FUNDING TO IMPROVE CITRUS PRODUCTION AND HEALTH

UCR Geneticists to Develop Tool for Genotyping Citrus

To address exotic diseases like HLB, breeders need sophisticated tools that rapidly characterize citrus varieties and hybrids and locate genes for disease resistance, fruit quality, and other essential traits.

Mikeal Roose is a professor of genetics

and the chair of the Department of

Botany and Plant Sciences at UCR.

Photo credit: L. Duka

Two plant geneticists at the University of California, Riverside have received a $450,000 grant from the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) of the U.S. Department of Agriculture to develop a genetic tool that citrus breeders can use to improve the efficiency with which citrus varieties are bred.

Mikeal Roose and Timothy Close, both professors of genetics and the principal investigator and co-principal investigator, respectively, of the two-year grant, will lead the project on developing a “high-density SNP genotyping array” for citrus — an important tool that geneticists and molecular breeders use to do genetic analyses of animals and plants.

“We will use this tool to study essentially all trees in our Citrus Variety Collection and several large citrus families in which individuals vary for traits of economic importance,” said Roose, chair of the Department of Botany and Plant Sciences.

“A valuable outcome of this project will be a comprehensive understanding of relationships among citrus varieties and how these relate to economically valuable characters,” Roose said.

Timothy Close is a professor of genetics at

UC Riverside. Photo credit: I. Pittalwala

UC Riverside has a long tradition in citrus research, with a major focus on citrus production and development of new varieties. Used extensively to solve citrus disease problems and improve commercial varieties, the university’s Citrus Variety Collection is one of the world’s most diverse living collections of citrus and related types with approximately 1,000 different varieties (including mandarins, blood oranges, navel oranges, citrons, clementines, tangos, grapefruit, Valencia oranges, and pummelos).

In total, NIFA announced nearly $9 million in grants for research into issues affecting plant breeding and production, leading to improvements in plants that are critical to the sustainability and competitiveness of American agriculture.

Other California research institutions receiving the grants are: University of California, Davis, $900,000, and USDA Agricultural Research Service, Albany, $500,000.

The awards were made under the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative Foundational Program priority area of plant breeding for agricultural production.

Source: Iqbal Pittalwala of UC Riverside

Patrick Cavanaugh2016-05-31T19:43:07-07:00November 21st, 2013|

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE HOLDS HEARING ON FARMLAND CONSERVATION

Saving Farmland from Urban Sprawl

American Farmland Trust reported TODAY the Agriculture Committee of the California State Assembly, chaired by Member Susan Talamantes Eggman (D-Stockton), held an information hearing at the state Capitol earlier this month, November 6, on farmland conservation. It was the first hearing on the subject in the legislature in a decade, and it focused on how state policy can best support the protection of agricultural land.

“Agriculture is by far the most important industry in San Joaquin County, and the loss of farmland threatens our way of life, our prosperity and the food security of the whole country,” Eggman said. “We have a responsibility to find a balanced solution that protects farmland without stifling other growth.”

Edward Thompson, Jr., American Farmland Trust California Director, was among the witnesses who discussed the status of farmland and the effectiveness of state and local policies at conserving the resource.

Thompson outlined 10 state policies that “at best, send mixed signals to local governments, which make most of the decisions about land use.” He said that, despite the good intentions of the Williamson Act, the California Farmland Conservancy Program and other state laws aimed at reducing urban sprawl, “we continue to lose 30,000 acres of farmland a year to wasteful, inefficient development—with no end in sight, unless our policies are strengthened and local governments are held accountable.”

Assemblymember Eggman stated that continuing at this rate would entail another two million acres of agricultural land lost by the year 2050. As population will also continue to increase, losing that much of the state’s farmland base would severely limit California’s capacity to provide one-eighth of the nation’s food and half of its produce, as is presently the case.

Additionally, land converted for urban use has been shown to account for seventy times more greenhouse gas emissions than the same amount of unconverted agricultural land.

On November 5, California Climate and Agriculture Network (CalCAN), Central Valley Farmland Trust, American Farmland Trust and the Community Alliance with Family Farmers collaborated to organize a farm tour with Assemblymember Eggman, her staff, other politicians, state and local Farm Bureau representatives and the Farmland Working Group.

The group visited two farms in the Stockton area that have put their land in permanent agricultural easements with the Central Valley Farmland Trust. The two farmer hosts — John Galeazzi and Jon Branstad —spoke eloquently and passionately about their reasons for wanting to protect their land for future generations of farmers and discussed the business and personal advantages of doing so.

Sources: American Farmland Trust, State Assemblymember Susan Talamantes Eggman’s Website, California Climate and Agriculture Network

Patrick Cavanaugh2016-05-31T19:43:07-07:00November 21st, 2013|

LAND SUBSIDENCE RISKS WATER INFRASTRUCTURE IN SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY

USGA Press Conference on Groundwater Land Subsidence in the Valley

Extensive groundwater pumping from San Joaquin Valley aquifers is increasing the rate of land subsidence, or sinking, that could result in serious operational and structural challenges and repairs to water infrastructure, according to a new report by the U.S. Geological Survey.

This photo shows the approximate location of

maximum subsidence in the United States,

identified by research efforts of Dr. Joseph F. Poland

(pictured). The site is in the San Joaquin Valley

southwest of Mendota, California. Signs

on pole show approximate altitude of land

surface in 1925, 1955, and 1977.

This subsidence is reducing the capacity of the Delta-Mendota Canal, the California Aqueduct, and other canals that transport floodwater and deliver water to agriculture, cities, industry and wildlife refuges, potentially causing damage and requiring expensive repairs.

To help public agencies and resource managers minimize risk and damage to California’s infrastructure, the USGS is studying and providing information on groundwater conditions and land subsidence in the San Joaquin Valley.

A press conference about the release of a scientific report and results of a study on subsidence in California’s San Joaquin Valley will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Thursday, November 21, 2013 at the U.S. Geological Survey, Modoc Hall, Willow Conference Room 1, 3020 State University Drive East, Sacramento.

Following the conference will be a site visit and photo opportunity at 2:00 p.m. at Delta-Mendota Canal, south of Los Banos.

Speakers include:

Michelle Sneed, USGS Hydrologist and lead report author

Eric Reichard, USGS California Water Science Center Director

Richard Woodley, U.S. Bureau of Reclamation Assistant Regional Director

Patrick Cavanaugh2016-05-31T19:43:07-07:00November 21st, 2013|

TODAY, DWR ANNOUNCED INITIAL 2014 WATER ESTIMATE

Five Percent Allocation, Expected to Increase

The Department of Water Resources (DWR) today announced an initial conservative estimated allocation of five percent of requested deliveries to State Water Project (SWP) contractors in calendar year 2014.

“We hope things improve with this winter’s storms,” said DWR Director Mark Cowin, “but there is no guarantee that 2014 won’t be our third consecutive dry year. Today’s allocation is a stark reminder that California’s fickle weather demands that we make year-round conservation a way of life.”

Initial water delivery estimates are conservative because they are made before the wettest period of the year. It is still early in the water year; DWR will update the allocation as the winter progresses based on mountain snowpack accumulation. On average, half of California’s annual precipitation occurs in December through February, and three-quarters occurs from November through March.

The lowest previous initial SWP allocation, also five percent, was for calendar year 2010. Made on the heels of the 2007-2009 drought, the 2010 allocation was eventually increased to 50 percent of the slightly more than four million acre-feet of water requested by the 29 public agencies that receive SWP water. Winter storms increased the second-lowest initial allocation of 10 percent for calendar year 1993 to 100 percent of requested deliveries.

Storage levels in the state’s major reservoirs largely dictate the initial SWP allocation. Lake Oroville in Butte County, the State Water Project’s principal reservoir, is at 41 percent of capacity (66 percent of its historical average for the date). Lake Shasta north of Redding, the federal Central Valley Project’s largest reservoir, is at 37 percent of capacity (61 percent of average). San Luis Reservoir in Merced County –a vital south-of-Delta supply pool for both the State Water Project and Central Valley Project –holds only 25 percent of capacity (42 percent of average for the date) due both to dry weather and Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta pumping restrictions to protect Delta smelt and salmon.

The final State Water Project allocation this year was 35 percent of the 4.17 million acre-feet requested by agencies that collectively deliver water to more than 25 million Californians and 700,000 acres of farmland in the Santa Clara Valley, San Joaquin Valley, and Southern California.

In 2012, the final allocation was 65 percent. It was 80 percent in 2011, up dramatically from an initial allocation of 25 percent. The final allocation was 50 percent in 2010, 40 percent in 2009, 35 percent in 2008, and 60 percent in 2007.

The last 100 percent allocation–difficult to achieve even in wet years because of Delta pumping restrictions to protect threatened and endangered fish–was in 2006.

DWR is convening its annual winter outlook science workshop this week to develop an experimental seasonal forecast which will be posted on DWR’s website later in the month.

Regardless of whether the experimental forecast suggests wet or dry conditions, DWR will continue to prepare for the possibility that water year 2014 may become a third dry year.

If 2014 is dry, the greatest risks for public health and safety impacts stem from the increased chances for major wildfires and from drinking water shortages in some rural small water systems relying on fractured rock groundwater.

Minimal surface water allocations to some agricultural areas, especially in the San Joaquin Valley, can result in economic impacts to growers and increased land subsidence where groundwater overdraft occurs.

As provided for in Governor Brown’s May 2013 Executive Order to expedite review and processing of voluntary water transfers, DWR has been working to streamline the process by improving contracting procedures for transfers dependent on SWP facilities, facilitating fast-tracking of transfers with appropriate supporting documentation, and improving coordination with other agencies involved in approving transfers, including the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation and State Water Resources Control Board.

In partnership with the National Integrated Drought Information System program, DWR organized four classes this fall on drought preparedness and water conservation for small water systems.

DWR co-sponsored a drought preparedness workshop for urban water agencies with the National Water Resources Institute. Presentations from the workshop are available at: http://www.nwri-usa.org/drought.htm.

DWR and California State University Fresno will hold an agricultural drought preparedness workshop in December.

Electronic reservoir readings are available here: http://cdec.water.ca.gov/cgi-progs/products/rescond.pdf

The Department of Water Resources operates and maintains the State Water Project, provides dam safety and flood control and inspection services, assists local water districts in water management and water conservation planning, and plans for future statewide water needs.

Patrick Cavanaugh2016-05-31T19:43:07-07:00November 20th, 2013|

2013 PLANT DISEASE CONFERENCE

Many Topics Discussed in Salinas

By Patrick Cavanaugh, Editor

Steve Koike

Steve Koike, UC Cooperative Extension Farm Advisor, plant pathologist, opened up University of California Cooperative Extension—Monterey County 2013 Plant Disease Seminar talking about new soil born diseases affecting strawberries.

Koike said the new soil born disease problems surfaced in 2006 in Ventura and Orange Counties where they stopped using the traditional Methyl Bromide/Chloropicrin fumigation application. That’s when the problems arose, such as Charcoal Rot, or Macrophomina, as well as Fusarium.

Koike noted that Macropomina and Fusarium are bad news for the industry because they are so damaging to strawberries, easily spread from field to field and may be a long-term challenge. There are no truly resistant strawberry cultivars, alternate fumigants are not completely effective, bed fumigations are insufficient and post-plant fungicides do not work.

Breeders are trying to produce cultivars with resistance to these diseases.

Krishna Subbarao

Krishna Subbarao, a UC Davis Plant Pathologist reported that Verticillium wilt is spreading throughout Monterey County. It was discovered in 1995 on lettuce in the Watsonville area and made its way to Salinas Valley 6 years later, and eventually to Kings City.

Plant Disease Crowd

Infestation has reached new highs, new areas, and with increased losses. Subbarao and his team are trying both to identify all the different species of Verticillium through DNA testing and to breed Verticillium resistance into lettuce cultivars.

Trevor Suslow, UC Extension Research Specialist with statewide responsibilities in food quality and safety, spoke about emerging produce safety issues regarding human parasites and viruses.

New equipment at UC Davis can help eliminate false positives of pathogenic toxigenic E. Coli possibly eliminate a recall on products.

Trevor Suslow and Drew Mather

On the subject of Listeria, Suslow reported that the more likely point of entry for Listeria is the processing and handling environment and not really the product. It is seen in product tested after its use-by date, as Listeria has the ability of to grow in refrigerated storage over long periods of time.

Research has shown that Listeria numbers fall off very quickly, 32 days, after a field is inoculated.

Alec Gerry

Alec Gerry, Associate Professor and Extension Specialist UC Riverside discussed protecting leafy greens from contamination with Filth Flies, also known as bottle, blow or garbage flies.

Filth flies carry E. Coli from a manure source such as a dairy into a lush field of lettuce and contaminate the crop. Desiring sugar (carbohydrates), the insect seeks to find it in a field where honeydew secretion has been left by other insects.

Gerry suggested growers plant a tree line barrier, place stinking bottle traps on the fence line, improve fly attraction with better odors and develop screens to deter, catch or kill the Filth flies.

Tatiana Simkova and Steve Klosterman

Steve Klosterman, USDA Research Molecular Biologist, spoke about the spinach’s primary disease, Downy Mildew (DM). Fungicides effectively control DM in conventional fields; organic growers rely on resistant varieties, but the breeders may not be able to keep up.

Klosterman’s lab is working on specific detection and quantification of DM. Knowing what DM races are present may prevent spraying, thus avoiding resistance.

For extended coverage on this meeting, see upcoming issues of Vegetables West Magazine.

Patrick Cavanaugh2016-05-31T19:43:07-07:00November 20th, 2013|

EATING TREE NUTS REDUCES PANCREATIC CANCER RISK

Research Shows Reduced Pancreatic Cancer Risk from Consumption of Pistachios And Other Tree Nuts

Judy Hirigoyen, Director, Global Marketing for American Pistachio Growers released TODAY study results showing that women in a long-term health study who ate tree nuts two or more times a week had a reduced risk of pancreatic cancer, compared to those studied who did not include nuts in their diet. Published in British Journal of Cancer, this is the first study to measure the association between pancreatic cancer risk and nut consumption. Pistachios were among the tree nuts included in the study.

More than 75,600 women were followed in the widely-recognized Nurses’ Health Study. Those who consumed a one-ounce serving of serving of nuts, two or more times per week, significantly reduced their risk of developing pancreatic cancer, the fourth most common cause for cancer-related deaths in the U.S.

In addition to pistachios, the nuts consumed included almonds, Brazil nuts, cashews, hazelnuts, macadamias, pecans, pine nuts and walnuts. The study also showed that women with more frequent nut consumption were generally leaner, more likely to exercise, and less likely to smoke. Earlier studies have linked tree nut consumption to a reduced risk for diabetes.

The long-running Nurses’ Health Study, from 1980 to 2010, with follow up every two to four years, was funded by research grants from the National Institutes of Health with additional support in part by a micro-grant from the Biomedical Research Institute at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital, state cancer registries, and by an International Tree Nut Council Nutrition Research & Education Foundation grant for the tree nut component.

Pistachios are nutrient rich and full of antioxidants, vitamins, protein and fiber. A one-ounce serving of pistachios equals 49 nuts, more per serving than any other snack nut. They are cholesterol free; contain a significant amount of potassium, 300-mg per serving; and comprised of just 1.5 grams of saturated fat and 13 grams of fat per serving, the majority from monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fat.

The “Official Snack” of USA Water Polo, and sponsor of other sports, American Pistachio Growers (APG) is a non-profit voluntary agricultural trade association representing and funded entirely by more than 550 grower members in California, Arizona and New Mexico.

Patrick Cavanaugh2016-05-31T19:43:08-07:00November 19th, 2013|

TACKLING CALIFORNIA’S GROUNDWATER CHALLENGES

The Simplicity of Complex Groundwater Management

Patrick Cavanaugh, Editor and Laurie Greene, Associate Editor

At the San Joaquin Valley Groundwater Overdraft Meeting in Tulare TODAY, David Orth, General Manager of Kings River Conservation District, Fresno, presented his assessment of the groundwater challenges California faces.

David Orth, General Manager, Kings
River Conservation District

“We have tried to manage groundwater, but unfortunately, overdraft has become the report card and it is giving us somewhat of a poor grade just because of overdraft conditions,” Orth beganOrth thinks the challenge for all of us is to move beyond our lament, “‘If only we could get our surface water back, we could solve this issue.’ The reality is that things have changed; more demand and regulations have impacted our surface water. So we have to shift our discussion to, ‘How do we manage our groundwater going forward so that we can sustain Valley agriculture and deliver the economic base we rely upon.’”

“We will have to make some hard decisions,” warns Orth. “One of our challenges is that we have a tendency to want to make this really big Central Valley or the entire Tulare Lake Hydrologic Region level numbers, which are millions of acres, make big overdraft numbers.”

“If we break this down into little parts, local groundwater basins, and look at the tools that those groundwater agencies are using, and try to figure out what can we do to help them reach sustainability, I think we can find success,” he said.

“However,” Orth continued, “it will require discussions on: What are sustainable levels of groundwater pumping? What kinds of land use controls do we have to implement, if any? Do we need to become more aggressive in capture and recharge of flood flows into our groundwater basin, which takes investment in infrastructure?”

Concerned Growers Listen Intently to Speakers

Orth believes this is not that complicated. The only ways to achieve short-term groundwater balance are to reintroduce lost surface water supplies, thereby sustaining Valley agriculture, or take land out of production. Orth commented that it is a very tough choice, but it is no more complicated than that.

“Those are the only two options; there isn’t a silver bullet third piece of this,” Orth said.

“Things we need to do are going to be a different,” Orth stated. “I believe we are up to the challenge; a number of agencies in the Valley are already focused on this. And the real exciting thing is that our grower community, the people who actually pump and benefit from the ground water, are starting to recognize that it is in their long-term interest to be part of a solution.

“I think we are up to the challenge,” Orth said.

Kings River Conservation District is 1.2 million acres, covers the greater Fresno Area with the San Joaquin River on the north and the Tulare Lake Basin to the South. It serves as the umbrella agency for the 28 water rights holders in the Kings River System.

Patrick Cavanaugh2016-05-31T19:43:08-07:00November 19th, 2013|

YES ON TECHNO GIZMOS; NO ON TECHNO FOOD—A COMMENTARY

We love our smartphones, but what about smart food?

TODAY, Bob Stallman, president of the American Farm Bureau Federation, elaborated on this question. He made the following [abridged] comments:

Our society and economy run, function and communicate via technology. Technology is changing the way we do just about everything, and by all accounts we can’t get enough of it. Until we start talking about food technology, often referred to as biotechnology, and then our mindsets revert to the Dark Ages.

For years, farmers and ranchers have used technology to produce more food, feed, fiber and fuel, while using less acreage, chemicals and water. Now, facing quite possibly the biggest challenge of our generation—to produce 100 percent more food by 2050—we need technology. In fact, in doubling the amount of food grown in the next 37 years, 70 percent of that additional food will have to come from efficiency-enhancing technologies that will compensate for one of the few things technology can’t produce: farm and ranch land.

Bob Stallman, American Farm Bureau Federation President

Through advancements in science and technology, agriculture production has made tremendous strides. Today, many crops in the U.S. are adopted from a biotech variety. Yet, there has not been a single documented, statistically significant incident of harm to human health or to the environment.

Due to the stellar performance of biotechnology products, the U.S. government, the World Health Organization, the American Medical Association and the National Academy of Sciences have all embraced the safety and benefits of these critical advancements.

To those who continue to be skeptical of biotechnology, please consider this: every choice you and I make involves risk. Waking up, eating breakfast, taking a shower, driving to work or even walking on the sidewalk has its hazards. And what about your new smartphone? There are risks associated with that, too. The reality is that we accept that technology can help mitigate these risks to the benefit of all society.

Why are we still in the Dark Ages in our approach to food technology, but we’re giddy over the release of the iPhone 5s? With a partner in technology, farmers and ranchers are prepared to meet the food, fuel and fiber demands of the 21^st century, but there, too, is a risk: the minority who contradict their own acceptance of technology could ultimately eliminate food options for those who would take a meal over the latest iPhone any day.

Patrick Cavanaugh2016-05-31T19:43:08-07:00November 19th, 2013|

EXTENSION OF FSMA COMMENT PERIOD TO NOVEMBER 22, 2013

Comment Deadline is now November 22

The FDA announced TODAY it has extended the Comment Period for the Proposed Rules for Produce Safety and Preventive Controls for Human Food to November 22, 2013.

FDA invites public comment on its proposed rule on preventive controls for human food that focuses on preventing problems that can cause foodborne illness.

The proposed rule, which is required by FDA FSMA, would apply to many domestic and foreign firms that manufacture, process, pack or hold human food. These firms would be required to have written plans that identify hazards, specify the steps that will be put in place to minimize or prevent those hazards, identify monitoring procedures and record monitoring results and specify what actions will be taken to correct problems that arise. FDA would evaluate the plans and continue to inspect facilities to make sure the plans are being implemented properly.

The proposed rule is aimed at reducing the public health burden of foodborne illness. FDA estimates that 1 million cases of foodborne illnesses are attributable each year to the pathogens this rule is designed to eliminate or reduce. The economic cost of illnesses avoided is $2 billion a year.

The proposed rule has a first-year cost to industry of $701 million and an annualized cost of $472 million using a 7 percent discount rate according to Office of Management and Budget guidelines. The proposed rule would cover an estimated 97,600 domestic and 109,200 foreign facilities.

Patrick Cavanaugh2016-05-31T19:43:08-07:00November 19th, 2013|

Cotton ELS Prices Good, While Upland Cotton is Bleak

Upland Cotton Prices Down; Extra Long Staple Types Are Up

By Patrick Cavanaugh, Editor

Upland cotton prices are still bleak, falling 10 cents per pound over the last month, and are now in the .85 to .95 cents a pound range. However, there is a glimmer of good prices ahead for extra long staple (ELS) cottons on the open market.

Many growers forward contracted the just-harvested crop that might have returned a decent price, but the Pima and other ELS types are still holding a good price,” said Cannon Michael, V.P. Bowles Farming Co., in Los Banos Calif., who farms more than 11,000 acres of row and field crops, including cotton throughout Merced County.

“I know some guys that have booked some pricing of ELS for 2014 at $1.60 to $1.70, but that’s a market that operates in a different world,” said Michael. “There has been good demand, the world crop is down, and California does not have that much Pima this year due to an overall decline in cotton acreage.”

In 2013 California growers planted 90,000 acres of Upland cotton, down 37 percent from last year. ELS plantings in the West declined nearly 14 percent to 206,000 acres with largest decline -35,000 acres in California.

“There is more optimism on the ELS side due to higher prices,” said Michael. “But there is so much pressure on Upland cotton as far as what China and other areas of world can grow, so the prices are on the depressed side.”

Michael noted that farmers in his area grow the Hazera type of ELS, an Israeli hybrid type which is not as strong as Pima, but has the staple length and other properties. “It performs like an Upland type in terms of yield in the north end of the Valley, but pays about 10 cents less than Pima.

“While the Hazera seed is more expensive and does not have any Roundup Ready traits,” Michael commented, “it has a better quality fiber that the mills are looking for right now.”

Patrick Cavanaugh2016-10-05T13:35:38-07:00November 16th, 2013|

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