AWARDS GO TO INNOVATIVE PEST FIGHTERS
SACRAMENTO -- Cal/EPA's Department of Pesticide Regulation today honored a
diverse group for their innovative work on the front lines of the war
against pests.
DPR's "IPM Innovator" awards went to groups that have created
environmentally friendly strategies to manage pests in orchards and groves,
vineyards, parks and urban neighborhoods, and in sensitive areas where
nature, agriculture and urban dwellers must coexist.
IPM -- integrated pest management -- is an approach that uses
biological, cultural, physical, and chemical tools in various combinations
that minimize effects on the environment while maximizing control of pests.
"IPM Innovators" lead the way in adopting techniques that increase benefits
and reduce risks, and in promoting these techniques by sharing their
knowledge with others.
At ceremonies held in Sacramento, DPR Director James W. Wells
presented the honorees with IPM Innovator award plaques, hats, and lapel
pins featuring the IPM Innovator logo -- a ladybug, one of the best-known
beneficial insects in pest management. Also attending the ceremonies were
Secretary for Environmental Protection Peter M. Rooney and A.J. Yates,
Undersecretary, California Department of Food and Agriculture.
"There is an ongoing evolution toward more environmentally benign
tools, advanced on by people like the Innovators were are honoring today,"
said Secretary Rooney. "They have taken risks and proven that the job can
be done, while at the same time fostering a healthy economy on the farm and
a friendly environment in our neighborhoods and schools. We will continue
working with them, and with all Californians, to encourage IPM solutions
that are effective, environmentally friendly, and economical."
Said Director Wells: "The best way to share successful techniques
is to demonstrate them in the real world. But those who develop innovative
methods often lack the time, knowledge, and resources to share what they
know with others. We want to recognize these 'IPM Innovators' not only for
their individual success stories, but to help them get the word out. In
this way, we can work together to encourage others to work on innovative
solutions to their pest management problems."
CDFA Undersecretary Yates also commended the Innovators. "These IPM
awards underscore the fact that California growers are the most progressive
in the nation," he said. "It's another indication of agriculture's
commitment to our environment."
The Innovator award recipients are:
**Almond Board of California, Modesto, represents more than 6,000 almond
growers and 95 brokers. Since beginning its research program in 1972, the
Almond Board has strongly supported IPM. The board committed more than
$190,000 to ten projects just this year. IPM activities include the "Four
Point Program" for navel orangeworm control. It involves dormant spray,
orchard sanitation, timely harvest, and biological monitoring based on
weather conditions to time in-season sprays. Other grower practices include
insect trapping and use of Bt bloom sprays for peach twig borer control.
Contact: Heidi Savage, (209) 549-8262 ext. 14.
**Avocado Pest Management Task Force, of Lake Elsinore, was created by the
California Avocado Commission and Calavo Growers of California in 1992 to
explore IPM options for controlling Persea mite in avocados. Activities
have since expanded to promote IPM for a new thrips pest which is spreading
through avocado groves. The group focuses on biological control by
identifying avocado pest predators, refining predator release techniques,
evaluating predator effectiveness, and conducting pesticide efficacy
trials. Contact: Steve Peirce, (909) 674-5046.
**Beckstoffer Vineyards, St. Helena, is among the largest vineyard owners
in Northern California with approximately 2,000 acres in Napa Valley and
Mendocino County. Beckstoffer Vineyard activities are highly visible in the
Napa Valley and Mendocino County. Information is shared through seminars,
news articles in publications, and membership in the Napa Valley
Grapegrowers Association and the California Association of Winegrape
Growers. The vineyard has also been in the forefront on community-based
projects with the Napa County Resource Conservation District. Contact:
Andrew Beckstoffer, (707) 963-9471.
**Bio-Integral Resource Center, Berkeley, is a non-profit organization that
conducts applied research and education programs in "least-toxic"
integrated pest management and sustainable agriculture. The center focuses
on education and outreach to promote biologically-intensive IPM. A monthly
and quarterly bulletin is mailed worldwide. The center also produced
"Common-Sense Pest Control," a standard reference for reduced-risk
solutions to pest management in home, garden and pet care. Contact: Helga
and Bill Olkowski, (916) 795-2322.
**California Table Grape Commission, Fresno, dedicates significant
resources to developing IPM and reduced-risk strategies for pesticide
applications. Examples include biological control studies of leafhoppers,
mealybugs, and omnivorous leafrollers; studies of cover crops as field
insectaries, and research on alternatives to methyl bromide. Its annual
field days, where new pest management techniques are demonstrated, draw
grape growers from throughout the state. The commission also created an IPM
research reference site on its outstanding Web page <www.tablegrape.com>.
Contact: Ross A. Jones, (209) 447-8350.
**Central Coast Wine Grape Grower Natural Vineyard Team encourages
reduced-risk pest management practices in the Central Coast wine grape
region. In a short time, the team has demonstrated creativity in developing
a "positive points system," one of the most comprehensive and fully
integrated rating systems to evaluate IPM success in vineyards. Contact:
Craig Rous, (209) 369-5861.
**Farming, Agriculture, and Resource Management for Sustainability (FARMS)
in Winters, originated in 1993 to introduce high school students and
teachers to the principles of sustainable agriculture and IPM practices.
FARMS is a unique partnership among Sierra Orchards, UC Davis, Yolo County
Resource Conservation District, California Foundation for Agriculture in
the Classroom, and Yolo County growers. Students select one subject area of
sustainable agriculture, develop a research project, and make a
presentation at a year-end meeting. The program includes field trips,
lectures, demonstrations, farm and university tours, and overnight farm
stays. Contact: Craig McNamara, (916) 795-3824.
**Friant Water Users Authority, Lindsay, represents 25 water and irrigation
districts with more than 12,000 growers. Friant organized a team to
develop strategies to reduce pesticide use along ditches, in canals, and on
farmlands, while minimizing erosion and reducing maintenance costs. Friant
replaced traditional approaches to canal bank maintenance with an ecosystem
of native perennial grasses to create a diverse, stable, and sustainable
environment. Contact: Richard M. Moss, (209) 562-6305.
**Riverside-Corona Resource Conservation District, Riverside, manages and
assists landowners with soil, water, wildlife, and related resources on
both public and private lands in the Riverside-Corona area. Since it was
formed in 1955, the district's 200,000 acres have changed from mostly rural
and agricultural land to an area equally divided between urban and
agricultural or open lands. The district has an IPM and resource management
program used throughout western Riverside and Orange counties. Contact:
Kerwin Russell, (909) 683-7691.
**University of California Cooperative Extension in Merced County is an
acknowledge leader in reduced-risk pest management research and actively
promotes IPM practices for almonds apples, grapes, peaches, prunes, and
walnuts. Merced County projects include pest mating disruption studies and
specifically one of the first commercial mating disruption trials in
California cling peaches. Other innovative work involves identification of
specific pest thresholds, feasibility studies for organic production, and
evaluation of new biological control agents. Contact: Maxwell Norton, (209)
385-7403.
***************
Kathy Brunetti
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