Stewardship Awards
The National Potato Council’s 2003 Environmental Stewardship Award was given to four growers from across the U.S for their outstanding achievement in the area of pesticide risk reduction. The winners of the award use a pesticide reduction strategy, IPM and manage their farm’s water, soil and habitat conservation needs. Some have begun to test biologic control methods in their operation.
Kenneth Horsch
Kenneth Horsch of Aberdeen, Idaho, incorporates a wide variety of environmentally sound practices on his 300 acres of potatoes.
In the past eight years, Horsch has planted and maintained more than 5,200 feet of four row shelterbelts to provide wildlife habitat and protection of crops and soil. He works in conjunction with the state department of fish and game to leave 20 acres of corn and grain food plots for wildlife. In addition, he delays the mowing of alfalfa to allow the peak of pheasant nesting to occur and reduce the mortality loss to hens.
Horsch keeps current on all state and federal pesticide safety laws, and regularly maintains and calibrates all spray equipment to ensure efficient application and the safety of applicators. All of his workers are provided with bilingual pesticide training and are issued all needed safety equipment.
In his rotation strategies, Horsch rotates two years of grain, one year of potatoes, one year of sugar beets. On some field he rotates with 4 years of alfalfa. The alfalfa allows for the control of pests without the use of chemicals.
His disposal and handling techniques include using lock and loads when they are available, triple rinsing all containers and using county haz-mat days to dispose of leftover and out-dated chemicals.
Horsch is keen to keep resistance management in mind. The chemistry of the applications is rotated on a regular basis to avoid resistance. Petiole sampling is done regularly to ensure the most efficiency possible. A certified crop advisor has been hired to provide recommendation on the pesticide management program.
Besides these measures, Horsch has installed five irrigation ponds on his operation, as well, to allow pump shutdown on weekends and between line moves. This has saved water and energy.
Boorman Farms
At Boorman Farms, in Quincy, Wash., fields are scouted regularly for disease and insect pests. The 900-acre potato farm practices a wide variety of other pesticide reduction strategies, as well. Whenever possible, Boorman also rotates chemicals that target particular pests to avoid the build-up of chemicals and avoid pest immunity.
Their rotational strategy includes the rotation of their potato crop on a four-year rotation with wheat and sweet corn as well as green manure crops to preserve soil health and minimize the use of pesticides.
The most important thing a Columbia Basin farmer does for the environment is manage irrigation,” said Wes Boorman. “Over-water and you pollute, under-water and you’re out of business.”
That is the reasoning behind the operation using center pivot irrigation exclusively. According to the operation this method is so efficient that there is no run-off requiring ponds or other wastewater management. Their irrigation system is technologically advanced, with irrigation computers monitoring soil moisture every 15 minutes and circles being controlled through remote radio signals.
Boorman Farms’ IPM program includes keeping current on pest forecasts as well as scouting and treating borders for pest intrusion to protect the majority of the field without extensive pesticide use.
In addition, the farm uses cover crops and crop residue to make their fields attractive to deer and migratory birds. They also employ a grain cover crop to protect the soil from Eastern Washington wind erosion.
Roope Farms
Bruce and Brandon Roope’s participation in the Maine Cooperative Extension Potato IPM program is indicative of their commitment to stewardship. For the past 15 years Roope Farms has participated in the trials, becoming early adopters of the production methods.
The 450 potato-acre operation participates in the Cooperative Extension Maine Disease Forecast System. This system provides information from grower operated weather stations for late blight and early blight forecasting. The system has resulted in reduced amounts of pesticides being used and a considerable cost savings to growers.
The operation’s IPM program includes the use of scouting, irrigation scheduling, threshold management and the selecting of resistant varieties. The Roopes actively utilize the scouting program that Extension offers for weeds, insects and diseases following the recommendations closely.
The Presque Isle, Maine growers are currently participating in a bio-control experiment for controlling European corn borer in potatoes. The research is working towards the control of the pest while managing resistance.
The Roopes carefully manage the water, soil and habitat on their farm. Their operation’s location, adjacent to the Aroostook River, has made the brothers very aware of the effects of erosion and sedimentation on water quality. Bruce is currently chairman of the Central Aroostook Soil and Water Conservation District in Presque Isle. They maintain their sediment control structures, and continue to monitor their farm for sites that need further control. Besides erosion control practices, the operation implements sound agricultural practices such as soil testing for nutrient levels, band spraying as well as the calibration of planters and spray equipment.
The farm also has forested wetlands and forested uplands as well as open fields that are managed to preserve wildlife habitat. The Roopes are avid hunters and fishers as well as being farmers that are interested in maintaining these spaces for the wildlife that exists on their farm.
Wysocki Produce Farm
Wysocki Produce Farm in Plainfield, Wis., was honored for its stewardship on their 2,500 potato acres. The operation was one of the early adopters of IPM and Wisconsin’s Healthy Grown Program.
Their pesticide reduction strategies have included the switch to a seed applied insecticide that has lowered the toxicity of products sprayed. The farm’s participation in the Healthy Grown program increased their awareness of the toxicity of the products they use.
On the farm, the operation rotates the chemicals they use to prevent resistance and provide a variety of products for the weather patterns unique to their operation. According to the farm the adoption of Admire-type chemistries in the form of in-furrow treatments and Genesis as a seed treatment have been a welcome addition according to the operation. These products give the farm early season control that they did not have before.
One of the changes the operation has seen in recent years is in the way they handle pesticides. Products, purchased in bulk amounts, are housed at supplier facilities until they are loaded into an enclosed van/truck for loading in the field where they are applied. The operation’s staff is trained and certified by the state and safety information is refreshed at an annual spring kickoff meeting with the entire field crew.
The operation’s IPM program includes scouting, irrigation scheduling, threshold management and resistant variety selection. An on-staff scout and two seasonal scouts monitor fields.
The water, soil and habitat conservation methods include monitoring of petiole nitrate levels to guard against leaching. Then the data is used to spoon-feed nutrients through the center pivots to help control leaching to the water table that is close to the surface.
The water quality practices on the farm include an extensive drainage system, with ditches cleaned brushed and surface culverts. The operation is also active with the Wisconsin River Alliance to keep their hand in the legislative side of water quality. The operation seeks to voice the concerns of the potato industry that must have irrigation water.
