Ag Alert. August 16, 2023

Ag Alert is the newspaper of the California Farm Bureau Federation, reaching Farm Bureau agricultural and collegiate members. Agricultural members are owners and decision-makers on California farms and ranches. The California Farm Bureau Federation is a non-governmental, non-profit, voluntary membership organization whose purpose is to protect and promote agricultural interests throughout the state of California and to find solutions to the problems of the farm, the farm home and the rural community. Farm Bureau is California's largest farm organization, comprised of 53 county Farm Bureaus. Farm Bureau strives to protect and improve the ability of farmers and ranchers engaged in production agriculture to provide a reliable supply of food and fiber through responsible stewardship of California's resources.

Expecting water shut-off Klamath Basin farmers worry about finishing crop

New lettuce Varieties resistant to disease, insects released

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Trees & Vines ®

special report

By Caleb Hampton When the 2017 Tubbs Fire beared down on his vineyards, sixth-generation Napa Valley winegrape grower Johnnie White battled the blaze with the St. Helena Fire Department. In addition to growing winegrapes and raising cattle that provide grazing for wild- fire fuel reduction, White is a 20-year veter- an of the fire department. As a farmer and firefighter, he saw up close the devastation the Tubbs Fire and other fires have caused to the North Coast wine region’s commu- nities and agricultural properties. White testified last week before the House Committee on Natural Resources at an oversight hearing held in Yosemite National Park to discuss wildfires and forest health. He spoke about the conse- quences of the fires on rural communities and outlined steps that can be taken to minimize risks in the future. “Wildfires greatly impact California’s $50 billion agriculture industry,” White said in his committee testimony. “In addition to being a significant public safety threat, our industry continues to witness damage and destruction to our livestock, commodities, farms, ranches, wineries, farm homes, em- ployee housing and equipment.” Alongside White, witnesses at the Yosemite hearing, titled “Conservation in a Crown Jewel,” included Butte County rancher Dave Daley of the California Cattlemen’s Association as well as other stakeholders, experts and elected officials. “It is up to us to correct the mistakes we have made and begin anew to conserve our nation’s bountiful lands and resourc- es by striking the right balance among corrective actions, our current needs and our obligations to future generations,” Committee Chairman Bruce Westerman, R-AR, said in an opening statement. For many people impacted by wildfires, White testified, the challenges do not end when the flames are extinguished. “Frequent wildfire has also created See HEARING, Page 13 Testimony urges House action on wildfire dangers

Backlog at harvest may affect tomato crop California Sun Grower Services employee Eden Peña cleans debris from a tomato harvester in a Sutter County field. Growers say they fear delays in early-season planting could result in excess tomatoes needing processing all at once.

By Christine Souza As California growers harvest this sea- son’s processing tomato crop, there is con- cern that canneries could struggle to keep up with a backlog of fruit deliveries. Yolo County farmer Bruce Rominger, board chairman for the California Tomato Growers Association, said growers are worried about risks to fruit that can’t be processed right away.

“A cannery might say, ‘I’m going to con- tract with growers to bring me 200 loads per day,’” Rominger said. “Well, now all of a sudden, there’s 400 loads that need to be harvested. So the concern is we’re all jammed up, and some tomatoes sit in the field too long and get rotten.” After three years of drought, heavy rains left tomato fields wet and muddy through spring, disrupting planting of processing

tomato transplants, which continued through May. “It was raining like crazy in March, so nobody could really get in and plant. We didn’t plant until about April 12, so we were basically three weeks to a month late,” said Rominger, who also grows rice, nut crops, sunflowers, wheat, corn and seed crops. “We have more tomatoes scheduled

See TOMATOES, Page 19

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Legislation may clear way for farmers to use drones

By Al Stehly In my San Diego County vineyard one day, I watched as my employees carried

use a spray drone to whitewash greenhous- es, thus reducing the risks of having to do the job using ladders and scaffolds. To promote understanding of AB 1016, California Farm Bureau sponsored a field day at the University of California, Davis, to demonstrate the safe and accurate tech- nology of spray drones. More than 30 reg- ulators attended, and their enthusiasm for the legislation was encouraging. Some University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources drone experts in attendance noted it is even dif- ficult to get licensed to conduct studies using this technology. Ansel has helped organize a robust co- alition of regulators, educators and farm groups as supporters of AB 1016. As the bill gained momentum, universities and com- munity colleges took notice. Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa is now creating an associate science degree in unmanned aerial systems, with an emphasis on aerial applications from drones. AB 1016 has to date cleared four state Assembly and Senate committees, as well as the full Assembly, without a single “no” vote. As the process nears the finish line with more work to be done, I am glad I raised the issue and proud of the way California Farm Bureau recognized its im- portance and crafted a plan to take this on. Farmers deserve access to technology that safeguards agricultural workers and enhances our food production. Our work on drones is just one step in removing regulatory barriers and making possible a better farming future. (Al Stehly, who grows avocados, citrus fruit and winegrapes in San Diego County, chairs the rural health department for the California Farm Bureau. He may be contacted at al@stehlygrove.com.)

60-pound back- packs loaded with chemicals. They trudged up and down hills, avoid- ing rocks and go- pher holes while applying pesti- cides with mist blowers to protect my winegrapes.

Al Stehly

There must be a better way, I thought. I watched a video of Chinese farmers spraying rice with a drone and realized there was. According to market research, agricultural drone use, including for pes- ticide applications, is surging in the Asia- Pacific region. Drones offer a precise, tar- geted delivery system for farmers when helicopters or fixed-wing aircraft may be neither efficient nor cost-effective. Besides being a farmer, I have been a li- censed pesticide applicator for more than 35 years. I wanted to use this new drone technology, too. I wanted my employees to ditch their heavy backpacks and maintain distance from chemical applications. So, I began a process I thought would be easy: getting a permit to use drones to administer pesticides. But my three-year journey navigating Federal Aviation Administration licensing procedures and California Department of Pesticide Regulation rules revealed one obstacle after another. My frustration led me to seek help from the California Farm Bureau, of which I am a member, to pass legislation to help farmers access this beneficial technology. We are now close to achieving our goal.

A drone applies pesticides to winegrapes. The technology can target applications to crops, keeping employees at a distance, but licensing requirements have been burdensome for farmers.

A special license from the FAA is re- quired for anyone operating a drone for commercial purposes. To use a drone weighing 55 pounds requires another FAA exemption. For me, that exemption alone took six months to be approved. Meanwhile, I’m still waiting to hear from the FAA on my drone license and a written test date. Perhaps most exasperating has been my effort to secure a California journeyman pilot’s license, which can allow a qualified pesticide applicator with FAA authoriza- tion to apply crop-protection chemicals with a drone. State DPR rules require an applicant to work as an apprentice for one year while logging 50 hours of experience under a journeyman pilot. Currently, there are only seven journeymen drone pilots in the state. Alternatively, that means finding a fixed-wing or helicopter pilot to apprentice under. That makes little sense. Drone pilots should be trained by drone pilots.

About two years ago, realizing this im- portant technology was being hampered by outdated regulations, I approached California Farm Bureau President Jamie Johansson for assistance. Farm Bureau be- gan a determined effort to craft a bill and find a sponsor. Peter Ansel, a senior policy advocate, took on the issue with passion. Our first legislative attempts bogged down amid the pandemic. This year, Farm Bureau began working with state pesticide regulation officials and Assembly Member Reggie Jones Sawyer, D-Los Angeles, who agreed to carry Assembly Bill 1016. The bill gives DPR a path to modernize pesticide applicator credentialing requirements by creating training programs for drone aerial applications. I started this journey in hopes drones could make pesticide applications safer and easier for my employees. Now the more I talk to farmers about drones, the more ideas I hear for additional uses in agriculture. For example, a nursery grower asked if he could

VOL. 50, NO. 30

August 16, 2023

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2 Ag Alert August 16, 2023

Klamath farmers hope to harvest crops before shutoff

lake elevation of 4,139.2 feet. The court denied the plaintiffs’ motion on May 10, Simmons said, yet the bureau respond- ed days later calling for what the plain- tiffs asked for—a minimum lake level of 4,139.2 feet. Simmons called the lake level “an arbitrary number from the clear blue sky,” adding that the biological opin- ion for endangered suckers calls for a minimum lake level of 4,138 feet, a dif- ference equating to 80,000 acre-feet. Annual average demand by the proj- ect is between 320,000 acre-feet and

400,000 acre-feet, he said. Farmers were counting on more water supplies this year after they suffered from severe cutbacks in water deliveries during recent extreme drought years. In 2022, the bureau granted an initial allocation of 50,000 acre-feet. In 2021, the initial alloca- tion was 33,000 acre-feet. To accommodate for the lower-than- hoped-for water allocation this year, Seus said growers had to cut back on planted acres.

By Christine Souza Even with a more positive water out- look in early 2023, irrigators of the federal Klamath Water Project who are nearing the end of the growing season say they hope to finish harvest before their water supply is cut off in the coming weeks. Siskiyou County farmer Scott Seus of Tulelake-based Seus Farms, which grows a variety of crops including horseradish, onions, mint and grain, said the region’s farmers face water challenges again this season, despite a plentiful water year. “It’s hard to fathom. They tell you there’s not enough water to go around, yet you have 220% of normal precipitation and you should be closer to 300,000 acre- feet or 280,000 (acre-feet) reasonably,” Seus said, referring to the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation that manages the Klamath Water Project, which relies on water from Upper Klamath Lake and the Klamath River. “There’s a strong probability that they are going to shut our water off before the end of the season. “With irrigated row crops,” he added, “we need to get to the other side of Sept. 15. It is pretty reasonable right now to think that we’re not going to get there.” For the Klamath Water Project, water from Upper Klamath Lake is dedicat- ed to fish species based on regulatory guidelines put in place by the National Marine Fisheries Service and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. NMFS has authority related to coho salmon, and USFWS has authority related to Lost River suckers and shortnose suck- ers. To manage for the needs of fish, federal agencies extended the interim operations plan to Oct. 31, 2024, after it expired in September 2022. Based on the operations plan and the water supply from Upper Klamath Lake, Klamath Water Users Association Executive Director and Counsel Paul Simmons said

project irrigators should have received 285,000 acre-feet in 2023. However, this spring, the bureau announced an initial supply of 215,000 acre-feet. Influencing the water-supply alloca- tion was a request by the Yurok Tribe and other plaintiffs this spring asking the federal court in San Francisco to order a

See KLAMATH, Page 4

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Klamath Continued from Page 3

“Nobody gets through this if everybody plants 100%, so we set some acres aside. We used well water early, and we’re prob- ably going to have to finish with some well water,” said Seus, who is on the board of the Tulelake Irrigation District. “We believe that we’re going to be out of water in the very near future,” he added. “That allocation will get used up, and we’ll be back on wells to finish things.” As growers plan water budgets to car- ry them through the end of the season, Seus said crops are in good shape. He said some grain was grown using deficit irriga- tion, and row crops such as horseradish, onions and mint look good. “It is nice to drive around and see as many green fields as there are, but our concern is whether or not we can finish them,” Seus said. Fellow Tulelake farmer Marc Staunton of Staunton Farms, which farms row crops and is a member of Cal-Ore Produce, a grower-packer-shipper of fresh potatoes, said he is concerned about finishing the season because much has been invested in planting and growing the crops. “We’ve pretty much made all invest- ments at this point except for the cost of harvest,” said Staunton, president of Cal-Ore Produce and a TID board mem- ber. “Basically, we’ve almost fully spent

A view of Link River Dam west of Klamath Falls, Oregon, in May. The dam regulates water in Upper Klamath Lake, the principal source of water for the federal Klamath Water Project.

our budget on growing the crop, so all we have to do is finish with water, and if it gets cut short, then we would be miss- ing any opportunity of profit.” This far into the growing season, Staunton said he and other growers have spent most of the budget on planting costs, including for seed and preplant fertilizer, and growing costs such as for fertigation, chemigation, labor and other inputs. “All you’ve got to do is finish the crop with water and harvest to get paid, so it’s

definitely concerning to get this far into the crop and be concerned about a shutoff,” said Staunton, who farms potatoes, onions, garlic, alfalfa and cereal grains. In terms of balancing water among the various users in the basin, Staunton sug- gested there must be a better way. “Why can’t we work together and talk this out instead of ending up in a courtroom?” Staunton said. “If people could stop trying to manage water in the courtroom, you could have conversations about individual

needs like tribal needs and tribal concerns, and also farmers’ needs and farmers’ con- cerns and come up with a solution.” Speaking of a basin-wide solution, Simmons said, “We need some sort of negotiated agreement. Otherwise, this conflict will go on forever. In the last three years, I think there’s been at least one law- suit every year.” (Christine Souza is an assistant editor of Ag Alert. She may be contacted at csouza@cfbf.com.)

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4 Ag Alert August 16, 2023

Rural area turns to forensic tech to fight farm thefts By Kathy Coatney

Farms and ranches in isolated areas of California may be far from urban centers but not from crime. Witcher Creek Ranch, a 2,800-acre property in Modoc County, has been an occasional destination for thieves stealing tools and tack supplies. One time, some- one broke into the family home, grabbing belongings before fleeing. “We started out adding cameras, after the second theft occurrence,” said Glenn Nader, owner of the ranch. Now residents of the region are trying to make the location less attractive to criminals who may seek out rural agri- cultural settings. Area farmers and ranchers, the Modoc County Farm Bureau, Modoc County Cattlemen’s Association and the Modoc County Sheriff’s Office are embracing a new forensic coding technology that can help trace stolen equipment, tools and other property. Though security cameras offer some protection, Nader said he wanted more and helped bring the technology to the community. The county Farm Bureau and local cat- tlemen’s association raised money to pur- chase kits that use an invisible, traceable liquid as part of the solution. The liquid—marketed as SmartWater ®

After incidents of theft on his property, Modoc County rancher Glenn Nader became an advocate for security kits using forensic coding. The Modoc County Farm Bureau sells the kits, and the Modoc County Sheriff’s Department invested in the technology.

It is marketed to cities, communities and law enforcement. A vial of the solution can mark 50 items. It is manufactured to last five years and survive 1,400-degree heat. Moreover, it can be detected only under specific wave- length ultraviolet light monitors carried by law enforcement.

“We’ve seen a lot of interest in the kits,” said Jamie Wheeler, office manager for the Modoc County Farm Bureau. The Farm Bureau office sells the kits to local farmers and ranchers, with a goal of sales covering most of the investment.

and SmartTrace ® —contains a forensic code that is registered to the property own- er who purchases the kit. The product is the result of partner- ship between U.S. and British technol- ogy firms—SmartWater CSI in Florida and DeterTech in the United Kingdom.

See FORENSIC, Page 16

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6 Ag Alert August 16, 2023

A SPECIAL GROWERS’ REPORT OF AG ALERT ® CALIFORNIA Trees & Vines ®

To protect walnut trees from the flatheaded borer, researchers say farmers should remove weakened, injured, dead or flagged branches to target mature larvae that overwinter in infected wood.

Borer insect’s appetite grows, damaging older trees By Vicky Boyd

borer moot on a lot of his acres. Nevertheless, Vogel said it was another pest to watch for in his remaining trees, es- pecially younger replants. “There’s always something,” he said. “I always carry a pocket knife so if I see some- thing, I can investigate.” Four flatheaded borer species have been reported in the West. Of those, Rijal said the Pacific flatheaded borer is the predominant one causing problems in California walnuts. “In the fall of 2018, we had several (walnut) growers from the northern San Joaquin Valley—especially in San Joaquin and Stanislaus counties—report some sort of damage they had never seen before,” he said. Since then, Rijal has found the pest in many of the region’s walnut orchards at varying levels. “Pretty much all orchards have infestations, although certain areas of the counties have a lot more than others,” he said. “I think it all goes back to that stress factor, and trees on heavy soils are more stressed. Because of that, I’ve seen more damage in those areas than on lighter soils.” In the worst cases, more than 90% of young walnut trees were infested, prompting grow- ers to replant entire orchards. The recent damage also has gone against historical reports, See BORER, Page 8

A native insect pest, the flatheaded borer, has long been only an occasional problem for young, sunburned walnut trees. Now the insect is adding healthy orchards, including mature trees, to its menu. Why the flatheaded borer has begun damaging healthy walnut trees is unknown. But University of California area integrated pest management advisor Jhalendra Rijal said he suspects a number of stress factors, including the multiyear drought and orchard expansion onto marginal soils. “We’re trying to get a better understanding of the pest,” said Rijal, who serves San Joaquin, Stanislaus and Merced counties. That includes the flatheaded borer’s life cycle, phenology or how the cycles relate to seasonal changes, damage potential, monitoring traps and possible management strategies. While many of the research results are still preliminary, he said protecting trunks of 1- and 2-year-old walnut trees with white latex paint, diluted 1-to-1 with water, mini- mizes sunburn and significantly reduces flatheaded borer infestations. This season, Rijal also is conducting a trial with entomopathogenic, or beneficial, nema- todes to see if spraying the microscopic worms on infested trees may provide some control. Ken Vogel, who farms cherries and walnuts east of Stockton, said he has cut down his Vina and Hartley walnuts and plans to keep only blocks of Chandlers, making the

August 16, 2023 Ag Alert 7

Borer Continued from Page 7

which said Pacific flatheaded borers didn’t target apparently healthy trees. In addi- tion, Rijal has had reports of infestations in Yolo and Tulare counties. Adult Pacific flatheaded borers are ½- to ¾-inch, rather nondescript brownish beetles with gray markings on the wing covers. Adult females lay single eggs in weakened or damaged woody parts of trees. Sites include sunburned trunks or branches, fresh pruning wounds, bark crevices or depressions. A single female may lay up to 100 eggs, but it’s the larvae that cause the actual tree damage. The pest gets its name from what ap- pears to be the flat “head” of the larvae, although it’s actually the thorax. The immature insects bore into trees shortly after hatching and live most of their lives inside tree branches or trunks. They feed on the cambium, a layer of actively growing cells responsible for new bark and tissue production. The larvae, which can reach 1 inch long, eventually reach the heartwood at the center of the tree or branch. After six to eight months, the larvae pu- pate and emerge as adults the following May through July, leaving behind telltale D-shaped exit holes in trees. Based on observations, Rijal said emer- gence peaks in mid-June in the northern San Joaquin Valley. Currently, no insecticides are regis- tered for the pest. But he and his team are looking at potential chemical con- trols and application timings. He said he hopes to have recommendations by the start of next season. In the meantime, Rijal said protecting young trees from sunburn is key. In addition, he said maintaining healthy trees overall helps reduce sun-ex- posed branches, disease and other issues

The flatheaded borer larvae, below, once damaged only young, sunburned walnut trees. The insect now also attacks older, healthy trees, leaving larval feeding wounds with insect frass and brown- colored sap oozing out, such as on the walnut branch at left.

Photo/University of California IPM

that may stress trees and attract flathead- ed borers. In late fall or early winter, he recom- mended sanitation—including remov- ing weakened, injured, dead or flagged branches—to target mature larvae that overwinter in infected wood. Chipping the infested material kills the larvae. Infestations can best be detected by scouting trees in the fall after leaf fall when dead or flagged branches infest- ed by flatheaded borer are easier to see. Visual symptoms include larval feed- ing wounds, fresh or old insect frass, or brown-colored sap oozing and spread- ing on the bark surface.

Rijal also recommended checking for visible wounds on tree branches or limbs prone to sunburn or that have pruning wounds, cracks, flagged branches or oth- er injuries. In young orchards, growers and pest control advisors should check for dam- age on the trunk, particularly on the south or west side of trees where females prefer to lay eggs. In addition, they should check young tree graft unions and prun- ing wounds. If growers or PCAs suspect an infesta- tion, they should peel back the bark and look for feeding channels packed with frass—insect excrement that resembles

sawdust. The channels may be easier to detect in the summer when the larvae are feeding on the cambium just under the bark than in the fall, when they’ve moved deeper into the heartwood. No traps or lures are currently avail- able to monitor for flatheaded borers, ei- ther, but developing those tools are part of the Rijal’s research goals. His work was initially funded by the California Walnut Board and is now being un- derwritten by the U.S. Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture. (Vicky Boyd is a reporter in Modesto. She may be contacted at vlboyd@att.net.)

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8 Ag Alert August 16, 2023

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USDA releases new lettuce lines resistant to threats

By Bob Johnson U.S. Department of Agriculture re- searchers have released red leaf, green leaf and romaine lettuce breeding lines that combine resistance to crop threats including leafminer, corky root and downy mildew. Plant breeders may request limited amounts of seed to cross the new resistance with commercially acceptable varieties.

someone comes out with a variety with new resistance, the guys will switch to it. With lettuce, it is more complicated.” Recently released USDA breeding ma- terial has more complex sources of resis- tance that could help growers keep up with the fast-changing disease. In a HortScience article announcing the release, USDA research geneticist Beiquan Mou said more than 30 major

genes for downy mildew resistance have been identified in lettuce. “The resistance based on single dom- inant major genes, however, has not been durable because new isolates of the pathogen have continued to evolve and render this race-specific resistance ineffective,” Mou wrote. He concluded in the article that “quan- titative resistance” to the pathogen has been found in several lettuce cultivars that typically become infected. University of California pest manage- ment guidelines say growing resistant cultivars is the most effective means of controlling downy mildew. But the UC guidelines say resistant cultivars are not available for all areas and seasons. “Because the pathogen is highly vari- able and dynamic, resistant cultivars do not remain resistant indefinitely and can be overcome by new virulent isolates,” UC said. Widespread adoption of drip irrigation has made downy mildew more manage- able in lettuce than spinach, but the dis- ease remains a constant concern. Bianchi said the best strategy is to ap- ply a fungicide while the lettuce plants are still young. “We’re putting preventive materials out there to make sure the plants don’t get infected,” he said. “The materials are effective, but they are expensive.” Another crop concern is leafminer flies, which damage lettuce by punctur- ing the leaves to suck out food and by de- positing eggs that hatch and mine their way through the leaves. “Damage caused by adult stings and larval mining reduces photosynthetic ca- pacity, renders lettuce leaves unmarket- able and provides entrances for disease organisms,” Mou wrote. He said chemical control of leafmin- er usually lasts only a short time be- cause leafminer can develop a high degree of resistance to a broad range of insecticides. “Lettuce cultivars with a high level of resistance to leafminer are not currently available,” he wrote. Another threat found in the Central Coast region, corky root, makes plants develop lesions that eventually make it difficult to absorb water and nutrients. Mou said yield losses in severely infested fields can reach up to 100%. “Crop rotation, cover cropping, re- duced nitrogen fertilizers, drip irrigation and improved soil drainage may reduce corky root to a certain extent,” he wrote. The Salinas-based California Leafy Greens Research Board supported the work that led to the release of the new let- tuce breeding lines. So far, the new lines have been trialed only in Salinas and may not grow well or be effective in other ar- eas of the state. (Bob Johnson is a reporter in Monterey County. He may be contacted at bjohn11135@gmail.com.)

Downy mildew is a persistent chal- lenge in areas with a cool and moist cli- mate. Such climate conditions make the Salinas Valley the nation’s Salad Bowl. But they also favor the pathogen, which can leave lesions and spots that make the crop unmarketable. “Downy mildew is always an issue,” said Richard Bianchi, a San Benito County vegetable grower. “Even if you dry it up, the spots are still there. With spinach, if

December 1–6, 2023 • Grand Sierra Resort and Casino, Reno, NV Save the Date

PLUS • Continuing Education (CE)

California Marketplace Come shop the bounty and artisan goods of our state and local vendors, enjoy food and beverage samples, and visit sponsor/exhibitor booths. Workshops Educational topics covering three paths: Marketing, Branding & Sales, Policy, and Professional Development. Sunday Activities Join us for fun tours, annual cornhole tournament, and more, as well as the many offerings of the Grand Sierra Resort and Casino. Research and Grant Updates Dr. Amrith Gunasekara, CAFB director of science and research, discusses exciting research and grants led by the California Bountiful Foundation.

Sessions for Pesticide Licensing • Awards Banquet Recognizing Counties and Individuals • Receptions and Networking • Silent and Live Auctions • YF&R State Conference Workshops, Awards, and Networking

For more information, visit cfbf.com/annual-meeting or call 916-561-5594

10 Ag Alert August 16, 2023