Apples Continued from Page 1
gets varieties that are harder to find and that are big on flavor, said farmer Geri Prevedelli. Even though the farm also grows commercial varieties such as Fuji and Granny Smith, she said “we grow some unusual apples that other people don’t have.” The farm typically begins picking Gravenstein in mid-July, but heavier fog in the region this year delayed fruit rip- ening and harvest by two to three weeks, Prevedelli said. She noted yields are down due to lack of winter chill hours, which affects fruit set. Because the farm sells most of its fruit at farmers markets, Prevedelli said she’s able to talk to her customers about what they like. Whereas grocery store shoppers tend to pick apples that are flawless in appearance, she said farm- ers market customers are more willing to look past cosmetic imperfections in favor of flavor. Prevedelli acknowledged that heir- loom varieties are harder to grow, and it takes “a large commitment to raise a tree,” noting the five to seven years for trees to reach production. “That’s why you see people going into berries and vegetables, which are a lot faster turnaround for your acres,” she said. (ChingLeeisanassistanteditorofAgAlert. Shemaybe contactedat clee@cfbf.com.)
Apple harvest in the state started in mid-July withGala, the earliest commer- cial variety to hit themarket and now the state’s top-produced apple, according to commission data. It will be followed by Granny Smith, Fuji andCripps Pink, also marketed as Pink Lady. Growers are expected to produce about 1.3 million 40-pound boxes of ap- ples this year, down fromanestimated1.4 millionboxes in 2020, saidTodd Sanders, the commission’s executive director. He attributed the slight dip to older trees be- ing retired and new plantings that have not yet come into full production. State apple orchards have fluctuated in recent years between 12,000 and 14,000 total acres. Plantings stood at 12,844 acres during the 2019-20 season, up from 12,229 in 2018-19, the commission re- ported. Almost every county in the state produces apples, but San Joaquin, Santa Cruz and Sonoma counties dominate, with about 2,000 acres each. For the initial crop at least, growers have reported good fruit quality and yields, though sizing may be “a little bit off ” due to the larger volumes and the heat, Sanders said. “Because of the heat, the apples are going to be super, super sweet because they’re going to be higher in sugar con- tent,” he said. The biggest selling point for California apples is their freshness, he said, noting that apples from the Pacific Northwest and elsewhere are “probably almost a year old at this point.” Growers here tend to “pick, pack and ship,” finishing harvest by October or November, Sanders said, though some apples will continue to ship through January. Even though California ranks fifth in U.S. apple product ion—behind Washington, New York, Michigan and Pennsylvania—it remains a leading ap- ple exporter. About 25%of the state’s crop goes to foreignmarkets.
Gala apples, harvest of which began in mid-July, now represent the largest commercial apple variety grown in the state.
The state ships apples to 27 coun- tries, with Canada, Mexico, Taiwan and Southeast Asia being top destinations. During the 2019-20 season, the state ex- ported 58,115 boxes. Canada represents nearly 80% of California’s apple export sales, though China—the world’s largest apple producer—has taken some of that market share in recent years, according to the commission. Carranza said export shipments are expected to improve from last year, which saw them “down quite a bit” due to logistical challenges caused by the pandemic. With port delays still snarling shipments, she said, those impacts may continue this year. Due to large apple suppl ies from Washington state and countries such as China, Carranza said bolstering export markets has become more important for California growers. She noted state apple exporters have felt ripple effects of retaliatory tariffs on U.S. apples set by China and India, key export mar- kets for Washington apples. With less
volume going to those markets, more apples end up in the domestic market, indirectly affecting California growers, Carranza said. “(California growers) are definitely relying more on exports as the market becomesmore saturated,” Carranza said. A small-scale grower, Prevedelli Farms in Watsonville grows about 40 apple va- rieties, many of them heirlooms. It tar-
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The total salts in soil and water can come from several sources. Salts are often measured by the electrical conductivity (EC). The EC for irrigation water is normally a measure of total salts, but it does not tell us which salts make up the composition. Common units of measure are deciSiemens per meter (dS/m) or millimho per centimeter (mmho/cm), 1 dS/m = 1 mmho/cm. The EC is usually a balance of cations and anions reported as meq/l. Cations (+) Anions (-) Calcium Ca Bicarbonate HCO3 Magnesium Mg Carbonate CO3 Sodium Na The predominate cations and anions are listed above. Potassium may be reported but does not usually contribute to salinity issues. Boron and Nitrates may also be reported, these are important for diagnosing toxici- ties and N requirements. Irrigation water samples should be analyzed to tell us how much individual cations and anions are present. When EC measurements are above 4.0, and sodium levels are high, crops may experience reduced soil water availability for root absorption. Crops grown on saline soils must work harder to take up water. These crops may show symptoms of water stress, even when soils are moist. High levels of sodium in the water or soil can lead to poor soil structure decreasing water infiltration, damaging crops and increasing soil pH which changes nutrient availability. If leaching sodium with clean water isn’t an option, keeping calcium as the dominate salt will help reduce the negative effects of sodium. Remember to keep Ca > Mg + Na. Chloride CI Sulfate SO4 Sources: Valley Tech Ag Lab & UC Almond Production Manual publication 3364.
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6 Ag Alert August 25, 2021
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