November 20, 2016 - Quiz #88

Folks,

Well, - we have a winner for CT Crop Quiz #88! This breaks the drought and hopefully reinvigorates the morale that seemed to be waning in recent quizzes due to what some folks thought were the “too-hard-to-answer” photos and questions.

Tom Willey, a farmer and CASI Workgroup member in Madera, CA, was the first respondent to successfully provide suitable answers to the questions of this Quiz. Congratulations, Tom! He'll receive his $100 award at our next major Workgroup event.

Here are the answers to the four questions of this quiz.

 

What form of CT is shown in the attached photo?

The form of CT that was shown in the photos was no-tillage. What was shown was a 2016 – 2017 winter cover drop sown directly into residues of a 2016 tomato crop following harvest.

 

What is the CT-planted crop shown in this photo?

The photos showed a cover crop of triticale, mustard and radish that was no-till seeded into the tomato residues on 60” beds.

 

What were the reasons for planting this CT crop?

In the direct words of Jesse Sanchez and Alan Sano of Sano Farms, the overall goal of their planting cover crops is to improve soil health, increase organic matter, fight pathogens, and improve the tilth of their soil.

 

Name the nearest US town to where this CT crop photo was taken.

Sano Farms is located near the town of Firebaugh, CA in western Fresno County.

 

Alan Sano and Jesse Sanchez have been using cover crops at their farm for nearly ten years. You can learn more about the systems they've developed by looking at the USDA NRCS summary of their soil care practices at the link https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/detail/ca/soils/health/?cid=nrcseprd406062, or by viewing the accompanying Soil Health Profile video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x6qasMQz7l0&feature=youtu.be

This fall's PLS110C Vegetable Crop Production class from UC Davis had a very nice opportunity this past Saturday evening to visit Jesse at Sano Farms and to learn about their innovative management. A photo from this nice visit is attached.

Next week, National Public Radio is coming out to their farm to conduct an interview with them.

If you weren't successful with your submission for CT Crop Quiz #88, do not despair. There'll be many more opportunities in the future. We had a number of quite close submissions this round. Good going, everyone!

All the best,

Jeff

 

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