Hoping to encourage the use of conservation practices, the University of California has launched a new organization that could potentially save farmers time and money, and reduce their impact on the environment.

University officials, farmers, scientists and agriculture professionals gathered Friday in Clovis to outline the goals of the newly formed Conservation Agriculture Systems Institute.

About 100 people attended the meeting at the Veterans' Memorial Building.

Based out of the West Side Research and Extension Center in Five Points, the institute will help farmers understand conservation practices, including reduced tilling, the use of cover crops and center pivot irrigation.

Farmers using the practices say they have seen positive benefits.

Dino Giacomazzi, a Hanford dairy operator, said that by plowing less in his corn and wheat fields, he has improved the quality of his soil and reduced his costs.

"It holds water and nutrients better, and I end up using less fertilizer and less water," Giacomazzi said. "And by using the tractor less, we are reducing diesel emission particulates."

Research trials studying reduced tillage in processing tomatoes and cotton have also shown increased yields, said Dan Munk, a UC cooperative extension farm adviser.

Jeff Mitchell, a UC cooperative extension cropping systems specialist, is a longtime advocate of reduced tillage and conservation systems. He said the U.S. is behind the rest of the world in adopting these practices. But that could change as farmers face increasing regulation.

"We are going to face increased demands to produce more in a way that is less damaging to the environment," Mitchell said.

To further its goals, the institute will create an awareness campaign aimed at the general public, private business and environmental groups. It will also continue to study the best available practices and make that information available to farmers.

"This is not going to be business as usual anymore," Mitchell said. "And it's not just about making a profit; it is about optimizing yields and looking at the sustainability of our production methods."