GRAS2P Tips

GRAS2P Tips. I’m Greg Martin with today’s Fruit Grower Report.

Now that the growing season will shortly be upon us it’s time to start once again passing along some GRAS2P tips. GRAS2P of course  stands for growers response to agricultural safe & sustainable practices and is a Washington tree fruit industry grower-based effort for audit readiness, food safety operating procedures, establishment of standards for sustainable practices, traceability from market back to farm, and continued use of good agricultural practices in orchards. Here’s Lacy Gray with another tip dealing with plant nutrition.

GRAY: Another leg of horticultural sustainability is plant nutrition. Documenting your nutrient management plan (perhaps with recommendations from qualified advisors) helps to manage applications in order to maximize the efficacy and/or uptake of important nutrients. Then, when applications occur, be sure to record and reference these to the production unit with a nutrient application log.

Thanks Lacy. Again GRAS2P helps prepare growers to successfully pass a USDA or Global G.A.P. third-party verification audit as well as to meet tree fruit industry specific sustainability standards associated with crop protection, soil fertility & plant nutrition, and water management. Institute effective state-wide communication strategies between growers, packing houses, and markets which support food safety and economic viability of the industry. Document process, participation, and practices to build the foundation for proactive political, market, and regulatory responses.

That’s today’s Fruit Grower Report. I’m Greg Martin on the Ag Information Network.