Deborah
04-10-2008, 07:22 PM
I am hoping to learn if there are any regulations for the water used to water certified organic crops. Is the water regulated?
Thanks,
Deborah
Thanks,
Deborah
View Full Version : Water for organic crops
First Light Farm
04-10-2008, 09:51 PM
Hi Deborah,
Your question about organic standards for irrigation water sent me searching the internet for answers. I looked through the entire National Organic Program standards and the CCOF website and there is no specific mention of "standards" for irrigation water. A certifier could certainly request a water sample if there was a reason to suspect a problem. But it seems like there is no language in the national standards that spell out criteria.
Where did your question come from? Are you concerned about pathogens, trace amounts of pesticides or fertlizer runoff, or chlorinated municipal water, etc?
Nathan Boone<o:p></o:p>
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First Light Farm CSA<o:p></o:p>
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https://firstlightfarm.nexo.com/csa<o:p></o:p>
<o:p></o:p>
Food for the Journey<o:p></o:p>
https://www.waccobb.net/forums/waccobb/Banners/FirstLightFarm_lb.gif (https://firstlightfarm.nexo.com/csa)
I am hoping to learn if there are any regulations for the water used to water certified organic crops. Is the water regulated?
Thanks,
Deborah
Your question about organic standards for irrigation water sent me searching the internet for answers. I looked through the entire National Organic Program standards and the CCOF website and there is no specific mention of "standards" for irrigation water. A certifier could certainly request a water sample if there was a reason to suspect a problem. But it seems like there is no language in the national standards that spell out criteria.
Where did your question come from? Are you concerned about pathogens, trace amounts of pesticides or fertlizer runoff, or chlorinated municipal water, etc?
Nathan Boone<o:p></o:p>
~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ <o:p></o:p>
First Light Farm CSA<o:p></o:p>
~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ <o:p></o:p>
https://firstlightfarm.nexo.com/csa<o:p></o:p>
<o:p></o:p>
Food for the Journey<o:p></o:p>
https://www.waccobb.net/forums/waccobb/Banners/FirstLightFarm_lb.gif (https://firstlightfarm.nexo.com/csa)
I am hoping to learn if there are any regulations for the water used to water certified organic crops. Is the water regulated?
Thanks,
Deborah
Braggi
04-11-2008, 08:26 AM
...
Where did your question come from? Are you concerned about pathogens, trace amounts of pesticides or fertlizer runoff, or chlorinated municipal water, etc?
...
Sounds like heresy. Careful there ... :wink:
-Jeff
PS. Is there a smiley for a can o' worms?
Where did your question come from? Are you concerned about pathogens, trace amounts of pesticides or fertlizer runoff, or chlorinated municipal water, etc?
...
Sounds like heresy. Careful there ... :wink:
-Jeff
PS. Is there a smiley for a can o' worms?
Merlen Agronomics
04-13-2008, 03:10 PM
You are correct, Nathan, well researched. Glad you found good ground to apply your growing talents and passion to.
There are not specific criteria or set requirements for the water that goes on organic crops.
Trained as an internationally certified organic inspector, I found irrigation and wash water is not routinely tested, unless if there is reason to suspect contamination (farm pumps from an irrigation ditch who's source passes by other non-certified farms), water samples CAN be requested for certification, at least through CCOF, who will make an effort to get those water samples at the time of year when runoff would bring the highest amount of non-organic contaminents into the water used for irrigating.
They have a decent list of certain prominent things to look for in water tests. But requesting the farm to test the source of their irrigation water depends on the scrutiny, apptitude, attitude, weather, and mood that day of the inspector that shows up to inspect the farm. Otherwise, the assumption is, that if the crops are growing sufficiently, the water must be fine.
If the inspector's report is either clear that the water should be tested or point to details that would have water quality under suspicion, CCOF is pretty adept at communicating with the farm that a water test is needed before they can certify.
Great question, it's one of those gray areas that the USDA gets 'feedback' on, and is one of the reasons the NOP standards are a little slippery.
This year, I'll be working with some folks on putting together guidelines for complying with the USDA National Organic Program, but without the animal components, called 'Veganic' farming.
Nathan's farm is using more biodynamic practices (https://firstlightfarm.nexo.com/practices). Bob Cannard is branding 'green string', greenstringfarm.com, greenstringinstitute.org. Greg Willis is touting wholisticagriculture.com. We will see a growing trend of greater refinement in what constitutes various farming practices and procedures, all to the benefit of the consumer.
There are not specific criteria or set requirements for the water that goes on organic crops.
Trained as an internationally certified organic inspector, I found irrigation and wash water is not routinely tested, unless if there is reason to suspect contamination (farm pumps from an irrigation ditch who's source passes by other non-certified farms), water samples CAN be requested for certification, at least through CCOF, who will make an effort to get those water samples at the time of year when runoff would bring the highest amount of non-organic contaminents into the water used for irrigating.
They have a decent list of certain prominent things to look for in water tests. But requesting the farm to test the source of their irrigation water depends on the scrutiny, apptitude, attitude, weather, and mood that day of the inspector that shows up to inspect the farm. Otherwise, the assumption is, that if the crops are growing sufficiently, the water must be fine.
If the inspector's report is either clear that the water should be tested or point to details that would have water quality under suspicion, CCOF is pretty adept at communicating with the farm that a water test is needed before they can certify.
Great question, it's one of those gray areas that the USDA gets 'feedback' on, and is one of the reasons the NOP standards are a little slippery.
This year, I'll be working with some folks on putting together guidelines for complying with the USDA National Organic Program, but without the animal components, called 'Veganic' farming.
Nathan's farm is using more biodynamic practices (https://firstlightfarm.nexo.com/practices). Bob Cannard is branding 'green string', greenstringfarm.com, greenstringinstitute.org. Greg Willis is touting wholisticagriculture.com. We will see a growing trend of greater refinement in what constitutes various farming practices and procedures, all to the benefit of the consumer.
Zeno Swijtink
04-13-2008, 03:28 PM
I am hoping to learn if there are any regulations for the water used to water certified organic crops. Is the water regulated?
Thanks,
Deborah
One may think that the "purer" the water the better. An article is Science brings that into question.
Science 9 November 2007:
Vol. 318. no. 5852, pp. 920 - 921
DOI: 10.1126/science.1146339
Prev | Table of Contents | Next
POLICY FORUM
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE:
Rethinking Desalinated Water Quality and Agriculture
U. Yermiyahu,1 A. Tal,2,* A. Ben-Gal,1 A. Bar-Tal,3 J. Tarchitzky,4 O. Lahav5
Damage to crops after irrigation with extremely pure water from the
world's largest reverse-osmosis desalination plant reveals a need for
revised treatment standards.
See att.
Thanks,
Deborah
One may think that the "purer" the water the better. An article is Science brings that into question.
Science 9 November 2007:
Vol. 318. no. 5852, pp. 920 - 921
DOI: 10.1126/science.1146339
Prev | Table of Contents | Next
POLICY FORUM
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE:
Rethinking Desalinated Water Quality and Agriculture
U. Yermiyahu,1 A. Tal,2,* A. Ben-Gal,1 A. Bar-Tal,3 J. Tarchitzky,4 O. Lahav5
Damage to crops after irrigation with extremely pure water from the
world's largest reverse-osmosis desalination plant reveals a need for
revised treatment standards.
See att.
don
04-13-2008, 05:57 PM
So what constitutes "pure water" ? R-O water is also known as "dead water" in some cultures and is very acidic (low pH ~ in the range of 3.0 as I understand) compared to "live" water (normal pH around 7).
Don
One may think that the "purer" the water the better. An article is Science brings that into question.
Science 9 November 2007:
Vol. 318. no. 5852, pp. 920 - 921
DOI: 10.1126/science.1146339
Prev | Table of Contents | Next
POLICY FORUM
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE:
Rethinking Desalinated Water Quality and Agriculture
U. Yermiyahu,1 A. Tal,2,* A. Ben-Gal,1 A. Bar-Tal,3 J. Tarchitzky,4 O. Lahav5
Damage to crops after irrigation with extremely pure water from the
world's largest reverse-osmosis desalination plant reveals a need for
revised treatment standards.
See att.
Don
One may think that the "purer" the water the better. An article is Science brings that into question.
Science 9 November 2007:
Vol. 318. no. 5852, pp. 920 - 921
DOI: 10.1126/science.1146339
Prev | Table of Contents | Next
POLICY FORUM
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE:
Rethinking Desalinated Water Quality and Agriculture
U. Yermiyahu,1 A. Tal,2,* A. Ben-Gal,1 A. Bar-Tal,3 J. Tarchitzky,4 O. Lahav5
Damage to crops after irrigation with extremely pure water from the
world's largest reverse-osmosis desalination plant reveals a need for
revised treatment standards.
See att.