Coalition For Urban / Rural Environmental Stewardship (CURES)

CURES OPERATES BY FORMING COALITIONS WITH CONCERNED GROUPS REPRESENTING STEWARDSHIP INTERESTS OF AGRICULTURAL, ENVIRONMENTAL, CROP PROTECTION AND WATER ASSOCIATIONS, GOVERNMENT AGENCIES, ACADEMIA AND PUBLIC INTEREST GROUPS TO WORK ON SCIENCE-BASED SOLUTIONS TO PESTICIDE AND PLANT NUTRIENT PROBLEMS.CURES SPECIALIZES IN PROJECTS AND EDUCATIONAL EFFORTS TO PROMOTE ENVIRONMENTAL RESPONSIBILITY THROUGH IMPLEMENTATION OF EFFECTIVE BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES FOR PROTECTING WATER AND AIR QUALITY ALONG WITH EDUCATIONAL VIDEOS, POWER POINTS PRESENTATIONS, SEMINARS, AND BOOKLETS TO INDUSTRY, INTEREST AND EDUCATIONAL GROUPS, AND GOVERNMENT ENTITIES. CURES ALSO PROVIDES TRAINING CERTIFICATION AND MANAGEMENT ASSISTANCE TO MULTIPLE ENTITIES IN THE CENTRAL COAST AND CENTRAL VALLEY.SINCE 2015 CURES HAS BEEN PERFORMING ORCHARD STUDIES TO EXAMINE THE EFFICACY OF CONTROLLING PESTS USING TECHNIQUES TO MINIMIZE SPRAY DRIFT. AS PART OF THIS PROJECT, VIDEOS WERE PRODUCED ON MULTIPLE BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES FOR PROTECTING SURFACE WATER QUALITY. IN 2021, CURES EXPANDED VIDEO EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMMING TO INCLUDE A SERIES PROVIDING NITROGEN MANAGEMENT INFORMATION OF SEVEN MAJOR ACREAGE CROPS VIDEOS THAT CAN BE APPLIED TOWARD GROWERS CEU CREDIT FOR IRRIGATION AND NITROGEN MANAGEMENT PLAN CERTIFICATION. CURES CONTINUES ITS CLASSROOM-ON- WHEELS APPLICATOR TRAININGS TO PROMOTE BMPS AND NEW RESEARCH, AND THAT PROVIDE CEU CREDITS TO PCAS AND APPLICATORS. ADDITIONALLY, CURES HAS EXPANDED WATER QUALITY OUTREACH AND PRODUCT STEWARDSHIP EFFORTS BY DEVELOPING AN IRRIGATION RUNOFF TREATMENT TECHNIQUE TO FILTER PESTICIDE RESIDUES FROM THE WATER, AND TO ASSIST IN FIELD STUDIES AND CONDUCT OUTREACH FOCUSING ON THE NEW RESEARCH STUDIES.CURES CONTINUES ITS EFFORTS IN WATER QUALITY STEWARDSHIP THROUGH EXPERIENCE MANAGING PROGRAMS THAT PROVIDE REPLACEMENT WATER TO RESIDENCES WHOSE DRINKING WATER WELLS ARE IMPACTED BY PLANT NUTRIENTS APPLIED TO CROPS AND MIGRATING INTO GROUND WATER AQUIFERS. CURES EXPANDED UPON ITS PROGRAM OPERATING IN THE SALINAS VALLEY TO DEVELOP A NEW PROGRAM IN THE CENTRAL VALLEY FOR MODESTO AND TURLOCK BASINS.IN 2022, CURES WAS AWARDED AND BEGAN IMPLEMENTING WETA GRANT OF DISTRIBUTION UNIFORMITY PROGRAM. The objectives of the WETA DU project are to Develop a Simplified Micro Irrigation System Distribution Uniformity (DU) Test, Evaluation and Financial Performance Report and Train Irrigation Specialists and Growers to Implement the Approach in Central Valley Irrigated Crops.