Three participants in the study will install Oakville bluegrass, a cool season perennial grass, in combination with bee forage to answer the key question of whether or not the practice of covering the orchard floor is less expensive than traditional management in the long term. In the short term, the study will seek to answer questions about how Oakville bluegrass plays into harvest operations.

The three participants in the study represent different geographic regions within California and varying levels of experience with cover crops. They all hope to achieve better weed management and reduce labor. One farm is organically farmed as well, which will offer insight into the performance of the cover crop for weed suppression in organically managed floors.

The Western SARE study kicked off with representatives from the co-op meeting with each of the participating growers to determine the right installation design for their project. Soil data was collected at or close to the time of planting. Management activities will continue to be tracked throughout the year and each year’s harvest data collected. We look forward to sharing the results!