Chemistry Reference
In-Depth Information
organic matter. Producers earn maximum points for retaining crop residue,
relying entirely on no-till cultivation and increasing soil organic matter content
in arable fields.
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3.5 Wisconsin Vegetable Sustainability Standards/Healthy Farms
Whole Farm Self-Assessment
The Wisconsin Whole Farm Vegetable Sustainability Standard
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was
developed by the University of Wisconsin, in collaboration with the World
Wildlife Fund and the Wisconsin Potato and Vegetable Growers Association.
Initially launched as a single-crop, single-state program to pursue more
environmentally benign ways to grow fresh market potatoes in Wisconsin, the
effort has since expanded to include a whole farm certification component, as
well as crop-specific standards for multiple vegetable and rotational crops.
Under the Whole Farm assessment, growers are asked to identify their
compliance to criteria under ten areas of sustainability: Ecosystem Restoration,
Farm Production Management, Soil and Water Quality, Scouting, Information
Sources, Pest Management Decisions, Pest Management, Resistance
Management, Chain of Custody, and Farm Operations and Sustainability.
Soil fertility practices are addressed under the Soil and Water Quality section,
which asks growers to report on their nutrient management strategies relative to
soil nutrient test results, management of soil pH and efforts to increase soil
moisture holding capacity. Growers also earn points for preventing soil
compaction and soil erosion and for implementing a soil conservation plan.
3.6 Lodi Rules for Sustainable Winegrowing
The Lodi Rules for Sustainable Winegrowing,
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developed by the Lodi-
Woodbridge Winegrape Commission, is a third-party certification program
that guides California winegrape producers toward practices that improve soil,
air and water quality and the overall sustainability of their farming operations.
The assessment encourages a systems perspective that involves consideration
of multiple factors when making field and farm-level decisions. Key areas of
evaluation
include:
Ecosystem
Management,
Soil
Management,
Water
Management,
Vineyard
Establishment,
Pest
Management,
and
Employee
Education, Training and Teambuilding.
The Soil Management component of the Lodi Rules requires as a baseline
the development of a comprehensive nutrition management plan that
addresses soil analysis, field characteristics, sources and forms of nutrients
and other relevant factors. Producers are asked to report on additional soil
parameters, such as whether they have mapped the soil series of the vineyard
under assessment, how frequently soils are sampled for micronutrient and
macronutrient analysis, whether the application of soil amendments is
modified according to irrigation water testing, whether the soil provides
adequate nitrogen for winegrape production without application of supple-
