|
|
Napa County Resource Conservation District |
|
| back |  RCD home |
|
|
Napa County Resource Conservation District |
|
| back | RCD home |
This project is a demonstration/research project designed to develop information and guidelines for the use of composted mulch for soil erosion management in vineyards. Sustainable agriculture practices demand preservation of valuable agricultural soils. Another purpose of the project is to open up a new market for mulched yard trimmings that have been diverted from landfills. Concerns about landfill space leads to the necessity of maximizing diversion of organic materials from landfills.
Project demonstration/study sites are located in both Napa and Sonoma Counties since both counties are premium grape growing regions with approximately 120,000 acres in vineyard cultivation, of which about 30,000 acres are located on hillsides ("Utilization of Composted Mulch for Erosion Control in Hillside Vineyards, Contract No. IWM-C8030C", Preliminary Report, 5.15.99-5.15.00, Sotoyome RCD, Sept.15, 2000). A total of four vineyards, two in each county were selected to participate in the study. Contributing vineyards and agencies include: Napa County RCD, Sotoyome RCD, Walsh Vineyards, Beringer Wine Estates, Everett Ridge Winery, Iron Horse Vineyards, USDA NRCS, UC Cooperative Extension, Napa Garbage Services, Sonoma Compost Company, City of Napa, Sonoma County Farm Bureau and CA EPA, Integrated Waste Management Board.
Composted mulch has been applied in test plots on the four sites. Sediment traps have been installed in the plots to collect runoff. Control plots with no mulch have been established, the various treatments will be compared after two seasons of data are collected.
Erosion control will be evaluated using the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE website), a modeling program that predicts long-term soil loss. Sediment traps have been used to collect sediment and determine actual amount of sediment run-off that has occurred and yield per acre will be recorded for the different treatments. Visual inspections will be conducted to observe and record physical signs of erosion. Soil and petiole analysis will be conducted to evaluate the effects of nutrient availability.
A comprehensive evaluation program will be implemented throughout the two-year term of the contract utilizing data from monitoring, interviews and questionnaires distributed at field days and demonstrations to the grape growers and end users who attend. The results of this project will be disseminated through workshops, display boards at conferences and community events, field demonstrations, articles in newspapers and trade journals, through fact sheets and on a web site.
To find out more about this project please feel free to contact our office at 707-252-4188. More information on the effort to reduce organic materials from landfills can be obtained at the California Integrated Waste Management Board website
|
|
RCD home |
|
| back |
