Almond Industry Headline Environmental News  Nov. 10, 2008

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Air Quality
 

• EQIP sign-up period extended to Dec. 5 - - The sign-up period for almond growers to apply for 2009 Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) funding has been extended to Dec. 5, 2008. The original application deadline of Oct. 31 was based on final EQIP rules and procedures being in place by the end of September. Since the rules and procedures are not yet finalized, several questions about conservation program opportunities for California's producers remain. Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) officials say extending the deadline will allow them to better serve the public. Additional updates and information on the 2009 EQIP program are available through a local NRCS office, or on the Web at http://www.ca.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/eqip/2009/index.html Nov. 7, 2008 NRCS Notice
   

• San Joaquin Valley almond growers face Jan. 1 deadline for new rules on internal combustion engines - - San Joaquin Valley almond growers have until Jan. 1, 2009, to meet new emissions requirements for gas-powered irrigation pump engines. A new rule by the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District establishes new thresholds for spark-ignited internal combustion engines in agricultural operations as part of its effort to reduce agricultural emissions of NOx, CO and VOCs in the Central Valley. Under District Rule 4702, growers with irrigation pumps or other engines powered by gasoline, natural gas, propane/LPG, biogas or other fossil fuels must retrofit engines that do not meet those thresholds with an emission control device, such as an exhaust catalyst, or replace them with a more efficient lean-burn, electric or diesel engine that meets the limit. <more> Sept. 2, 2008 California Almond News
   

Crop Protection

• Jury verdict against dealer/applicator raises liability concerns about pesticide volatilization drift - - In a civil court decision that could have broad implications for applicators and distributors of crop protection products in California, a Santa Cruz County jury has found a pesticide dealer/applicator liable for evaporative drift of organophosphate pesticides applied according to label directions in conventional crops. An organic culinary herb grower brought suit against the distributor when its herbs showed slight levels of chlorpyrifos, diazinon and dimethoate that had been applied according to label directions on its neighbor’s conventional vegetable crops in 2006 and 2007. The pesticides evaporated after application and moved off site through air dispersion and fog deposition. The herbs could not be harvested, and the jury awarded the grower $1 million in damages plus costs and attorneys fees. <more> November 2008 California Almonds Newsletter
   

• Dormant Spray Alternatives - - California’s almond growers have substantially reduced the use of organophosphate dormant sprays, thanks to studies supported since 1998 by the ABC, the California Department of Pesticide Regulation and US EPA Region 9. Numerous UC researchers and advisors played a role: Frank Zalom, Carolyn Pickel, Joe Connell, Roger Duncan, Mario Viveros, Walt Bentley and Franz Niederholzer. The studies show that best management practices can reduce the use of dormant sprays, and that newly-available reduced-risk materials applied either in-season and/or in combination with a dormant oil application can control peach twig borer and other insects and mites. <more> November 2008 California Almonds Newsletter
   

• Options for dormant-season pest management in almonds - -  By Bob Curtis, Senior Manager, Production Research, Almond Board of California  - - In an ongoing quest to develop sustainable, economic, reduced-risk options for dormant-season control of peach twig borer (PTB) and other insects and mites, University of California entomologists and farm advisors have developed a substantial body of information related to sampling and treatment thresholds, combinations of products, and application timings and methods to manage these pests in an environmentally sound program. The research, supported since 1998 by the Almond Board of California (ABC), the California Department of Pesticide Regulation and U.S. EPA Region 9, came about primarily because of water quality concerns related to organophosphate pesticides used in dormant sprays. Moreover, this research has led to reduced exposure and risk to wildlife, such as hawks.  Over the years, the findings of this research have been accumulated and made accessible to almond growers through the ABC Almond Industry Conference, the Environmental Committee of the ABC in partnership with the Coalition for Urban and Rural Environmental Stewardship (CURES), and the Almond Pest Management Alliance. The findings are summarized both in the “Seasonal Guide to Environmentally Responsible Pest Management Practices in Almonds,” UC Agriculture and Natural Resources Leaflet 21619, and online as the Almond Year-Round IPM Program http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu .  <more> Nov. 6, 2008 Western Farm Press

Water Availability

• Water studies abound - - Three studies released over the past several months have put plenty of ideas on the table for solving one of California’s thorniest issues: How to provide a safe and reliable water supply while meeting environmental, farming and urban water demands. An estimated 250,000 acres of almonds have been impacted by recent lawsuits over endangered species. Indications are that lawsuits and the possibility of ongoing drought will continue to have long-term impacts on the ability of growers to irrigate their crops. Ideas floated in the three studies range from building a peripheral canal around the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta to improve Delta health, to a 12-point integrated solution by Gov. Schwarzenegger’s blue-ribbon panel, to a controversial study that says farmers can grow more food, more profitably if they switch to water-saving crops and change their irrigation practices. <more> November 2008 California Almonds Newsletter

Environmental Stewardship

• Environmental issues to be featured at Almond Board annual conference - - Environmental issues will be woven throughout the 36th Annual Almond Industry Conference Dec. 10 and 11 as experts address issues ranging from consumer demands for sustainability to resource management, pest management and environmental regulations. On Wednesday afternoon, a grower, food processor, and retailer panel will discuss how changing consumer expectations for food safety and sustainability are affecting their operations in "What Happens in the Orchard Affects the Shelf." A representative of the global food processor, Frito Lay, will share the development of their own consumer-driven quality assurance programs to demonstrate their commitment to sustainability and food safety. <more> November 2008 California Almonds Newsletter

General Industry News

• Farm Bill Implementation proceeding - - Implementation of the Farm Bill programs is under way. The ABC continues to evaluate the various Farm Bill titles to determine where there may be opportunities to support continuing growth of the almond industry. One area where further evaluation is needed is certainly under the Energy title, where provisions are included for grants and loan guarantees for construction of commercial facilities to produce “advanced biofuels,” which can also include material used for power generation. <more> November 2008 California Almonds Newsletter
   

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