News Archives - California Agriculture News Today

Farm Tours Give Our Apprentices The Chance to Learn From Each Other

Courtesy of Center for Land-Based Learning

Apprentices explore sustainable ag on a large scale at River Garden Farms

Our Apprenticeship Program took a field trip to River Garden Farms in Knights Landing. Apprentice Javier Cervantes is working there and developing his skills in order to become a farm manager. Javier and his mentor Dominic Bruno led the other apprentices in a fun day exploring and learning about the historic 10,000+ acre operation.

Farm tours are a great opportunity for apprentices to learn from each other and gain exposure to different scales and practices in agriculture. Our favorite quote of the day: “I didn’t realize large-scale farmers faced the same challenges as small-scale farmers, just on a different level!”

Together they learned about the technical aspects and challenges of growing fresh market melons, rice, alfalfa, sunflowers, seed onions and more. River Garden Farms is a leader in sustainable farming innovation, including pollinator habitat that was planted by students in our SLEWS Program in 2020-21.

Thank you RD 108 for supporting our SLEWS Program with a new truck!

We are so grateful to the landowners and board of Reclamation District No. 108 for supporting our SLEWS Program! RD 108 is located along the western edge of the Sacramento River and delivers water to nearly 48,000 acres of farmland within Colusa and Yolo counties.

Our SLEWS Program has led restoration projects on many farms within the district, including River Garden Farms. So when our friends at RD 108 heard we were desperately seeking a reliable truck to help us haul the equipment we need, they came to the rescue. General Manager Lewis Bair explains why: “We really support what you guys do to educate people, and especially youth, about resource management.”

A bumper crop at Riverfront Farm

Riverfront Farm is CLBL’s own urban farm in West Sacramento’s Bridge District, and last week, our staff and volunteers there harvested a bounty of fresh veggies. Our Mobile Farmers Market Truck takes that fresh, hyper-local, affordable produce to West Sacramento neighborhoods and supports a healthy and more equitable food system.

Now Hiring: California Farm Academy Outreach Coordinator

Join our team and make an impact! We are seeking an Outreach Coordinator to lead outreach and recruitment for the California Farm Academy (CFA) programs. You’ll help us in our efforts to serve aspiring farmers with training and land access, demonstrate climate beneficial practices, and provide fresh food access in underserved urban areas.

Speakers Series will be back in August

Our monthly Speaker Series event is taking a summer break for the month of July. We hope to see you next month when our special guest will be Angela Laws of the Xerces Society. We have partnered with Xerces to plant habitat for beneficial insects here at our HQ. Angela will discuss how your farm or garden can support pollinators too.

Save the date!

Wednesday, August 16th • 4:30-7:30 pm

Angela Laws • Xerces Society

Woodfired Pizza • Networking • Inspiration

California Ag Today2023-07-13T08:40:05-07:00July 13th, 2023|

Farm Bill Proves to be Crucial Lifeline for Calif. Agriculture, National Food Security

By William Bourdeau

As we continue to navigate the complex challenges of the 21st century, one thing remains clear: our nation’s food security is paramount. This truth is particularly evident in California, a state renowned for its agricultural diversity and productivity. The current deliberations over the Farm Bill, a key piece of federal legislation that shapes our agricultural policy, present us with a critical opportunity to secure the future of our food system.

The Farm Bill’s comprehensive approach to agricultural policy impacts every facet of our food system – from the major commodity crops that feed our nation, to the specialty crops that diversify our diets and support local economies. In California, these specialty crops, such as fruits, vegetables, and nuts, form the backbone of our agricultural sector. But our growers face unique challenges, including crop-specific diseases and pests, that require flexible, robust support programs.

Moreover, despite our rich agricultural diversity, a disconcerting health crisis persists: most Americans do not meet recommended fruit, vegetable and nut intake, contributing to widespread obesity and metabolic health issues. Addressing these problems is not just a health imperative, but a call for diversified agricultural support in the Farm Bill, particularly for our specialty crop growers.

These producers face additional challenges – from the perishable nature of their products, to structural barriers that limit their participation in USDA conservation programs. To ensure a robust and healthy food system, the Farm Bill must tackle these issues head-on. By bolstering support for specialty crop growers, we can enhance their role in conservation efforts, broaden their access to international markets, and contribute to healthier dietary choices for Americans.

The Farm Bill also plays an indispensable role in sustaining our rural communities. It is vital that the Rural Development title within the bill continues its commitment to fostering growth and prosperity in these areas. By supporting initiatives for water storage infrastructure and providing emergency community grants following natural disasters, and fostering public-private partnerships to generate capital for rural businesses and communities, this legislation can fuel the engine of rural development.

Crop insurance and standing disaster programs like the Noninsured Crop Assistance Program, Livestock Indemnity Program, Livestock Forage Disaster Program, Tree Assistance Program, and Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honey Bees, and Farm-Raised Fish Program are vital for managing risk and recovering from unexpected disasters. These programs provide a safety net, helping farmers weather the storms of uncertainty inherent in farming.

In addition to these considerations, the 2023 Farm Bill conservation title programs must be administered efficiently and effectively, supporting projects like irrigation modernization that provide multiple, stacked benefits, rather than focusing solely on climate fixes. Working lands programs such as the Environmental Quality Incentives Program, which is widely used in California, should be enhanced to continue assisting growers achieve greater conservation goals. Conservation program management should emphasize a stronger role for state and local decision-making, reflecting the unique needs and conditions of different regions.

Furthermore, much of the water we use in California and the West originates on forested land managed by federal agencies. It’s essential to restore these dead and dying forest lands through active forest management, and to better quantify watershed health improvements associated with these and other water conservation actions. Agencies like the U.S. Forest Service need to better manage the land and tackle critical challenges like wildfire, insects, and disease on an expedited schedule.

The Farm Bill plays a pivotal role in maintaining our national food security. In an era marked by global turmoil, with escalating water supply regulatory constraints and other systemic challenges, a stable domestic food supply chain is more crucial than ever.

The economic implications of the Farm Bill extend far beyond our fields and pastures. The bill impacts international trade, affecting our ability to compete in global markets. Without the support mechanisms in the Farm Bill, our competitiveness on the global stage, our domestic food security, and the resilience of our agricultural sector could be threatened.

However, the benefits that the Farm Bill brings will only be realized if it is passed. Failure to do so could have dire consequences. From potential supply chain disruptions to reduced international competitiveness and an increased risk of food insecurity, the stakes are high.

As citizens, we have a role to play. We must raise our voices, reach out to our representatives, and express our support for the Farm Bill. This legislation is not just about supporting farmers and ranchers; it’s about safeguarding our nation’s food security, bolstering our economy, and ensuring a sustainable future for all.

Now is the time to act. For the sake of California’s agricultural sector, and for the future of our national food security, we must stand together in support of the Farm Bill.

California Ag Today2023-05-25T10:50:27-07:00May 25th, 2023|

USDA Forecasts Smaller Almond Crop

By Rick Kushman, Almond Board of California

The 2023 California Almond Subjective Forecast published Friday by the U. S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (USDA-NASS) estimates that the crop harvested in 2023 will come in at 2.50 billion pounds, 3 percent below last year’s 2.57 billion pounds.

Forecasted yield is 1,810 pounds per acre, down 90 pounds from 2022 and the lowest since 2005.

“A lower crop estimate was not unexpected considering all that growers dealt with last year and during this year’s bloom,” said Richard Waycott, president and CEO of the Almond Board of California (ABC). “The cold, wet weather kept bees in their hives and reduced the hours they could pollinate orchards. In the past three years, growers have faced high costs, shipping issues, drought and more. But the water picture is better, at least for this year, shipping continues at record levels and global demand continues to grow. California’s almond farmers are prepared to meet that global demand.”

The report said: “Record rainfall and unprecedented stormy conditions impacted pollination. Limited bee flight hours were reported in all growing regions. There were reports of downed trees due to high winds and oversaturated soil. Yields are expected to be the lowest in years, with variation observed across varieties and orchard locations. Colder than normal temperatures continued through March and April, resulting in a delayed crop.”

The Subjective Forecast is the first of two production reports from USDA-NASS for the coming crop year. It is an estimate based on opinions from a survey conducted from April 19 to May 6 of 500 randomly selected California almond growers. The sample of growers, which changes every year, is spread across regions and different sized operations, and they had the option to report their data by mail, online or phone.

On July 7, USDA-NASS will release its second production estimate, the 2023 California Almond Objective Report, which is based on actual almond counts in nearly 1,000 orchards using a more statistically rigorous methodology to determine yield.

This Subjective Forecast comes two weeks after USDA-NASS released the 2022 California Almond Acreage Report which found total almond acreage had dropped in 2022 to 1.63 million, 1.2 percent down from 1.65 million in 2021. It also estimated 1.38 million bearing acres in 2023, up from 2022’s estimate of 1.35 million bearing acres.

USDA-NASS conducts the annual Subjective Forecast, Objective Report and Acreage Report to provide the California almond industry with the data needed to make informed business decisions. These reports are the official industry crop estimates.

California Ag Today2023-05-12T11:46:14-07:00May 12th, 2023|

Louder Voices, Bigger Investments Needed for California Water Security, Local Experts Say

By Alex Tavlian, San Joaquin Valley Sun

The California Water Alliance’s water forum tackled how best to fight for a stable, plentiful water supply for America’s breadbasket.

As the San Joaquin Valley yo-yos from drought to flooding, the region’s top water experts spent Thursday afternoon examining how to best approach the Valley’s long and short-term needs.

The viewpoints came amid the California Water Alliance’s third-annual water forum featuring the leaders of Friant Water Authority, Westlands Water District, farmer Cannon Michael, and Rep. John Duarte (R–Modesto).

Duarte hones in on twin crises: With the expected ‘Big Melt’ likely to increase flooding likelihoods across the San Joaquin Valley over the spring and summer, Duarte opened the forum by noting that he pressed the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to expedite permitting for channel flow improvements by water agencies.

“I would encourage anyone who can to move ambitiously on this opportunity. There may be some Federal grants available, but the diesel is going to be cheaper than the biologists later,” Duarte said. “So get busy.”

The freshman Republican congressman stressed that bringing California’s water security conversation to its urban hubs in the Bay Area, and particularly Southern California, should center around its ability to relieve housing affordability through the creation of new, available 50-year water supplies.
He added that the dream list of water projects – from proposed new dams to raising pre-existing reservoirs – would run the state roughly $12 billion.

“I’m in favor of the Federal government and the state government paying for it. California had $31 billion in unemployment fraud during COVID. California’s paying $120 billion for a bullet train nobody’s going to ride. It’s currently flooded, it’s a bullet boat. [Gov. Gavin Newsom’s] gonna go from Woke Moses to Woke Noah this summer,” Duarte said.

“The money’s there. There’s a definite sentiment in at least part of Congress, and I think it’s spreading. I think there’s a lot of urban legislators that are Democrats that are starting to wake up and find out that our water scarcity in California is really hurting working families up and down the state. Without water abundance we will never have affordable housing for working families in California again.”

Reality check needed: Michael, a member of a litany of water organizations and chairman of the San Luis-Delta Mendota Water Authority, pressed for an all-of-the-above approach to the state’s water fluctuations, acknowledging the need for groundwater recharge while boosting above ground water storage.

“It makes me nervous a little bit that some of the NGO community is highlighting groundwater recharge as strongly as they are. Not that I don’t think it’s valuable. But in some ways, it’s kind of a head fake. It’s this shiny object that’s going to solve these problems. It’s going to solve some problems, but [the Water Blueprint for the San Joaquin Valley] has done a great job of pointing out the deficit in the Valley of water and the only way out of that is from above ground storage.

Michael singled out Shasta Dam as the poster child for the tug of war.

“There’s this opposition to raising Shasta, which is just insane. It was designed to be bigger and it’s a key component of our system. That reservoir has essentially been hijacked,” Michael said. “That reservoir will never be drawn down below 1 million acre-feet any more. We saw that last year when the Settlement contractors, who were supposed to get 75 or 100 percent of their supply got 18 percent At the same time, there was 1 million acre-feet more of water in Shasta than in 1977.”

Embracing recharge: Freshly-minted Westlands Water District executive director Allison Febbo noted that the nation’s largest agricultural water district is focused on tackling water scarcity by leaning into efficiencies while rapidly embracing in groundwater recharge, a top priority of the district.

“What we need to do is be able to recharge and really squirrel away the water when we have this abundance of water that we’re seeing right now we need to be able to take that and save it for the future,” Febbo said.

“Westlands has gone from zero recharge to right now over 1600 acre feet a day of recharge, and we’re hoping to get to over 65,000 acre feet of recharge in the next month or two, possibly more.”

Febbo added that a collaborative approach was the route to strengthen water security in the Valley.

“This isn’t something that can be done by just one water district or one water agency or even one region, this is really a statewide solution where we need to be collaborating with each other, partnering with each other, and moving away from this ‘If I win, you lose’ or ‘If you win, I lose’ mentality,” she said. “We need to be collaborating together and finding multifaceted solutions for these problems.”

A call-to-action: Jason Phillips, the chief of the Friant Water Authority, laid bare the deficiencies in securing increased water supplies for central California, calling on farmers to utilize their voices for targeted investments.

“I would say that we need to understand something very clearly: we have failed miserably for 40-plus years at generating new water supplies and constructing anything. We’ve gotten nothing done for new storage. So, we need to be very careful when we say ‘We need to build new storage.’ We’ve been saying that for 40 years,” Phillips said.

“We failed with CALFED, which was a President Clinton and Governor Gray Davis joint proposal to build five new reservoirs, none of which happened. That was 23 years ago,” the Friant chief said. “[2014’s] Prop. 1 was a failure. It passed, but it has not been building any new storage.”

“When we talk about what we should be focusing on, the only people who should be focusing on storage is Congressman Duarte and others who can write into law that you are going to go get it done. Because the environmental community and the current people that run this government, they have our number. Checkmate it every time. They will make sure we don’t build it, no matter how smart or how good we think we’re going to get it done.”

“We need to get more sophisticated at how we can go and actually start building water supply. The most important infrastructure that we need is infrastructure of advocates and advocacy to be able to use our existing project facilities. The reason we failed for the last 40 years and depressing as it might sound we might fail for the next 40 is because we’re not able to sit up here and articulate quickly enough – because it’s so complicated in California – why we’ve lost so much water.”

“In 2008 and 2009 there was a biological opinion that was forced upon us by government employees – not Congress – that cost us more water than five Temperance Flat Reservoirs would have produced like that. Gone.”
Phillips turned the table on professional advocates, lawyers, and lobbyists working on behalf of water agencies and grower groups who have insufficiently fought onerous water cutbacks.

“Most of [the 2008/2009 biological opinions], you were all paying someone who agreed to it. That was our advocacy. You were paying somebody to agree to give up water on an order of magnitude that far exceeds any storage projects we’ve built,” Phillips said.

“The hardest thing is that the government employees using the Endangered Species Act and other laws to take our operation of existing projects and constantly tweak it to send more water out to the ocean – and it’s not instead of what they were sending, it’s always on top of that.

“We will have choices to make: do we want to advocate against that? Or do we want all of who you’re paying for to go sit at the table with the government to agree to give up more of our water?”

Rethinking the Calif. equation: Ryan Jacobsen, the Fresno County Farm Bureau boss, noted that the state needed a reality check to its once-simple water equation of 50-40-10, meaning 50 percent of water went to environment, 40 percent of water went to agriculture, and 10 percent to municipal and industrial water users.

“That’s no longer true. Today, those numbers are 80.5 percent of the water in the state of California goes toward environmental purposes now. Of that, 50 percent of that is uncaptured in the environment, 30.5 percent is captured and stored for the environment. Fifteen percent of the total supply is now going toward agriculture, and 4.5 percent is the urban share,” Jacobsen said, citing a new study from the California Farm Bureau Federation.

California Ag Today2023-05-11T15:10:38-07:00May 11th, 2023|

Hales to Join UC ANR Leadership Team

By Pam Kan-Rice, UCANR

Higher education leader is known for his work with underrepresented communities

Brent Hales will be joining University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources as the new associate vice president for research and Cooperative Extension beginning July 1.

“After a nationwide search, Brent emerged as a proven and respected leader who will help us to strengthen partnerships, build trust, address challenges and define our 2040 strategic vision,” said Glenda Humiston, UC vice president for agriculture and natural resources.

Hales brings over 20 years of higher education research and leadership experience, including at land grant institutions and in Cooperative Extension. He currently serves as an associate dean of Pennsylvania State University’s College of Agricultural Sciences and director of Penn State Extension.

“I am very excited to join the UC ANR family,” Hales said. “My grandfather was a 1939 graduate of the University of California, Berkeley and both of my parents grew up in California.”

Before joining Penn State in 2019, he served as the senior associate dean and chief financial officer of the University of Minnesota Extension, associate dean for the University of Minnesota Extension Center for Community Vitality, and the director of the Economic Development Authority Center at University of Minnesota, Crookston.

His research focuses on holistic community and economic development and entrepreneurship. He has spent his career working across the United States and the globe with underrepresented communities. Since 1998, Hales has worked with Native American Nations in asset development and capacity building.

“I am excited to collaborate with California’s Native Nations, urban residents and underinvolved Californians as they seek to achieve their goals,” Hales said. “Some notable areas are tackling climate change, food security and workforce development.”

“What excites me most is to be part of the leadership team for the premier institution of Ag and Natural Resources research and extension in the United States,” Hales said. “The people, the facilities, the opportunities and the engagement with the communities and organizations of California is second to none.”

Hales earned a Ph.D. in rural sociology from Iowa State University, a master’s degree in sociology from Middle Tennessee State University and a bachelor’s degree in sociology from Brigham Young University in Utah.

He is the father of six children, is the grandfather of six grandchildren and has been married to his best friend Candy for over 30 years.

Deanne Meyer, UC Cooperative Extension livestock specialist, has been serving UC ANR as interim associate vice president for research and Cooperative Extension over the past year and is assisting Hales with the transition.

UC Agriculture and Natural Resources brings the power of UC to all 58 California counties. Through research and Cooperative Extension in agriculture, natural resources, nutrition, economic and youth development, our mission is to improve the lives of all Californians. Learn more at ucanr.edu and support our work at donate.ucanr.edu.

California Ag Today2023-05-11T11:58:57-07:00May 11th, 2023|

CDFA Now Accepting Research Grant Proposals for California Fruit Tree, Nut Tree, and Grapevine Improvement Advisory Board

By Steve Lyle, CDFA

The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) is now accepting applications for the California Fruit Tree, Nut Tree, and Grapevine Improvement Advisory Board (IAB) research grant proposals.

The IAB funds research to promote the production of fruit tree, nut tree, and grapevines resulting in improved nursery stock. The intended research should address important disease and pest problems or other cultural aspects of fruit tree, nut tree, and grapevine nursery stock production. Funding is made possible from industry assessments.

Projects funded through IAB commonly include elements such as research of diseases and genetic disorders, variety identification, education and outreach, alternative treatment methods, and rootstock advancements as it relates to the production of high-quality tree and grapevine nursery stock.

Applicants should review the research proposal solicitation materials posted on the IAB webpage at https://www.cdfa.ca.gov/plant/pe/nsc/iab. The research grant proposals submission window opportunity will end by April 3, 2023 at 5 p.m.

California Ag Today2023-02-08T09:16:48-08:00February 8th, 2023|

Almond Board Announces Exceptional 2023 Almond Leadership Class

By Rick Kushman, Almond Board

The outstanding 14th class of professionals begins a year-long immersion to become the next great leaders of the California almond industry

The Almond Board of California (ABC) is proud to announce the Almond Leadership Program class of 2023, a group of 18 exceptional professionals expected to help lead the industry into the future.

This next generation of leaders was chosen from nearly 50 highly qualified applicants. They come from diverse backgrounds across the full range of the industry, and include growers and processors, sales and real estate representatives, consultants, pest control advisors and more.

The Almond Leadership Program (ALP) began in 2009 and has graduated more than 200 industry members. Dozens now serve on ABC workgroups, committees and even the Board of Directors.

“The industry is seeing the enormous benefits from more than a decade of the leadership program, and while we seem to say this every year, this 2023 class is simply outstanding,” said Rebecca Bailey, the ABC specialist who oversees ALP. “This program helps great people become great leaders. It’s clear that these talented, passionate people will continue to be great assets and advocates for our industry for years.”

Members of this 14th class – while still working at their jobs – will be immersed in every aspect of the industry, including ABC activities in global marketing, production, nutrition research, food safety and more. They’ll sharpen their communication skills and build lasting relationships with industry leaders, ABC staff and each other.

“I’m honored to be joining a group of industry leaders who will be taking both the almond industry and the agriculture community into the future,” said 2023 participant Diane Power, a sixth generation California farmer and sales associate in Modesto with Pearson Realty. “I look forward to all the experiences and opportunities we will have to learn about the almond industry, and to the many relationships we will form through this year.”

Class members will be guided by volunteer mentors – many of them ALP graduates – who will help them develop the skills, knowledge and perspective to improve their industry and their communities.

“We all play unique roles in the almond industry,” said 2023 class member Megan Chicoine, the general manager of U.S. operational support for Manulife Investment Management in Redding. “As young emerging leaders, we have the ability to make significant impacts by actively participating in our industry.”

The leadership program will also offer class members thorough looks at the impacts on the industry of social, economic and environmental issues and the regulatory climate. In addition, participants will take on a yearlong, self-directed project focused on improving the California almond industry. Some past projects have led to important breakthroughs for the industry.

Leadership class members kicked off their training with a two-day orientation a week ago at the ABC offices in Modesto, which included one-on-one talks with their mentors.

“The one thing everyone has in common is they love agriculture,” said mentor Chandler Wilson, a technical sales rep for NutriAg USA. “We all want to be better. The mentors believe in the program and many have been through it. We’re eager to give back to the industry and these new leaders. We’ll share our experiences in and out of ALP, and together, we’ll all learn and grow as individuals and professionals through the whole process.”

Once again, class members will raise money for California FFA, pledging to raise more than $25,000 in scholarships for high school students interested in pursuing agriculture in college. Through the years, ALP has raised more than $225,000 for FFA.

The 2023 Almond Leadership class members are Alana Ambrosino, Ripon Manufacturing Company, Inc.; James Broaddus, BASF Agricultural Solutions; Destiny Camden, BeeHero Inc; Chris Chavez, ofi; Megan Chicoine, Manulife Investment Management; Lincoln Denlinger, Salida Ag; Lauren Dutra, Ceres Imaging; Brian Ganyo, Bayer Crop Science; Robert Gray, Burchell Nursery; Darryl Hadlich, WiseConn Engineering; Thomas Martin, TRÉCÉ Inc.; Erick Mendonca, Miller Chemical; Chris Miller, Blue Diamond Growers; Vance Millwee, Treehouse California Almonds, LLC; Mitchell Moreda, RPAC LLC; Diane Power, Pearson Realty; Matthew Reamer, South Valley Farms; and Tylor Wilbourn, BeeHero Inc.

Bayer Crop Science has sponsored ALP for a number of years and is the sponsor of the 2023 class.

California Ag Today2023-02-08T09:10:03-08:00February 8th, 2023|

New UCCE Advisors Bring Fresh Ideas to Protect Lettuce From INSV, Pythium Wilt

By Mike Hsu, UCANR

Salinas Valley lettuce growers lost about $150 million in 2022 due to diseases

A stormy winter could portend another devastating year for the lettuce industry in the Salinas Valley, which saw approximately $150 million in lost gross revenue in 2022 due to INSV (impatiens necrotic spot virus) and associated diseases. Recent drenching rains might mean more weeds – overwintering “reservoirs” for the tiny insect, the Western flower thrips, that carries INSV.

Or the extreme precipitation could benefit growers, as thrips in the soil – during their intermediate stage of development – might be drowned in the waterlogged fields.

As with so many aspects of the INSV crisis, the ultimate effects of flooded fields on thrips populations remain unknown.

“We don’t know if thrips are just so persistent and so stable in that pupal stage that maybe they will emerge unaffected,” said Kirsten Pearsons, University of California Cooperative Extension integrated pest management farm advisor for Santa Cruz, Monterey and San Benito counties. “There’s just so much about their biology and ecology in the Salinas Valley that we just don’t know.”

The mystery of thrips, INSV and soilborne diseases (namely Pythium wilt) is why UC Agriculture and Natural Resources assigned Pearsons to the area last November and hired Yu-Chen Wang in October as UCCE plant pathology advisor for the three counties.

“They’re stepping in at a critical moment,” said Richard Smith, the region’s UCCE vegetable crop production and weed science advisor who retired in January after a 37-year career. “They’ve gotten grants funded already – and that’s just incredible. They’re hitting the ground running.”

Experienced in disease diagnosis and collaboration with growers and industry partners, Wang said her pathology background – paired with Pearsons’ entomology expertise – will be crucial in addressing INSV and other diseases.

“It is important for Kirsten and me to work together and provide different insights for the vector and the pathogen, respectively,” Wang said.

‘It’s going to take everything to get a crop’

One priority is untangling the dynamics of INSV and Pythium wilt co-occurrence – the subject of ongoing research by JP Dundore-Arias, a plant pathologist at California State University, Monterey Bay. While the vegetables may tolerate one disease or the other, their one-two punch often deals the lethal blow.

“The challenge is – which is why it’s great to have Yu-Chen and Kirsten – is that we have so many problems now, whether it’s Fusarium (wilt), or Verticillium (wilt), or Pythium, or INSV,” said Mark Mason, pest control adviser for Nature’s Reward, which primarily grows lettuces on 5,000 acres across the Salinas Valley.

Mason said that co-infections on his crops (sometimes with three or four diagnosed diseases) make it difficult to assign monetary damages to a specific pathogen, but he noted he has seen fields with “100% loss.” According to the Grower-Shipper Association of Central California, about 11,500 acres were deemed not harvestable in 2022, representing 12% of lettuce industry acreage.

Given the gravity and complexity of the disease dilemma, Pearsons said she has been fielding calls from growers seeking new and better solutions – ways to improve existing tools, techniques borrowed from other crop systems, and additional biological or chemical means of control.

And although there are a couple of pesticides that manage the disease-carrying thrips reasonably well, growers and researchers are worried about their diminishing efficacy due to overuse. Plus, they only constitute a short-term fix.

“Managing the thrips will only reduce the amount of INSV that can get transmitted,” Pearsons explained. “You can kill 99.9% of the thrips, but you get one thrips that has INSV that enters a field, and now you have an infected lettuce plant. All of the thrips are going to come and they can spread it from there; pesticide slows things down, but it’s not going to eliminate it.”

Finding disease-tolerant lettuce cultivars is a more sustainable approach. Trials conducted last year by Smith, Wang and others identified several varieties that appeared to hold up well to Pythium and INSV. While additional research could maximize their potential benefit, Wang said even the hardier cultivars will lose their resistance over time, and a multi-layered INSV strategy with “integrated management tools” is crucial.

“We realized, when this thing started happening, that we cannot spray our way out of this problem,” Mason said. “We need varieties; we need management practices; we need pesticides…it just seems like it’s going to take everything to get a crop.”

Weeds key to disease control

An all-hands-on-deck approach helped control thrips-harboring weeds last winter. With fields drying out from January storms, Smith said communities must get back to weed management – with a focus on prominent weed hosts for INSV and neglected areas adjacent to farms. Hotspots of infection last year were traced to industrial lots that were overlooked during the weeding process.

“People can’t lose sight of the fact that we still need to be controlling the weeds in key areas, because that’s the reservoir of the virus during the winter,” Smith said. “We have to stay on task with that.”

Yet despite the diligent weed abatement, crop damage from INSV and Pythium was widespread in 2022, and Smith said it’s “very possible” that high heat during the summer was a contributing factor to especially prevalent disease in fall. Thrips populations tend to thrive in warmer weather, Smith said, but much more research needs to be done to understand the basic biology of the insect, including how they acquire the virus and how they spread it.

High hopes for future

Pearsons cited the work of Daniel Hasegawa, a research entomologist with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, who leads teams in monitoring thrips populations in several locations across the Salinas Valley. Currently the counting of thrips on sticky card traps is done manually, but Pearsons and Mason mentioned the possibility of using AI and machine learning to expedite that process.

Mason said that the grower community is excited about the new technologies and ideas that Pearsons and Wang are bringing to the region. As a participant in the search for candidates to fill the advisor positions, Mason said “they were, in my opinion, by far the best fit for what we were looking for.”

“I hope they stay here for 30 years,” he added.

The new advisors both noted the palpable energy and cooperative spirit in the Salinas Valley to proactively meet the challenge.

“Looking to the past, there have been other outbreaks and diseases that they’ve managed to overcome,” Pearsons said. “These farmers are resilient and creative and I fully believe that lettuce will still be growing here for years to come – it might look a little different, and it might take a little bit of a painful period to get to that point, but I think that we’re going to be able to come up with some solutions.”

And while there are concerns that some lettuce growers might decide to leave the region, Wang said she also believes in the industry’s strong roots and rich history.

“Salinas Valley has had a beautiful climate for lettuce for so many years; there are some undeniable advantages here,” she said. “This is still the best place in the United States – and maybe the world – to grow lettuce.”

California Ag Today2023-02-03T16:01:34-08:00February 3rd, 2023|

Caltrans Seeks Rural, Tribal Volunteers for Latest ‘Road Charge’ Study

Source: Caltrans

Participants can earn up to $250 for 7-month pilot

The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) is recruiting volunteers who reside and travel in rural and tribal communities to participate in the latest testing phase of a “road charge” pilot. Up to 500 volunteers will participate in a seven-month simulated road charge system, which charges drivers based on the number of miles they travel rather than the amount of gas they use to support the state’s critical transportation infrastructure. There will be no cost to participate, and upon completion, volunteers will be eligible to receive an incentive of up to $250.

“Rural and tribal communities have unique travel needs and may interact with a road charge system in different ways,” said Caltrans Director Tony Tavares. “It is essential that Caltrans understands their needs as it develops an equitable and convenient alternative to the gas tax.”

Starting in March 2023, the California Road Charge Public-Private Roads Project will explore the technical aspects of reporting mileage, as well as engage rural and tribal communities in a conversation about their communities’ priorities in a potential road charge system to fund road and highway maintenance.

This pilot will simulate how participants interact with a road charge system by reporting mileage and “paying” mock invoices. The pilot will conduct surveys to gauge participants’ preferences and experience.

As vehicles become more fuel-efficient and the state’s transition to zero-emission vehicles accelerates, Caltrans is researching possible alternatives to the state gas tax, which California has historically relied on to build and maintain the state’s transportation system. Volatile oil prices and California’s phasing out the sale of new gas-powered cars by 2035 add increased urgency to research ways to bring long-term stability to transportation funding. For that reason, Caltrans is testing various methods to collect per-mile rather than per-gallon fees.

This demonstration is funded through a grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Surface Transportation System Funding Alternatives Program and will build on Caltrans’ previous road charge pilots: California’s Road Charge Pilot in 2017, which introduced the road charge concept to Californians, and California’s Four-Phase

Demonstration, which tested the road charge concept across several platforms including pay-at-the-pump and electric vehicle charging station systems, usage-based insurance, transportation network company fleets, and automated vehicles.

Volunteers interested in participating in the pilot – and the incentive of up to $250 – may visit http://www.caroadcharge.com/projects/public-private-roads-project/ and complete the participant recruitment survey. Participants must be California residents over the age of 18. The pilot is employing the highest standards in data protection and safeguarding, ensuring that Caltrans will not receive any sensitive information from participants.

To learn more about the California Road Charge Project and the Road Charge Program, please visit www.caroadcharge.com.

California Ag Today2023-02-03T09:22:56-08:00February 3rd, 2023|

WPH Supports DPR Commitment to Reforming the CA Pesticide Registration Process and Bringing More Sustainable Alternative Products to Farmers

By Western Plant Health

Western Plant Health (WPH) released the following statement in response to the California Department of Pesticide Regulation’s (DPR) Sustainable Pest Management Roadmap. Please attribute to Renee Pinel, President & CEO of WPH.

Today, DPR released its Sustainable Pest Management Roadmap which will continue California’s commitment to lead the country in progressive agricultural systems.

Western Plant Health appreciates DPR’s commitment to implement reforms that will expedite the registration of new products, which DPR acknowledges in the report are all more sustainable. The recommendations also seek to assure greater departmental accountability to the registration process.

WPH supports these reforms, which we have recommended for years. We look forward to not only reading about needed reforms but seeing these reforms occur, and are committed to working with DPR to fulfill the recommendations that will implement a system that expedites the registration of all new products, and provide accountability to the registration program.

WPH also agrees that preventing the introduction of pests and advancing research for new pest control systems is important to all Californians. We support the administration’s commitment to these areas by increasing general fund allocations to not only fully funding CDFA’s Pest Prevention Division and the University of California’s Extension Services, but to expanding those services.

California Ag Today2023-01-27T11:09:38-08:00January 27th, 2023|