Pesticide Mitigation

Project Background

“Reducing Pesticide Risk in Central Coast Vineyards” is a 3 year project funded by the Regional Water Quality Control Board. Its mission is to help growers implement integrated farming techniques that reduce water quality risks associated with agricultural chemical use in Central Coast vineyards.

Objectives

• To demonstrate new, reduced risk, on farm practices using a collaborative problem-solving process (achieved through a collaborative problem solving loop involving project coordinator, project technician, UC farm advisors, UC entomologist, Cal Poly Faculty, pest control advisors and growers to determine strategies on a site specific basis).
• To collect and record data regarding population dynamics of pest and weed populations for demonstration vineyards (periodic in-season pest monitoring and intermittent weed data collection). Ensures treatments are most effective if necessary.
• To collect and analyze in field surface water runoff during storm events for target chemicals determined by the site and material of issue.
• Collect historical and current pesticide use from project and non project growers. (This information gives CCVT the opportunity to compare practices from one season to the next.)
• Extend project information to winegrape growers within and beyond the Central Coast. (CCVT will use current outreach mechanisms for outreach and education: newsletters, website, industry presentations, educational meetings, on-farm tailgates and industry publications.)
• This project extends the BIFS and Clean Water Project and integrates the previously independent projects into a singular demonstration project. There will be several demonstration blocks throughout the Central Coast where CCVT technical advisors, in cooperation with a management team, will develop site-specific practices for the growers to adopt. Data will be collected regarding inputs and impacts of the practices.
• The information will be shared with a larger grower audience, both within and beyond the Central Coast. This project will build upon the information and lessons learned from previous BIFS and Clean Water Projects to promote greater use of practices that have been successful in prior demonstrations.

 

Project Background

Past University of California and recent Regional Water Quality Control Board studies indicated the harmful impact of organophosphates (OP), such as chlorpyrifos, to Central Coast watersheds. Studies from 2003 to 2005 showed the mortality of several aquatic organisms was attributed to the non point source pollution of chlorpyrifos from agricultural applications to control pest populations (RWQCB 2005, Anderson et al 2003, Hunt et al 2003).

Simazine, a pre emergent herbicide linked to ground water contamination, has been found in California drinking water sources since the early 1990’s (Lam et. al. 1994). The increased focus on simazine usage is due to its potential threat to aquatic organisms and its increased usage in agricultural systems over the past few years.

Potential Sources

Central coast agriculture has a considerable proportion of its acreage appropriated for vineyards. Winegrape growers apply chlorpyrifos to control ant and mealybug populations. From 2001 to 2003 chlorpyrifos usage in winegrapes has increased from 4,700 lbs. to over 14,000 lbs. in San Luis Obispo and Monterey Counties. The recent introduction of vine mealybug (Planoccocus ficus) in major winegrape growing areas poses a major economical threat to the industry. Recent registration of chlorpyrifos to control mealybugs and ant populations (associated with protecting mealybugs) has likely lead to this increased usage of OP’s.

Central coast winegrape growers have lead the way in promoting herbicide reduction strategies and technologies. However in 2003, over 19,000 lbs. of simazine were applied to wine grapes on the Central Coast (DPR 2003). As we are in an area of oversupply in the winegrape industry, it is likely that growers will continue to use highly effective, high risk, and affordable materials (i.e. simazine).

Project Implementation and Monitoring

Central Coast Vineyard Team’s (CCVT) project will implement and demonstrate a series of on farm management practices within Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo and Monterey counties. These on farm management practices will encourage monitoring to reduce the use of high risk chemicals. If treatment is necessary CCVT will encourage the use of low risk materials to control pest populations in an integrated program. In the past CCVT has demonstrated the use of alternative materials, monitoring, and biological control programs which reduced the use of high risk chemicals in vineyards. This project aims to build upon and extend previous knowledge which will then be passed onto a larger audience. CCVT will do this by organizing several project sites with a past history of high risk material usage, monitor pest and weed pressure at the project sites, implement the alternative control measures if necessary, record and track the results. Water quality monitoring will be conducted to analyze the chemical contents of in field surface water runoff at project and non project blocks during storm events. CCVT hopes to establish that surface water runoff associated with reduced risk practices do not have the targeted materials in the surface water runoff during these storm events.