Organic Tips

Furrow Cover Cropping to Reduce Runoff, Soil Erosion and Weeds

ORGANIC SEMINAR SERIES

LUNCH TIME

TUESDAY January 23, 2024

12:00 - 1:00 PM VIA ZOOM

ZOOM MEETING LINK ISHERE

The presentation will be recorded. Discussion and questions and answers will be removed from posted recordings.

ZOOM MEETING LINK

https://ucanr.zoom.us/j/96909321835

MEETING ID

969 0932 1835

Some high-value crops like strawberries are grown on beds that are covered in plastic mulch to reduce weeds and disease issues and increase yields. But the plastic mulch can create lots of problems with runoff and soil erosion during rainy winter periods. One solution to help solve this environmental problem is to grow cover crops in furrows between beds. In this interactive presentation Eric Brennan will share his lessons learned from over 10 years of experience with cover cropping in furrows.

Eric is the research horticulturist and lead scientist in the organic production and climate-smart farming research at the USDA Agricultural Research Service in Salinas, CA where he has worked since 2001. His current research is in organic vegetable and strawberry production and is focused on cover crops, weed and soil fertility management, and biological control of insect pests. This occurs on farms and at the 25-acres of certified organic, USDA-ARS land that he manages. Eric is passionate about long-term agricultural research and effective communication of practical research results to farmers and others. Follow this link to learn more about his research and to access his research publications and videos. Education: B.S. Agronomy & Soil Science, U. of Hawaii; M.S. Horticulture, Cornell U.; Ph.D. Plant Biology, UC Davis.

UCCE Central Coast Small Farms Program | Website