Rice fields provide a welcome for shorebirds

With most of California’s natural wetlands gone, millions of migrating waterbirds now depend on the state’s vast rice fields. This fall, 70 rice farmers in the northern Central Valley began making their land more bird-friendly, thanks to a $2.68-million US Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service (USDA NRCS) pilot project. “Rice fields already provide excellent wildlife habitat, and a little more effort by growers will make a lot more habitat”, says Alan Forkey… (more)

Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, 2011

This California native bee pollinates manzanitas — and blueberries

Wild bees do far more for California agriculture than expected, fertilizing up to 40% of pollinator-dependent crops and thus providing up to $2.4 billion in ecosystem services. “We were surprised by how much native bees can provide — it’s much higher than other estimates…” (more)

Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, 2011

Can what we eat help fix what ails us? Research increasingly suggests that the answer could be “yes.” Many foods contain biofactors — biologically active compounds — that may prevent and treat illnesses including asthma, diabetes and heart disease… (more)

California Agriculture, 2011

Although organic farms are better for butterflies than conventional farms, wholesale adoption of organic farming could be worse for butterflies overall. The root of this apparent paradox is that because organic farms often have smaller yields, they can require more land to match the output of conventional farming. Thus, embracing large-scale organic agriculture could mean converting the natural grasslands that are best of all for butterfly diversity and abundance… (more, see p.3)

Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, 2010

California’s new regulations for transportation-fuel carbon emissions are shaking up the biofuels industry. When biofuels first took off, corn ethanol was touted as having the potential to cut carbon emissions by nearly 20%. But now the carbon intensity of corn ethanol can exceed that of gasoline… (more)

California Agriculture, 2009

“Carbon-capture” farming could rebuild soils lost to subsidence

For all the alarming signs of climate change — from earlier springs to melting polar ice — the overwhelming scientific consensus is that we haven’t seen anything yet Climate change is likely to accelerate greatly over the next century, with temperatures expected to climb faster than they have in the last 10,000 years.

California farmers face an uncertain future, where current crops may fail and water may be even more scarce. To help them adapt… (more)

California Agriculture, 2009

Spurred by decades of University of California research, sustainable viticulture has become increasingly mainstream in California. Sustainability helps both the environment and wine-grape growers, with benefits that range from reducing agrichemicals that pollute water and harm wildlife to cutting costs, enhancing wines and boosting public perception of the industry… (more)

California Agriculture, 2008

To most vineyard managers, any plants growing directly under grapevines are nasty weeds that can rob the crop of water and nutrients. But to sheep, these weeds are tasty and nutritious forage. This would make sheep (ovines) ideal for controlling vineyard weeds except for one thing — these herbivores like grape leaves just as much… (more)

California Agriculture, 2008

As agricultural profit margins get smaller and environmental regulations get tighter, California farmers may find relief with conservation tillage. This practice entails fewer tractor passes and so reduces the costs of fuel and labor, as well as emissions of greenhouse gases and nonpoint source pollution to air and water. Common in the Midwest, conservation tillage is relatively new to California… (more)

California Agriculture, 2006

Something’s missing from the debate over genetically-modified organisms—and unfortunately it’s science.

The debate over genetically modified organisms (GMOs) is heating up in California. Anti-GMO measures are on the November 2004 ballot in four counties, and even more are in the works for March 2005… (more)

California Agriculture, 2004