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Help Guide ABC Nutrition Research

The Nutrition Research Committee (NRC) at the Almond Board of California is looking to fill an empty member seat to help guide the strategic direction of ABC’s nutrition research program, review research proposals and monitor progress of active projects.

“It is critical to have a full committee comprised of individuals with a variety of backgrounds and perspectives to ensure that we are focusing on the most impactful research efforts that will add to the scientific evidence base on the health benefits of almonds and benefit the almond industry,” said Elena Hemler, ABC’s associate director of nutrition research.

The committee is comprised of seven members and three alternates, consisting of food and nutrition scientists, almond growers and other almond industry representatives. The research that the NRC helps guide will continue to bolster the existing body of almond science that serves as the backbone of global marketing strategies.

Past research projects have focused on the relationship between consumption of almonds and heart health, diabetes, weight management, gut health and other health outcomes. However, Hemler said that focus is shifting into new areas such as exercise performance and mental health and it’s an exciting time to help council the change. “We are currently re-vamping our nutrition strategy for the next few years. Committee members will play a critical role in shaping this strategy and the research areas we plan to focus on. This strategy will help us to prioritize nutrition research efforts based on their marketing potential and nutrition relevance, to ensure that we are maximizing our investments by only focusing on the highest-impact projects that will benefit the almond industry.”

Nutrition research has long been a cornerstone of ABC’s work, contributing not only to our knowledge about almonds and their impact on human health but also to ABC’s ability to communicate almond’s health benefits globally. Since 1995, the Nutrition Research Committee has been helping ABC fund and manage a broad portfolio of research projects.

Members of the Nutrition Research Committee will be expected to attend approximately four 6-hour meetings per year, with a maximum of 2 hours of prep work per meeting. The meetings are held in-person in Modesto, CA and virtually. Members of the NRC also typically attend the Almond Conference in Sacramento (December 5-7, 2023).

Interested parties can read more about the committee member position and submit a Statement of Interest online.

2023-03-30T08:41:24-07:00March 30th, 2023|

Commission to Expand Export Market Demand for California Table Grapes

By Nick Nakashian

The California Table Grape Commission is positioned to expand international demand for California table grapes in 16 target markets with its 2023 export marketing campaign.

The 16 target markets for the 2023 season represented 94.4 percent of export volume June through December in 2022. Of those markets, El Salvador, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Mexico, New Zealand, and Vietnam increased in both volume and value in 2022 compared to 2021 despite a variety of global export challenges. “In spite of labor and shipping challenges, and inflation and the value of the dollar, California table grapes still found success in export markets last season,”
said commission president Kathleen Nave. “In 2023 the commission is determined to capitalize on that success and plans to expand market share of California table grapes in the target export markets,” said Nave.

The foundation of the 2023 campaign focuses on retail promotions, including providing a variety of retailer incentives. Digital retail promotions are planned throughout the target export markets. Wholesaler promotions are planned in select markets to reach smaller retailers with promotional activity. Campaign expansions include shopper app and social media advertising in all markets, plus work with influencers and retailer-tagged television in select markets. Promotional activities align with high-volume months in each market. “While there still may be challenges ahead for global exports, the 2023 export marketing
campaign will work to drive demand for California table grapes around the world,” said Nave.

2023-03-30T08:28:32-07:00March 30th, 2023|

UC Davis Postdoc Wins AMCA’s Hollandsworth Prize

UC Davis postdoctoral scholar and vector-borne disease specialist Olivia Winokur of the Chris Barker lab won the $2600 Hollandsworth Prize for best student research presentation at the American Mosquito Control Association’s annual conference, held recently in Reno.

Winokur delivered her presentation on “Thermal Preferences of Aedes aegypti Mosquitoes.”

Her abstract: “Mosquito-borne pathogen transmission models used to inform control decisions are only applicable if we incorporate the temperatures mosquitoes experience. However, mosquito thermal preferences are not well resolved. We studied Aedes aegypti thermal preferences and found that female Ae. aegypti generally avoided temperatures >30°C on a gradient in the lab, and chose relatively cooler microhabitats in the field as ambient temperature increased. Incorporating these preferences could improve the accuracy of transmission models for Ae. aegypti-borne viruses.”

The Hollandsworth Prize memorializes Gerald Hollandsworth, a past president of the West Central Mosquito and Vector Control Association.

A UC Davis alumna, Winokur received her doctorate in entomology, with a designated emphasis in the biology of vector-borne diseases, in November 2022, studying with Professor Barker of the Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, School of Veterinary Medicine.

She delivered her exit seminar, as part of the UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology weekly seminars, in October on “Temperature Drives Transmission of Mosquito-borne Pathogens: Improving Entomological Estimates for Aedes aegypti-borne Virus Transmission Risk.”

“The mosquito Aedes aegypti is the primary vector of a range of viruses that cause a major burden on human health worldwide, including dengue, Zika, chikungunya, and yellow fever viruses,” Winokur related in her abstract. “As the Zika epidemic emerged in 2016, estimates for Zika risk were based on proxy evidence from closely related dengue virus. To improve risk estimates, we studied how temperature affects Zika virus extrinsic incubation period. We sought to further improve risk estimates by studying thermal preferences of Ae. aegypti mosquitoes in the laboratory and in the field. Current mosquito-borne pathogen risk models primarily use temperatures from weather stations or thermal imagery as a proxy for the temperatures mosquitoes experience, however such approaches do not account for local environments or microclimates available to adult mosquitoes. Taken together, the results of these studies can be used to improve prediction of mosquito-borne pathogen risk and inform mosquito control decisions.”

As a postdoc in the Barker lab, Winokur is working with VectorSurv (https://vectorsurv.org/), and has a fellowship from Pacific Southwest Center of Excellence in Vector-Borne Diseases (https://pacvec.us/), working on “Enriching Practical Learning Resources for Entomological, Medical, and One-Health Curricula.”

Olivia received her bachelor’s degree in May of 2015 from Cornell University where she was an interdisciplinary studies major (environmental effects on human health). She enrolled in the UC Davis graduate program in 2016.

At UC Davis, Winokur served as the 2019-2020 president of the Entomology Graduate Student Association and as a 2020-2022 committee member of the UC Davis Entomology Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, & Belonging. She co-founded the Girls’ Outdoor Adventure in Leadership and Science (GOALS) in 2017 and continues to serve in leadership roles. GOALS is a free two-week summer science program for high school girls and gender expansive youth from backgrounds underrepresented in STEM fields. They learn science, outdoors skills, and leadership hands-on while backpacking in Sequoia National Park.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

UC Davis postdoctoral scholar and vector-bone disease specialist Olivia Winokur (right) won the $2600 Hollandsworth Prize for best student research presentation at the American Mosquito Control Association’s annual conference, held recently in Reno.  With her is her Cornell undergraduate research advisor Laura Harringon.

2023-03-24T08:21:34-07:00March 24th, 2023|

Study offers insights on reducing nitrate contamination from groundwater recharge

By Mike Hsu

With California enduring record-breaking rain and snow and Gov. Gavin Newsom recently easing restrictions on groundwater recharge, interest in “managed aquifer recharge” has never been higher. This process – by which floodwater is routed to sites such as farm fields so that it percolates into the aquifer – holds great promise as a tool to replenish depleted groundwater stores across the state.

But one concern, in the agricultural context, is how recharge might push nitrates from fertilizer into the groundwater supply. Consumption of well water contaminated with nitrates has been linked to increased risk of cancers, birth defects and other health impacts.

“Many growers want to provide farmland to help recharge groundwater, but they don’t want to contribute to nitrate contamination of the groundwater, and they need to know how on-farm recharge practices might affect their crops,” said Matthew Fidelibus, a University of California Cooperative Extension specialist in the UC Davis Department of Viticulture and Enology.

A recently published study by UC scientists sheds new light on how nitrates move through an agricultural recharge site and how growers might reduce potential leaching. Researchers analyzed data from two grapevine vineyards at Kearney Agricultural Research and Extension Center in Fresno County – one flooded for two weeks, and other for four.

Understanding initial nitrate levels crucial

A key factor in mitigating contamination is understanding how much nitrate is in the soil at the outset, said study author Helen Dahlke, a UC Davis hydrologist and leader of UC Agriculture and Natural Resources’ strategic initiative on water. In areas with little precipitation and cropping systems that require greater amounts of synthetic fertilizer, the accumulation of residual nitrate – resulting from nitrogen in the fertilizer not taken up by the plants – can be quite high.

“The percentage of nitrates in some soils can really increase over the years, particularly if you have many dry years in a row where you don’t have access to irrigation water or natural precipitation flushing some of those nitrates out of the soil,” Dahlke said.

While intense rains in recent weeks have helped dilute nitrate concentrations naturally, farmers looking to participate in recharge during the dry years ahead should consider flooding their fields with greater volumes of water.

“If you’re doing this for the first time – on-farm recharge in the winter – check your residual soil nitrate levels because if they’re very high, you should apply a lot of water in order to make sure that the residual nitrate is diluted down,” said Dahlke, who also added that growers should check their soil properties for suitability of recharge projects.

She recommended using, as a “good first approximation,” the online Soil Agricultural Groundwater Banking Index map, a project led by Toby O’Geen, a UC Cooperative Extension soil resource specialist.

Researchers looking at other ways to reduce nitrates

Even before flooding the fields for recharge, there are several practices that can lower initial nitrate levels and risk of leaching. Cover crops such as alfalfa and triticale, for example, can help take up residual nitrates that accumulate from fertilizing a main crop over time.

Dahlke and Fidelibus – a co-author of the San Joaquin Valley vineyard study – both pointed to pre-flooding irrigation that encourages denitrification, a process in which soil microbes transform nitrates into gaseous forms of nitrogen.

“Those denitrifying microbes need to be stimulated to do the work,” said Dahlke. “What we have found is that if you do a little bit of irrigation before you start the flooding, increasing the soil moisture can get those microbes started and they can take out more nitrate from the soil.”

The timing and quantity of fertilizer applications are also major factors in reducing leaching. Although more growers are following high-frequency, low-concentration practices to maximize uptake by crops, Dahlke said there needs to be more emphasis on incorporating nitrogen transformation processes – such as denitrification – in the nutrient management guidelines that farmers follow.

“Implementing thoughtful nutrient management plans will play a particularly important role in participating farms,” Fidelibus added.

A more holistic view of groundwater recharge

In short, choices made during the growing season can affect those in the winter recharge season – and vice versa. For example, applying compost or other organic amendments to soil can give microbes the “fuel” they need for sustained denitrification.

“What we have found is that our denitrifying bacteria often run out of steam because they don’t have enough carbon to do the work,” Dahlke said. “Like us, microbes need energy to do the work, and for microbes this energy comes from soil carbon.”

Then, adding moisture via recharge to that field with high organic content can stimulate mineralization and nitrification, processes in which microbes transform the organic nitrogen into ammonium – and subsequently nitrates – that the plants can then take up. Those naturally occurring nitrates would thus reduce the need for the grower to apply synthetic fertilizer.

“The winter on-farm recharge experiments have shown that altering the moisture regime in the winter has consequences for the nitrogen budget in the summer growing season,” Dahlke explained. “Theoretically, what we need to be doing is better integrating both seasons by keeping an eye on the soil-nitrogen balance across the whole year so that we can ensure, at the end of the growing season, the residual nitrate in the soil is minimized.”

The study, published in the journal Science of The Total Environment, was part of the post-doctoral work of former UC Davis researcher Elad Levintal. In addition to Fidelibus and Dahlke, other authors are Laibin Huang, Cristina Prieto García, Adolfo Coyotl, William Horwath and Jorge Rodrigues, all in the Department of Land, Air and Water Resources at UC Davis.

2023-03-23T08:08:07-07:00March 23rd, 2023|

California Strawberry Commission Statement on Pajaro and Salinas River Flooding

California Strawberry Commission President Rick Tomlinson released the following statement regarding the flooding occurring in the Pajaro community and along the Salinas River.

 

“This week’s flooding events along the Pajaro and Salinas Rivers have been devastating for those communities. Preliminary assessments estimate hundreds of millions in losses and thousands of people displaced in the town of Pajaro. The entire California strawberry industry would like to thank the first responders, aid organizations and volunteers who have helped begin the long recovery process.

 

We are thankful that the Pajaro River levee breach is being repaired. Stopping the river from flowing into the community is the first priority. This is a good start toward a safer place to live, raise a family, and work.

 

The foreseeable future will be challenging. Families will work to restore their homes, their jobs, and many other aspects of their lives.

 

Farms face a massive cleanup. As soon as the cleanup is complete, farmers will begin the process of preparing the fields and starting over.

 

For the farms that were flooded, this catastrophe hit at the worst possible time. Farmers had borrowed money to prepare the fields and were weeks away from beginning to harvest. Disaster relief and emergency financial assistance will be critical for both the residential community and the farming operations.

 

California strawberry operations, most of which are multi-generational and family-owned, will remain vital to the damaged areas during the recovery and well beyond.

 

California’s 400 family strawberry operations create 70,000 jobs in the state and invest 97 cents of every dollar back into the community. That commitment will only grow as the damaged area recovers. Despite the challenges, there will be increased shipments of California strawberries from Oxnard and Santa Maria to stores across the country to keep up with high demand.

 

Times are tough, but the town of Pajaro, the surrounding communities and the strawberry farming families are more resilient than ever, and we will work together to recover,” said Rick Tomlinson, California Strawberry Commission President.

 

There are photos available for media use. Plese click here and credit California Strawberry Commission.

2023-03-17T16:16:53-07:00March 17th, 2023|

CDFA ANNOUNCES VACANCIES ON FEED INSPECTION ADVISORY BOARD

The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) announces one vacancy on the Feed Inspection Advisory Board (FIAB). This board makes regulatory and enforcement recommendations to CDFA to help ensure that commercial feed inspections contribute to a clean and wholesome supply of milk, meat and eggs.

There is one board position available. The term of office for board members is up to three years. This vacancy will fill an unfinished board term of service until April 30, 2025. Board members do not receive compensation, but they are entitled to necessary travel expenses in accordance with the rules of the California Department of Human Resources. Board member applicants must hold a current California Commercial Feed License.

Individuals interested in a board appointment must submit a resume and a completed Prospective Member Appointment Questionnaire (PMAQ). The PMAQ is available on the CDFA website at: http://www.cdfa.ca.gov/is/ffldrs/pdfs/PMAQ_Feed_IAB.pdf. Both the resume and PMAQ are due by April 10, 2023.

Send resume and PMAQ via email to Brittnie.Williams@cdfa.ca.gov or by mail to:

CDFA
Feed, Fertilizer and Livestock Drugs Regulatory Service Branch
Attn: Brittnie Williams
1220 N Street
Sacramento, CA 95814

For further information, please contact Brittnie Williams at (916) 862-4014 or Brittnie.Williams@cdfa.ca.gov

2023-03-17T15:43:34-07:00March 17th, 2023|

CDFA AWARDS $12.25 MILLION FOR THE POLLINATOR HABITAT PROGRAM

CDFA’s Office of Environmental Farming and Innovation (OEFI) has selected 10 organizations to receive $12.25 million in funding through a new competitive grant program, the Pollinator Habitat Program (PHP).

The PHP was established by the Budget Act of 2021 (Senate Bill 170, Skinner) in which CDFA was appropriated $15 million to provide grant funding for the establishment of pollinator habitat on agricultural lands throughout California. CDFA was directed to administer the Pollinator Habitat Program and to prioritize the planning of native habitats for the benefit of native biodiversity and the use of locally appropriate native plant seed mixes when feasible.

“CDFA is pleased to make this investment in pollinator habitat on California farms and ranches. Pollinators are not only vital to our ecosystems, they are essential to over a third of our crops, helping to produce a wide variety of California-grown fruits, nuts, and vegetables,” said Secretary Karen Ross. “The Pollinator Habitat Program demonstrates how working lands can help safeguard California’s diverse ecosystems.”

CDFA accepted applications from September 2022 through November 23, 2022. Resource Conservation Districts, non-profit organizations, the University of California, California State Universities, California community colleges, and California and federally recognized Tribes were eligible to apply for up to $2,000,000 in funding to work directly with farmers and ranchers to install habitat and implement management practices that support pollinators.

To find out more about PHP and to review a list of the awarded organizations please visit https://www.cdfa.ca.gov/oefi/php/.

2023-03-09T13:12:33-08:00March 9th, 2023|

Dam Release Cut Will Help Ease Flood Flow

By Steve Haugen and Randy McFarland

UNPRECEDENTED ACTION WILL BE TAKEN TONIGHT at Pine Flat Dam to reduce at least some of the flood potential that will occur in the Kings River’s valley reaches during the about-to-begin tropically-spawned warm rain event. The Kings River Water Association and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers have agreed to make an extraordinary temporary reduction tonight in a major flood release already under way from the dam in the Fresno County foothills near Piedra.

Kings River Watermaster Steve Haugen said this afternoon (March 8) that the dam’s current release of 5,190 cubic feet per second (c.f.s.) (including a flood release of 3,000 c.f.s.) that is now occurring—will be reduced at midnight tonight to 1,100 c.f.s.

“This cooperative action will temporarily reduce the amount of water passing through the Kings River channel in order to better accommodate very high unregulated storm runoff flows from Mill Creek andother smaller streams that discharge into the river below the dam,” said Haugen.

The action is being taken in response to a prediction that Mill Creek flows, which have been only between 200-400 c.f.s. the past few days, will peak as a result of the looming atmospheric river rainfall at a massive level of about 18,800 c.f.s. about 2 p.m. Friday. Mill Creek flows are now forecast to be near or above 17,000 c.f.s. for 12 hours, until about 7 p.m. Friday.

Haugen said the KRWA-Corps plan calls for total Pine Flat Dam releases to be back up to 3,000 c.f.s. by 10 p.m. Thursday. However, as Mill Creek flows climb toward and fall from their peak level, the Corps of Engineers will suspend all Pine Flat releases into the river except 50 c.f.s. of fish-flow water.

Even though the temporary release reductions are expected to cause fairly abrupt short-term declines in the Kings River’s downstream flow amounts, water levels will quickly build back up, possibly to considerably higher levels, as the high water from Mill Creek and other lower foothill streams enter the river, and as releases are resumed from Pine Flat Dam.

Even with these unusual arrangements, Haugen said, Kings River water levels will be dangerously high with local flooding likely. Everyone living or having property near the river of any stream needs to be on alert to these emergency conditions, he added. Emergency services agencies in Fresno, Kings and Tulare counties are working closely with Kings River interests to be ready to meet needs.

2023-03-09T13:08:30-08:00March 9th, 2023|

UC Agriculture and Natural Resources statements on Richard Rosenberg’s death

Richard Rosenberg, former chairman and CEO of the Bank of America, died Friday, March 3. He was 92. When Rosenberg retired from BofA in 1996, the bank honored him by endowing the Rosenberg International Forum on Water Policy at UC Agriculture and Natural Resources. 

Glenda Humiston, University of California vice president for agriculture and natural resources:

“Dick Rosenberg is well-known for his generous gifts to the University of California and to the Bay Area. With his Bank of America endowment gift to UC Agriculture and Natural Resources to create the Rosenberg International Forum on Water Policy, he has had the most far-reaching and profound impact. Over the years, Dick developed an understanding of the complex and contentious water issues in California and across the globe. His intent in bringing together scientists and policymakers from around the world to discuss water management was to reduce conflicts surrounding this critical resource. While we continue to face challenges of water scarcity and water quality, we are able to solve some issues by sharing our knowledge and experiences. For years to come, the global community will benefit from Dick Rosenberg’s foresight to fund the International Forum on Water Policy.”

Soroosh Sorooshian, UC Irvine Distinguished Professor and director of the Center for Hydrometeorology and Remote Sensing and chair of the UC ANR Rosenberg International Forum on Water Policy:

“Mr. Richard Rosenberg was passionate about the well-being of the environment in addition to his responsibilities managing one of the largest financial institutions in the world. His concern about water resources scarcity and international water conflicts led to the establishment of the UC ANR Rosenberg International Forum for Water Policy with an endowment gift from the Bank of America to honor Dick’s vision. It is a great honor for the forum to carry the vision of Mr. Rosenberg as a lasting legacy to his commitment to issues related to international water policy.” 

Henry Vaux Jr., UC Riverside Professor Emeritus, UC ANR Associate Vice President Emeritus, Founding Chair of Rosenberg International Forum on Water Policy

Richard Rosenberg made many contributions to the well-being of all Californians. Among those was the rallying of the business community to the cause of managing an earlier severe drought that began in the late 1980s. This expression of his long term-interests in the management of water resources led the Board of the Bank of American to establish the Rosenberg International Forum on Water Policy at the University of California in his honor. Over the years, that Forum has met at 10 locations around the world, often with Rosenberg himself in attendance. The work of the Forum has influenced water policy in countries ranging from Australia to Jordan. As a founding chair of the Forum, I can attest to the crucial role that he played in guiding the establishment of the institution and ensuring its success over two and a half decades. I will miss his wise counsel, sharp insights on almost everything and his great sense of humor. I send my condolences and best wishes to his wife, Barbara, and his family. 

About the Rosenberg International Forum on Water Policy

The Rosenberg International Forum on Water Policy originated in 1996 with an endowment gift from the Bank of America to the University of California. The purpose of the gift was to support a water policy forum in honor of then-retiring Bank Chair and Chief Executive Officer Richard Rosenberg. Rosenberg had a long-term interest in water resources and was credited with rallying the California business community to address the causes and impacts of the drought of 1987-1992.

The Rosenberg Forum is held every other year in different locations around the world. Participation is limited to 50 water scholars and senior water managers. Interactive discussions about the science of water management and different experiences in water management around the globe are at the heart of the forum. 

The first forum was held in San Francisco in 1997, followed by gatherings in Barcelona, Spain; Canberra, Australia; Ankara, Turkey; Banff, Canada; Zaragoza, Spain; Buenos Aires, Argentina; Aqaba, Jordan; and Panama City, Panama. The last forum was held in San Jose, California, in 2018 and has been on hiatus due to the pandemic. 

The overarching theme of the Rosenberg Forum is “reducing conflict in the management of water resources.” Specific sub-themes are chosen by an advisory committee for each individual forum. The primary objective is to facilitate the exchange of information and experience in the management of water resources.

The problems of managing water are surprisingly common around the world. However, approaches and solutions may differ depending on the available financial resources as well as social and cultural norms. Discussions of alternative approaches and identification of what works and what doesn’t are intended to aid in devising more effective and efficient water-management schemes.

2023-03-07T13:21:48-08:00March 7th, 2023|

AECA Hammers PG&E Over Energy Rates for Agriculture

Many of California’s farmers and rural residents are paying triple the national average for energy rates. Recent spikes at the gas pumps and on natural gas bills are in the spotlight as the Legislature kicks off a new session and explores policy options for reining in the costs.  Fending off a reputation for skyrocketing rates and for igniting catastrophic wildfires, Pacific Gas & Electric was on defense last week during an oversight hearing on energy affordability for the Assembly Utilities and Energy Committee.  Michael Boccadoro, executive director of the Agricultural Energy Consumers Association (AECA), ran through a litany of complaints with the investor-owned utility that he racked up during his 30 years of lobbying on energy costs.  “If they’re doing all these efforts to reduce costs, why are they proposing to increase rates in 2023 alone by 36%—to 9.1 cents a kilowatt hour?” asked Boccadoro, as he chastised PG&E for proposing increases through at least 2026. “It’s a massive rate increase and it’s just the beginning.”  He predicted rates for consumers and businesses will rise to four times the national average by 2030, far outpacing PG&E’s promise to maintain them at or below the level of inflation.  Boccadoro said the high rates put his farmers “at a huge competitive disadvantage to farming operations in other parts of the country.”   He pushed lawmakers to find ways to shift costs out of the rate base to the companies for shouldering investments in undergrounding power lines for wildfire hardening while also planning for a surge in demand from electric vehicles and a major transition to renewable energy.   “If you don’t have skin in the game, you’re not really truly concerned,” he said. “Shareholder interests always take precedence over ratepayer interests with the investor-owned utilities.”  Association President/CEO Roger Isom is the President of the Board for AECA, and Association Assistant Vice President Priscilla Rodriguez sits on the Board of AECA.

2023-03-07T13:12:19-08:00March 7th, 2023|
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