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Communicating Climate Smart Agriculture to Tree Nut Growers in the San Joaquin Valley of California

Authors:
Samuel Ikendi at Univerity of California
Samuel Ikendi
  • Univerity of California
Vikram Koundinya at University of California, Davis
Vikram Koundinya
Caddie Bergren
Caddie Bergren
Caddie Bergren
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Namah Taku-Forchu at University of Wisconsin–Madison
Namah Taku-Forchu
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Abstract

This study sought to assess knowledge changes related to Climate Smart Agriculture programs and practices for tree nut growers in the San Joaquin Valley of California that could potentially raise awareness and influence behavioral change toward their adoption.
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Research Poster
Communicating Climate Smart Agriculture to Tree Nut Growers in the San Joaquin
Valley of California
Samuel Ikendi
University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources; UC Merced
Academic Coordinator, sikendi@ucanr.edu
Vikram Koundinya
University of California – Davis
Associate Professor of Extension and Evaluation Specialist, vkoundinya@ucdavis.edu
Caddie Bergren
University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources
Community Education Specialist, cmbergren@ucanr.edu
Namah Chiamo Taku-Forchu
United States Department of Agriculture California Climate Hub; UC Davis
Postdoctoral Fellow, taku@ucdavis.edu
Lauren Parker
United States Department of Agriculture California Climate Hub; UC Davis
Research Program Manager, leparker@ucdavis.edu
Natalia Pinzon
University of California – Davis
Doctoral Candidate, npinzon@ucdavis.edu
Leslie Roche
University of California – Davis
Associate Professor of Cooperative Extension in Rangeland Management, lmroche@ucdavis.edu
Mark Cooper
University of California – Davis
Associate Professor, mhcooper@ucdavis.edu
Daniele Zaccaria
University of California – Davis
Associate Professor in Water Management for Cooperative Extension, dzaccaria@ucdavis.edu
Steven Ostoja
Director, United States Department of Agriculture California Climate Hub; UC Davis
smostoja@ucdavis.edu
Tapan Pathak
University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources; UC Merced
Associate Cooperative Extension Specialist for Climate Adaptation, tpathak@ucanr.edu
Research Poster
Introduction/Need for the Study
California produces about one-third of the total vegetables and two-thirds of the fruits and nuts
on nearly 1.2% of the United States’ viable farmland (Pathak et al., 2018). However, the future
of agriculture in California is at a critical juncture due to projected climate change. Increasing
heat waves, temperatures, and erratic precipitation are already impacting the sector (Parker et
al., 2020; 2021; Pathak et al., 2018; Swain et al., 2018). These extreme weather events are
associated with increases in insect pests and associated diseases (Pathak et al., 2021; Rijal et
al., 2021). These impacts provide a glimpse of a volatile future of California agrosystems that
require multifaceted approaches to tackle the challenges. Farmers increasingly seek locally
relevant information on climate change impacts and adaptation practices and resources for their
cropping systems (CalCAN, 2018). University of California academics designed a multifaceted
approach to climate-smart agriculture (CSA) education project. Part of the project activities is
organizing regional and commodity-specific workshops to communicate with growers, and
technical service providers (TSPs) about climate-agriculture science. We conducted a workshop
with tree nut growers and TSPs in San Joaquin. This study sought to determine the participants’
knowledge of CSA practices before and after a workshop to assess the knowledge gained, and
the potential for promotion and adoption of CSA practices. The study aligns with the seventh
goal of the U.S. agriculture education research agenda which includes designing programs to
prepare people to address complex issues including climate change (Andenoro et al., 2016).
Theoretical Framework
Our study was grounded on the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) which supposes that when
one plans on doing something, three intentional aspects play a role in the decision to act (Ajzen,
1985). These intentions include the behavior attitude, subjective norm, and perceived behavioral
control. Behavior attitude relates to how one thinks and feels about a behavior, for instance, in
the current era where the climate change topic is highly contested (Sanders et al., 2022). The
subjective norms are related to social interactions, social pressures, and support given by
members of our social circles. In our study, the pressures arise from the reported climate change
trends and impacts projected to adversely affect agricultural production in California (Pathak et
al., 2018) that require building capacities of growers and TSPs toward CSA programs and
practices. The perceived behavioral control ascribes to an individual feeling of having the ability
to accomplish the task. In our study, growers understanding of the CSA practices were perceived
as behavioral control. Attending the workshop on CSA practices is one way of overcoming
barriers and challenges towards climate change perceptions and CSA programs and practices.
Methodology
This study was a survey of a workshop organized in March 2023 on CSA practices for nut
growers in the San Joaquin Valley, California. Participants were both growers and TSPs. A total
of 36 participated, of whom 30(83.3%) completed the survey. The study focused on two
questions. The scale question was designed retrospective post-then-pre format with columns
side-by-side to measure the perceived knowledge before and after attending the workshop
sessions. Knowledge was measured on a five-point Likert-type scale ranging from 1) no
knowledge, 2) minimal knowledge, 3) basic knowledge, 4) adequate knowledge), and 5) superior
knowledge. There were 10 sessions delivered by nine speakers from the University of California
system. From the 10 sessions, we generated 14 Likert items. The survey asked participants to
indicate their affiliation as growers and/or TSPs. All questions were developed by four research
team members based on the pre-submitted PowerPoint slides by presenters and were reviewed
Research Poster
and modified by the project team. Data collection was on a self-administered two-page paper
survey to provide feedback in the last 20 minutes of the workshop. We tested the reliability of
Likert-type scale items using Cronbach’s alpha. The alpha value on scale responses is set at 0.70,
meaning 70% is reliable and 30% is error variance. The alpha value on the knowledge before the
workshop was 0.862 and after was 0.876, which indicated a strong consistency in the responses
(Taber, 2018). Data were analyzed and presented by percentages; Mean (M) and Standard
Deviations (SD) with an independent samples t-test to determine if there existed differences
between growers and TSPs in their knowledge before and after the workshop at 0.05.
Results
Of the workshop participants, 13(43.3%) were growers and 17(56.7%) were TSPs who included
Certified Crop Advisors, Pest Control Advisors, University Academics, and Conservation
Personnel. Overall knowledge about CSA practices before the workshop was “minimum” (M =
2.88, SD = .590); however, an independent samples t-test indicates that growers had higher
knowledge of CSA practices (M = 2.96, SD = .430) than TSPs (M = 2.82, SD = .692); t(23.501)
= .643, p = .045, Cohen’s d = .247 (small effect size). By details, three themes including climate
change impacts, whole orchard recycling (WOR) potential benefits, and WOR field
considerations had statistically higher mean for growers than TSPs; conversely, nutrient
management considerations after WOR had a higher mean for TSPs than growers. The
knowledge after the workshop was overall “adequate” (M = 4.12, SD = .459), and there were no
differences between growers (M = 4.12, SD = .461) and TSPs (M = 4.07, SD = .498); t(25) =
.191, p = .822. However, themes including effects of chills on orchards, opportunities for optimal
power supply, and winter cover crops had statistically higher mean for growers than TSPs
whereas climate change trends and nutrient management had higher mean for TSPs than growers.
Conclusions
This study sought to assess knowledge changes related to CSA practices for tree nut growers in
the San Joaquin Valley that could potentially raise awareness and influence behavioral change
toward their adoption. Generally, there was a statistically significant change in knowledge from a
mean of 2.88 to 4.12, reflecting a 1.24-point knowledge gain after the workshop which moved
participants from “minimal” to “adequate” knowledge. Although growers had statistically higher
knowledge than TSPs before the workshop, an independent samples t-test ran after the workshop
did not show significant differences. The study finds that themes that were presented with more
technical information were statistically significantly understood by TSPs, including climate
change trends and nutrient management. However, themes that were presented and had practical
aspects and/or that growers are witnessing on their farms contributed significant knowledge to
growers, for instance, effect of chills on orchard crops, optimal power supply, and cover crops.
Implications
The study findings have implications for how TSPs need to design strategies for communicating
climate-agriculture science, like, adopting regional, community-specific, and using narrative
communication strategies for non-scientific audiences. Narrative strategies are persuasive; their
structure relays cause-and-effect relationships between events which increases knowledge
comprehension, interest, and engagement in topics. Such elements are vital in communicating
the science of sustainability (Ikendi, 2023) and climate change topics that are contested in the
U.S. (Sanders et al., 2022). The results also show a need to involve TSPs in CSA workshops to
harness scientific research knowledge. The TPB speaks about the influence of members in our
social circles, who are TSPs guiding the growers in their operations as change agents.
Research Poster
References
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Beckmann, (Eds.), Action control (pp. 11-39). Springer.
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priority 7: Addressing complex problems. In G. T. Roberts., A. Harder., & T. M.
Brashears, (Eds.), American association for agricultural education national research
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Ikendi, S. (2023). Ecological conservation, biodiversity, and agricultural education as integrated
approaches for envisioning the future of sustainable agriculture in North America.
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https://doi.org/10.1080/13504509.2022.2127032
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Swain, D. L., Langenbrunner, B., Neelin, J. D., & Hall, A. (2018). Increasing precipitation
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