Doug Parker

Explaining Irrigation Technology Choices: A Microparameter Approach

Water price reforms are increasingly being used to encourage improvements in irrigation efficiency through technology adoption. A microparameter approach based on field-level data is used to assess the effect of economic variables, environmental characteristics, and institutional variables on irrigation technology choices. The results show that water price is not the most important factor governing irrigation technology adoption; physical and agronomic characteristics appear to matter more. The results demonstrate the importance of using micro-level data to determine the effects of asset heterogeneity and crop type on technology adoption. Copyright 1996, Oxford University Press.

Public-Private Sector Linkages in Research and Development: The Case of U.S. Agriculture

The Bayh-Dole Act of 1980 gave U.S. universities and researchers property rights to innovations funded by federal money.This act led many universities to create Offices of Technology Transfer (OTTs) to assess innovations.The role of the OTT in the development of agricultural biotechnologies is evaluated.The five stages of the innovation process (research, development, product testing, production, and marketing) are discussed and evaluated in agricultural terms. The OTTs process of bringing innovations to the private sector (by soliciting and evaluating innovations, selling intellectual property rights, and monitoring and enforcing contracts) is explained, discussing this process in the agricultural field and discussing new roles of OTTs.Alternative institutional setups for conducting the innovation process are presented. Although OTTs provide a new link between universities and the commercial sector, traditional links, such as extension offices, should also be maintained, and the value of public research not leading to patents or royalties should not be overlooked. (AKP)

Supporting sustainable groundwater management

UC Agriculture and Natural Resources (UC ANR) is working to develop one of the most promising groundwater recharge approaches — replenishing aquifers by spreading wintertime river flood flows onto farm lands and other open spaces.

Optimal Regional Regulation of Animal Waste

Large animal facilities generate manure in excess of their production needs leading to excessive nutrient loading. Differences in manure contents of phosphorus and nitrogen relative to crop requirements exacerbate loading of the more abundant nutrient, frequently phosphorus. Current regulations that restrict manure utilization and animal production, but not at crop lands leads to suboptimal resource allocation and under utilization of manure in crop production. The transboundary character of nutrient loading further complicates the management of manure phosphorus and nitrogen. Due to differences in environmental characteristics, upstream and downstream regions may have differing objectives towards controlling nitrogen and phosphorus surpluses. We consider optimal management of manure in a stylized two-agent, two-nutrient and two-region model. We show that trade-offs in managing manure phosphorus and nitrogen, inability to regulate manure applications outside animal farms’ field areas and regional differences in environmental targets can severely impede the effectiveness of regulation. Depending on the environmental and economic characteristics, tightening upstream regulation with respect to the loading of one nutrient might increase the downstream loading of the other and might even decrease the total welfare.

UC ANR applies innovative research and programs to state’s water scarcity

Editorial UC ANR applies innovative research and programs to state’s water scarcity UC Ray Lucas Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources (ANR) scientists have a long history of helping California agriculture remain productive in a varied climate. California’s first drip irrigation, for example, was first introduced in the 1960s by ANR researchers in San Diego County. That spirit of innovation continues to this day. Our work introducing and helping manage new, more efficient irriga- tion systems enables the state’s grow- ers to increase production in our water-scarce environment. This issue of California Agriculture highlights UC ANR’s willingness to tackle new research areas of water management, specifically the use of recycled or re- claimed water. Using recycled water for irriga- tion brings both new and familiar Doug Parker challenges to agriculture, with water Director quality and reliability as two major California Institute for Water concerns. In their article “Chloride Resources levels increase after 13 years of recy- Leader Water Quality, Quantity and cled water use in the Salinas Valley,” Security Strategic Initiative Platts and Grismer find that while salinity levels increased less than pre- dicted from using recycled water, chloride levels ex- ceeded crop tolerance in some fields. The researchers furthered their work in the Salinas Valley, looking at soil water hydrologic factors controlling leaching. In the article “Rainfall leaching is critical for long-term use of recycled water in the Salinas Valley,” they find that with moderate levels of salinity in irrigation wa- ter, soil salinity can reach a steady state. While these studies focused on the Salinas Valley, the results have implications for using recycled wa- ter elsewhere. In the article “Recycled water causes no salinity or toxicity issues in Napa vineyards,” Weber et. al. suggest that vineyards can thrive with recycled water under good irrigation management. Finally, the water section of this issue of California Agriculture includes a look at the use of new sensor technology to improve the efficiency of traditional surface water irrigation systems for alfalfa fields. This technology can increase water use efficiency and reduce potential water quality issues from end- of-field runoff. These articles demonstrate ANR’s commitment to be an innovative source of solutions for California. To this end, ANR continues to support scientific inquiries that foster creativity. ANR’s Strategic Vision 2025 serves as a guiding document for the Division and establishes the framework for how we respond to challenges that face the state. As part of this vision, we created five Strategic Initiatives to focus our research and extension programs: Water Quality, Quantity and Security; Endemic and Invasive Pests and Diseases; Sustainable Food Systems; Sustainable Natural Ecosystems; and Healthy Families and Communities. Each initiative seeks to capitalize on our science expertise to address issues of critical im- portance to California. The Water Strategic Initiative, like the other four initiatives, is managed by a panel of scientists. The panel is responsible for creating and updating the initiative’s 5-year strategic plan, recommend- ing funding priorities for grants within ANR and making sure that adequate resources and staff are available to meet the plan’s objectives (ucanr.edu/u. cfm?id=97). In addition to the Water Strategic Initiative, ANR created the California Institute for Water Resources (CIWR), which coordinates and promotes water- related activities across the entire UC system. This institute works hand-in-hand with the ANR Water Strategic Initiative to expand our ability to respond to state needs. The CIWR has taken the lead at UC in organizing UC’s drought-related research and out- reach programs. Through its web portal (ciwr.ucanr. edu/) and Twitter feed (@ucanrwater), the CIWR This issue of California Agriculture highlights our willingness to tackle new research areas of water management. provides Californians with vital information on drought response resources, workshops and semi- nars, and media contacts and reports. UC President Napolitano has appointed the CIWR to be the lead UC program on drought response and to liaison with Governor Brown’s drought task force to bring UC resources to cur- rent drought issues. We seek to assist the governor’s task force, and indeed all state agencies, with UC expertise and knowledge to help California through the drought. With water, as with other Division programs, ANR continues to seek and provide California with ideas and solutions based on science. http://californiaagriculture.ucanr.edu • JULY–SEPTEMBER 2014 53