Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/1084285
13 Curtis and third-party collaborators developed the Honey Bee Best Management Practices for California Almonds. The best-practices manual, available at Almonds.com/BeeBMPs, includes directions on bee-safe pesticide practices and explains the benefits of diverse cover crops (forage) in or around orchards to help sustain the 2 million colonies brought into California almond orchards annually to pollinate the crop. "I'm proud to say that we're the first commodity that put crop-specific principles together for protecting honey bees," Curtis said. "A lot of groups across the nation have copied our practices." Curtis also worked with specialists in ag education, environmental policymaking and regulatory agencies to increase almond production and sustainable farming. 1 Given California's persistent water woes, increasing the almond industry's water use efficiency has been a key objective for Curtis. Because of advanced management techniques like micro-irrigation and more precise water scheduling in concert with advanced horticultural practices, Curtis said, "Almond orchards require 33% less water 2 to produce a pound of almonds than they did 20 years ago." The adoption of scientifically proven irrigation and horticultural practices has also led to a doubling of almond yields in the last two decades. "It used to be taken as gospel truth that growers should prune 20% of the wood out of a tree's canopy each season to maintain production," Curtis said. "But there was no research to back that up. Now we know that growers were pruning away profitability. Research has shown that trees need only minimal pruning, just enough to initiate and maintain a sound canopy structure, orchard access and safety." Considering the depth of Curtis' commitment to agriculture, he concedes that retiring from the Almond Board was "a big step." And while he'll remain a close contact for the Almond Board of California, he's enjoyed more time with his family and grandchildren and is laying the groundwork for one of his next challenges: training his two Australian shepherds for "agility." The sport requires trainers to direct their dogs through an obstacle course, including tunnels, tires and seesaws. "You know what they say about herding dogs," Curtis said. "They need a job to be happy." and the Honey Bee Health Coalition, Curtis worked to inform growers on how to consider pollinator well-being both during bloom and throughout the year. "Pollination is critical for orchard production, so we must make sure almonds are a safe place for honey bees," Curtis said. To ensure bee safety in balance with almond production practices, 1 Sustainable almond farming utilizes production practices that are economically viable and are based upon scientific research, common sense and a respect for the environment, neighbors and employees. 2 University of California. UC Drought Management. Feb. 2010. Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN. FAO Irrigation and Drainage Paper 66 – Crop yield in response to water. 2012. Almond Board of California. Almond Almanac 1990–94, 2000–14. "I'm proud to say that we're the first commodity that put crop-specific principles together for protecting honey bees. A lot of groups across the nation have copied our practices." – Bob Curtis