scholarly journals Improving BMP Cost-Share Enrollment Rates: Insights from a Survey of Florida Farmers

2020 ◽  
Vol 49 (2) ◽  
pp. 237-269
Author(s):  
Lauriane S. Yehouenou ◽  
Kelly A. Grogan ◽  
Xiang Bi ◽  
Tatiana Borisova
Keyword(s):  
Best Management Practices ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Agricultural Producers ◽  
Cost Share ◽  
Self Monitoring ◽  
Best Management ◽  
Enrollment Rates ◽  
Verification Process ◽  
Environmental Goals ◽  
Environmental Agencies

This paper investigates cost-share program attributes that would affect producers' willingness to enroll in a cost-share program to fund the adoption of best management practices to improve water quality and decrease water use. Through a survey administered to Florida agricultural producers, we conducted choice experiments to assess farmers’ preferences for cost-share programs using five attributes: contracting agency, length of contract, annual verification process, costs included, and percent of costs covered. Results suggest that producers prefer cost-share programs with shorter contract lengths, self-monitoring, and administration by agricultural (as opposed to environmental) agencies. Our findings suggest the importance of an existing trust between the local communities and the contracting agencies for higher enrollment rates in cost –share programs. Our results can inform policymakers on ways to increase enrollment rates that move towards long-term environmental goals.

scholarly journals Best Management Practices for Florida Citrus

2006 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
pp. 389-393 ◽  
Author(s):  
Larry Parsons ◽  
Brian Boman
Keyword(s):  
Best Management Practices ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Root Zone ◽  
Agricultural Practices ◽  
Runoff Water ◽  
Cost Share ◽  
Central Florida ◽  
Best Management ◽  
Drinking Water Standard ◽  
Florida Citrus

Best management practices (BMPs) started in Florida citrus (Citrus spp.) in the 1990s and have evolved to play a major role in production practices today. One of the earliest BMPs in Florida arose from concerns over nitrate-nitrogen concentrations in some surficial groundwater aquifers exceeding the 10 mg·L-1 drinking water standard. This occurred in an area of well-drained sandy soils known as the Central Florida Ridge that extends north and south through the central part of the Florida peninsula. State agencies could have used a strictly regulatory approach and restricted how much nitrogen growers could apply. Instead of setting arbitrary regulations, the agencies promoted a scientific-based BMP approach. A nitrogen BMP for Central Florida Ridge citrus was established, and research is now validating the earlier groundwater work on more grower field sites. The purpose of this BMP was to minimize the risk of leaching nitrates from fertilizer into the groundwater. Several important aspects of the BMP involve: 1) limiting the amount of nitrogen fertilizer applied at any one time, 2) increasing the frequency of fertilizer applications, 3) reducing fertilizer applications during the summer rainy season, and 4) managing irrigation to reduce leaching below the root zone. Since this Central Florida Ridge nitrogen BMP was established, major BMP actions to improve water quality and reduce the quantity of runoff water have taken place in the Indian River production area of Florida's east coast. BMPs continue to be set up in other parts of the state for a variety of plant and animal agricultural practices. In some cases, cost-share funds have been provided to help implement BMPs. With voluntary BMPs, growers have scientifically based guidelines, a waiver of liability, and an avoidance of arbitrary regulations.

scholarly journals (353) University of California Water Quality Program for Floriculture and Nursery Growers in Ventura and Los Angeles Counties

HortScience ◽  
2005 ◽  
Vol 40 (4) ◽  
pp. 1017C-1017
Author(s):  
Julie Newman ◽  
Kristine Gilbert ◽  
Ben Faber ◽  
Donald Merhaut ◽  
Laosheng Wu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Water Quality ◽  
Los Angeles ◽  
Best Management Practices ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Cost Share ◽  
Best Management ◽  
Flow Monitoring ◽  
California Water ◽  
Quality Program ◽  
On Farm

Nursery growers must implement “Best Management Practices” (BMPs) to mitigate runoff and leaching of pollutants. However, there is little data on the effectiveness of BMPs, and further research is needed. Growers require training to minimize runoff and capital to comply with evolving regulations. We collected irrigation efficiency data at 26 nursery sites using catch cans. Uniformity value was calculated as: DU = 100 × (Average of the “Low Quarter”/Average of All Measurements). Results showed that one-third of the nurseries had irrigation uniformities below 67%, and only one nursery exceeded 82%. Continuous flow monitoring at 10-minute intervals was conducted at three nursery sites to determine daily and monthly variation. One hundred samples of the runoff were taken four times at each nursery and analyzed for nitrate, chloride, and sulfate. We developed a 29-page checklist of BMPs to reduce runoff, which we used to survey 53 growers in Ventura County. After completing the survey, 20 growers applied for funds from a 1.2 million dollar cost-share program that we initiated. This program provides funds to implement improved technologies to reduce runoff and/or conserve water; funds were awarded to 18 nurseries. We are collecting monitoring data from each cooperating nursery implementing improvements. These data measure the number of BMPs used by growers, provide a current “snapshot” of the industry, and document the effectiveness of future BMP implementation. We offer on-farm consulting, and conducted eight water quality/irrigation educational programs—four in Spanish. We elevated grower awareness concerning regulations and options for reducing runoff, and the data will be useful in evaluating future improvements.

Measuring and understanding agricultural producers' adoption of nutrient best management practices

2017 ◽  
Vol 72 (5) ◽  
pp. 506-518 ◽  
Author(s):  
J.D. Ulrich-Schad ◽  
S. García de Jalón ◽  
N. Babin ◽  
A. Pape ◽  
L.S. Prokopy
Keyword(s):  
Best Management Practices ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Agricultural Producers ◽  
Best Management

scholarly journals Controlled-release Fertilizers for Vegetable Production in the Era of Best Management Practices: Teaching New Tricks to an Old Dog

2005 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 36-46 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eric H. Simonne ◽  
Chad M. Hutchinson
Keyword(s):  
Controlled Release ◽  
Best Management Practices ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Calcium Nitrate ◽  
Vegetable Production ◽  
Available Nitrogen ◽  
Cost Share ◽  
Best Management ◽  
N Release ◽  
Controlled Release Fertilizers

Best management practices (BMPs) for vegetable crops are under development nationwide and in Florida. One goal of the Florida BMP program is to minimize the possible movement of nitrate-nitrogen from potato (Solanum tuberosum) production to surface water in the St. Johns River watershed without negatively impacting potato yields or quality. Current fertilizer BMPs developed for the area focus on fertilizer rate. Controlled-release fertilizers (CRF) have long been a part of nutrient management in greenhouse and nursery crops. However, CRFs have been seldom used in field-vegetable production because of their cost and release characteristics. Nutrient release curves for CRFs are not available for the soil moisture and temperature conditions prevailing in the seepage-irrigated soils of northern Florida. Controlled-leaching studies (pot-in-pot) in 2000 and 2001 have shown that plant-available nitrogen (N) was significantly higher early in the season from ammonium nitrate, calcium nitrate and urea compared to selected CRFs. However, N release from off-the-shelf and experimental CRFs was too slow, resulting in N recoveries ranging from 13% to 51%. Cost increase due to the use of CRFs for potato production ranged from $71.66 to $158.14/ha ($29 to $64 per acre) based on cost of material and N application rate. This higher cost may be offset by reduced application cost and cost-share pro-grams. Adoption of CRF programs by the potato (and vegetable) industry in Florida will depend on the accuracy and predictability of N release, state agencies' commitment to cost-share programs, and CRFs manufacturers' marketing strategies. All interested parties would benefit in the development of BMPs for CRFs.

scholarly journals Factors Influencing and Steps Leading to the Adoption of Best Management Practices by Louisiana Dairy Farmers

2008 ◽  
Vol 40 (01) ◽  
pp. 203-222 ◽  
Author(s):  
Krishna P. Paudel ◽  
Wayne M. Gauthier ◽  
John V. Westra ◽  
Larry M. Hall
Keyword(s):  
Best Management Practices ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Department Of Agriculture ◽  
Dairy Farmers ◽  
Cost Share ◽  
Adoption Decision ◽  
Natural Resource Conservation ◽  
Best Management ◽  
Natural Resource Conservation Service ◽  
The Impact

A logistic regression procedure was used to assess the impact of socioeconomic attributes on the best management practices (BMPs) adoption decision by Louisiana dairy farmers relative to cost-share and fixed incentive payments. Analysis of the steps in the BMP adoption decision process indicated visits between producers and the U.S. Department of Agriculture–Natural Resource Conservation Service significantly increase likelihood of BMP adoption. Producer willingness-to-pay results indicate that marginal increases in dairy BMP adoption and associated improvement in environmental quality require increased technical and financial assistance.

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