Biodiversity Coordinator, Patricia Bohls, gave a lecture on June 20, 2024, titled “Beyond Honey Bees: Exploring the Diversity of California’s Pollinators” through the California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s (CDFW) Conservation Lecture Series. The recording will be available on CDFW’s Conservation Lecture Series Archive.

Sustainable Conservation releases white paper on cover crops and water use, seeking to assist Groundwater Sustainability Agencies as well as farmers

How much water do crops need? The answer is not simple. Although cover crops use water to grow, they can also offset that use by increasing the water available in a field. And when cover crops are not used, fields left fallow can lose a great deal of water anyway because bare soils are hotter and subject to greater evaporation. Therefore, some studies have found the overall water use by cover crops to be negligible.

Cover crops’ services to water supply include:

• Acting as a mulch to lower soil temperature and restrict evaporation
• Capturing morning dew and fog
• Increasing infiltration of precipitation and irrigation water, preventing runoff
• Improving the soil’s water holding capacity by improved aggregation and soil organic matter levels

Spurred by the need to develop SGMA Groundwater Sustainability Plans that appropriately quantify cover crop water use and taking advantage of recent research in cover crop water use in California, the Bay Area-based nonprofit Sustainable Conservation hosted three large convenings and enlisted the help of a wide range of scientists and practitioners to write their recent white paper, “Cover Cropping in the SGMA Era.”  The report reviews Californian research into cover crop water use and makes recommendations for improved data management, filling research gaps, public policy measures, and “additional guidance from the state to support local GSAs in ... developing and implementing groundwater management strategies for their local watersheds.”

Community Education Specialists Play Key Role in Supporting OEFI Programs