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.
FarmBureau Extension Ross, Johansson discuss key topics during online conversation
Weed control in rice Specialists say new options are coming, as newweeds emerge
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www.cfbf.com • www.agalert.com APRIL 21, 2021
Field Crops ® Vegetables ®
s p e c i a l r e p o r t s
ByChristine Souza The 2020-21 California drought has led to significant water cutbacks, compelling farmers to fallow ground and public offi- cials torespondwithlegislationintendedto address thestate’schronicwater shortages. Farmers inmore parts of the state have learned in recent days just how littlewater they will have available to them this sum- mer, as water suppliers from the Oregon border to the North Coast to the San JoaquinValleyannounced lowallocations. One-fourth of the state’s irrigated farm- land—about 2 million acres—will have only5%of full surfacewatersupply,accord- ing to theCaliforniaFarmWaterCoalition, whichaddedthat otherareashavehadwa- ter supplies cut by 25%ormore. Drought spreads water shortages throughout state
See WATER, Page 19
ByDaveKranz As farmers and ranchers in fire-prone regions of the state struggle to find insur- ance for their businesses and properties, the California FarmBureau has pursued a two-pronged approach to providing new coverage options. “Farmers andranchers fromaround the statehave toldus theyhavebeenunable to renew insurance and have not been able to find replacement coverage,” California FarmBureau President Jamie Johansson said. “Thishasbeena toppriority for Farm Bureau this year andwe’ve approached it in several ways, including sponsoring leg- islation and working with our insurance partners at Nationwide.” The legislation, Senate Bill 11 by Sen. SusanRubio, D-BaldwinPark, would spe- cifically authorize the state’s insurer of last Actions aim to broaden farmers’ insurance options
Dairy farms count on food-service demand Dairy farmer Case van Steyn interacts with one of his cows at his farm in Sacramento County. As more restaurants and other food-service venues reopen from pandemic-related lockdowns, demand for milk and other dairy products is expected to rise, but analysts say greater milk output from U.S. dairy farms could pressure market prices if demand slows.
ByChing Lee Reopening of restaurants, schools and other commercial kitchens should boost demand for milk and other dairy prod- ucts, but analysts say food-service sales will need to see marked improvement to absorb the larger supplies of milk flowing fromdairy farms. “We really need to see demand firing on
all cylinders if milk production holds up,” said Tiffany LaMendola, vice president of riskmanagement forBlimlingManagement Services inWisconsin, who alsoworks as a dairyeconomist forWesternUnitedDairies. With the national milking herd at a 30- yearhighandaseasonal increaseinproduc- tion that typically occurs in the spring,milk iscurrentlyplentiful,shesaid. Ifsuppliesstay
upanddemand falters, dairymarket prices couldcomeunderpressure, sheadded. U.S.milkproduction rosemore than2% in 2020, according to theU.S. Department of Agriculture, which also predicted daily milk output per cow will increase nearly 1.7% this year. That would be the highest rate of growth since 2014.
See DAIRY, Page 10
n e w s p a p e r
From the Fields ....................... 4-5 Field Crops ..................................7 Vegetables................................. 11 Classifieds........................... 17-19 Inside
Published by
See INSURANCE, Page 16
Stepped-up basis in tax policy protects family farms By JohnNewtonandScott Gerlt
ter the size of the farm operation. This obligation discourages the sale of land, thereby potentially increasing the cost of farmland. Another way to put the potential ef- fect of removing stepped-up basis into perspective is to compare the potential capital gains tax on land to the rental income from the land, in order to es- timate how long it would take to offset the loss of stepped-up basis if the capi- tal gains tax was fully incorporated into the land price. The number of years varies by state, but is more than four years based on na- tional average rental rates and the esti- mated tax burden. In states with larger urban areas, it would take longer to pay off the capital gains tax, because land values are rising much faster than cash rental rates, as non-agricultural uses drive up land prices. Heirs facing these taxes would incur steep costs from selling the land, there- by increasing costs for everyone in the marketplace. If an estate is passed on with debt, it may not be possible for the family to meet the tax obligation. To protect these family farms andmin- imize the impact of capital gains taxes, it’s important that farms have continued access to stepped-up basis. Eliminating stepped-up basis to generate more federal income risks the livelihood of America’s family farms and the economic sustainability of these family operations long into the future. (John Newton is chief economist for the American Farm Bureau Federation and Scott Gerlt is an economist with the American Soybean Association. This piece is adapted from a post on the AFBF Market Intel blog.)
Any change in capi ta l gains tax policy that eliminates or scales back stepped-up basis could resul t in a massive tax burden on the agricultur- al sector. Capital gains taxes are based on the change in the value of an asset, such as farmland, livestock or timber, when that asset is sold. Currently, the top cap- ital gains tax rate is 20%. To reduce the capital gains tax, farmers and ranchers use stepped-up basis, which provides a reset for the basis during intergenera- tional transfers. In effect, upon the transfer of assets following a death, the basis is reset to the market value at the date of death. Following the adjustment, taxes can be levied only on gains realized by the in- dividual during his or her ownership, not on gains realized prior to the step up in basis. One of the reasons the step up in basis is so important to farmers and ranchers is the asset values in agricul- ture have appreciated significantly in recent years. As a result, when farm- land is inherited, without a step up in basis, many farmers would face very significant capital gains taxes. For ex- ample, since 1997, the average crop- land value in the U.S. has increased 223%, rocketing from $1,270 per acre to $4,100 per acre. In areas such as Iowa and Illinois, the average cropland value has increased more than $5,000 per acre since 1997. Similar changes in cropland values have occurred in areas near metro- politan centers, such as in Florida and California and along the East Coast. Assuming a capital gains tax of 20% on
The rising value of U.S. farmland would lead to significant capital gains taxes on inherited farmland without use of a stepped-up basis to minimize the impact on family farms.
the change in cropland value from 1997 to 2020, farmers would face estimated capital gains taxes of more than $1,000 per acre in California, Iowa, Illinois, Delaware and New Jersey. Based on national average cropland values, the average capital gains tax would exceed $560 per acre. A capital gains tax of more than $500 per acre does not immediately convey the significance or magnitude of the tax increase, so it’s important to put this tax into perspective. Farming and ranching is an asset-intensive and low-margin sector. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the projected five-year average rate of return on farm assets is 2.8%. At this rate, $1 million in farm
assets would only generate an annual income of $27,800. As a result of lower returns on farmland assets, taxes based on asset valuation become even more significant for agricultural producers, because the assets generate much low- er returns than other asset classes. The capital gains tax was calculated based on the appreciation of farmland. Based on the average change in crop- land values, U.S. average cash rents and the estimated capital gains tax, the cap- ital gains tax in the U.S. would equate to more than 400% of the average cash rental rate. Let that sink in. The capital gains tax per acre in 37 states is more than 400% of the average cash rental rate—a very large tax obligation for many farm families to meet, no mat-
VOL. 48, NO. 15
April 21, 2021
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2 Ag Alert April 21, 2021
Ross, Johansson discuss key topics during webinar
throughour systems aroundatmospheric rivers—those few times a year where we getmassiveamounts ofwhat’s increasing- lygoing tobe rainor temperatures that can cause faster snowmelt.” How to capture all of that is the ques- tion, she said, especiallyways to recharge groundwater while preventing floods. That l ed Johansson to br ing up Proposition 1, the 2014 water bond over- whelmingly approved by California vot- ers. Johansson noted that Farm Bureau and other agricultural organizations that campaigned to pass the measure “were
very open that it was aboutmore storage.” “The thing about drought, too, is it is an opportunity to raise public awareness,” he said. “We deal withweather risks. The hallmark of successful agriculture is the ability to deal with climate risk. It chang- es, and we know that.” Johansson and Ross spoke of the im- portance of voluntary agreements for managing river flows, with Johansson noting that “a million acres potentially could be at risk.”
ByKevinHecteman Drought, climate policy, environ- mental regulation and research funding dominated the discussion as California Secretary of Food and Agriculture Karen Ross sat down with California Farm BureauPresident Jamie Johansson for the first edition of Farm Bureau Extension, a new series of virtual presentations for FarmBureaumembers. The ongoing drought took center stage as Ross and Johansson discussed the present and future of farming in the Golden State. “When you look at another drought situation, farmers do cringe and ranch- ers do cringe, because we see more of a burden placed on us,” Johansson said, Farm-to-school projects receive grants from CDFA Sixty farm-to-school projects in California have received funding through a new state grant program. The California Department of Food andAgricultureOffice of Farmto Fork an- nounced last week it had awarded nearly $8.5millionthroughtheCaliforniaFarmto School Incubator Grant Program. CDFAsaid theprogramwill fund“inno- vative local and regional farm-to-school projects in nutrition education, sustain- able food production and procurement, and high-quality student engagement through experiential learning.” G r a n t s w e r e awa r d e d i n t w o funding tracks. Vi a Ca l i f o r n i a Fa rm t o S choo l InnovationGrants,CDFAwill fund46proj- ects, awardinggrants ranging from$20,000 to $500,000 to local educational agencies throughout the state. Selected through a competitive process, these projects focus on establishing new or expanding existing integrated farm-to- school programs. CDFA said the programs procure California-grown or California- produced, whole or minimally processed foods, and integrate these foods into school meals. Programs receiving the grantsmust also coordinate educational opportunities amongcafeteria,classroomandcommunity. Through the second track, California Regional Partnerships Grants, CDFA will fund 14 projects. Those grants range from approximately$144,000to$250,000forfarm- to-school partnerships including local ed- ucational agencies and regional partners. Alsoselectedthroughacompetitiveprocess, these projects focus on expanding existing farm-to-schoolinitiativesandincreasingcol- laborationandcoordinationbetweenfarm- ersandranchersandtheschoolstheyserve. More information and a list of grant re- cipientsmaybefoundatcafarmtofork.cdfa. ca.gov/CaFarmtoSchoolProgram.htm.
noting the 40,000 curtailment-warning notices sent by the StateWater Resources Control Board and the shortage of water in reservoirs. (See story, Page 1.) Rossdescribed theSierraNevada snow- pack as “the cheapest water storage any statecanhope for,”butwithwarming tem- peratures and earlier snowmelt, “we’re in that situationagainwherewehave to think
See EXTENSION, Page 15
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April 21, 2021 Ag Alert 3
Brad Fowler Nevada County rancher
Pasture condi- tions are exceed- ingly dry. All of our annual grass- lands are just about done right now, and with no rain in the forecast, we’re
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seriously looking at destocking cows, so we’re going to wean early and sell early on the cattle enterprise. We’re currently halfway through calv- ing season with our cows. Cows are mov- ing out to summer pastures. Our irrigation water looks to be good this year. We’re expecting 100% delivery in our district. The water turned on ear- lier. We’re grateful for that. Our irrigated pastures are needing the water. The con- ditions are more similar to June 1 than April 15. We’re just playing catch-up to get water across the fields before we put cows onto them. We might wean our lambs early this year and sell some of them, just because the spring feed is almost done. We like to take them off the mothers before the grass turns. We’ll wean them early, but we’ll continue to run them until the feed runs out, and then we’ll sell our lambs, probably in the fall. All our sheep, goats and lambs are for contract grazing, and they are mostly out working right now on contract grazing projects. We had a very good lambing and kidding season, and we’re wrapped up with that. We expect that with the wildfires, this is going to be a very busy season for contract grazing. We’re having more de- mand for contract grazing than we ever have before, especially when Cal Fire is predicting a super horrific fire season. Drought years are actually pretty good for us because we get paid by the acre, not by the head per day. In drought years, we actually make more money in contract grazing because we’re able to cover the ground faster than we would in a really good feed year. The cows do poorly in a bad feed year, but the sheep and goats are actually more profitable, so it balances out pretty well. That’s where having the dual enterprise has actually really worked out well for us. Now is a miserable time to sell cows, because the market has tanked. Everybody else is doing the same thing. We did apply for the Livestock Forage Program through the (Farm Service Agency) for drought re- lief, and that will help. Despite the lack of moisture, we’re an- ticipating it’s still going to be a good year, especially on the contract grazing side, so we’re optimistic about that.
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4 Ag Alert April 21, 2021
Kulwant Johl Yuba County tree crop farmer
some extra water. We have to work to- gether to try to get through the year, and then see what happens next year. There’s a lot growers that are making decisions about what to do. They’re in survival mode, doing deficit irrigation, meaning putting half of what the tree is requiring, if they have it. There’ll be a lot of insurance claims. There’s a lot of ranches I know that are going on the mar- ket right now, because guys are done.
be thinning in two to three weeks, and most farmers are worried about the labor. Another thing is the prices. Walnut price is down, almond price is down, same as with prunes. That’s another concern farmers are having. We’ve got a shortage of water, too. If you’re pumping from the ground, you’re still OK in this area, but if you are on district water, they’re putting limits on it. In one area, they are giv- ing only 5% of water, so you cannot grow a crop. It’s a big cut for the rice farmers, too; they are not getting the water, so we’re going to get cut in the rice acreage. They are starting to work the ground now, and they’ll be planting pretty soon. Greg Meyers Fresno County tree crop farmer Overall, I think things are
bring the pH down a little. I’m going to start spraying miticide, some foliar nu- trient and treat for navel orangeworm. The pistachios we have in Mendota look real good. They’re leafing out pretty nice. I saw some other orchards a little bit farther to the west up along the I-5 corridor where the leafing and the bud push is a little more erratic, similar to what happened last year. People are still trying to figure out why that is. Maybe it’s chill hours. But our stuff in Mendota looks pretty uniform, and we’re putting a fungicide on and some foliars. The olives, which are for organic oil, are just now starting to bloom. I’ve got my little cherry block up here. The last three years, I had really, really good crops. The year before that, I got rain and the cherries split, so my pack- out was pretty low. This year, I’ve got a very, very light crop. It was a long bloom. Generally, when you have a long bloom like that, it tends to be a little bit light, which is what happened to me. They’re sizing now. I think the biggest thing going on right now on the Westside is the lack of water. I’m in a unique situation, because I’ve got the water bank that we built over the last 15 years, so I’ve got water stored in my bank and I am able to exchange it with Mendota pool water users and move their water that they have up in the reservoir into my water district, and that’s how I’m able to continue to farm. I’m trying to assist my water district with
We had a good
bloom and got a good crop of peaches. We’ll be thinning peaches in prob- ably two to three weeks. We’ve got a very heavy
John Moore III Kern County farmer
crop of peaches. We’ll be hand-thinning walnuts this year, because we had good weather. We didn’t have to spray for walnut blight—un- less the weather changes. If rain is pre- dicted, then we’ll be spraying walnuts for walnut blight. Because of the heavy prune crop, we will be spraying with potassium nitrate. Same thing with the almonds; we’ll have to put fertilizer and keep up with the irrigation on all these crops, because weather is warming up. We will be monitoring the insects in peaches, walnuts and almonds. We start- ed monitoring for Oriental fruit moth back in March. Same thing with the codling moth for walnuts. It depends on the popu- lation in the orchard. It’s still a little too early, but I think we’ve got a good crop of prunes. We’ve got a pretty decent almond crop. It’s not like last year; last year was very heavy. We pruned peaches and prunes back in January and February, and labor was short. Labor still is pretty short. We will
We are getting
ready to enter potato harvest and carrot harvest for our spring crop. Potato harvest will begin in the south valley
starting in the beginning of May. You’re going to see harvest of additional root vegetables including sweet potatoes and then, later, onions and tomatoes. For our citrus, about 75% of petal fall occurred for Kern County, so citrus is coming along pretty well. The same with almonds. Almonds are looking pretty good. From driving around, it looks like the almond crop is pretty full this year. We’re not yet sure where the pistachios are go- ing to end up, but it’s supposed to be an “off” year for the pistachio crop for some. We are dry. We are like the rest of the state of California; it’s been a dry season.
moving along quite well. I’m pretty happy with the al- mond crop that I’ve got on my ranch, com-
pared to last year. Right now, they’re going through what’s called a nut fill. The gel, which would be the almond inside the hole, is sizing. In May, we’ll start to see that gel start to fill in and turn to kernel. We’re doing our nitro- gen program, putting some potassium out and doing a little sulfuric acid to
April 21, 2021 Ag Alert 5
Water-quality rule will affect Central Coast farms ByChristine Souza of farmingon theCentralCoast.
tive proposal, which featured incentives for individual farmers who take a collec- tive or third-party approach to meeting the regulations. “Although agricultural stakeholders were successful in getting some signifi- cant revisions to the final adopted order, there’s still numerous provisions that are concerning to Central Coast agriculture,” Fisher said. Those problematic provisions include the regional board’sdecision tohold farm- ers accountable as “dischargers,” due to what staffdescribedas “passivemigration” of groundwater that includes the contam- inant 1,2,3-trichloropropane (TCP)— something Fisher said hasn’t been used in agriculture for decades. In addition, the order requires enforce- able limits on nitrogen fertilizer applica- tions, whichFisher said shebelieves “goes beyond the scope of the regional water quality control board” by regulating what is applied to a field. “The board’s authority is to regulate the discharge of water from the field,” Fisher said. Another provision in the order puts en- forceable limitson theamount of nitrogen thatmight be discharged fromthe farm. MontereyCountyFarmBureauExecutive DirectorNormGroot saidAgOrder 4.0will takeafinancial tollonCentralCoast farmers, andwill“substantiallychange”thecharacter
professionalswhocanassistwithirrigation nutrientmanagement plans.” “What the board has crafted cannot be successfully implemented without a strong, third-party alternative; all incen- tives for growers to participate have been removed or minimized, and are punitive with respect to compliance qualifications formembership,” Groot said. With Ag Order 4.0 now in effect, Fisher said, individuals and entities that want to challenge it have until May 17 to file an appeal with the State Water Resources Control Board. For more informat ion about the order, see www.waterboards.ca.gov/ centralcoast/water_issues/programs/ ag_waivers/ag_order4_renewal.html. (Chr i s t ine Souza i s an ass i s tant editor of Ag Alert. She may be contacted at csouza@cfbf.com.)
Predicting that it will have a profound impact onCentral Coast agriculture, farm organizations expressed disappointment in a final waste-discharge regulation ad- opted by a regional water quality board. KnownastheIrrigatedLandsRegulatory ProgramforCentralCoastAgriculture, and by the shorthand term Ag Order 4.0, the regulatory permit governs runoff from ir- rigated farmland. It received unanimous approval last week fromthe Central Coast RegionalWater Quality Control Board. Agricultural advocates said the regional boardmade few changes to the order that would have made it easier for farmers to comply—and therefore achieve the de- sired results. Ag Order 4.0 expands monitoring and reportingrequirementsandalsosetsa lim- it on the amount of nitrogen farmers can apply to crops. For three years, California FarmBureau SeniorCounselKariFisher said, agricultur- al stakeholders including theFarmBureau provided feedback regarding theproposal, detailing thechallenges itwouldcreate for farmersandranchersontheCentralCoast. Fisher said farmgroups investedmuch time in developing “a robust, third-party alternative” thatwouldprotect surfacewa- ter and groundwater quality. But she said thenewly adoptedorder does not include theagricultural organizations’ full alterna-
“Small farmswill be challenged tomeet all the confusing, complex requirements,” Groot said, “and larger farms will spend more resources ondata gathering, report- ing and calculations than actual water quality improvements.” He added that experts to help farm- ers manage the program would be hard to find, “as we already have a shortage of “Small farms will be challenged to meet all the confusing, complex requirements.” — Norm Groot Monterey County Farm Bureau
UC software provides specific weather data for small grains
ByBob Johnson New software that lets farmers compare seasonal rainfall and temperature patterns for their specific location for any period of timesince2009canbeaddedtothegrowing listofprograms tohelpsmall-graingrowers access informationmorequicklyandeasily. If theweatherpattern this seasonseems similar toayear in thepastwhen the farm- er had the same crop in the ground, the program provides information on how similar the rain and temperature have been. It’s available at smallgrains.ucanr. edu/General_Production/weather. “For growers and agronomists, loca- tion-specificweatherinformationisessential tounderstandplant growthandwater use,” saidTaylorNelsen, Universityof California, Davis, assistant specialist. “It is also import- ant forplanningfieldmanagementactivities suchas fertilizationand irrigation.” The weather software was developed by a teamof UC small-grains researchers including Nelsen, UC Davis software en- gineer Gabriel Rosa, UC Davis research support engineer Justin Merz and UC Cooperative Extension grain cropping systems specialistMark Lundy. Nelsen said the goal of the software is to let farmers, pest control advisors and re- searchers find historical temperature and precipitation data that is extremely local. “Weather patterns are highly variable across the state of California,” she ex- plained. “They change from year to year and across locations. While parts of the state may be experiencing drought con- ditions this year, each location can have dramatically different weather.” Thesimplest useof theprogram,Nelsen said, is to enter a specific location to see howmuch precipitation there has been, and when it has fallen, since the current rain year began on Oct. 1, plus chang- es in the daily minimum and maximum temperatures during that time. The site
also provides information to compare the current numbers to historical averages for the location. “Userscanchooseaspecific locationand enteradaterangeof interest,”shesaid. “The websiteuses these inputs toproduce inter- activegraphsof precipitationand tempera- turepatterns.Thegraphsshowthehistorical, 10-year average and current-season data, making it easy to compare this season to otherseasonsandtoseechangesovertime.” Nelsen said a user can also do a quick comparisonbetween the current year and any year in the last decade that seemed to have similar weather. Such a comparison could come in handy inmakingmanage- ment decisions about irrigating or fertil- izing a crop, if the same variety was grown under similar conditions during a season in the recent past. The programcan also provide forecasts on the amount of precipitation and the likelyminimumandmaximum tempera- tures during the next 10 days. “Forecasts arealsoavailable in themain crop-growingregionsofCalifornia,”Nelsen said. “Users can also download their loca- tion-specific data for further exploration.” Theweatherapprepresents the latest ef- fort tomakeresearchinformationavailable via smartphone to small-grains farmers in a simplified format, which beganwith the introductionof a variety-selection tool. That program lets users enter whether theywanttoplantcommonordurumwheat or triticale; select a planting season and region; choose the relative importance of yield,proteinlevelsorstriperust resistance; and,withoneclick, learnwhichvarietiesare goodcandidates, basedonUCtrialsduring the last fewyears. Thevariety-selectiontool may be found at smallgrains.ucanr.edu/ Variety_Selection. ( 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.)
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6 Ag Alert April 21, 2021
C A L I F O R N I A
FieldCrops A SPECIAL GROWERS’ REPORT OF AG ALERT ®
®
Keeping rice fields weed-free can be a challenge. University of California farm advisors have been working to identify an unknown watergrass species that first appeared in 2017, as well as to keep known weed species at bay. But they say four new potential products for weed control in rice are undergoing testing, and could reach market soon.
Farm advisors report on rice weed control options ByBob Johnson
“FieldratesofCerano, Butte,GraniteGRandBolerowereusedas theearly-seasongran- ular applications. Field rates of SuperWham, Regiment andClincherwereused to test for the late-seasoncleanupapplications,” she said, adding that noneof thesewidelyusedma- terials showedtheability tocontrol thenewwatergrassweedonce it grewtomoderatesize. Brim-Deforest said she is updating her research results on the newweed pest on the Sutter-Yuba rice blog, ucanr.edu/sites/sutteryuba/Rice_Program_33. As newweed problems emerge and old ones spread, UC specialists said rice farmers should benefit fromnewmaterials that are about to be registered. “We are excited to see four new options for weed control being tested for rice,” said KassimAl-Khatib, UCCE weed specialist. “We are pretty excited that four molecules we have beenworkingwith since 2015 are coming tomarket soon.” Loyant, Pyraclonil, FMC, andoxyfluorofenonherbicide-tolerant Roxy riceareall likely to be registered in the next four years, Al-Khatib said. Recent trialsof the first inline for registrationamong thesenewmaterials suggest it could play aweed control role in either water-seeded or drill-seeded rice. “Ourmain question is: Could Loyant be used in the drill-seeded systems we use in the delta?” saidMichelle Leinfelder-Miles, aUCCE farmadvisor based in Stockton.
Rice farmers face aweed control roller coaster: Althoughmore than the usual number of newmaterials are coming to market to helpmanage resistance, troublesome weeds continue to spread and newones are being discovered. For example, a new watergrass weed has appeared in Sacramento Valley rice fields. Researchers are still working to identify theweed and come upwith a plan tomanage it. “In 2017, we had two fields with unknown watergrass species,” said Whitney Brim- Deforest, University of California Cooperative Extension rice andwild rice farmadvisor. “It doesn’t seem to respond to any of our herbicides very well. We are trying to identify it and screening herbicides.” Brim-Deforest made her remarks as rice researchers discussed emerging weed chal- lenges, and the possibility of new tools for managing them, during the 2021Winter Rice GrowerMeetingwebinar. “In 2017, I started getting reports of a watergrass biotype/species that was difficult to control using our suite of herbicides registered in rice,” she said. “In 2018, we collected eight samples fromthe field, andusedtwo latewatergrass samples fromknownsusceptible populations as controls.” Brim-Deforest said researchers conducted a screening in a greenhouse, “to see if we could replicatewhat wewere seeing in the field.”
See RICE, Page 8
April 21, 2021 Ag Alert 7
Rice Continued from Page 7
blog her studies of the possibility that Suppress, an herbicide that can be used organicallybut cannot beusedwhenthere is standing water in the field, could play a role as a spot treatment for weedy rice. Because rice is the crop most subject to herbicide resistance, farmers regularly submit to the Rice Experiment Station or their local Cooperative Extension office weeds they suspect are resistant. “Growers can have a problemwith re- sistantweeds, and theyneed toknowwhat theyareresistant toandwhat theycanuse,” Al-Khatib said. Sometimes, the lab screening reveals that the weed is not resistant but that the timing of applications is crucial in gaining control. “We had 16 samples of sprangletop submitted and the grower said they were resistant to Cerano,” Al-Khatib said. “We did not find resistance to Cerano. The problem was sprangletop emerges with warmer weather: If you apply Cerano too early, theremaynot bemuch leftwhen the sprangletop seeds germinate.” ( 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.)
Her studies found that this material, which is already registered in the South, works well on broadleaf weeds, has some activity against barnyardgrass and water- grass, but does not control sprangletop. Another new material, for which Al Khatib expects registration in2023, is oxy- fluorfen on the Roxy rice variety. “Roxy has a recessive gene that makes rice tolerant of oxyfluorfen,” said Kent McKenzie, recently retired director of the Rice Experiment Station in Richvale, who is continuing the work of bringing tomar- ket the combination of Roxy rice and the herbicide it tolerates. “The herbicide manufacturer is doing efficacy studies,” he said. “We are getting very good, broad-spectrumweed control withapreplant application.Weare looking for the best rate to optimize weed control andminimizethedelay inriceemergence.” As farmers anticipatenewweedcontrol options, they are still cautioned to mon- itor for weedy rice, which looks like and is closely related to the real thing but pro- duces reddish grains and shatters easily at harvest. A survey in 2016 found 10,000 acres of this troublesome pest plant spread across
Farm advisors say weedy rice has continued to spread in California fields, and that controlling the weed requires a number of best management practices.
most rice-growingareas, butboththeacre- ageandgeographic spreadhave increased in the last five years. “More recent estimates indicate it is up 4,000 or 5,000 acres and is extended geographically, including in the delta,” Leinfelder-Miles said. Because herbicides that kill weedy rice would also kill the rice crop, its closely re- lated cousin, advisors said a complex of best management practices is needed to prevent the spread of weedy rice. Farmers should use only certified seed,
monitor and rogue weedy rice plants early, and bag and remove panicles after heading, the farm advisors said, adding that equipment should be cleaned well, andareasof fields suspected tobe infested should be harvested last. Minimal tillage reduces spreading weedy rice seeds, and advisors reported some evidence that postharvest mowing and flooding without tillage may reduce the seed bank. Brim-Deforest has posted on the rice
Improving world economy causes rise in cotton demand
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Global cotton demand has risen, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture esti- mates 2020-21 global cotton imports will risemore than 11% this season. “As the world economy continues to rebound in 2020-21 from the COVID-19 pandemic, the cotton sector specifically hasexperiencedasignificant turnaround,” USDA said in a report last week. With global cotton demand rising, the report said, “the United States—along with other major exporters—is expected to witness rising raw cotton shipments this season.” USDA will release final production es- timatesMay 12. For now, the 2020-21 U.S. cotton supply forecast remains at 22 mil- lionbales, 2.8millionbales below thepre-
vious seasonandthesmallest infour years. Although the cotton supply forecast re- mained unchanged, USDA raised theU.S. demand estimate by 250,000 bales, with exports accounting for theentire increase. The report forecast U.S. cotton exports at 15.75million bales, up about 1.5% from last season’s final shipments. “Despite the slightly higher export fore- cast this season, the U.S. share of world trade is estimatedbelowayear ago,”USDA said, “as stronger competition fromother exporters is expected to reduce the U.S. shareapproximately 3percentagepoints.” The report estimatedworld cotton pro- ductionat 113millionbales in2020-21, the smallest in four years, as a result of lower harvested area.
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8 Ag Alert April 21, 2021
UCCE workshop will inform about water-reporting rules
Assembly Bill 589, which became law in 2018, led to a self-certification option. Until Jan. 1, 2023, any water diverter, as defined, who has completed an instruc- tional courseonmeasurementdevicesand methods administered by UCCE, includ- ing passage of a proficiency test, may be considered a qualified individual when installing andmaintaining devices or im- plementingmethods of measurement. Organizers said the virtual workshop, to beheldMay20 from1to4p.m.,willhelpat- tendeeslearnaboutreportingrequirements for ranches; understand what meters are
appropriate for different situations; learn how to determine measurement equip- ment accuracy; develop anunderstanding of measurement weirs; and learn how to calculateandreportvolumefromflowdata. Seats for the training will be limit- ed. To register, visit ucanr.edu/survey/ survey.cfm?surveynumber=33616. Registration is $25 and includes down- loadable coursematerials. For more information, contact Larry Foreroat lcforero@ucanr.eduorSaraJaimes at sbjaimes@ucanr.edu, or call the Shasta UCCEofficeat 530-224-4900.
A virtual workshop scheduled by University of California Cooperative Extension will help farmers and ranch- ers learn about state water-reporting requirements. State law known as Senate Bill 88 re- quiresallwater rightholderswhohavepre- viously diverted or intend to divert more than 10 acre-feet per year—riparian and
pre-1914 claims—or who are authorized to divert more than 10 acre-feet per year under a permit, license or registration, to measure and report thewater they divert. The legislation requires for diversion or storage greater than or equal to 100 acre- feet annually that installationandcertifica- tionofmeasurementmethodsbeapproved by an engineer/contractor/professional.
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Kern Machinery, Inc. Buttonwillow, CA
Lawrence Tractor Co., Inc. Hanford, CA
Tipton, CA Visalia, CA
Thomason Tractor Co. of CA Firebaugh, CA Valley Truck and Tractor Inc Chico, CA
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April 21, 2021 Ag Alert 9
Dairy Continued from Page 1
box program, Kings County dairy farmer JoaquinContente saidhe feels “evenmore uncomfortable”aboutwheretheeconomic outlook for dairiesmay be headed. Contente said he would like to see all U.S. dairy processors and cooperatives impose supply management strategies, noting that some of them have had such programs in place since last year, to dis- courage dairy farmers from producing more than their base amount. Van Steyn said the increased price of feedmay affect milk output, with farmers needing to tightentheirbelts.Henoted the lack of rain this year has resulted in “ter- rible” yields on his silage crops, and that he would need to buy more on the mar- ket. Because of reduced water supplies and farmers fallowingmore fields, he said Californiaacreage for forage crops suchas alfalfa hay tends to drop, shortening sup- plies and raising the cost to feed livestock. Though it’s still early to know how the newU.S.corncropwill turnout,LaMendola saidrisinggrainpriceswillcertainlysqueeze dairy farmers’ margins. She said that will eventuallyslowmilkproduction,as farmers areeitherforcedbyprocessorstocutbackor need tobecausecostshave risen. Notingthatcullingratesranlight lastyear, she said it will be interesting to see if that is oneoptionfarmersusemorethisyear tore- duce their costs, particularly if higher cattle prices incentivizeculling. Higher feed prices could lead to some reduction in the nation’s cowherd, Karlin said, but improved cow genetics and ef- ficiencies on the farm have steadily in- creasedmilk production per cow, despite fluctuations in cownumbers. By selling more of their less produc- tive cows and replacing themwith high- er-quality animals, dairy farmers could in effect increase national milk output, Contentesaid. Evenso, hesaidhedoes feel “theworst isbehindus” fromthepandem- ic—thoughhe saidhe remains concerned about spikes in COVID-19 infections that could led states to lock down again. “Whether it’s through vaccinations or herd immunity, we’re going toget past this, andwe’llgetbacktosomesortofnormalcy,” he said. (ChingLeeisanassistanteditorofAgAlert. Shemaybe contactedat clee@cfbf.com.)
“The problem is that, traditionally, de- mandonlyincreasesby1%ayear,andwe’ve got twice asmuch (additional) milk as we haveanoutlet for,”saidJoelKarlin, amarket analyst forWesternMilling inGoshen. Though dairy product sales to food ser- vicehavepickedupandretail sales remain robust, Americans’ future buying habits are harder to pinpoint, LaMendola said, adding that she does not expect both food service and retail trends will hold. “Some people are really, really tired of cooking and they’re going to get back out andgobackouttoeat,”shesaid.“ButI’vealso heard some stories of people finding them- selves in their kitchen and have enjoyed learninghowtocook,andmaykeepthatup.” Pointingout thatmore thanhalf of dairy products suchasbutter, creamandcertain types of cheeses are consumed away from home, Karlin said the key to sustaining growth in demand is the return of dining establishments and people eating out more. Some retail sales will “tail off,” he said, but those losses will likely be offset by increased consumption at restaurants. “People’s income is up, their spending is upand,moreimportantly, theirconfidence is up,” he said. “They have a desire and ac- tually a fairly large stockpile of money that they’ve accumulated. I think that really bodeswell fordairydemandgoingforward.” Karlinsaidhealsothinksthedairycatego-
Sacramento County dairy farmer Case van Steyn checks on the progress of a milk truck collecting milk from his farm.
ry has gotten “a little bit of its halo back” in thepastyear, aspeoplehaveoptedformore nutrient-dense foods during thepandemic and “consumed a lot more dairy products than they had in the past”—a trendhe said he thinkswill continue, at least for awhile. Another bright spot is a resurgence in dairy exports as other countries emerge fromthepandemic,hesaid.Reducedtrade tensions withMexico and China, the na- tion’s largest dairy importers, have been
beneficial, he said. A lower-valued dollar and competitive prices also have helped. Evena1%increaseofmilkgoing to foreign markets “canhaveamajor impact onpric- es,” he added. Onepotentialnegativefordemandarose from the discontinuation of the Farmers to Families Food Box program, which launchedlastyearinresponsetomarketdis- ruptions caused by pandemic lockdowns. USDA announced last week it would end theprogramafterMay, infavorofsupporting more traditional food-aidprograms. The food box programhas been an im- portant outlet for dairy products, particu- larly cheese, LaMendola said, noting that governmentpurchasesunder theprogram helped send cheese prices to record-high levels last year aftermarkets crashed early in the pandemic. Unlike other food assistance programs such as food stamps, Sacramento County dairy farmer Case vanSteyn saidhe thinks the foodboxprogramismorebeneficial to dairies because USDA requires a certain amount of dairy products be included in every box. This also benefits the people receiving the aid, he said, because of the enhancednutritional value inthoseboxes. WithU.S.milkproductioncontinuing at itscurrentpaceandcancellationof thefood
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Two positions have become available on the state Nursery Advisory Board, which consults with the Cal i fornia Department of Food andAgriculture Pest Exclusion Branch. CDFA said it would accept applications throughMay 17 for twomidtermappoint- ments. The terms for the twoseatswill end Jan. 31, 2025. The board advises the CDFA Nursery ServicesProgramonpolicies, feesandoth- er issuesconcerningnurseriesandnursery stock. It also facilitatescommunicationbe-
tween state and federal regulators and the nursery business. Members typically meet twice a year, but CDFA said the boardmay meet more frequently if needed. Other than payment for traveling expenses, board members receive no compensation. Applications may be sent to California Department of Food and Agriculture; Pest Exclusion Branch; 1220 N St., Room 344; Sacramento, CA 95814; Attention: Juan Koponen.
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10 Ag Alert April 21, 2021
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