By:
Chuck Woods (352) 392-1773 ext 281Source(s):
Mike Martin mvm@ifas.ufl.edu, 352-392-1773
Brian Boman bjboman@ifas.ufl.edu, 772-468-3922 ext. 122
FORT PIERCE, FLA.—Brian Boman, an associate professor in the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS), has been named coordinator of a statewide program promoting the use best management practices or BMPs by growers and residents.
The appointment was announced by Mike Martin, UF vice president for agriculture and natural resources in Gainesville, who said Boman’s success in developing and promoting BMPs for the citrus industry qualifies him to lead the statewide education program.
Martin said Boman will serve as a liaison between the UF and state agencies and grower organizations. He will oversee development of BMPs, and coordinate research and demonstration projects around the state to enhance water quality and natural resources.
Boman, based at the UF/IFAS Indian River Research and Education Center in Fort Pierce, said BMPs refer to a wide range of methods that farmers and residents can use to protect the environment by reducing the use of fertilizers, pesticides, water and other production inputs.
Information from the BMP research and education program, which is being offered through local UF/IFAS extension offices in all 67 Florida counties, encourages agricultural producers to perform environmental assessments of their farm management operations. He said BMPs can drastically reduce nutrient runoff from fertilizer and animal wastes, thereby protecting water quality. BMPs can also improve crop quality and yield, worker safety and overall resource allocation.
Non-farm residents are being encouraged to use BMPs in the home environment. Many of these BMPs are being promoted in the extension Master Gardener program, which shows residents how to maintain their yards and protect the environment.
“The result is a win-win because these environmentally friendly practices are more cost-efficient and profitable in the long run,” he said.
Boman recently helped develop the Indian River Citrus BMP Manual, a 164-page document prepared by faculty at the Fort Pierce center and St. Lucie County extension service. The manual addresses five key areas identified by growers, state regulators, researchers and environmental groups: BMPs for water volume or excess water, sediment, pesticides, nutrients and aquatic weeds.
“In the Indian River area, nutrient runoff was identified as one of the biggest problems resulting from fertilizer use in both citrus groves and urban areas,” Boman said. “Growers can refer to the manual to see how they can decrease runoff.”
He pointed out that the citrus industry is only one of many entities responsible for the quality of Florida’s lands and waters.
“Urban areas, golf courses and other farm operations all contribute to some of Florida’s major environmental problems, and all need to be more environmentally conscious to make sure conservation is successful in the long term,” Boman said.
Boman, who joined the UF faculty in 1986, earned his bachelors’s degree in agricultural engineering from North Dakota State University, his master’s degree in agricultural engineering from Colorado State University, and his doctoral degree in agricultural and irrigation engineering from Utah State University.
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