Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
management recommendations, and earn more money. Full time grow-
ers and PCAs now use Farm Advisors only for extraordinary knowledge
needs, such as novel pest identification questions. Many UC scientists
speak of PCAs with disdain (“pesticide salesmen”), but are careful to
point to the few exceptionally skilled independent consultants, who are
able to develop applied management practices that more formal
research-oriented scientists cannot.
PCAs occupy a unique position in California agriculture as consultants
for growers who combine specialized university-generated expertise with
practical, field-based experiential knowledge.
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More than anyone else,
they are able to observe regional trends in pest pressure and know the
menu of tactics that can control them. Although there are only 2,000 of
them working in agriculture, PCAs—after growers—are the most influ-
ential actor in pesticide-use decisions.
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Even though California is the
only state to license pest-control advisors, “certified crop consultants”
fulfill similar functions in most farm states. In Washington, Karl Kupers
helped start ACIRDS precisely because he could not find a consultant
that had sufficient expertise to help him make the changes he wanted to
in his farming system.
The notion of independent agricultural consultants pre-dates the state
PCA licensing system. These early consultants pioneered the idea of
charging growers on a per acre basis, wherein growers pay PCAs only for
their expert knowledge. (For example, in almonds this fee is now typi-
cally $18-25 per acre per season, depending on what services beyond
scouting are required.) Independent PCAs may operate more as scouts
(where their exclusive responsibility is to monitor pest pressures), or they
may be more complete consultants, offering specialized knowledge and
writing legal pesticide recommendations.
Private consultants such as PCAs track regional trends in pest pressure
and pesticide use. They have specialized training to observe and analyze
specific threats that pests pose to crops, link university science with
growers, and understand pesticide regulations. During the growing sea-
son they make regular visits to inspect crop health, monitor pests, and
assess the risk of pest damage. They provide expert advice and help
growers understand how to protect their crops. A PCA's specialized
knowledge about pests, products, and regional trends is highly valued by
growers.
