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See Conference, Page 3

In this issue...Animal habits tracked ......... 2

Contractor classes offered ... 3

Survey results reported ....... 4

Table grapes tested ............. 5

Issues conferenceto feature outlookson ag trends

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See Text, Page 7

Research leader brings expertstogether to produce textbook

first-of-its-kind raisin text-book authored by a FresnoState viticulture specialisthas been printed by a

Fresno area publishing firm.The book is titled “A Treatise on

Raisin Production, Processing, andMarketing.” The editors are Vincent E.Petrucci, former viticulture professorand director emeritus of Fresno State’sViticulture and Enology Research Center(VERC), and Carter D. Clary, formerdirector of the university’sDried Foods TechnologyLaboratory.

The text was publishedby Malcolm Media Press of

Clovis, California, which publishes, inassociation with Malcolm Media Corp.,several regional farm magazines includ-ing American Vineyard and CentralValley Farmer.

Petrucci served as VERC directorfrom 1977 to 1996 and also taught theraisin production class during most ofhis 45-year tenure at Fresno State. Oneperpetual problem he had as a professorwas finding a good text on raisinproduction, Petrucci recalled, so when

retirement allowed hima few more free hours,he decided to produceone himself, for futureprofessors and students.He felt this was espe-cially important becauseFresno State is theonly institute of higherlearning in the worldthat operates a commer-cial raisin processingfacility, he noted.

“A lot has been written on grapegrowing in general and on wine produc-tion, but there never has been a textbookon raisin production, processing andmarketing,” Petrucci said, describing hisfirst thoughts for the text back in 1997.And the book is not only for students,he said: “There are chapters that shouldsatisfy growers. There are chapters thatshould satisfy processors and there arethose for marketers.”

Petrucci began his work by contact-ing professionals – many of whom were

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Below is the cover of the newtextbook edited by Vincent Petrucci

(right) and Carter Clary, both formerresearch leaders at Fresno State.

n agricultural trade policy specialist will explore the complex relationship of

politics and agriculture in a keynoteluncheon address at the 21st AnnualAgricultural Business ManagementConference set for Thursday, Oct.31 in Fresno, California.

Barry Flinchbaugh, a professorand extension state leader fromKansas State University, will drawon his years of experience to discussthe politics of agricultural policyand its relevance for Californiaagriculture. Flinchbaugh has servedas counsel for agricultural leaderssuch as Kansas Senator Pat Robertsand fellow Kansan Dan Glickmanduring Glickman's tenure as U.S.Secretary of Agriculture and hisyears in the U.S. House of Repre-sentatives.

Most recently, Flinchbaugh

2 FALL 2002 UPDATE

TrackingTrackingTrackingTrackingTrackinganimal behavioranimal behavioranimal behavioranimal behavioranimal behaviorNatural resources research provides habitat datathat will aid in devising management strategies

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Ozone conference to address food processing applicationsverything you’ve ever wantedto know about the use ofozone as an antimicrobial

Ozone, or 03, is a form of oxygenthat has proven effective in destroyingmicroorganisms.

The conference will begin Mondaymorning, Oct. 28, with a review of federalregulations on ozone use in the foodindustry. In subsequent presentations,researchers from both universities andprivate industry will address the use ofozone on meat and poultry, seafood, freshfruit and other foods. Additional present-ers will discuss the use of ozone as a

wo research studies designedto help protect populationsof native California mammaland bird species have been

completed under the direction of FresnoState biology professor David Grubbs.

The studies were undertaken withfunding from the California StateUniversity Agricultural ResearchInitiative (ARI), which provides supportfor research in the area of naturalresources as well as agriculture.

One of the projects involvedtracking the winter foraging habits of thefisher (Martes pennanti), a cat-sizedcousin to the weasel that historically hasthrived in the mountains of the westernUnited States. Because of recentlydiminished populations, the fisher hasreceived the status of a Species ofSpecial Concern, Grubbs reported inproposing the tracking study.

In an effort to better understand thefisher’s habitat requirements, Grubbsteamed with specialists from the U.S.Forest Service to study the animal’swinter ecology.

“The information gained will be usedin developing management strategies tohelp preserve this species,” he said.

Fresno State graduate student AmieMazzoni directed the fieldwork, whichinvolved trapping and placing radiocollars on 14 fishers in the fall of 1999and 2000. Over two winters the animalswere tracked and their locations recorded.The data retrieved was used to determinehome range areas for the animals.

The information shows that fishersprimarily use large diameter trees andsnags for resting. The researchersconcluded that older, large trees havestructural attributes suitable for fisherresting, such as cavities, large branchesand mistletoe brooms, along with densecanopies that younger trees may lack.

“In an effort to proliferate fisherhabitat, management practices shouldbe implemented that would support largetree growth while maintaining densecover and a multi-layered canopy,” wasamong the recommendations made in areport provided to the U.S. ForestService, Grubbs said.

In a second study, master’s degreestudents Virginia Wible and RodneyOlsen tracked the foraging and nestinghabits of a non-native bird species calledthe European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris),reported to have been introduced intoNorth America in 1890. Following yearsof rapid population growth, the aggres-sive starling has threatened to displaceseveral native species in centralCalifornia’s oak woodlands areas.

By disrupting the already threatenedstatus of some secondary cavity nesting

Student research technician Amie Mazzoni showsa fisher that has been trapped, tranquilized andfitted with a radio collar for tracking.

See Tracking, Page 8

cleaning agent for food processingand nursery equipment, and as anantimicrobial agent for treating soil,irrigation water and wastewater.

The event will be held at theRadisson Hotel in downtown Fresno.The registration fee is $250. For moreinformation call 559-561-0112 orvisit the California AgriculturalTechnology Institute (CATI) websiteat cati.csufresno.edu and click on“Announcements and Events.”

Eagent in food storage and processingwill likely be discussed at theupcoming Ozone III conference setfor Oct. 28-30 in Fresno, California.

Sponsored by Fresno Stateand G&L AgriTec of Three Rivers,California, the conference willfeature presentations on ozone usein agriculture and food processing.

UPDATE FALL 2002 3

Center for Agricultural Business

Upcoming eventsOct. 16 – Farm Labor Contractor ContinuingEducation Course in Salinas, California. Foradditional dates, see article on this page orcall (559) 278-4405.

Oct. 31 – 21st Annual Agribusiness Manage-ment Conference, Radisson Hotel andConference Center in Fresno, California. Formore info, call (559) 278-4405.

Nov. 19 – Agricultural Safety BreakfastMeeting in Calistoga, California. For moreinfo, call (559) 278-4404.

Nov. 19 – Supervising for Success with aPositive Leadership Style, presented inSpanish, in Calistoga. For more info, call(559) 278-4405.

CAB to sponsor education classes for contactors

Recent changes in the Cali-fornia Labor Code requireevery person applying foror renewing a farm labor

contractor (FLC) license to takeat least eight hours of relevanteducational classes each year,and only classes approved bythe state labor commissionermay be taken to meet thisrequirement.

In an effort to help contrac-tors fulfill this obligation, theCenter for Agricultural Business(CAB) has teamed with severalstatewide agencies to develop a neweducational program for farm Labor

Training will cover a variety ofimportant issues including farm laborcontractor requirements, Cal/OSHAand safety requirements, transportation

of workers, workers’compensation, unemploy-ment insurance and statedisability insurance, wageand hour rules, pesticidesafety rules, housingrequirements, and the

Agricultural LaborRelations Act.

Classes willbe offered

in English and Spanish.“The agricultural industry has

expressed a need for this training to beconducted,” stated Kimberly Naffziger,program development specialist for CAB.“Industry leaders from around the statehave expressed tremendous support for

the program, and we are excited tobe offering it.” Classes have been

scheduled on the dates shown in thechart above. Classes also will be

held at the annual AgSafe Confer-ence scheduled for Feb. 5 and 6, 2003in Monterey, California.The registration fee for Farm Labor

Contractor Education Institute classes is$185 per person, or $135 per person formembers of a sponsoring organization.For registration and other information,contact CAB at (559) 278-4405.

Farm Labor Contractor ContinuingFarm Labor Contractor ContinuingFarm Labor Contractor ContinuingFarm Labor Contractor ContinuingFarm Labor Contractor ContinuingEducation Course DatesEducation Course DatesEducation Course DatesEducation Course DatesEducation Course Dates

Oct. 16 Salinas (presented in English)

Oct. 17 Sacramento (English)

Nov. 5 Fresno (English)

Nov. 6 Fresno (Spanish)

Nov. 20 Calistoga (Spanish)

Dec. 4 El Centro (English)

Dec. 5 El Centro (Spanish)

Conference: Experts to offer outlooksfrom Page 1

served as chair of the federal Commis-sion on 21st Century Production Agri-culture, providing Congress and thepresident with recommendations forfuture farm policy.

The morning portion of this year’soutlook conference will feature presen-tations by three other economics andtrade specialists: Steven Wood, chiefeconomist for FinancialOxygen Inc.of Walnut Creek, California; DanielSumner, director of the University ofCalifornia Agricultural Issues Center;and Terry Barr, chief economist for theNational Council of Farmer Coopera-tives.

In addition to broad economicoutlooks, the conference will provide

information on specific Californiaagricultural commodities. A morningpanel of agribusiness leaders will offermarket projections for California winegrapes, raisins, table grapes, tree fruit,cotton, and nut crops.

After lunch a second panel willoffer outlooks for citrus, tomatoes, dairyproducts, and vegetables.

The annual conference is sponsoredby California State University, Fresno’sCenter for Aricultural Business (CAB)and California Agricultural TechnologyInstitute, and by Bank of America Corp.

The registration fee is $85 for regis-trations postmarked by Oct. 25. Foradditional conference information, call559-278-4405 or visit the CAB websiteat cati.csufresno.edu/cab.

contractors. Called the “Farm labor Con-tractor Education Institute,” The programis a collaborative effort of CAB, the FarmEmployers Labor Service, AgSafe, WesternGrowers Association, and the University ofCalifornia Cooperative Extension.

Those organizations have developed an eight-hourcourse approved by state Labor Commissioner Arthur Lujan.Classes will be presented by industry experts approved to presentspecific topics. Participants attending the classes will receive acertificate of attendance from the Farm Labor Contractor Education Institute.

4 FALL 2002 UPDATE

Center for Irrigation Technology

Survey draws grower feedback on water issues

Workshop to addresssystem monitoring

“We wanted tounderstand thebarriers growersface in adopting newwater managementtechnologies.”

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An agricultural irrigation workshopon system monitoring and control willbe held from 8 to 9:30 a.m. Nov. 14 atthe AgTAC facility in Tulare, California.

The workshop is for operators andmanagers of modern irrigation systems.Presenters Tim Jacobsen, from theCenter for Irrigation Technology (CIT),and Brian Hockett and Andy Hensel,from Irrometer, will discuss climatologi-cal-based control, CIMIS soil moisture-based control, time-based controllers,and application efficiency studies.

A continental breakfast will beserved. Sponsors include CIT and theCalifornia Department of Water Re-sources. For details call (559) 278-5752.Pre-register by calling 1-800-772-4822.

armers in California’s SanJoaquin Valley could all bewearing “eternal optimist”buttons, based on the results

of a recent survey conducted by theCenter for Irrigation Technology (CIT).

Despite water shortages, lowcommodity prices and other issuesforcing the state’s farming industry intoone of its deepest slumps ever, mostgrowers don’t consider retirement asan option; rather, they want to improvein what they do. They want to becomemore efficient water users, they areinterested in new technology, and theyvalue education as a tool to improvetheir industry, noted CIT Director DavidZoldoske in summarizing the results ofthe survey.

The ever-growing threat of watershortage in California was one of theissues that prompted Zoldoske to havethe survey compiled and mailed to morethan 2,500 San Joaquin Valley growerslast fall.

With irrigation education a key partof CIT’s mission, he regards the surveyas an important method for determininggrowers’ greatest concerns regardingwater use.

“We wanted to understand thebarriers growers face in adopting newwater management technologies,”Zoldoske said. “What are the issuesthat prevent them from being betterwater users?”

It's not that growers are poor waterusers now, he noted. But with the terms“shortage” and “drought” becomingmore common than unusual thesedays, greater efficiencywill be requiredfor survival.

When the survey asked, “Whatcontingency plans do you have in theevent of a prolonged drought?” growerschose “develop a deficit irrigation plan”and “improve system efficiency” mostover six other choices. The third andfourth most popular options were “drillnew wells” and “obtain water from othersources,” indicating that farmers want to

solve their problems in other ways than“take land out of production” or “quitfarming/go out of business.”

Of the more than 2,500 growerscontacted through a joint effort with alocal ag publishing firm, 445 returnedthe completed questionnaire. The 17percent response rate – excellent for arandom, unsolicited mail survey –indicates a high interest among growersin water issues, Zoldoske said.

Most questions on the survey invitedgrowers to select and rank severalresponses in order of importance.

For example, when growers wereasked what factors

impact their ability to irrigate effec-tively, the most frequently chosen factorwas “difficult soil conditions,” whichtallied 104 responses. Other factorslisted were “insufficient water quality”(80 responses), “improperly gradedfields (75 responses), and “fixeddelivery schedules” (72 responses).

Nearly 50 percent of the growerswho were surveyed indicated they havesome problems with irrigation unifor-mity due to system design, maintenance,or poor water infiltration. When askedabout improvements they would maketo their system, the highest-rankingresponse was “install drip/micro,” with171 responses.

Growers believe education andtraining is important, and listed their“irrigation dealer” as the number onechoice for information on systems andwater management. One in four listedCIT as an important source of trainingand information. Other sources listedwere “irrigation consultants” and UCextension services.

See Survey, Page 8

UPDATE FALL 2002 5

Viticulture and Enology Research Center

Newly released white andblack varieties undergoviticulture trials

Table grapetrials...

USDA geneticistDavid Ramming (left)and Fresno Stateviticulture professorSayed Badr discussone of the new tablegrape varieties beingevaluated in FresnoState vineyard trials.

Two new table grape varietiesare undergoing final evalua-tion in the vineyards andlaboratories of California

State University, Fresno.The varieties are called “Princess”

and “Summer Royal” and may soon befound in supermarkets in California andthroughout the nation.

The evaluations are part of a long-term table grape development programoperated jointly by Fresno State and theU.S. Department of Agriculture. Direct-ing the Fresno State work is professorSayed A. Badr of the Department ofViticulture and Enology. Overseeingbreeding and development of the newvarieties is USDA geneticist David W.Ramming, based at the USDA-ARS SanJoaquin Valley Agricultural ScienceResearch Center in Parlier, California.

The purpose of the program is todevelop, evaluate and introduce im-proved varieties that will help to expandthe U.S. and world markets for Califor-nia table grapes, Badr said.

“USDA releases are going to meeta need in the marketplace. That meansthey will be attractive to consumers,”Badr explained. For U.S. consumers,that means the grape should be seedless;have a large, uniform berry size; anattractive color; and have a good flavor.

Equally important for a new varietyare the production, storage and shippingcharacteristics, Badr noted.

“We need a variety that is grower-friendly,” he said, “one that producesgood size and quality fruit with minimalproduction costs, and one that is resilientto diseases. We also need a grape thatwill maintain its firmness and flavorduring storage and transportation.”

Developing such traits in a singlevariety requires years of trials andevaluation, Badr said.

The new “Princess” variety is a“white” seedless grape; it ripens in mid-season and has a larger berry size than

the popular Thompson seedless, Badrreported. Though “Princess” wasreleased by the USDA to the public in1999, evaluations have continued to helpdetermine optimal viticultural practices.

Key practices that have beenevaluated for “Princess” include pruningmethod and response to girdling andgibberellic acid application. Trials haveshown that vines produced consistentlyhigher yields on cane-pruned rather thanspur-pruned vines, with comparable fruitquality. Gibberellic acid applied at onepart per million (ppm) during bloomadequately thinned the clusters without

negative impact on yield or fruit quality,Badr reported. Girdling treatments stillhave not given consistent results.

“Summer Royal” is a new blackmid-season variety. It is similar to thepopular “Ribier” but is seedless, which isa distinct advantage for sales to Ameri-can consumers, Badr noted.

Viticulture trials showed that“Summer Royal” also produced higheryields on cane-pruned rather than spur-pruned vines. Girdling and gibberellicacid treatments increased berry size,

weight and overall yield without signifi-cantly influencing other fruit parameters.Continuing trials are planned to helpconfirm these findings.

The USDA-Fresno State programhas evaluated more than 60 selectionsover 15 years, with many discardedbecause of less desirable characteristics.Some, such as “Crimson,” have gained astrong foothold in the marketplace.

Recent developmental research hasgained additional support from theCalifornia State University AgriculturalResearch Initiative (ARI).

“The purpose of the program is to develop,evaluate and introduce improved varieties thatwill help to expand the U.S. and world marketsfor California table grapes.”

6 FALL 2002 UPDATE

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CIMIS Station #80 Fresno StateCIMIS Station #80 Fresno StateCIMIS Station #80 Fresno StateCIMIS Station #80 Fresno StateCIMIS Station #80 Fresno State

CaliforniaIrrigationManagementInformationSystemOCT

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FFFFFor more CIMIS infor more CIMIS infor more CIMIS infor more CIMIS infor more CIMIS informormormormormation...ation...ation...ation...ation...

Northern DistrictJamie Dubay(530) 529-7367dubay@water.ca.gov

Central DistrictMark L. Anderson(916) 227-7603marcla@water.ca.gov

San Joaquin DistrictSteve Ewert(559) 230-3334sewert@water.ca.gov

Southern DistrictSergio Fierro(818) 543-4652sergiof@water.ca.gov

CIMIS information is published quarterly in the CATIUpdate newsletter. Articles are provided by the CaliforniaDepartment of Water Resources, CIMIS program staff.

For more information about CIMIS or its programs,contact any of the following representatives at these offices:

lf you are unable to reach a CIMIS representative nearyou, call the CIMIS Helpline at 1-800-922-4647.

Weekly ETo Comparisons for FresnoWeekly ETo Comparisons for FresnoWeekly ETo Comparisons for FresnoWeekly ETo Comparisons for FresnoWeekly ETo Comparisons for FresnoFresno: 06/01/02– 08/31/02Fresno: 06/01/02– 08/31/02Fresno: 06/01/02– 08/31/02Fresno: 06/01/02– 08/31/02Fresno: 06/01/02– 08/31/02

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Selecting a weather station for your areaVisit the CIMIS home page at the

following address:http://www.cimis.water.ca.gov

Note: The first column is a 1-day totaland the rest are 7-day totals.

The California Irrigation Manage-ment Information System (CIMIS)manages over 120 automated weatherstations scattered throughout the state ofCalifornia. If a hypothetical assumptionis made that these stations are uniformlydistributed, it means that a single stationrepresents approximately 1,300 squaremiles of California’s land area. This is avery large area to be represented by asingle station. Several studies haveindicated that weather parameters canvary significantly even within the samefield. Therefore, it is not an exaggerationto state that ET and other weather dataare limited.

CIMIS recognizes these limitationsand is exploring different options tomitigate the problems. Two of the manyoptions that CIMIS is currently explor-ing are as follows:

• Coupling remotely sensed data fromsatellites with ground data from the

CIMIS weather stations and mappingthe results using Geographic Informa-tion Systems (GIS). The maps wouldthen be interactively available on theCIMIS web site (listed above).

• Installing new stations in areas ofdata limitations. This includesinstalling new stations either atstandard reference or “non-ideal”sites. The “non-ideal” weather stationsite study was announced in thespring issue of “Update.”

These are some of the plans forreducing data gaps. In the meantime, youmay want to know how to select a CIMISweather station from the existing 120.Unfortunately, there are no easy ways todo this. We only present the following

brief pointers on how you can obtain thebest possible data for your locality:

• Using the reference evapotranspira-tion (ETo) zone map. This map isavailable on the CIMIS web site orcan be ordered by contacting CIMIS.The ETo zone map helps users toidentify areas of similar microclimatesand select stations within those areas.

• Selecting a station that is the closestto the area of interest. Once thesimilarity of microclimates is estab-lished based upon the ETo zone mapor familiarity with local climates, theproximity of the station to the area ofinterest has to be considered.

• Interpolating between points of datameasurements. If you are not satisfiedby the proximity of the stations and/orthe similarity of microclimates, youmay consider interpolation methodsthat can produce better estimatesusing the available data.

UPDATE FALL 2002 7

CATI on the Web!For timely information about CATI,its research projects or centers, or toview text of research publications, visitus at cati.csufresno.edu.....

Center for Agricultural Business (CAB) –cati.csufresno.edu/cab

Center for Food Science and NutritionResearch (CFSNR) – cati.csufresno.edu/cfsnr

Center for Irrigation Technology (CIT) –cati.csufresno.edu/cit

Viticulture and Enology Research Center(VERC) – cati.csufresno.edu/verc

Agricultural Technology InformationNetwork (ATI-Net) – cati.csufresno.edu/atinet

Calcium may control Erwinia affects on potatoes

S

Text: Designed for college courses,also as reference for growers

ome potato growersin the southern SanJoaquin Valley ofCalifornia are applying

increased rates of calcium to theircrops as a result of informationgained through a recent studyfocused on controlling the effectsof Erwinia bacteria.

Erwinia is present in severalsouth valley counties and hascaused problems for potato growersin those areas, reported FresnoState plant science professor JimFarrar, director of the study.

Different subspecies of Erwiniaare known to cause Erwinia earlydying, soft rot, aerial stem rot, blackleg, and lenticel rot in potatoes.

Because Erwinia early dying isonsidered one of the more seriousdiseases in the area, Farrar’s researchfocused specifically on determininghow water and moisture might affectthe spread of the disease.

The study featured irrigation ofexperimental plots at 75 percent, 100percent, 150 percent and 200 percentof normal rates, based on referenceplant evapotranspiration data. Calciumfertilizer applications also were

incorporated as part of the treatments.Results showed that disease severity

ratings and crop yields were not signifi-cantly affected by the different irrigationtreatments, though there was a trendtoward increased disease at higher

Comparison of healthy (bottom) and diseased (top) potatostems. Top stem is affected by Erwinia.

irrigation rates, Farrar noted. Perhaps more significantly,

the increased calcium fertiliza-tions were shown to reduce post-harvest soft rot disease, Farrarreported. Based on that prelimi-nary data, several growers areapplying increased calcium rateseither as gypsum pre-plant orcalcium chloride throughsprinklers, he said.

A final report containingdetails of this project isavailable on the ARI website at

ari.calstate.edu. The project title is“Epidemiology and Control of ErwiniaEarly Dying of Potato in California”(ARI Proj. #01-2-031). It is listed underthe research focus area of “Productionand Cultural Practices.”

from Page 1

former university colleagues – in thevarious aspects of raisin productionand inviting them to contribute to thebook.

“I chose each individual on thebasis of their expertise, because Iknew I couldn’t cover all aspectsmyself. The result is that I haveinformation from professionals inevery area, including production,processing and marketing.”

At nearly 300 pages, the text isdesigned for university-level course-work and as a reference for highschool students. It will also bevaluable for general use by anyoneinterested in raisin production,Petrucci said.

The text provides an overview ofworld dried-grape production and thehistory of the California grape indus-try. It discusses 13 grape varieties thatcan be made into raisins, along withmethods of developing improved

raisin cultivars. It covers productionsystems in California and Australiaand has a special section on economics.It also addresses dehydration, storage,processing, major insects and diseases,and the promotion and marketing ofraisins. Chapter 14 concludes the textwith a discussion of commercial anddomestic uses of raisins, even offering29 recipes for raisin lovers.

Petrucci expressed his gratitudeto the chapter authors for their contri-butions. He also noted that 25 percentof all book sale revenues will bereturned to Fresno State’s viticultureand enology program to support theeducation of students in those areas.

Cost of the text is $75, plus taxand shipping. Copies may be orderedby contacting P&P Enterprises inClovis at (559) 297-7376. Petruccisaid the text also will be available atthe Fresno State Kennel Bookstore.He hopes to have it available throughother outlets in the near future.

8 FALL 2002 UPDATE

CALIFORNIA AGRICULTURALTECHNOLOGY INSTITUTE

California State University, Fresno2910 E. Barstow Ave. M/S OF115Fresno, California 93740-8009

Update is published quarterly by the California Agricultural Technology Institute

College of AgriculturalSciences and Technology

California State University, FresnoFall 2002

CATI Publication #021001

Voice number: (559) 278-2361Fax number: (559) 278-4849

Director of Operations: Joe BezerraPublications Editor: Steve OlsonEditorial Assistant: John Norton

Non Profit OrganzationU.S. PostagePAIDFresno , CAPermit No. 262

Address Service Requested

Tracking: Starlingsmay be forcingnative birds outfrom Page 2

birds, starlings are affecting thediversity and resilience of the entireecological community, the grassesof which serve as an important foodresource for grazing cattle, Grubbsnoted.

Tracking studies showed thatstarlings tend to occupy nest sitesearlier in the spring than othercavity-nesting birds. This and otherinformation will serve as a basis formanagement strategies that couldsupport the preservation of nativebirds, Grubbs said.

Details of the two researchstudies are available in final reportslocated on the ARI website atari.calstate.edu. The fisher study istitled “Habitat Use by Fishers in theSouthern Sierra Nevada” (ARI Proj.#00-2-016), listed under the “NaturalResources” focus area.

The starling study is titled“Foraging and Nesting Habitats ofEuropean Starlings: Implications forManaging Starling Impact on NativeSpecies” (ARI Proj. #01-2-013),listed under “Biodiversity” projects.

Survey: research supported

In the event of incorrect address information or extra copies to your workplace, please return thisaddress label by mail or fax with your requested changes. CATI fax number is (559) 278-4849.

Clearly, growers are looking togovernment agencies and educationalinstitutions for help in improving theirirrigation practices, Zoldoske noted.When growers were asked how suchentities could assist them in becomingmore efficient, 269 listed low-interestloans as the best form of help. Otherhigh-ranking methods cited wereresearch (159 responses), technicalassistance (134 responses), grant-fundeddemonstration projects (110 responses),and expansion of the EQIP program(100 responses).

The data from this survey will bean important resource for CIT, for the

irrigation industry, and also for educa-tional institutes and governmentalagencies, Zoldoske said.

“Farmers are very aware of waterissues, and they are interested in improv-ing water use efficiency on their farms,”he said. “This data will help CIT andothers to design programs to meet thoseneeds.”

Complete results of the survey willbe made available on the CIT website.Zoldoske also plans to share anddiscuss the data with representativesof the California Department of WaterResources and the U.S. Bureau ofReclamation, whose staff members alsohelped to develop the questionnaire.

from Page 4

Graph at leftcompares responsesof 445 growers tothe followingquestion: "Do youhave any specialfactors that impactyour ability toirrigate effectivelyand profitably?"