Ag Alert Feb. 16, 2022

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.

Wheat discovery UC Davis breakthrough may boost crop yields

Special issue Read coverage of organic farming and its new generation

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www.cfbf.com • www.agalert.com FEBRUARY 16, 2022

Field Crops ® Vegetables ®

s p e c i a l r e p o r t s

ByChing Lee With sales of organic fresh produce continuing to grow, farmers say they re- main optimis- tic about their market pros- pects, even as they face a po- tentially chal- lenging season complicated by drought, shifting demand and higher costs. Thereturnof foodserviceafterpandem- ic-relatedlockdownsshutteredrestaurants hasnot severelyerodedgrowthof produce sales at retail outlets, where organic food purchases largely occur, according to food industry observers. Total U.S. organ- ic produce sales topped $9 billion in 2021, an increase of $477 million compared to 2020, themarketing organizationOrganic ProduceNetwork reported lastmonth. “There’s no doubt in my mind that it will keep growing,” saidMonterey County grower Javier Zamora. As people becomemoremindful about theirhealthandthe foods theyeat,Zamora said he expects demand for organic pro- duce will continue to rise. Growth in de- mand has already spurred conversion of moreconventional acreage toorganicpro- duction, he added. Despite stronger demand from food service in 2021, Dick Peixoto said his farm, Lakeside Organic Gardens in Santa Cruz County (see related story, Page 13), did well last year selling produce to retail stores and companies that sell directly to homes. Peixoto said those markets re- main“pretty good,” indicating that people whomoved to eatingmore organic foods during the pandemic are sticking with it, which helps demand. “A lot of themlook toorganic, as it is just one step in the right direction to eat more healthy,” Peixoto said. He saidhe also thinks the organic trend has holding power as a new generation of shoppers raised on organic produce has See ORGANIC, Page 15 Organic farmers fret about costs, but cheer growth

Crowds take in the array of farm equipment at the 54th World Ag Expo in Tulare. The event reopened to attendees after being held virtually in 2021.

World Ag Expo ‘a candy store’ for farmers

ByChristine Souza The 2.6 million square feet of exhibit space at the World Ag Expo in Tulare last week brimmed with robotics, automat- ed harvesters, artificial intelligence, plus low-emission vehicles, datamanagement softwareandevensome traditional imple- ments to help farmers. “Thisplace is likeacandy store, just see-

ing all the new technologies, and (I can) dream about what I might be able to buy someday,” said Plumas County rancher and farmer Dave Roberti, who attended the showwith his wife and daughter. “We have a great time coming down here. The technology is just incredible. I sawadrone that picks apples off the tree and then sets them in the bin. There are all kinds of

things like that.” The world’s largest agriculture exposi- tion reopened to live attendance after go- ing virtual in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The gathering hosted more than 1,200 exhibitors. Over the decades, it has drawnmillions of visitors fromalmost every continent.

See EXPO, Page 16

n e w s p a p e r

Comment.......................................2 Field Crops...................................7 Vegetables................................. 13 Classifieds........................... 18-19 Inside

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Advocacy program taught me to make a difference

By JennyHoltermann “Great leaders don’t set out tobe a lead- er; they set out tomake a difference,” says famed lifecoachandmotivational speaker LisaHaisha. Indeed, the jobof a leader is to

sometimes our differences that uniteus to make our voices impactful. There is also a fourth module where the class typically travels internationally to focus on an agricultural issue. Our class studied tradeandsustainabilityduring the two-yearprogram.Wedove intoagricultur- al issues and how they impacted our farm or ranch. Focusing on our storytelling and creativemessages allowed our class to ex- plorealternatives throughout theprogram. With a variety of learning platforms, each individual finds what delivers their message strongest. By learning to pro- duce videos, engage with policymakers, performmedia interviews, participate on policy panels, testify in legislative settings and build relationships, we all have a spe- cific and uniquely impactful experience. At the end of the program, you grow strength in your message, your delivery and your voice. In 20 to 30 years from now, if you look backonyour successes,will therebea long list of resume-building awards and posi- tions?Orwill youhavea teamof impactful peopleyoumet along theway thatmolded you as a leader? Perhaps it will be both. Are youbraveenough to take the leap to invest inyour own leadershipgrowth?You maybesurprisedat themanywaysyouwill grow. And youmay evenmake some new friends along theway. People in good standing with their county Farm Bureau may apply for the PAL program before Feb. 28. Details are avai lable at fb.org/programs/ pal-partners-in-advocacy-leadership/. ( Jenny Hol termann is an almond grower in Kern County and a graduate of the American Farm Bureau Federation Par tne r s in Advo cac y Leade r ship program. She may be contacted at jenny@holtermann-ag.com.)

Participants in the 2019-21 American Farm Bureau Federation Partners in Advocacy Leadership pro- gram gather in Washington, D.C.

growmore leaders. If you help others grow, you will find yourself inagrowth experience as well. Wha t do y ou want your differ- ence to be? Maybe you imagine your difference as be- ing the next great thing. Youmay see it in the hope for

Jenny Holtermann

the future or merely the smile you see in someone else’s eyes. You may strive to make a difference purely fromlonging for fulfillment or the satisfaction of watching your hardwork pay off—or youmay want to build a legacy. Everyone has a “why” that drives them to do more and pushes them forward. If this isyou, andif youaresomeonewho wants toamakeadifference inagriculture, here are some questions to consider: Do you have a passion for advocating? Are you ready to make an impact in your industry? Are you actively engaging with your elected officials? Do you currently hold a leadership position within Farm Bureau, YoungFarmers&Ranchers or an- other agricultural organization? Do you engage in public outreach efforts? If you answered yes to one or more of these questions, then maybe you are an agricultural leader ready toaccelerateyour engagement abilitiesandsolidifyyour role as a powerful advocate for agriculture. In2019, I took that step forward through the American Farm Bureau Federation’s

Partners inAdvocacyLeadershipprogram, orPAL. I embarkedonapersonal develop- ment journey alongwithnine other farm- ers and ranchers from across the nation. The two-year programoffers a high-level, executive-style course that provides par- ticipantswithstimulatingopportunities to represent agriculture in themedia, public speaking and othermeans. In four modules, the PAL program explores your core competencies in self-awareness, industry knowledge, mes- sage development and delivery, policy engagement, and interpersonal skills. The first module takes you toNewYork City to study consumer behavior and habits, as youalsoembarkonajourneyof self-aware- ness and enhancing communication. Walking into a room with nine other farmers from across the nation and four coaches canbe intimidating. Once you let your guard down, you build relationships with like-minded individuals and open yourself up for constructive criticism. There is also something about being in New York City itself that helps you ex-

plore and recognize your own personal strengths and communication styles. Thesecondmodulebrought our class to Washington,D.C. Thispolicyengagement trip isnot thenormal legislative andagen- da-pushing visit. We did research on the policy process and immerged ourselves into regulatory issues. We also focused on building relationshipswithour electedof- ficials and their teams. You never know where those relation- ships will take you or whom they may in- vite you to meet months later. You might just find yourself speaking in front of the President of the United States of America, sharing your farm story. The relation- ship-buildingaspectofpolicyengagement is imperative to success and long-term strength for your leadership. Iwashesitant about this but found that it works. The thirdmodule focuses on interper- sonal skillsandbuilding relationshipswith influential stakeholders. PAL emphasizes techniques to find common ground with stakeholders of differing viewpoints. We may not always see eye to eye, but it is

VOL. 49, NO. 7

February 16, 2022

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2 Ag Alert February 16, 2022

Academy students from the fields eye leadership futures

financial literacy; disaster preparedness; and learning about wine production. The academy takes its name from the late Richard and Saralee Kunde, longtime Sonoma County farmers and advocates for agriculture. Karissa Kruse, executive director of the Sonoma County Grape Growers Foundation, said thenewacademybegan withaquestion: “Howdowe create future leaders inour agworkforce andbeyond?” In 2018, she noted, the foundation began recognizing employees of themonth and an employee of the year, all nominatedby

their employers; the academy’s first class was recruited from this pool. Farmers in the county have an exten- sive network of neighbors and fellow farmers they can call on for help, and she wanted “to create that same net- work amongst our vineyard employees,” Kruse said. “We said, ‘What if we had our work- force that was also as connected, had those resources, could call their friend

ByKevinHecteman Even after 25 years in farming, Jose Cervantes is not done learning. Th e op e r a t i on s s up e r v i s o r a t Cornerstone Certified Vineyards in Sonoma County’s Russian River Valley is oneof 15students inthe inauguralRichard and Saralee Kunde LeadershipAcademy. Hosted by the Sonoma County Grape Growers Foundation at its headquarters in Santa Rosa, the academy is a training initiative that aims to secure the viability of agriculture in the county andCalifornia and impart business-development skills for new generations in agriculture. “This class is going to help me maybe to be a better person, and how to treat my workmates better,” Cervantes said through an interpreter, adding that he believes “if your workmates are doing well—if you treat them well—we’re all well. If they are frustrated, then the com- pany won’t do well.” Cervantes’ boss, Jim Pratt, had noth- ing but praise for his longtime employee, who started as a sprayer andnowmanag- es the vineyard’s day-to-day operations. Students in the class are nominated by their employers, and Cervantes was Pratt’s choice. “He’s just very, very well talented,” Pratt said. “It’s not so much that he wants to treat his crew better ; he al- ready treats them great. He wants to learnmore. I saw a desire in him to have more resources that would be available to him that he could pass to his crew, so the crew could prosper in what they do and understand more what they do, so we all work better in a growing and changing environment.” Cervantes said he had the backing of his family. “Sometimes this really consumes a lot of time, but my family also understands, and they say, ‘No problem, no problem,’” Cervantes said. The academy’s first class focused on Sonoma County agriculture past and present. Karen Ross, secretary of the California Department of Food and Agriculture, spoke to the class about the challenges facing agriculture—among them climate change and water avail- ability—and the need to get involved in coming up with ways to confront them. “We need all the voices at the table to inform our policy, to inform our invest- ments,” Ross said, adding that being in the class means “you want to be a leader in your industry and your community, and hopefully every now and then we’ll see you in Sacramento.” S o n oma Co u n t y A g r i c u l t u r a l Commissioner AndrewSmith presented anoverviewof his office’s responsibilities and a history of farming in the county, as he praised the leadership academy. “Any opportunity toprovide leadership experiences for employees of agricultur- al operations in the county is going to

promote sustainability in agriculture,” Smith said. “It’s going to promote a great- er, more comprehensive understanding of the laws and regulations that govern agriculture or that regulate agriculture, not just in the county but in the state.”

Future classeswill focus on topics such as communication; conflict resolution;

See LEADERSHIP, Page 19

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February 16, 2022 Ag Alert 3

From The Fields ®

From the Fields is a firsthand report featuring insights from farmers and ranchers across the Golden State, including members of the California Farm Bureau. If you would like to be a contributor to From the Fields, submit your name, county of membership and contact information to agalert@cfbf.com.

Photo/Fred Greaves

Photo/Ching Lee

Johnnie White Napa County vineyard manager

Al Medvitz Solano County sheep rancher

We’re sitting a lot better than we were last year. Last year, we received 9 to 10 inches of rain for the entire year. In October, our first rainstorm, we received 10 inches, and we are now up at 20 to 21 inches of rainfall for the year. We’re still half of normal; we should be up in the 40-inch range. A lot of our reservoirs that were empty or near empty starting 2021 are full this year. But we do need water—a lot more water. Right now, we are pruning; we’re probably about 50% done pruning the grapevines, and we’re applying our herbicide sprays. Right now, the cover crops are coming up. Cover crops are looking good, but we could use some rain to help them along. Labor is tight. We suspect it’s going to get tighter the further into spring we go. Labor is on the top of everyone’s mind. Wages are increasing, as well as we’re down to 40 hours a week now. We need 50% more people than we did five years ago, just because we’re going from 60 hours a week to 40 hours a week. It’s not good. I have cattle now, and I’d say we really need some rain for our rangeland. We got that good rain in December, and we haven’t had any since the first part of January. We got good grass growth, but cattle are keeping up with the grass. The cattle guys here in this area need rain badly to keep this grass going. We’re already seeing rockier, thinner soil areas starting to turn brown. It’s way too early for that. Every day, it’s more regulation that we’re dealing with. I’m tired of spending my days in the office when the sun’s shining trying to keep up with regulatory compliance.

We benefited greatly by the early rain, and we were very optimistic. We’ve got really good pasture. Our grain fields were planted, and they’re doing really well. The drought really began to affect us last summer with the alfalfa. The salinity in the river began to increase dramatically because of the drought and accentu- ated by the cross-channel barrier. We missed a few cuttings at the end of our al- falfa year, but we still had enough feedlot to ensure security through lambing in the fall and winter. We have an early lambing season from October to December and another one from February through March. Then the rains came, which was just wonderful. We still have very good pas- tures, but it’s beginning to show the lack of rain. If we don’t get more rain, then we’re going to have a serious problem very soon. Right now, we’re fine, and it gets us through our lambing season. The feed is still really good, but it will dry out really quickly, and that will make it difficult for us to hold our lambs through our normal marketing season. We might have to sell off early. Right now, the price that we get for the lambs is very high, but our animals aren’t ready for market yet. The fall bunch should be ready in April or May. In the past, we’ve held them off during the year and marketed them in bunches over the summer into October, November. We won’t be able to do that if these conditions hold. We didn’t do that last year; we had to sell off early. Our February to March bunch will pose a problem.

Dino Giacomazzi Kings County almond farmer

As of last week, almond bloom had not really started. We were just getting a couple (buds) popping here and there. Even though we’re having record-high temperatures, we do not seem to be early for bloom. I think this week it will probably be really going. The bees are all there in the orchards. There appears to be no rain or frost in the forecast in the foreseeable future, which should lead to a perfect environment for bloom, and will probably lead to overall smaller nut size. We’re also a little bit short on water. We were pretty hopeful because December looked pretty good, and then all of a sudden, nothing. I think we’re still struggling down here. The realities of (the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act) are starting to set in, and many farmers are now paying for groundwater. You are paying taxes on the groundwater that you own under your fields in the hundreds of dollars per acre. So, everybody is watching what they do in terms of water. It’s the beginning of a long, painful period of transition from an unregulated ground- water supply to a regulated supply. I encourage everybody who is not paying attention to go to their (Groundwater Sustainability Agency) meetings and participate in the conversation because it’s coming to you, whether you think it is or not. Be ready to put in flow meters. They’re using satellites to measure water use, which is not a perfect sci- ence, so, if you don’t like that, get your meters. We’re going to be in for a wild ride.

Photo/Christine Souza

4 Ag Alert February 16, 2022

George Kendall San Luis Obispo County lemon and avocado grower

We did not get our lemons picked before the December rains. We normally pick three times a year, and we didn’t get the last pick in. The orchard did dry out by the middle of January, and we were able to get the pre-harvest spray on and get a crew to pick then. After that, we had the crew do the annual pruning, and we mulched the cuttings into the drive rows. We had to run the wind ma- chine a couple of mornings in late January, but we did not see any damage in the lemons. With what we picked, we got about what we expected. We get a larger amount of fruit in May; that’s our main harvest, and then we get smaller pickings in September. Then in December or January, we get another smallish pick. The quali- ty was good. Our next harvest will be most likely in May. In the avocado orchard, the recent warm weather that we’ve had in February has caused us to step our irrigation up a little bit. We had 88 degrees on Feb. 8 and 9. We use a lot of wood chips in the grove, so we don’t have too much weed pres- sure. That’ll come a little bit later. This week we started to pick some of the green- skin varieties, specifically the Zutano. But the main half harvest won’t begin until after we prune in April and May. This year’s crop is smaller than last year’s crop. We had quite a bit of cool weather last spring during bloom and fruit set, so we didn’t set a lot of fruit until late in the bloom period. Quality looks reasonable, but the volume, in our area at least, is going to be down. We will begin our fertilizer program in March. We’ll prune in April/May, and then we’ll pick after that.

Photo/Richard Green

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February 16, 2022 Ag Alert 5

Organic ‘soil huggers’ promote reduced-till farming ByBob Johnson

ducedor no-till farming, while embracing what the soil has to offer. “Weweresoil huggersandmicrobewor- shippers fromday one,” said TomWilley, who grew 75 acres of mixed organic veg- etables in Madera with his wife Denesse under thenameTDWilleyFarms fornearly 40 years. Since retiring, Willey has joined oth- er legacy farmers and researchers from University of California Cooperative

Extension andCalifornia StateUniversity, Chico, in a study of adapting reduced till- age to organic systems. “We question the violent disturbance our tillage practices brought to themicro- biome,” he said. The central tool in no-till systems is the roller crimper, developed by the Rodale Institute tomanage cover crops and crop residue. This implement incorporates cov- ercropswithoutchemicalsandwithout the

soil disturbance that comeswithdisking. If allowed to thrive, the soilmicrobiome can help ward off crop diseases, absorb and holdmore water, and cycle nutrients more efficiently. “We maintain live plants and roots as manyweeksof theyear aspossible,”Willey said. “Andwe add livestock to addorganic matter throughmanures.” Willey made his remarks in December as a panel of researchers at Organic Grower Summit in Monterey discussed challenges climate change presents for California agriculture and what farmers can do to respond. While the average California tempera- ture has risen 2 degrees since the early 1900s, somemodels forecast anadditional rise of as much as 8 degrees by the end of this century. Such a steep rise in temperatures would reduce snowpack by up to 65%and cause more frequent intense heat waves, droughtsandfloods,accordingtoUCCEor- ganicproductionspecialist JojiMuramoto. “Severe drought and flooding will in- crease 50%,”Muramoto said. Elevated temperatures could reduce fruit quality and could make some im- portant crops unsuitable for commercial production intheCentralValley, including peaches, apricots, walnuts, kiwifruit, nec- tarines and plums. As temperatures rise, scientists say, water will be scarcer and less depend- able, insect pest populations will multi- ply more quickly, and disease pressure will be more challenging. Evencrops that remainsuitable inahot- ter California will contend with different andmore intense pest pressure. “Unfortunately, climate change will mostly exacerbate arthropod pests and diseases,” Muramoto said. “It should in- crease biocontrol, which is good news.” The organic approach to pest control that Muramoto said lends itself to climate adaptation relies on crop rotation, agri- cultural biodiversity, biocontrol, resistant varieties and soil health. He characterizedorganicproductionas locationspecificandknowledge intensive, comparedtoconventional systems thatare location general and chemical intensive. “Many organic growers have already adapted to local ecosystems and have an advantage in adapting to climate change,” Muramoto said. Thecornerstoneof building resilience is soil health.Currently, theOrganicFarming Research Foundation’s website offers re- search articles under its soil health and organic farming reports section. Willeyemphasizes fivecommandments of soil building: Armor the soil; minimize soil disturbance; have adiversity of plants; have continuous liveplants and roots; and integrate livestock into the system. The roots in the soil provide exudates that feed key members of the soil micro- biome, including beneficial mycorrhizal fungi that attach to the roots andmine for waterandnutrients thecropcouldnototh- erwise reach.

Soil-building systems practiced by some organic farmers may hold the key

to the resil- ience need- ed t o pro - duce good crops under difficult cir-

cumstances as the climate warms. Moreorganicgrowersareadvocatingre-

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See SOIL, Page 14

6 Ag Alert February 16, 2022

C A L I F O R N I A

FieldCrops A SPECIAL GROWERS’ REPORT OF AG ALERT ®

UC Davis gene discovery may increase wheat yields

ByBob Johnson University of California, Davis, researchers have pub- lished new discoveries about wheat genetics that could help breeders and farmers around the world increase yields by asmuch as 300 pounds per acre. The teamidentifiedageneresponsible for thenumberof wheat spikelets and grains per spike, which in turn deter- minesyieldperacre. Theirappliedresearchwaspublished lastmonth inPLOSGenetics, apeer-reviewed journal read by researchers around theworld. The researchwas part of the InternationalWheat Yield Partnership, which enlists the efforts of an alliance of universities, governmental aid programs and agricul- tural corporations. Because wheat provides more than 20% of the world’s food supply, which ranks second behind rice in feeding Earth’s population, even a slight improvement in yield could have great significance. “Hopefully, we can incorporate this gene into variet- ies,” said Saarah Kuzay, who discovered the wheat gene as part of her doctoral research. “Hopefully, we can do some testing to see whether varieties have the lower- or higher-yielding gene. Most of our wheat varieties have it, but it is not in durumwheat. We’re going to see if it could be bred into durum.” Thediscoverycameafterayears-longeffort ontheDavis campus to learnwhy somewheat produces ahighernum- ber of grains thanothers, someproduce larger grains than othersandwhether these twoqualitiescouldbecombined in new varieties that maximize yields with an abundance of large grains. Kuzay was the lead author of the PLOS Genetics article andworkedon the discovery as part of a teamof graduate students under the supervision of UCDavis plant geneti- cist JorgeDubcovsky. This was the latest discovery by researchers at the UC Davis Dubcovsky Lab. Under Dubcovsky’s leadership, it works to improve wheat by crossing desirable traits into existing varieties using traditional breedingmethods. Because grain researchers choose the highest-yield- ing options when breeding for disease resistance, bread-making quality, the ability to stay upright for me- chanical harvest or yield, they have selected this gene without knowing it. “All of theUCwheat varieties have the gene, but we still have to see if any of the other varieties that are out there could be improved,”Dubcovsky said. “At the beginning of thedomesticationofwheat, only2%of thewildwheat had it, but now it is in 80%of the varieties.” Themost immediatepayoff inCaliforniacouldbe the in- troductionof thisability toproducehigher yields indurum varieties that growers in the Imperial Valley and nearby areas sell at a premium in Italy, because their patented Desert Gold durumwheatmakes for premiumpasta. Nowthat thegene—termedWAPO-A1—hasbeen iden- tified, it can theoretically be crossed into wheat that does not already have it.WAPO-A1 preventswheat spikes from terminating their growth early.

Plant geneticst Jorge Dubcovsky heads a University of California, Davis, research team that works to improve wheat genetics using traditional breeding methods to cross desirable traits into existing varieties.

See WHEAT, Page 8

February 16, 2022 Ag Alert 7

Wheat Continued from Page 7

vars, called land races, in their search for genetic material to breed varieties with larger grains, or for disease resistance. Discovery of the gene responsible for more grains couldmake it possible for re- searchersandaidagencies toimprove land racevarieties, letting local farmerswhostill grow them increase their yields without sacrificing global wheat genetic diversity. “We have a growing human pop- ulation that l ikes to eat every day,” Dubcovsky said in a statement released by UC Davis after the research was pub- lished. “We need to producemorewheat in the same space, so we need plants that are more productive.” (Bob Johnson is a reporter in Monterey Coun t y . He may b e c on t a c t ed a t bjohn11135@gmail.com.)

Saarah Kuzay worked on discovery of the WAPO-A1 wheat gene as part of her doctoral research. The discovery was part of studies on wheat grains and yields.

Researchers at the Dubcovsky Lab are screening the wheat grown in California andnearby states to learn if there are vari- eties that couldbe improvedbybreeding in the gene that causes theplants toproduce more grains. “This is a good example of the value of knowledge,” Dubcovsky said in discuss- ing theongoingproject. “Ifwedidn’t know about thegene,wewouldn’t knowthatdu- rumwheat doesn’t have it. “None of the durum varieties have this gene,”headded. “Wedon’t knowif it isnot in durum wheat because it hasn’t been bred in, or because it couldn’t be.” Common wheat varieties grown com- mercially in California generally already have this growthgene. But it is not present in any durumwheat varieties, which are often used tomake pasta. California farmers grow 25,000 acres of durumwheat,most of it soldat apremium to Italian pastamakers. Davis researchers are working to find out if the WAPO-A1 gene can be crossed into durumwheat. While thehighspikelet genehas thepo- tential to add as much as 300 pounds of yield per acre, it is not simply a matter of planting seedswithWAPO-A1andwaiting for the bounty, because even plants with higher number of grains do not produce more food unless they are provided with more resources.

“There’s no magic here,” Dubcovsky said. “You sti l l need to apply more water and more nitrogen if you want higher yield. The gene Saarah discov- ered does not increase yield if you have a bad background. When we terminate water early, the 300-pound bonus goes

down to 80 pounds.” Perhaps the greatest impact globally could come from crossing the high-yield gene intovarieties thathaveevolvedlocally without the benefit of research and delib- erate breeding for desired traits. Researchers screen these wheat culti-

Irrigation conference set for Sacramento “Water for a Sustainable California” is the theme for the 60th annual California Irrigation Institute conference, sched- uled for Feb. 28-March 1 in Sacramento. Described as the state’s oldest and longest-running forum on irrigation and water, the event features discus- sions including water-use efficiency, water quality, and management of sur- face and groundwater. The conference includes breakout ses- sions focused on agricultural or urban water management issues, plus gener- al sessions on topics including strate- gic implementation of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act. Agricultural breakout sessions include perspectives of the StateWater Resources Control Board, farmers, University of California Cooperative Extension and the California Farm Bureau. California FarmBureauDirector ofWater Resources Danny Merkley, an Irrigation Institute board member, will speak at the event. State Water Resources Control Board Chairman Joaquin Esquivel will deliver the keynote address. The conference will be held at the Sacramento Arden-West Hilton, 2200 Harvard St., Sacramento. Two-day regis- tration costs $275; one-day registration costs $225. For more information, see www.caii.org/.

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8 Ag Alert February 16, 2022

Organic fertilizers can pack a punch and trigger debate

growers wanted something stronger than compost,” said TimStemwedel, president ofCaliforniaOrganicFertilizers. “My focus from the beginning on the fertilizer side hasbeennitrogen, becausenitrogen isour most limiting nutrient.” Commercial conventional growerswho came to organics were accustomed to fer- tilizers that deliver substantial amounts of nitrogen to their crops by employing syn- thetic fertilizers thatwereeconomical until prices spiked. Some fertilizer companies have de- veloped organic materials that pack a

nitrogen punch far greater than compost and cover crops. “One company is producing biological ammonia,”saidStemwedel,whodiscussed the latest developments in organic inputs during a panel discussion at the Organic GrowerSummit inMonterey inDecember. “Wecan takeamanurematerial andsepa- rate out the phosphorous.” While organic ammonia can take avail- ablenitrogenandyields tonewlevels, there is controversy overwhether it is consistent

ByBob Johnson As organic agriculture has entered the mainstream, the number of fertilizers

For certain, the use of organic fertil- izers has undergone dramatic changes over the years. The organic pioneers tended to be small farmers serving local markets who eschewed many fertilizers and relied on composts and cover crops to supply nu- trients, especially nitrogen. “When organic got big, commercial

ava i l ab l e ha s inc reased . So have controver- sies over which of them should

See FERTILIZER, Page 11

be considered organic.

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February 16, 2022 Ag Alert 9

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Fertilizer Continued from Page 9

generation of biologicals may have to do more than helpmanage a particular dis- ease or insect pest. “If you are an inputs provider, what is your product doing for soil health and the microbiome, diversity score and count of each microbe?” she asked. “Are the mi- crobes antifungal, anddo theymakemore nitrogen available?” Primary BioAg Innovations is evaluat- ing a fumigant derived from muscodor albus, a fungus found in the Honduras

rain forest that kills bacteria and inhibits some insect pests. “It is as good asmethyl bromide, except it doesn’t kill weeds,”Marrone said. Research has shown that different vari- eties of corn, soy, wheat and strawberries attract differentmicrobes, and futureplant breeding could focus on providing crop varieties that attract abeneficialmixofmi- crobes fromthe soil. A parallel localized type of research

could be looking at the soil in healthy ar- eas within a diseased field to see if it con- tains beneficial compounds that could be used to make a tea to run through the irrigation lines. “Look at diseased fields with health- ier looking areas,” Marrone suggested. “Identify the microbes doing that and make a tea fromthem.” (Bob Johnson is a reporter in Monterey Coun t y . He may b e c on t a c t ed a t bjohn11135@gmail.com.)

with the principles of organic farming. “TheOrganicMaterialsReviewInstitute is continuing to review these products,” said Doug Currier, OMRI technical su- pervisor. “Nonsynthetics are generally al- lowed, with exceptions. But the National Organic Standards Board is looking at a carbon to nitrogen ratio standard.” Materials with high carbon to nitrogen ratios tend to make nitrogen available more slowly, which mitigates risks of ni- trate leaching into the groundwater. OMRI has the job of trying to mediate arguments over what is organic and what is not, which can be high-stakes disputes. Those tensions were illustrated when one organics materials supplier chal- lenged Currier at the Organic Grower Summit, saying thebusinesswasnotbeing inspected enough to certify its materials. “We’ve been inspected twice in 15 years,” the supplier complained, “andwe can run circles around the inspectors you send.” Meanwhile, one fertilizer that is consid- ered clearly organic is pellitizedmanure. Stemwedel described it as an effective option—when it can be obtained. He said consumer preference for eggs from cage- free chickens ismaking it harder to find. “There are shortages of chicken ma- nure because there are more free-range chickens, and the prices are going up,” Stemwedel said. There are already more biological ma- terials to helpmanage crop diseases and pests, and advances are helping make thesematerialsmore effective. Inparticu- lar, improvedmonitoring technology has made it possible to target biological dis- eases more precisely and employ insect controls, which work best before insect populationsmultiply. Biologicals are a small portion of all the materialsusedtocontrol cropdiseasesand pests, but resistance and regulation could change that overnight. Brazil, for example, passed the U.S. in use of biological materials after army- worms developed resistance to synthet- ic pesticides. “I’m seeing the convergence of IPM, precision agriculture and biologicals,” said Pam Marrone, executive chair of Primary BioAg Innovations and Global BioAg Linkages. Marrone has started or led five biolog- ical companies since 1990, when she left Monsanto after leading the company’s in- sect biology group for seven years. She said she has come to believe that precision monitoring can improve the efficacy of biological insecticides and fun- gicides by making it possible to apply the materials before pest or disease pathogen populations build up. “Biologicals are typically preventive,” Marrone said. “Data and imaging could be especially important for biologicals. Smart traps and spore traps couldmake it possible to provide themat the best time.” Primary BioAg Innovations produc- es a plant-based nitrogen fertilizer that can be takenup immediately by the crop, which would allow organic farmers to play catch-up. Marrone believes the next

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February 16, 2022 Ag Alert 11

New generation of growers learns art of promotion

ByBob Johnson A f t e r de c ade s o f doub l e - d i g i t growth, the next generation of organ-

micro-irrigation, and they are planting their trees closer together. Meanwhile, she said, many consumers are now interested in greenhouse-grown produce, which takes water efficiency to a new level and can slash the miles from field to fork. “We triedgrowingcitrus ingreenhouses, and itwas successful,”Kaprieliansaid. “It is amatter of using resources like water and trucking. We’re going to have to innovate to survive.” Another issue that figures to keep coming up, especially for organic grow- ers, is packaging. “We’re getting a lot of input from retail- erswhowantmoresustainablepackaging,” saidMike Valpredo, president of Country Sweet Produce in Kern County. The com- pany ships organic and conventional sweet potatoes. The pandemic led to a packaging di- lemma: More consumers appreciate food safety, but theyarealsoskeptical of theuse of petroleum-based plastics that protect produce fromcontamination. There has already been a significant recent shift in table-grape packaging, ac- cording toKaprielian. “Wemovedfrom100%plasticpackaging in grapes to around 10% in the last three years,” she said. Growersareclosely followingpackaging trends inEurope,whichsetsthestandardin demandingsustainability fromits farmers. “We operate in so many countries. We have to have the European market, be- cause we can’t ship all of our avocados to theU.S. market,” Barnard said. Proposals in the California Legislature could dramatically limit single-use pack- aging for fresh produce, Puglia ofWestern Growers said. “You can make a case that regulatory mandates thatanticipatewhere themarket is going are a good thing,” he said. With demands for sustainability on the rise, especiallyamongorganicconsumers, the next generation leaders are learning how to tell their stories. “We have amarketing teamthat follows our growers around and documents what they do,” Barnard said. Growers are also going the extra mile by inviting customers to come to their farms to see for themselves how the pro- duce is grown. “We went to Whole Foods and said, ‘Bring your people and your cameras,’” Valpredo of Country Sweet Produce said. Thepandemic restrictedon-farmvisits, but some growers found that virtual tours let evenmorepeopleseehowtheyoperate. Whether it is in person or virtually, the next generation of organic growers will have to connect with consumers who, more than ever, want to know how their food is produced, Kaprielian said. “It helps telling our story,” she said. “People want stories. They want to feel good about what they’re buying.” (Bob Johnson is a reporter in Monterey Coun t y . He may b e c on t a c t ed a t bjohn11135@gmail.com.)

Fruit World co-own- er Bianca Kaprielian said the Reedley citrus, grapes and stone-fruit producer emphasizes flavor- ful varieties to satis- fy the increasingly discerning tastes of organic customers.

i c g r o w - er-shippers i s p r epa r- i ng t o t e l l consumers even more

about their products. Organic produce customers want to knowhow growers are preserving natural resources, including water and soil, and providing a unique eating experience. Certificationthatsyntheticpesticidesand fertilizers are not usedmay not be enough tosatisfy thesediscriminatingconsumers. “Consumers are asking to see more; I thinkwe’ll start to see additional certifica- tions,” said Bianca Kaprielian, co-owner of Reedley-based Fruit World. “What I’m seeing is not either or, it’s an and.” Fruit World ships organic citrus, grapes and stone fruit, emphasing va- rieties that offer flavor. Kaprielian says that approach is in line with the expand- ing interests andmore discerning tastes of organic consumers.

The annual summit, held inDecember, is sponsored by the Organic Produce Network. The groupwas formed five years ago tobring together largemainstreamre- tailerswith grower-shippers large enough to serve themwith high-volume organic produce selections for their customers. With consumerswanting to knowmore about their food, the next generation of leaders is already focusedon learninghow to tell their stories. “I think talking to consumers is some- thing each generation will get better at,” saidDavePuglia, president andCEOof the WesternGrowersAssociation,whichmod- erated theMonterey discussion. Perhaps themosturgent topicdiscussed at theevent involvedhowtomaximizewa- terefficiency, especiallyduringCalifornia’s current drought. “IntheSanJoaquinValley,weareseeing people pull trees, close andwalk away. It’s prettydire,” saidKeithBarnard, senior vice president of sales andsourcingatOxnard- basedMission Produce. Mission grows avocados and mangos inCalifornia, Mexico and Peru, relying on Mediterrean climates with varying wa- ter supplies. Barnard noted a river flows through the company’s ranch inPeru. But with supplies drying up for farm- ers in the Central Valley, Kaprielian said citrus growers are investing heavily in

Fruit World is experimenting with heir- loomcitrus. That follows its successwitha proprietary thomcordgrapevariety,which now draws regular calls from customers inquiring on its availability. “We’re seeing a return to consumers wanting to know about citrus varieties,” Kaprielian said. She recently shared her observations duringakeynotepanel of leadingyounger shippers at the Organic Growers Summit inMonterey: AConversationwith theNext Generation of Organic Leaders.

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12 Ag Alert February 16, 2022

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