Pennsylvania Growers can Benefit from NRCS High Tunnel Pilot Study

Online, March 11, 2010 (Newswire.com) - Financial assistance aimed at supporting conservation projects, including pest management, is now available for Pennsylvania specialty crop producers.

The Seasonal High Tunnel System for Crops is a new conservation practice being piloted by the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). Part of the "Know Your Farmer; Know Your Food" initiative, the goal of the project is to improve plant, soil, and water quality while reducing energy use by increasing local consumption.

Financial assistance is available to fund construction of new high tunnels as well as conservation practices such as pest management, crop rotation, planting cover crops, and nutrient management through the USDA's NRCS Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) Organic Initiative and the Agricultural Management Assistance (AMA) program. These programs offer an opportunity for Pennsylvania producers to obtain Federal financial assistance for conservation related projects, including the implementation of a pest management plan within a high tunnel structure. Integrated pest management, or IPM, aims to manage pests -- including insects and diseases -- by combining physical, biological and chemical tactics in a safe, profitable and environmentally compatible manner.

According to Gwendolyn Crews, resource conservationist with NRCS, high tunnels can provide steady incomes to small farmers and organic producers, while providing an environment that is well suited to the use of predatory insects to control common pests. An IPM program involves scouting for pests, releasing predators, and reducing pesticide spraying schedules. The reduction of pesticides also allows a community of beneficial insects to be maintained within the tunnel.

"High tunnels are constructed of plastic or metal pipes covered with a single layer of plastic sheeting, making them easy to build and maintain. They can also extend the growing season of high value crops such as tomatoes without the use of electrical, heating, and/or mechanical ventilation systems," said Crews.

Both financial assistance programs, AMA and EQIP Organic Initiative, accept applications on a continuous basis throughout the year with periodic cutoff dates to evaluate, rank, prioritize and select applicants. The deadline for the first round of EQIP Organic Initiative funding is March 12, while the AMA and EQIP General programs have deadlines at the end of each month until funding runs out. "Growers who miss the deadline this year will receive consideration in the first round of funding for the programs next year," Crews explained.

Successful applicants will be required to maintain annual records for the three year pilot study period to help NRCS verify if high tunnels are effective in reducing pesticide and nutrient applications, improving plant and soil quality, conserving energy, and providing other benefits to growers.

For more information the program, Pennsylvania producers can contact Crews at 717-237-2218 or Gwendolyn.Crews@pa.usda.gov. More information on high tunnels can be found at www.hightunnels.org, the Penn State Center for Plasticulture at plasticulture.psu.edu/ and on the Pennsylvania NRCS web site at www.pa.nrcs.usda.gov.