Ag Alert July 7, 2021

Practices Continued from Page 7

and reduce the risk of cutting fertilizer rates, such as nitrification inhibitors and controlled-release fertilizers. “In studies that we have done, there is clearly a benefit to the use of some of these materials, but again, there is a learning curve to obtaining the ben- efits that they can provide,” Smith and Cahn said. Farm organizations have petitioned the state water board to review the re- gional board’s action, warning that the new regulations will have a profound ef- fect on food production. In their blog post, the farm advisors

nitrogen before it leached out of the root zone. Eric Brennan, a Salinas-based re- search horticulturalist with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, said he be- lieves the regulation will continue to evolve and better reflect the complexi- ties of nitrogen in the soil. “I would like to figure out a way that farmers who grow a legume-cereal-mix cover crop, like vetch mixed with rye, could be able to get some nitrogen credit for the nitrogen that was scavenged by the non-legume component of the mix- ture,” he said. Farmers may also receive credits for using high-carbon composts that tie up nitrogen and prevent it from leaching into groundwater. “Growers a l ready use compos t , wi th a typical carbon- to-ni t rogen ratio of 10- or 12-to-1 but could sub- st i tute high-carbon compost wi th a carbon-to-ni trogen rat io greater than 30-to-1,” Smith and Cahn said. “Currently, high-carbon compost has been granted a credit of 30 pounds of nitrogen an acre in Ag Order 4.0. However, once the research on this practice is completed, this practice may be granted greater credits as warranted on the removal side of the equation.” The farmadvisors discussed other op- tions to fine-tune fertilizer applications

concluded Ag Order 4.0 “will have a significant impact” on how farmers grow vegetables on the Central Coast in coming years. “There is a window of opportunity to experiment on how to address limits that will be applied to the use of nitrogen fertilizers,” they said. “Now is the time to make the decisions needed to address this new reality.” Their full reportmay be found at ucanr. edu/blogs/SalinasValleyAgriculture. ( Bo b J o hn s o n i s a r e p o r t e r i n Sacramento. He may be contacted at bjohn11135@gmail.com.)

systems can be very efficient, but Smith and Cahn said they still must be tested to make sure pressure stays uniform throughout the field and the emitters deliver a uniform amount of water. Irrigation scheduling depends on the crop, its age, soil type, weather and recent irrigationhistory. FreeCropManage soft- ware, developed by a teamof researchers and farmers ledbyCahn, calculates these complex factors andprovides ranch-spe- cific irrigation recommendations; it may be found at cropmanage.ucanr.edu. Though soil testing, well water testing and irrigation efficiency are the three most important ways to reduce nitrogen applications, Smith and Cahn described other ways to approach the requirements of Ag Order 4.0. Cover crops can be used to drawnitro- genback up to the root zonewhere future crops can use it, and high-carbon com- posts can immobilize nitrogen. Smith and Kahn noted that the re- gional water board had agreed to cred- it non-legume winter cover crops with 97% of their nitrogen content under certain criteria. This level of nitrogen credit for cover crops represented a victory for farmers and researchers who argued earl ier versions of the rule did not adequately account for the ability of cover crops to take up

Agricultural Market Review

Quotations are the latest available for the week ending July 2, 2021 Year Ago Week Ago Latest Week Livestock Slaughter Steers – 5-Area Average Select & Choice, 1050–1150 lbs., $ per cwt. 95 No Quote No Quote Hogs – Average hog, 51-52% lean, Iowa-Minn. market, $ per cwt. 46.11 109.98 107.60 Slaughter Lambs – $ per cwt. 125–175 lbs. National weekly live sales No Quote 190-275 195-281.56 Field crops – basis prompt shipment Barley – U.S. No. 2, $ per cwt. Truck, Stockton-Modesto-Oakdale-Turlock 9.25 (Tulare-Fresno) 14.50 No Quote Cotton – ¢ per lb., Middling 1 3/32” Fresno spot market 61.97 79.06 78.87 Corn – U.S. No. 2 yellow $ per cwt. trucked 8.65 8.03 8.67 Alfalfa Hay – $ per ton, quality*, FOB Region 1, Northern Inter-mountain 180-220 (P/S) 200-220 (P) 250-260 (P/S) Region 2, Sacramento Valley 150-200 (F/G/P) No Quote 230-260 (P/S) Region 3, Northern San Joaquin Valley 260-280 (P/S) 305-310 (F) 225-280 (P/S) Region 4, Central San Joaquin Valley No Quote 220-260 (utility) 235-320 (P/S) Region 5, Southern California 255-260 (P/S) 250 (P) No Quote Region 6, Southeast Interior 150-155 (G) 210-225 (S) 185-230 (G/P) Oat Hay – $ per ton, quality*, FOB Northern California, dairy No Quote No Quote No Quote Oats – U.S. No. 2 white, $ per cwt. Statewide, trucked price No Quote 205 (F) No Quote

The Produce Safety Rule is Here; ARE YOU READY?

Farm Employers Labor Service (FELS), an aliated company of the California Farm Bureau (CAFB), has partnered with the Safe Food Alliance through a California Department of Food and Agriculture grant contract, as their designated training provider for Central and Southern California, to conduct the required Produce Safety training for growers. Presented in a free two-day remote delivery webinar format! What sets Safe Food Alliance, FELS, and Farm Bureau apart is their total of over 100 years of experience and our dedication to providing technical guidance and leadership to the California agriculture community. Most farms are required to have at least one designated supervisor who has been trained in accordance with the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Produce Safety rule. Upon completion of the course, attendees will receive an ocial certicate from the Association of Food & Drug Ocials.

Dry Beans – Grower FOB prices Baby Limas, $ per cwt, (sacked) Large Limas, $ per cwt. (sacked) Blackeye, $ per cwt. (sacked)

No Quote No Quote No Quote

Rice – Milled No. 1 Head, FOB No. Calif. mills Medium grain, $ per cwt. Wheat – U.S. No. 2 or better, winter, $ per cwt. 13% protein, Los Angeles, trucked price

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9.25 13.75 Provided by the California Farm Bureau as a service to Farm Bureau members. Information supplied by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Market News Branch. * ADF=Acid detergent fiber; (S) = Supreme/<27%ADF; (P) = Premium/27-29; (G) = Good/29-32; (F) = Fair/32-35. 12 (No. 1)

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The Food Safety Training Partnership is offering these training courses throughout California. You can find more information and register at foodsafetytrainingpartnership.com, or call 916-561-5672. Supported by California Department of Food and Agriculture

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8 Ag Alert July 7, 2021