Limited water supplies — with or without the California drought — are a reality. Almond Board of California has invested heavily in the area of water irrigation strategies and technologies that conserve water while optimizing almond production and tree health, as well as in ways to protect ground- and surface water from potential runoff or leaching of grower inputs.
One of these investments is the Almond Irrigation Improvement Continuum, a comprehensive manual of irrigation management and scheduling practices. Recognizing that growers may be operating at different stages of irrigation efficiency, the Continuum provides information at three proficiency levels (1.0, 2.0 and 3.0).
The Almond Board’s goal is to assist the industry in meeting level 1.0. These are irrigation management practices that are within reach for all California Almond growers, and can be implemented with limited additional investment in time and/or financial resources. Levels 2 and 3 refine irrigation management with the employment of additional investments.
Leading this initiative is Spencer Cooper, senior manager, Irrigation and Water Efficiency. He will have boots on the ground and other outreach activities to provide system-specific recommendations to attain even more “crop per drop” on an orchard-by-orchard basis.
I encourage you to learn more about these tools and resources in the article "Irrigation Continuum Reintroduced with Online Guidance, Outreach."
Sincerely,
Mike Mason
Chairman of the Board
Almond Board of California
