22
Almond Facts
JANUARY | FEBRUARY 2017
“My goal is to be out in the field four days a week helping
growers with the tools that are available to help manage
irrigation,” said Cooper. “I’ve made some farm calls
already, going over basic tools, basic strategies. What I’m
finding is that growers have adopted some of the principles
of the Continuum, but were cloudy on how to implement
them. They just needed a little more help in understanding
how to apply them.”
Moving Up
Within the Continuum, there are three levels, and there
are five categories (see above) within each level. “Not
every grower is going to be a straight 1.0, a straight 2.0
or a straight 3.0,” Cooper pointed out. “They’re going to
be scattered along that Continuum. A grower may be a
3.0 in one category and maybe a 1.0 in another category.
Part of my job is to identify those opportunities for growers
to possibly improve practices. They may be doing some
practices really, really well, but if they improve some other
practice, they may go up another level.”
Where is Stenderup on the Continuum? “I’m a 2.5,”
he said, half-jokingly.
“Looking at the Continuum, Kent is using most of the
practices that are a 3.0, but he doesn’t use a pressure
chamber,” Cooper explained. “In order to be a 3.0 along
the Continuum in plant water status, you should use a
pressure chamber. However, Kent is using other tools that
are 3.0 — soil moisture data, using weather data, using
flow meters — but his plant water status is visual, which is
a 1.0. It’s a mix.”
Outreach Events
Cooper will attend all of this year’s California Almond
Sustainability Program (CASP) workshops to answer
any questions or make arrangements for a farm visit.
He will also provide a ‘tour’ of ABC’s Irrigation
Calculator, which is available at the CASP website,
SustainableAlmondGrowing.org. “If you need some help
navigating the Irrigation Calculator, please contact me,”
he offered. “I find that when I’m meeting with growers,
the scheduling tool is the first step in moving them up
the Continuum, but aspects of the calculator can still be
applied at level 3.0. You can use the Irrigation Calculator
at the beginning of the season to develop a water budget.
While the calculator builds your water budget for the
year, other tools, such as soil moisture sensors, give you
in-season adjustments.”
Growers can reach Cooper directly by email at
or by calling him at
(209) 604-3727. He will also be available at outreach
events, such as PCA education opportunities, crop
protection company and irrigation supply company
meetings, and handler meetings.
To read more about the Almond Irrigation Improvement
Continuum, including several single-subject fact sheets as well
as a 54-page manual, please visit Almonds.com/Irrigation.
