Helping Ethnic Chinese Growers Conform to Water

Regulations and Manage their Risks

The 2007 Extension Risk Management Education ConferenceApril 17-18, 2007

帮助中国人种植者遵守水管理有关规定，控制风险

Helping Ethnic Chinese Growers Conform to Water

Regulations and Manage their Risks

The 2007 Extension Risk Management Education ConferenceApril 17-18, 2007

Aziz Baameur, Farm AdvisorSmall Farms & Specialty crops

UC Cooperative Extension-Small Farm program

In Cooperation with

• Michael Cahn, UCCE Monterey County

• Laosheng Wu, UC Riverside, Environmental Science department.

Water Quality Training for Chinese Growers

华人种植者水质培训班

Helping Small Scale grower: programmatic

efforts• Marketing: Specialty crops• Pest management• Irrigation & Fertilizer Use• Risk management education• Financial & business management• Postharvest & Food Safety

Water Quality Education

A comprehensive Approach

What are the needs to mange regulations and what are the

risks growers face?

Regulatory requirement to decrease nutrient and pesticide movement from the farm to waterways and bodies. This simple declaration of intent is neither simple nor easily achieved.

Mostly geared toward English Speakers& Later on, to help Spanish speakers

Pesticide Safety

Pesticide Safety

The risks stemming from non-compliance escalate from simple citation to heavily levied financial penalties. • Technical:

– growers have to brush up on their knowledge data bank of practices

– chose those that optimize production – suitability, and environmental stewardess

The risks stemming from non-compliance escalate from simple citation to heavily levied financial penalties. • Personal:

– they must show a commitment to achieve the goals of pollution abatement

– documentation of efforts – reversing environment impacts– as embodied by the health of the local streams and, water bodies and the Monterey Bay.

This might be the first water quality training in

Chinese. • Presently, Over 95% of the growers grow greenhouse Asian vegetables.

• The material is loosely based on the concept of the popular UC Water Quality Short course used in the central coast.

• The class is 15-hour long and is set up in 5 different installments.

• Material selection and writing were made to accommodate the pool of growers targeted.

Language Accommodation

The pertinent written materials were translated into Mandarin Chinese. The materials were delivered to the growers simultaneously in English and Cantonese Chinese.

Water Quality Short Courses

As mandated by the Sate Regional Water Quality Board (S RWQCB) and agreed upon by other partners:

• 15 hours-– Irrigation Management– Pest management– Nutrient Management– Sediment, runoff, & Erosion management– Plan development– Included: a 3 hour field tour session

Pest Management—

Water Quality Course

Alternative Pest

Management

Organic Control of Symphylans

Alternative Pest Management

scutigerella immaculata

Feeds on:plant roots of most vegetables, especially:beans, corn, peas, potatoes, strawberries, Cole crops, lettuce, cucumber, bokchoi, and other leafy vegetables

Learning Concepts

Participants learned to evaluate existing greenhouse irrigation systems for irrigation distribution uniformity and fertilizer application uniformity to help curb excess water and fertilizer use. – fertilizer injection time– travel time– and flush time

Learning Process

By using fertilizer travel time, injection time and flush time of irrigation lines, they can provide their plant with uniform and effective fertilization without causing degradation to their environment

Learning Process

  Fertilizer travel time is dependent on the flow of water in the drip tape and not on the rate of injection.

  Travel time from the injector to the farthest point in the field, is a variable that each operator should know.

  Flush time is needed to clean the lateral line of any injected material.

 As flush time approaches or exceeds travel time, fertilizer distribution in the field improved dramatically.

Learning Process

•  Poorly fertilizer distribution when flush time < travel time.

• Fertilizer uniformity was poor when injection time < travel time.

• Best fertilizer uniformity is injection time = travel time = and flush time

• The worst scenario is to shut off the system when the fertilizer tank is empty.

Requirements for good Water Management

Our classes and training emphasize three qualities a grower must possess.

• Good irrigation uniformity, • adequate knowledge of plant water requirements,

• and some understanding of nutrient needs

Water Management:Irrigation

Water Quality Course

Water Quality Course

Water Quality Course

Water Quality Course

Plan Development: Mapping

Water Quality Course

华人种植者水质培训班方案规划手册

Water Quality Training for Chinese Growers A manual for:

Plan Development

地点评估及操作规划  利用本方案作为工作档案，来记录你的决策和进展情况。在对档案做出变动之前和之后，你应保存记录或拍照，以证明是因作业方式或组作业方式造成的改变 。若你需要作出一些改动，你可能需要一些时间才能决定如何进行。 你可以试图比较完成同一件事情的不同做法。并非所有列出的做法均适用或可用于你的情况。你应估量一下完成此事所需要的成本。你或许可以寻求自然资源保护局（ NRCS ）或其他渠道的共同资助。  如何填妥本部分：记录你当前使用或你认为可能有用的作业方式。每年做更新，并保存有助于纪录的笔记

Use this plan as a working document to record your decisions and your progress. You should keep records or take photographs before and after implementation to document changes that occur as a result of practices or groups of practices. If you you need to make some changes, it may take you a while to decide how to proceed. You may want to compare practices that can accomplish the same thing. Not all practices listed may be applicable or available for your situation. You should estimate costs of implementation. You may want to seek cost share funding with NRCS or other sources.  How to complete this section:Document the Practices that you are currently using or that you think might be useful. Update annually and keep notes that help with record keeping.

SITE ASSESSMENT AND PRACTICES PLANNING

There is always a party!