Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Table 3.1
Practices promoted by BIOS. Sources: Broome et al. 1997, Pence 2001.
Component of farming
system
Practice promoted
Soil management
Compost and cover crops
Leaf tissue analysis
Reduced nitrogen application
Split nitrogen application (according to crop needs)
Insect pest management
Frequent field monitoring
Bt sprays
Beneficial insect releases
Elimination of dormant OP sprays
Orchard sanitation
Weed management
Winter cover crops serve as standing mulch to
reduce summer weeds
Glyphosate in tree rows
Reduced pre-emergent herbicides
Reduced herbicide use in general
Disease management
Conventional fungicide applications
Careful irrigation management
Varietal choice
Vertebrate management
Bat and owl boxes
Trapping
“BIOS block” of about 20 acres of alternative practices growers selected
from a menu. This went much further than promoting a static list of Best
Management Practices; it tried to capture the imagination of growers by
helping them perceive the beneficial activity of ecological organisms, and
by encouraging growers to trust their own observation and experience.
It required growers to undertake some risk, but provided support for
their active learning.
Almond BIOS facilitated social or group learning about the interac-
tions between components of their farming system. CAFF set out to chal-
lenge conventional extension practice by re-imagining how traditional
participants related to each other in the generation of agricultural knowl-
edge. The BIOS creators espoused a collaborative extension model that
facilitated growers exchanging knowledge derived from their farming
experience. This challenged the scientific authority of UC Cooperative
Extension. Bugg, Reed, and Anderson wanted to help growers reduce
