Ag Alert. March 8, 2023

Fertilizer Continued from Page 5

Department of Agriculture research horticulturist who has studied cover crops extensively. “It helps us slow down and change our behavior. It slows down the loss of nitrogen and increases the ef- ficiency. The cover crops will improve the efficiency of your system.” Under Ag Order 4.0, growers can get credits for employing cover crops that have a minimum biomass of 4,500 pounds per acre and a carbon-to-nitro- gen ratio equal to or greater than 20 to 1.

Brennan suggested planting as early in the fall as possible to get strong cover crop growth during the warmer weather. “Calibrate your grain drill to save seeds and suppress weeds,” he advised. “You want to see the canopy close within 30 days.” While operations such as Braga Fresh that took on the nitrogen challenge years ago will be able to meet the water quality regulations for years, other growers will face challenges in the near future.

“Taking new information and imple- menting new practices is a long-term process,” said Sergio Casillas, safety su- pervisor at D’Ariggo California, a Salinas Valley vegetable producer. “It’s a pretty complicated process. You have to change everything you do and ask for help. There’s a lot of knowledge out there— don’t take this on your own.” (Bob Johnson is a reporter in Monterey County. He may be contacted at bjohn11135@gmail.com.)

to scavenge excess nitrogen from pretty deep in the soil,” said Eric Morgan, vice president at Braga Fresh, which already has some fields that meet the standards that will go into effect in 2030. Another practice that may become necessary is planting cover crops to pull nitrogen back up to the root zone. “We cover crop about a third of our ground every year,” Morgan said. “If you look at the credits you can get for cover crops and include water and soil nitrogen in your calculations, some of these lower limits look more doable,” Lopez said. The new regulations will encourage more growers to use practices such as cover crops, which can absorb nitrates to protect groundwater. Ag Order 4.0 pro- vides incentives for using cover crops, as well as compost and organic fertilizers. “The Ag order is essentially a speed limit,” said Eric Brennan, U.S. April 1 is deadline for candidates for Almond Board People interested in running for the Almond Board of California’s Board of Directors for the 2023-24 crop year may file declarations of candidacy by April 1. Voting will begin April 21 and end May 25 to fill one independent grower position and two independent handler positions on the ABC Board of Directors. In addition, three alternate seats are up for election. To be considered for an independent grower or alternate seat, candidates must be a grower and submit a peti- tion signed by at least 15 independent almond growers. Independent handler and alternate candidates must declare their intention in writing to ABC. For details, visit www.almonds.com/ elections. Potential candidates may also contact ABC at abcbodelections@ almondboard.com. Almond Board officers help shape the future of the state’s almond industry and guide the organization in its mission to promote California almonds to domestic and international audiences. “The ABC Board of Directors is tre- mendously important to the success of our industry,” ABC President and CEO Richard Waycott said in statement. “More than 7,600 growers and 100 handlers count on them to guide the work of the Almond Board and to help the industry navigate these complicated times.” The ABC board sets policy and recommends budgets for marketing, production research, public relations and advertising, nutrition research, statistical reporting, quality control and food safety.

Create your next masterpiece with broad-spectrum protection that shows season after season. California, 2023

March 8, 2023 Ag Alert 15