ABC Funds Environmental Research

The Almond Board of California’s Environmental Stewardship Committee is funding a number of ongoing research projects for 2006-07 to address environmental issues related to almond production and orchard management. Below is a snapshot of a few of these projects:

Emissions Factors/Almond Harvesting, Sergio Capareda, Texas A&M University

This is one of two projects being funded to address dust emissions and air quality issues. This project is designed to provide regulators with specific PM10 dust emissions factors to use when they calculate how much dust is generically produced by almond harvest. After four years of work, this project has developed data indicating that the baseline emissions factor should be 50 percent less than initially assumed, which could influence how almond harvest is regulated in relation to air quality.

Evaluating Dust Generation from Nut Harvesting Equipment, Ken Giles, UC Davis

Along with the emissions factor project, this project looks at visible dust generation in almond harvest. It compares different equipment and configurations to determine what measures growers can take to reduce visible dust emissions.

Development of Proposal on Greenhouse Gas Exchange in Orchards, David Smart, UC Davis

Provides seed money to develop a study on greenhouse gas (CO₂ and N₂O) emissions and storage through orchard floor management processes. In the long run, the study will help determine the extent almond orchards remove greenhouse gasses from the environment through photosynthesis and to what extent almond orchards contribute greenhouse gasses to the environment.

Wood Chipping Almond Brush, Brent Holtz, UC Cooperative Extension

Final year of a three-year project looking at the practice of chipping wood prunings instead of burning. The study is also examining how the presence of wood chips on the orchard floor changes the microbial makeup of the soil surface to determine if plant or animal pathogen populations change due to increased organic matter.

Developing Methods to Reduce Emissions from Soil Fumigation, Suduan Gao, USDA ARS, Parlier

This project looks at different soil sealing techniques, such as water seals, and their potential for reducing off-gassing of soil fumigants. Researchers are also examining breakdown rates of fumigants in the soil to provide additional data in support of regulatory discussions related to soil fumigants and VOC and bystander safety concerns.

Spray Swath Analysis/Drift Mgt, Richard Stoltz, California Ag Aviation Association

This project looks at how to set up the aerial spray rig to minimize spray drift from aerial applications. The study explores nozzle configurations, droplet size and spray techniques to help reduce the off site movement of pesticides.

Site Specific Application of Fumigants, Greg Browne, USDA ARS Davis and S. K. Upadhyaya, UC Davis

This project explores the use of GPS to fumigate only a small area of the soil around where the tree will be planted. Relying on the GPS will allow growers to plant trees in areas known to be in the center of a fumigated area. Site-specific fumigant applications allow for the reduction of per-acre applications of preplant soil fumigants.