Spring 1994 (v6n2)
Citrus growers and anyone
concerned with groundwater issues will be interested in a new SAREP publication,
Protecting Groundwater Quality in Citrus Production. The 40-page
book was written by Chuck Ingels and published by UC ANR Publications.
Preventing groundwater contamination
from pesticides and nitrate has become one of the most pressing environmental
problems in agriculture. The three main herbicides used in citrus production
have been found in hundreds of wells in the San Joaquin Valley. As a result,
the use of these herbicides is restricted in many areas. Fertilizers used
in citrus production can lead to nitrate leaching, especially on the sandy
soils where many citrus orchards are located. This book offers practical
and economical methods for reducing the movement of agricultural chemicals
to groundwater.
The book details the seriousness
of the groundwater contamination problem in California, how chemicals
move from farms to groundwater, and the history of nitrogen and weed management
in the state's citrus industry. It presents diverse management strategies
for both protecting groundwater and maintaining yields and fruit quality.
Practices discussed include wellhead protection and creative techniques
for managing nitrogen, weeds, and irrigation. The book also provides the
most thorough coverage available about cover cropping in citrus. It examines
the limitations of cover cropping and suggests strategies that can be
used to overcome these drawbacks.
Protecting Groundwater
in citrus Production can be ordered from ANR Publications, University
of California, 6701 San Pablo Avenue, Oakland, CA 94608-1239; (510) 642-2431.
The price is $5.00.
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