News Release

Idaho Grower Greg Nickell Recognized

BLACKFOOT, ID — The National Potato Council in the US recently named Blackfoot potato grower Greg Nickell as an industry leader in environmental stewardship. For Nickell's innovative work in site specific agriculture, the National Potato Council recognized him as one of four growers nationwide to receive a 2000 Environmental Stewardship Award.

The National Potato Council in the US recently named Blackfoot potato grower Greg Nickell as an industry leader in environmental stewardship. For Nickell's innovative work in site specific agriculture, the National Potato Council recognized him as one of four growers nationwide to receive a 2000 Environmental Stewardship Award.

Nickell and his wife Kaye, have pioneered site specific agriculture in Idaho. Nickell believes that using a variety of new technology will help cut costs and improve yields. Blanket application of fertilizers, herbicides and various other chemicals are now a thing of the past at Nickell Farms. Nearly all of the farm's equipment utilizes computer systems that store data using Global Positioning Sensor (GPS) technology. Nickell uses intense soil mapping with bare soil aerial photographs, infrared images, topography, indexing of GPS location to variations with the fields and GPS site specific applications of chemicals and fertilizers allowing reductions in average rates used by 60-90 percent on some chemicals and 10-20 percent on fertilizer.

Nickell preserves all organic residue and reincorporates back into the soil. He uses closed systems of chemical transfer (lock and load) with returnable containers. He has a zero water runoff tolerance policy on sloping land. Nickell uses dammer diker equipment to help pool water on slopes and gain better irrigation uniformity. He also utilizes state of the art irrigation packages to control application rates. Nickell uses cover crops and continuous cover on pivot corners to preserve and protect wildlife habitat.

Since 1988 the National Potato Council and the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have worked in partnership to protect the environment. Several years ago this relationship was formalized as the Council entered into an EPA Pesticide Environmental Stewardship Partnership. This relationship has focused on the pesticide risk reduction in the production of potatoes.

As part of the risk reduction strategy, the NPC wishes to recognize growers throughout the United States who have engaged in reducing the risk of pesticides on their farms without compromising potato yield or quality. This recognition is accomplished through a nomination and selection process that begins at the state level. After nomination from their state, a grower's application is then sent to the NPC where it is reviewed.

Those meeting the criteria in the areas of Pesticide Risk Reduction Strategy, Integrated Pest Management Strategies, Biological Control/Transgenic Methods, Water, Soil and Habitat Conservation Methods, and Other Pesticide Risk Reduction Strategies are selected and presented to the Environmental Affairs Committee where a final selection is made.

The Environmental Stewardship Award winners will be honored at the National Potato Council's 52nd Annual Meeting in San Diego, California on January 16-20, 2001.