The BetterSoil Alliance is pleased to welcome two new partners – Ceres Imaging and Phytech – to help support the California almond industry in the pursuit of improving water productivity, soil health, and lowering carbon footprint.

Since its inception last fall by Yara North America and Heliae® Agriculture, the Alliance has established a framework for evaluating soil chemical, physical, and biological properties; treatment level plant response (growth, moisture stress, vigor); and yield potential. At the end of the season, crop yield/quality, nutrient use efficiency, water productivity, and greenhouse gas emissions will be calculated and evaluated against grower standard practices to validate improvements for growers. Following harvest, the Alliance will share initial findings from the first year of trialing to ensure valuable insights are available to the entire industry.

Almond growers (with 80 acres or more) and advisors are invited to participate in implementing the solutions through customized crop and soil nutrition programs. Participants are eligible to receive a sustainability reward based on water productivity and nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) improvements. Data collected from participating growers’ orchards will be used to better understand the positive impact the solutions implemented in the program can have. To allow for collaboration with as many growers as possible, the Alliance urges the industry to participate through pledges to help fund the sustainability awards.

To learn more about the BetterSoil Alliance and how you can get involved, visit www.yara.us/bettersoil/.