Source: UNIVERSITY OF VERMONT submitted to NRP
WHOLE FARM WATER: IMPROVING WATER USE EFFICIENCY IN NORTHEAST SPECIALTY CROP OPERATIONS
Sponsoring Institution
National Institute of Food and Agriculture
Project Status
COMPLETE
Funding Source
Reporting Frequency
Annual
Accession No.
1019121
Grant No.
2019-67019-29465
Cumulative Award Amt.
$49,779.00
Proposal No.
2018-06916
Multistate No.
(N/A)
Project Start Date
May 15, 2019
Project End Date
May 14, 2020
Grant Year
2019
Program Code
[A1401]- Foundational Program: Soil Health
Recipient Organization
UNIVERSITY OF VERMONT
(N/A)
BURLINGTON,VT 05405
Performing Department
Extension - Program and Facult
Non Technical Summary
The problem:The Northeast has long been a water-rich region. For agricultural producers, this meant that access to water through rainfall or ground/surface reservoirs was generally sufficient for crop production. In recent years, however, changes in precipitation patterns have challenged producers in two ways. First, heavy rain events, defined as the heaviest 1% of daily rain events over an annual period, have increased by 71% in the Northeast between 1958 and 2012. In the Northeast, this translates to rain events with more than 5-10cm per day. This increase dramatically outpaces other regions in the United States. Heavy rain events can lead to saturated soils, which in turn can facilitate root anoxia and spread of root and foliar diseases. Heavy rains can also lead to flooding and soil erosion, disrupting normal farm activities and in extreme cases carrying away portions of farm fields.Second, episodic drought is increasing in frequency and severity across the region, driven by higher temperatures, longer growing seasons, and longer dry periods between rainfalls. Compared to specialty crop growers in western states such as Arizona and California, eastern specialty crop growers apply very little irrigation water to crops. While specialty crop producers in the East will most likely continue to benefit more than growers in the West from precipitation, it is likely that even eastern growers will need to increase the amount of water they apply to crops in coming years. For example, in 2016, vegetable producers in western New York experienced dramatic yield loss due to drought. Vegetable and fruit producers who irrigated their crops experienced 19% and 11% respectively. Vegetable and fruit producers who did not irrigate reported 40% and 47% loss respectively. In addition, the inconsistency of drought conditions in the Northeast may also dictate the need for technologies and management that are distinct in cost and adaptability from those employed in the West, where dry conditions are typical. For example, a grower in the Northeast who relies on a technology three out of five years may tailor their level of investment accordingly, compared to the grower in the Southwest who depends on a similar technology every single year. Even growers who already irrigate on a regular basis may face increasing challenges related to water access and quality. A recent study reported that a quarter of fresh groundwater basins in Eastern U.S. states were identified as areas of concern (AOCs) due to drought related conditions, compounded by overdraft of groundwater, salt water intrusion, and/or environmental flows.In summary, while climate forecasts point towards increasing annual precipitation totals in the Northeast, the seasonal distribution of rainfall events will likely shift. That shift will likely mean that annual precipitation will arrive in winter and early spring (in the form of rain), and increasingly frequent short droughts will occur in late summer and early fall. In coming decades, specialty crop growers in the Northeast must be prepared to deal with both too much water and too little, sometimes in the same year. Our observations as Extension specialists and researchers tells us that many specialty crop producers are not prepared to do so at this point. Simultaneously, there is a growing opportunity to take emerging technology, such as remote sensing systems to monitor soil temperature and moisture, and fine tune them to be applicable to specialty crop systems. Developments of this type have been identified by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine as an important priority in the ongoing work to further advance food and agricultural research (National Academies of Sciences Engineering and Medicine, 2018). To be successful, specialty crop growers require additional outreach and education, as well as access to affordable, scale- and crop-appropriate technology and equipment. This is corroborated by our colleagues from across the Northeast.Our Approach and goals:We will hold a2-day conference in Burlington, Vermont in winter 2019. Primary target participants will be researchers, agricultural advisors, and industry representatives. Secondary participants will be farmers, and students. We have three goals for this conference:1. At this conference, participants will increase their awareness of how climate change will likely affect irrigated/rain fed specialty crops in the Northeast, how WUE can be improved on these specialty crop farms, and what steps can be taken to enhance agroecosystem sustainability in the future.2. Participants will develop and/or expand research and/or outreach programs that address gaps in water use efficiency as it applies to specialty crop production in the Northeast.3. Lastly, participants will become part of an ongoing community of practice for researchers, agricultural advisors, and industry representatives committed to helping specialty crop growers in the Northeast address water use efficiency challenges.By holding this conference and supporting an ongoing community of practice, we hope to better support specialty crop producers to be resistant and/or resilient to climate change, and ensure the health, food security, and vitality of their communities;ensure that specialty crop farms in the Northeastern U.S. remain viable (productive and profitable); and support an engaged, coordinated network of water- and agriculture-focused Extension, research, and Agency partners throughout the Northeast.
Animal Health Component
(N/A)
Research Effort Categories
Basic
(N/A)
Applied
(N/A)
Developmental
(N/A)
Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)Subject of Investigation (SOI)Field of Science (FOS)Percent
1110210310025%
1325360310025%
4041499310025%
4055360310025%
Goals / Objectives
Long-term goals: (1) To support specialty crop producers to be resistant and/or resilient to climate change, and ensure the health, food security, and vitality of their communities; (2) to ensure that specialty crop farms in the Northeastern U.S. remain viable (productive and profitable); and (3) to support an engaged, coordinated network of water- and agriculture-focused Extension, research, and Agency partners throughout the Northeast.Goal 1: All conference participants will increase their awareness of how climate change will likely affect irrigated/rain fed specialty crops in the Northeast, how water use efficiency can be improved on these specialty crop farms, and what steps can be taken to enhance agroecosystem sustainability in the future.Objective 1.1: Enhanced understanding and knowledge about (a) how climate change will likely affect irrigated/rain fed specialty crops in the Northeast, (b) how practices with increased water use efficiencycan potentially improve farm economics and help farmers meet conservation goals, and (c) the barriers and opportunities (social, ecological, and economic) associated with enhancing water use efficiency on Northeast specialty crop farms.Objective 1.2: Increased confidence and ability to incorporate water use efficiency information into guidence about on-farm decisions (agricultural advisor participants only).Goal 2: Conference participants will develop and/or expand research and/or outreach programs that address gaps in water use efficiency (WUE) as it applies to specialty crop production in the Northeast.Objective 2.1: Enhanced understanding about the gaps in our shared knowledge that prevents improved WUE practices from being adopted in specialty crop systems.Objective 2.2: New research questions and agenda outlines developed, aimed at addressing gaps in our shared knowledge related to WUE and specialty crops in the Northeast.Objective 2.3: New outreach agendas aimed at addressing barriers to implementation of improved WUE in specialty crop systems in the Northeast.Objective 2.4: New connections between conference participants (developers of both hardware and software), specifically those that will lead to trialing of new technology in specialty crop systems and/or development of new products to serve specialty crop producers.Goal 3: Conference participants will become part of an ongoing community of practice for researchers, agricultural advisors, and industry representatives committed to helping specialty crop growers in the Northeast address water use efficiency challenges.Objective 3.1: Establish mechanisms for communication (e.g. web presence, twitter community, and listserv) so conference attendees and other contributors may share questions, information, and event notices. Outcome 3.1.1: A list of network members, including affiliations and contact information.
Project Methods
Efforts:We will hold a2-day conference in Burlington, Vermont. The anticipated date is between October and December, 2019. The event will be held at the University of Vermont in the Davis Center.Registration and event coordination will be contracted through UVM Conference and Event Services (CES). These services include online registration, secure payment processing, customer service, financial reporting, and the ability to register participants for multiple tracks. Catering will be provided through UVM. The UVM CES department will assist with the setup, breakdown, and audio/visual needs for conference presentations and trade show/tool café tables. Wewill work together and in consultation with colleagues to refine and develop specific talks and the desired outcomes of each session. To do so, we will solicit input from individuals who work in a variety of specialty crop sectors from across the region. We will develop conference sessions in two ways. First, some sessions will be composed of invited speakers. Prior to the conference, a member of our team will coordinate between multiple presenters in a session to develop a cohesive series of presentations. For example in the session titled state of specialty crops and related water resources across the U.S., presenters from several U.S. regions (Midwest, Southwest, and Southeast) will be asked to present an overview of the current state of specialty crop industries in each region. Because each presenter's time slot will be limited and there may be common themes across regions, presenters and a member of our team will discuss (via video-conference call) areas in which each could provide unique insight. During the session, a member of our team will provide a concluding synthesis about commonalities and differences between the presentations, and highlight what we can learn and apply for specialty crops in the Northeast moving forward. The majority of sessions will be developed in this way. Second, we will invite researchers and agricultural advisors to submit presentation abstracts. From these abstracts, our team will develop a slate of cohesive presentations held during break-out sessions on the second day of the conference.Evaluation:To determine the degree to which this project meets the goals and objectives articulated in this proposal, we will conduct the following evaluation activities: (1) we will design a conference evaluation tool that can be completed online or on paper. This tool will be used to assess conference participants' perceptions of their own change in knowledge and understanding, and for agricultural advisors their confidence and ability in using WUE information when working with specialty crop producers. The evaluation tool will also be used to gauge participants' interest toward participating in the network of professionals.(2) The Co-PDs on this project will also complete reflections on the successes and shortcomings of the conference and other project-related activities, to be submitted with our final report. These reflections will provide a normative perspective on the project, and provide valuable insights into its successes and shortcomings. (3) Lastly, we will assess our success at achieving our intended outcomes by reporting on the number of research/outreach programing gaps identified through the conference or in follow-up communications with conference participants, the number of research and development projects that result from connections made between industry representatives and conference participants, and engagement in the network of professionals.

Progress 05/15/19 to 05/14/20

Outputs
Target Audience:Our target audiences for this project were professionals whowork in the Northeast, as well as a select number of participants from other U.S. regions. We targeted the following categories of participants: Researchers, based either at Universities or government agencies, with specialties in specialty crops, hydrology, agricultural engineering, behavioral sciences, or other relevant disciplines. (25 participants) Agricultural advisors including Extension-based professionals or agency or non-profit based technical service providers, with specialties similar to those of the research participants. (16 participants) Industry representatives from firms that develop and/or distribute either water efficiency equipment (e.g. irrigation systems, pumps, soil moisture sensors), software/online decision support tools, or both. (7 participants) A select group of specialty crop producers. (2 participants) Undergraduate or graduate students. (2 participants) Changes/Problems:The biggest problem we encountered in this project was soliciting participation. While we aimed for 150 participants, we were only able to secure 55, the majority of whom were also presenters. Despite this setback, we believe that the quality of participation was high among those who did attend, and conference evaluations were overwhelmingly positive. Several attendees encouraged us to find a way to hold a follow up symposium in a future year, and had ideas about presentations and working groups that could be conducted at this future event. We believe that, despite the small number of attendees, the quality of the event was high, and we accomplished an important first step towards developing a robust professional network. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?The Symposium offered professional development for 55 attendees on topics related to water use efficiency, water management, monitoring and technology, economics, and specialty crop production. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?We have posted proceedings on our websites, and shared an annoucement through twitter. Additional annoucements will go out through the USDA Northeast Climate Hub Quartely Newsletter in a couple of months. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Nothing Reported

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Objective 1.1.: Of the attendees who filled out a Symposium evaluation, 100% (n = 13) agreed or strongly agreed with the statement "Because of attending the Symposium, I have increased my knowledge of water resource management issues in the context of specialty crops." Objective 1.2.:100% (n = 10) of agricultural advisors who answered a question about their confidence on the Symposium evaluation reported that they agreed or strongly agreed with the following statement: "Because of attending the Symposium, I have increased my confidence in addressing water resources issues in my program(s)." (This question was targeted to agricultural advisors only).? Objective 2.1.:As captured in brainstorming breakout sessions and conference evaluations, the following research gaps associated with improved water use efficiency in specialty crop systems was identified: There is a need for a database of soil moisture measurement, including metadata would be useful for additional regional or national studies. There is a need to investigate how genetic diversity and plant breeding can better target water uncertainty Need for better drought prediction tools Need to improve accuracy and access to weather information, crop and pest forecasting tools Clarity on the data that actually equates to climate risk. More focus on getting waterawayfrom crops when there is too much of it. Objective 2.2.:As captured in brainstorming breakout sessions and conference evaluations, the following research questions were identified: What are the linkages between climate adaptation strategies and risk reduction? Is it economically feasible for farms in the Northeast to invest in soil moisture monitoring technology? Specifically soil moisture sensors? How are changes in climate likely to affect water relations and thus management needs for specialty crops in various locations? How variable is soil water holding capacity on farms? How can we quantify how much water can be held in high elevations on the landscape (e.g. in ponds, in trees)? How can we better link holding sites with sites that need water? Objective 2.3.:As captured in brainstorming breakout sessions and conference evaluations, the following outreach and programing needs were identified: What are pros/cons/costs/ of various soil moisture monitoring tools and techniques for diverse types of specialty crop farms? What plant sensors and soil moisture sensors perform better in real-farm scenarios (as opposed to in research trials)? When to soil moisture sensors pay for themselves? There is a need to convey information to growers about water efficiency and engaging in management practices that lead to crop and farm water conservation. Objective 2.4.:As captured in our conference evaluation, 100% of those who filled out an evaluation form (n = 13) reporting making new connections. Of these, 77% (n = 10) reported that these new connections were likely or strongly likely lead to new collaborations. Additionally, when asked what Symposium attendees liked best about the event, the following comments were offered: "Talks and networking." "Free time to meet and think." "Networking" "Meeting new people, learning about research and information sources." "Networking with colleagues in the NE with similar and contrasting backgrounds and professional activities, but all linked by water." Objective 3.1.:Through this project, we established a website where presenter slides and our published proceedings are archived (https://na.eventscloud.com/website/3694/). We also established a new listserv which members can use to share research and outreach opportunities, topical questions, and otherwise communicate with one another. It is our hope to continue to facilitate conversations among Symposium attendees and additional colleagues to advance the research and outreach agendas identified through this Symposium.

Publications

  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2020 Citation: Schattman, R. E., Faulkner, J. W., & Bradshaw, T., Eds. (2020). Proceedings of the Northeast Specialty Crop Water Symposium [pp. 1-67]. Burlington, Vermont. DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.12383003 Link: https://na.eventscloud.com/website/3694/