Funding from the UC Davis-based University of California Sustainable
Agriculture Research and Education Program has been awarded to 19California
farming, ranching and community development projects. Among those funded
include projects focused on Tulelake Basin crop and wetlands management,
alternate side irrigation to control root rot in avocados, grazing in the
Shasta-Trinity National forest, phylloxera suppression in soils, farmers'
markets in low-income communities, environmental effects of selenium
supplementation in grazing cattle, market development of natural beef, and
the impact of border companion plants on natural pest control in
strawberries. Additionally, 11 educational meetings and one graduate
student project were funded, bringing the total of SAREP grant awards to
$267,000 plus $75,000 for ten continuing projects. Bill Liebhardt, SAREP
director, notes that the program is committed to continued funding of the
Sustainable Agriculture Farming Systems Project at UCD, now entering its
ninth year. 'We are very pleased with the collaboration among various
disciplines on this project," he says. "The knowledge being developed on
the soil aspects of this project has potential ramifications far beyond the
two- and four-year tomato-wheat-field corn cropping system that this
research is exploring. It is providing fundamental information on the
effects soil organic matter management is having on Central Valley cropping
systems." For more information, contact Liebhardt at (916) 752-2379,
wcliebhardt@ucdavis.edu or Lyra Halprin, UC SAREP, 752-8664,
lhalprin@ucdavis.edu.
_______________________________________________
Lyra Halprin, Public Information Officer
University of California Sustainable Agriculture
Research & Education Program (UC SAREP)
Davis, CA 95616
Voice: (916) 752-8664
FAX: (916) 754-8550
lhalprin@ucdavis.edu
Award Winning Web Site: http://www.sarep.ucdavis.edu