The second installment of CASI's Conservation Agriculture documentary released

Aug 13, 2012

Episode 2 of CASI's six-part documentary series, "The Value of Residues in Conservation Agriculture Systems," has been released on the CASI webpage, http://CASI.ucanr.edu. (The video has also been posted below.)

In the 8-minute video, viewers will be introduced to a new way of looking at plant residues. In California, many farmers manage crop residues to make them essentially "disappear," due to concerns about pathogens and in order to make clean planting beds.

"The crop residues used to be viewed as trash," says Phil Hogan, district conservationist with the U.S. Natural Resources Conservation Service, in the video. "It's not trash, its a resource to be used which helps increase soil organic matter, which helps increase soil moisture."

The next segment in the documentary series, to be released Aug. 20, looks at conservation agriculture in tomato production systems, which cut production costs, reduce dust emissions and store more carbon in the soil.

After the six-week series airs, viewers, farmers and others interested in conservation agriculture are invited to the UC West Side Research and Extension Center in Five Points, Calif., on Thursday, Sept. 13, for the “Annual Twilight Conservation Agriculture Field Tour and Barbeque.” The event, which begins at 4 p.m. and concludes when darkness falls, is free and includes a barbecue dinner. Viewers can get clarification on points from the video series and meet many of the farmers and scientists featured in the documentary, plus get a first-hand look at conservation agriculture research currently underway.

Participants in the field day will see the latest 21st Century center pivot and linear systems being adapted for California’s complex dairy waste disposal and silage production systems and the latest low-pressure precision emitters, which allow farmers to ‘spoon feed’ their crops.

To ‘RSVP’ for the Twilight Field Day go to http://ucanr.edu/TwilightRegistration

View all the videos that have been released to date and the titles of upcoming installments here: http://ucanr.edu/documentary


By Jeannette E. Warnert
Author - Communications Specialist
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