Conservation Agriculture

Members of Conservation Agriculture Systems Innovation center participated in four national conferences in January and February, 2014. Following are summaries of the events and take-home messages most relevant to improving California farming systems. 2014 Empire State Producers Expo Syracuse, N.Y.

UC research has shown that conservation agriculture practices such as cover cropping and no tillage are generating additional "ecosystem services" in West Side cotton and tomato production.

Update: View a video of the two-hour program online. Innovative soil enhancement practices are being researched and implemented around the world, but havent caught on yet in most of California.

Diminishing water supplies, farm labor shortages, environmental impacts and shrinking agricultural profits are prompting more California farmers to seriously consider adopting conservation practices in their annual row crop production systems.

Sustainable agricultural systems involving precision irrigation and conservation tillage will be featured at the University of California Cooperative Extensions annual Twilight Field Day and a new farm tour, together running from 1 to 8 p.m. Sept. 12.