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.
Organic sales climb Pandemic, home cooking drive increase
Nuts for recharge Researchers explore ways to replenish aquifers
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www.cfbf.com • www.agalert.com AUGUST 11, 2021
Trees & Vines ®
s p e c i a l r e p o r t
ByKevinHecteman The Dixie Fire, now the second-largest wildfire inCalifornia’s recordedhistory,has ledtoevacuationsof livestockandanurgent need tocare for thoseanimals left behind. “There’s about 5,000 head of cattle in Indian Valley that are landlocked behind mandatory evacuation and road closures,” saidTracySchohr, aUniversityofCalifornia CooperativeExtensionlivestockandnatural resourcesadvisor.Whiletherewasnocount ofactual livestocklosses,shesaidthousands of acres of rangeland on private property andgrazing allotments hadbeen lost along with fencingandother infrastructure. Schohr,whoworks inButte, Plumasand Sierra counties, said the Ag Pass program has been critical to helping ranchers tend to theirherdsdespite the fire. Theprogram issues passes, with the aid of the county sheriff and agricultural commissioner’s office, to farmers and ranchers so they can travel behind the lines to check on their livestock andproperty. “The concept of that is really working as it was intended to,” Schohr said. “We’ve hadranchersbeable togo inandcheckon cattle that are behind evacuation zones.” Some ranchers rely on well water to slake their animals’ thirst, and getting generators into the area to ensure reliable water supplies has been vital, she added. Some cattle in the Chester area have been returned to their home ranches, Schohr said. In addition, she’s helped one rancher evacuate cattle from the area and assistedotherswhosecattlehadbeensold and were under contract to ship within specific time frames. “Most of the cattle in this area are mi- gratory cattle,” Schohr said. “They’ll spend their winters in the valley and foothills, and then they’ll spend their summers at the higher elevation.” Fire is not the only threat facing these ranchers and their livestock, Schohr said. “We’re not only facing a fire, but in that valley they had significant forage loss due See FIRE, Page 4 Efforts mount to save livestock fromwildfires
Delta water cutbacks weigh on farmers Contra Costa County farmer Al Courchesne, at his Brentwood orchard, says he is concerned about water curtailments due to regulations for the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta watershed adopted by the State Water Resources Control Board last week.
ByChristine Souza Organic farmer Al Courchesne of Frog HollowFarminBrentwoodwalks through rows of his aromatic stone fruit orchard, showing off sweet nectarines that thrive in the microclimate and rich soils in his corner of the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta. Weighingonhismindis thedrought and the possibility that the water he needs to
keep his trees alive will soon be curtailed by the state. “A curtailment would be disastrous for me and for all farmers in California, but particularly for small, family farmers like myself. We tend to be operating on a shoelace and don’t have a lot of capital,” Courchesnesaid. “I’vegotmoney invested. I’vegot infrastructure thatneeds tobepaid for. I have 150 people working for me— these families depend on Frog Hollow
Farm for their livelihood. And our food feeds hundreds of thousands of people.” Courchesne is among several thousand water rightsholders in theSacramento-San Joaquin River Delta watershedwho could havesuppliesshutoff inresponsetodrought emergency curtailment regulations adopt- ed last week by the StateWater Resources Control Board. With harvest coming to a
See DELTA, Page 6
n e w s p a p e r
Comment ......................................2 Trees & Vines...............................7 Ask Your PCA ........................... 15 Classifieds........................... 17-19 Inside
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Attention employers: Rules change for unpaid leave By Erica L. Rosasco
more employees within a 75-mile radius are also required to grant up to 12 weeks ofmedical leave under the federal Family andMedical Leave Act. In the past, CFRA provisions close- ly overlapped the requirements of the FMLA, and leave time grantedunder one act would simultaneously exhaust the leave available under the other. However, the newversion of the CFRA expands the scope of familymembers for whom leave is available beyond those listed in the FMLA. They now also include grandpar- ents, grandchildren and siblings. Leave granted for the care of those familymem- bers under the CFRA would not exhaust leave available under the FMLA. This could require an employer to pro- vide for up to 24 weeks of leave to a sin- gle employee within a 12-month period. For example, an employee could take 12 weeks of leave to care for a sibling under the CFRA and then take an additional 12 weeks of leave time to care for their child under the FMLA. California employers with at least five employees must now be careful to com- ply with the provisions of the CFRA. The Farm Employers Labor Service, an affil- iate of the California Farm Bureau, will be hosting a webinar regarding the ex- pansion of the CFRA to small employers. I will conduct a webinar to help agricul- tural employers better understand this recent expansion of the CFRA at 10 a.m. Aug. 27. To register, go to https://www. fels.net/1/ and click on “FELSWebinars.” There is no cost to attend, and I hope you can join us for answers to your ques- tions about CFRA expansion. (Er ica L . Rosasco i s a par tner at the McKague Rosasco law firm. You can reach he r at 916-672-6552 or Erica@mckaguerosasco.com.)
Cal i fornia employers need to be aware of significant changes to the California Family Rights Act that be- came effective at the start of 2021. For the first time, employers with fewer than 50 employees are subject to the law and need to take steps to educate themselves on complying with their new obl igations. Larger employers that were previously subject to the law should also be aware of changes to their obligations and update their policies to ensure compliance. The CFRA requires employers to pro- vide qualifying employees with up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave for medical and family care reasons. They may include an employee’s illness, a familymember’s serious health condition, or the birth or adoption of a child. Employees qualify for leave if they have worked for the employer for at least a year and for at least 1,250 hours in the past 12 months. If such an employee re- quests leave, the employer must grant the request and guarantee that their job (or a comparable position) is available when they return. The employee may take the leave all at once or intermittent- ly, and the employer must continue to provide health insurance coverage to an employee onCFRA leave under the same conditions as coverage would have been providedhad the employee been actively at work. Before 2021, the CFRA applied only to employers with 50 or more employ- ees within a 75-mile radius. But since Jan. 1, California employers with as few as five employees are subject to the CFRA’s complex and potentially bur- densome obligations. As most small businesses have never had to deal
For the first time, businesses with fewer than 50 employees are subject the California Family Rights Act and must comply with rules for unpaid family or medical leave.
with protected medical leave before, there is a steep learning curve to com- ply with the new law. Employers who are subject to the CFRA for the first time should be sure to draft compli- ant CFRA leave policies and institute leave procedures. They will need to approve, administer, and track employee leaves. Compliance can be tricky, and employers should seek expert guidance to ensure theymeet their new obligations. The change in the law also presents new challenges for employers of 50 or more employees that may be used to complying with the former CFRA. Several exemptions in the law no longer apply, and the scope of family members for whom leave is available has been ex- panded. The changes also affect how the Act interacts with other laws that require these employers to provide leave time.
Accordingly, larger employers will need to update their practices to comply with the changes. Before 2021, the CFRA had a “key employee” exemption that allowed an employer to refuse to grant leave to a salaried employee who was among the highest-paid 10 percent of the employ- ees within 75 miles of their worksite. Additionally, an employer of both par- ents of a child were required to provide only up to 12 weeks of leave to care for the child between the two employees. Both exemptions have been eliminat- ed. Employers may not refuse to provide leave to key employees and must grant each parent-employee the full 12 weeks of leave time. The change in the lawcould require an employer to provide twice asmuch leave as before. In addition to leave required under the CFRA, employers with 50 or
VOL. 48, NO. 29
August 11, 2021
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2 Ag Alert August 11, 2021
Sales of organic products spike during the pandemic
mental and consumer demands contin- ue to increase,” Jasiello said. The Organi c Farming Research Foundation in Santa Cruz, which regu- larly surveys organic farmers about their needs and challenges, will be doing a special report on California trends us- ing data from its 2020 national survey, said Executive Director Brise Tencer. That report will be available in the fall, she noted. In its 2016 survey, irrigation and drought management came up as top
needs for organic farmers, she said, with soil health, biology, quality, nutrient management and fertility management being close behind. The foundation has invested in re- search to help support development of quality strawberry transplants for or- ganic systems. It is also developing in- tegrated irrigation management strate- gies to improve water and nutrient use efficiency in organic processing tomato
ByChing Lee Home cooking during the pandemic has liftedoverall sales of organicproducts in California and across the U.S. As people worked from home and ventured out l ess f requent l y , the market for organic products jumped by more than 12% to nearly $62 bil- lion in 2020, according to an annu- al survey conducted by the Organic Trade Association. Highlights of that survey were shared during a meeting of the State Board of Food and Agriculture, which focused on California organic agricultural pro- duction. The monthly meeting, held last week via webinar, included speak- ers who discussed market trends, re- search and emerging issues related to organic production. “Shoppers real ly deeply stocked pantries and freezers, so lots of cat- e go r i e s had p r e t t y b i g up t i ck s ,” said Angela Jasiel lo of the Organic Trade Association. Sales of organic food grew nearly 13% to more than $56 billion, according to the survey. Organic fruits and vegetables, which now account for 15% of the total U.S. retail produce market, saw notable gains. Fresh organic produce sales rose by nearly 11% in 2020 to nearly $18.3 billion. Frozen fruits and vegetables jumped 28.4% to $925 million. Canned fruits and vegetables increased 24.7% to $759 million. Dried beans, fruits and vege t abl es went up 18 . 1% to $503 million. Growth across all organic categories was constrained primarily by supply, Jasiello said, as “supply chains were caught off guard” from raw product to packaging to shipping capacity. Sales of organic nonfood products, which account for about 9% of total organic sales, reached $5.5 billion in 2020, “with some real winners in this category—and some struggles as well,” she said. For example, fiber—the larg- est segment in the nonfood catego- ry—experienced a “slow-growth year” of about 5%, as there wasn’t “much browsing in retail stores, not as many places to be and excuses to shop for new fiber items.” California continues to be “an or- ganic powerhouse,” she said, ranking No. 1 in the nation with 5,077 organic businesses. Some 90% of California shoppers buy organic, with commodity sales increasing 27% to nearly $3.6 bil- lion—36% of the U.S. total—from 2017 to 2019. The state boasts almost 20% of all organic acreage in the U.S., with 74% of its counties considered organic hotspots. Berries, chicken, milk, lettuce and grapes are the top organic crops in California, she noted. On the national level, Jasiello said the biggest policy challenge relates to the lack of movement to advance and
update organic standards at the U.S. Department of Agriculture. She cited a backlog of 20 different recommen- dations that have gone through the National Organic Standards Board that have yet to be implemented. “This will continue to harm the or- ganic sector as innovation and environ-
See ORGANIC, Page 12
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August 11, 2021 Ag Alert 3
Fire Continued from Page 1
withus,whichiswhywehaveanextraordi- narynumberof catastrophic fires,”he said. “We have to significantly beef up our ca- pacity. We have to havemore boots on the ground, and I pledge toyouandcommit to you, that will happen.” Vilsackdiscusseda20-year stewardship agreementbetweenstateandfederal agen- cies thatwill see1millionacres treated, and pledged that the fire-safetyworkwould be done where there is the highest risk to life andproperty. “We need to make sure that when we have catastrophic fires, we’re in a position to begin the restoration and reforestation workthat issovitalandsoimportant topro- tect against further calamity,” Vilsack said. (Kevin Hecteman i s an ass i stant editor of Ag Alert. He may be contacted at khecteman@cfbf.com.)
tograsshoppers and thedrought,” she said. “Some of those ranchers are needing to shift cattle because they are losing forage up there.” Di sas t er programs through the U.S. Department of Agriculture Farm Service Agency can help livestock pro- ducers facing wildfire losses. For more information, go to www.fsa.usda.gov/ programs-and-ser v i ces/di sas ter- assistance-program/index or contact the local Farm Service Agency office. “The grazing season in some of these areas was shortened by drought, and now it’s been significantly shortened by fire as well,” Schohr said. The Butte County Farm Bureau has set up a Dixie and Fly Fire Agricultural AssistanceFund tohelp feedandmaintain livestock affected by these fires, including inagricultural communitiesofPlumasand Sierra counties. Animals large and small havebeenevacuated to thePlumas-Sierra County Fairgrounds inQuincy and at pri- vate locations in the area. Donations will go toward feed, supplies and health care for animals, and will be distributed through the Butte Agricultural Foundation with the help of the Plumas- Sierra FarmBureau and the Plumas-Sierra Cattlemen’sAssociation.Anyfunds leftover willgotorepairs, replacementorupgrading of livestockfacilities for futureemergencies.
Evacuated animals await their owners at the Nevada County Fairgrounds after being removed from the path of the River Fire, one of several burning last week.
Formore information, call 530-533-1473or email info@buttefarmbureau.com. Meanwhile, U.S. Agriculture Secretary TomVilsacklastweekvisitedthesceneof last year’s August Complex fire alongwithGov. GavinNewsomandotherofficialstodiscuss theneedtoaugment firefighting resources.
“Over thegenerations, over thedecades, we have tried to do this job on the cheap,” Vilsack said. “We tried toget by—a littlebit here, a little bit there.” Vilsack said more forest management and fire-suppressionwork is needed. “The reality is that this has caught up
Industry leader dies in helicopter crash ArenownedNorthernCaliforniaalmond grower, hiswifeand two friendsdiedAug. 1 inahelicoptercrashinruralColusaCounty. Bill Vann, 67, was a partner in Vann FamilyOrchards, oneof the largest almond processors in theNorthState. Alsokilled in the accident was his wife, Susie Vann, 60, and two friends, BobbieLeeKeaton, 62, of Williams andCharles ThomasWilson, 71, of Rocklin. Bill Vann and his brother, Garnett, be- gan farming wheat near their Williams home in1973 andexpanded to rowcrops, almonds, walnuts and pistacios. Today, Vann Family Orchards farms more than 17,000acres intheSacramentoValley, em- ploys 200people and contractswithmore than 100 growers. In a statement, Garnett Vann said, “Bill was a hands-on partner who loved both farming and business. For him, being ac- tively involved in every step of the process made himthe happiest.” TheAlmondBoardofCaliforniaPresident and CEORichardWaycott said “the Vann family is a leader in the California almond business and they have contributedmuch over the years to improving the industry’s stature.Weextendourheartfelt condolenc- es toall Vann familymembers.”
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4 Ag Alert August 11, 2021
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Delta Continued from Page 1 closeformany farmers,Courchesnesaidhe still hasmoreharvestworkahead. “Evenafterweharvest thepeaches, nec- tarines or cherries off of the tree, we still have to keep the trees alive.We’ve gotmil- lions of dollars invested and those trees represent our income for the next 20 or 30 years,” Courchesne said. Water from the delta contributes to the water supply for more than two-thirds of Californiansand isusedto irrigatemillions of acres of farmland. Deltawaterdistricts,suchasCourchesne’s district, the Bryon-Bethany Irrigation District inContraCostaCounty, have some of the oldest water rights in the state—ri- parian and pre-1914 rights, in addition to a contract with the federal Central Valley Project. BBID’s post-1914 rights through theCVPwent froma 5%water allocation to zero. After last week’s adoption of curtail- ment regulations, he expects cutbacks to seniorwater rights. Chris Scheuring, California Farm Bureau senior counsel, in addressing the state water board last week, said, “Most of the (Delta) water rights holders discussed here have a face behind them—a farmer, farmfamily, farmworker or it couldbe just a person eating a salad. But there’s a face behind all of this, includingmy family.” “Ingeneral, farmersunderstanddrought and they understand lean rain years, but they don’t understand the downward
slide inwater reliability that we are facing inCalifornia,”Scheuring said. “At the same time, we’re watching the slow permitting of new storage and infrastructure projects and the failure to execute on what might get us out of these places called curtail- ment, things like Proposition 1.” Proposition 1, approved with wide vot- er support in 2014, was supposed to lead tomajor water storage projects to prevent crises in drought years. Work on getting these projects constructed has been slow. Back in the orchard in Brentwood, Courchesne is preparing for less water. He said he plans to continue farming sus- tainably by using micro-irrigation and regenerating the soil to build fertility and nutrients. He said he hopes this will help his trees bemore resilient and survive. TheSanFranciscoBayAreanativediscov- ereda loveof farming inhis20sandin1976, started his Brentwood farmwith about 12 acres of organicpeaches. Hehas expanded the farmto280acres, specializing inpeach- es, plums, nectarines andother crops. Courchesne said he keeps farming be- cause “I love it. I get to work with nature, I get to be outdoors, and I work with great people.We’re that kindof a farmthat is in- tegrated into the community.” Noting that “farmers are cutting back their water use more than anybody else,” Courchesneunderscoredtheneedformore water conservationbyallCalifornians. “Everybodyhas todrink, everybodyhas
to take a bath and cook food, but we don’t have to water our golf courses and ceme- teries and lawns,” he said. “Millions of gal- lons go towaste every day becausepeople let their water run while brushing their teeth, so let’s not target the farmers. We have the optimal conditions in California to grow food for the nation.” Many farmshaveaccess togroundwater wells. But the Sustainability Groundwater ManagementAct requires farms to reduce pumping to prevent depleting groundwa- ter supplies. The De l t a cu r t a i lmen t s a ren ’ t California’s only water supply challenge. For water right holders in the Upper Russian River watershed, the water board issued curtailment orders on Aug. 2. This makes it illegal todrawordivertwater from theUpperRussianRiver, except asneeded to ensure human health and safety. The state water board also released an analysisof theLowerRussianRiverdemon- stratingthatapproximately222rightholders
needtobecurtailedtomeetdemandsonthe river. The board anticipates issuing orders totheserightholders thisweek.Theagency plans toconsideradroughtemergencyreg- ulation for the Scott River and ShastaRiver watersheds at itsAug. 17meeting. Unless the state’s drought declaration is lifted, the curtailment regulations will remain in place into the next water year, which begins Oct. 1. Thewater board asks Deltawater users to subscribe to theDelta Drought listor to frequentlyvisit theboard’s DeltaWatershedDrought Informationpage atwww.waterboards.ca.gov/drought/delta/. Meanwhile, Courchesne said he just wants people to understand where their food comes from. He added, “People say, ‘Oh, this is devastating to the farmers’ but what about the people that eat food? Everybody wants to eat. We have to have water to grow food.” (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.)
Meetings to focus on update to waters of U.S. definition
The policy pendulum is swinging yet again as federal agencies under the Biden administrationseek torevise thedefinition of “waters of the United States” under the CleanWater Act. Upon review of the previous admin- istration’s Navigable Waters Protection Rule done during the Trump administra- tion, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency andU.S. Department of theArmy determined that that rule reduces clean water protections. The agencies said recently that a forth- coming foundational rule would restore the regulationsdefiningWOTUS thatwere
in place for decades until 2015—with up- dates to be consistent with relevant U.S. Supreme Court decisions. The agencies announced the followingpublicmeetings: Aug. 18, fromnoonto2p.m. (PST);Aug. 23, from10 a.m. to noon; Aug. 25, fromnoon to2p.m.; Aug. 26, fromnoon to2p.m.; and Aug. 31, fromnoon to2p.m. Anadditional day—Sept. 2 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.—has beenreserved incaseall speaking slots are filled inearliermeetings. The agencies are also accepting written public comments until Sept. 3. For more information or to register for publicmeetings, seewww.epa.gov/wotus.
The Produce Safety Rule is Here; ARE YOU READY?
Farm Employers Labor Service (FELS), an a liated company of the California Farm Bureau (CAFB), has partnered with the Safe Food Alliance through a California Department of Food and Agriculture grant contract, as their designated training provider for Central and Southern California, to conduct the required Produce Safety training for growers. Presented in a free two-day remote delivery webinar format! What sets Safe Food Alliance, FELS, and Farm Bureau apart is their total of over 100 years of experience and our dedication to providing technical guidance and leadership to the California agriculture community. Most farms are required to have at least one designated supervisor who has been trained in accordance with the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Produce Safety rule. Upon completion of the course, attendees will receive an o cial certi cate from the Association of Food & Drug O cials.
The Food Safety Training Partnership is offering these training courses throughout California. You can find more information and register at foodsafetytrainingpartnership.com, or call 916-561-5672. Supported by California Department of Food and Agriculture
6 Ag Alert August 11, 2021
A SPECIAL GROWERS’ REPORT OF AG ALERT ® C A L I F O R N I A Trees & Vines ®
Pecan farmers test remedies to recharge aquifers Water seeps into an orchard in the San Joaquin Valley as part of test efforts to recharge aquifers with surface water captured during wetter winter months. A pilot program targets California pecan farms. A survey found that pecans were well-equipped to handle saturated soils.
ByDennisPollock Almond farmers in California have long been recharging depleted groundwater sup- pliesonsomeof theirmillionacres.Nownewinsights arebeing learnedas growersof a far smaller sister crop—pecans—are also capturing surfacewater inwintermonths in order to recharge underground aquifers. Pecan farms account for just 5,000 acres inCalifornia. But efforts by farmers to capture rainwater inwetterwintermonths and later flood their farms to reinvigorategroundwater supplies are offering new remedies to severe drought conditions. SandraBachand, co-founder of Bachand&Associates, talkedabout thepecan findings fromapilot researchproject duringa recent virtual presentation. It also includeda talkon the roleof soil textureand flooding innitrate leachingbyHelenDahlke, associateprofessor in integrated hydrologic science at theUniversity of California, Davis. Theprogramendedwithadiscussionbyagrowerpanel that includedoneof theearliest pioneers in on-farm recharge, Don Cameron with Terranova Ranch in Fresno County, who said he believes capturing water for recharge in the winter months “helps tomake Californiawater resilient.” The presentation can be accessed on YouTube under the title “On-Farm Recharge Webinar: Pecans &Other Nuts.” Bachandtalkedof aresearchstudy focusingonon-farmrechargeonfourplotsof pecans paid for byaNatural ResourcesConservationService specialtycropblockgrant from2018 to 2021.
The survey was conducted fromearlyMay tomid-June in 2019 and 2020. It found that pecans were able to tolerate saturated soils and floodingwell. No abnormalities, such as signs of bronzing or wilting, were observed, and there were no differences between trees in on-farm recharge treatments from those in a regularly irrigated treatment. Leaf analysis showed on-farm recharge either improved or had no effect on nutrient levels. Stemwater potential data indicated healthy trees. And yields were the same or higher in on-farm recharge plots compared to the regularly irrigated control and other nearby orchards in 2019 or 2020. Lowoxygenwas not detrimental to pecan tree health and yields. Additional benefits included salt flushing from the root zone and the ability to reduce irrigation. Bachand said recharge projects are being spurred in part by climate change, with less surface water stored in California’s snowpack and greater frequency and variability of drought and floods. Another stimulus is the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act and the fact that on-farmrecharge offers “new” water to help augment groundwater. “Water that currently flows out of an area in awet year can be captured in aquifers and that enhances flexibility,” Bachand said.
See RECHARGE, Page 8
August 11, 2021 Ag Alert 7
Recharge Continued from Page 7
Asked about challenges to recharge, Cameron said those include providing theneeded infrastructureandconsidering soil differences and themovement of salts, pesticides and herbicides. “Management criteria have to be in place,” Cameron said. He and others also said challenges in- clude the difficulty of getting into flooded fields for treatments such as spraying. Cameron saidhe laser-leveled fields for even distribution of water. McKean said his almond trees are on high berms to control water flow, and he usesbothdripand flood irrigation. “It’snot real simple,” he said. McKean said he has concerns about plant health, and said he would like to see more research on rootstocks that might be best suited to recharge condi- tions. He said he would also like to see more research on leaching. King said timing is important inmanag- ing recharge. When water is available, he said, “you have to be prepared to take it.” King said he favors recharge because “it’s replicating natural systems.” McKean said he would like to see “credits” given to growers who use on- farm recharge. (Denni s Pol lock i s a repor t er in F r e s no . He ma y b e c on t a c t e d a t apcompollock@yahoo.com.)
In California, pecans are grown in 17 counties. The leaders inpecanproduction areTulareandColusacounties,withnearly half the acreage. One of the research plots had continu- ous flooding to maintain standing water. In another, there was alternate flooding between two sub-blocks, and in another there was regular irrigation followed by a second irrigation. A control plot had reg- ular flood irrigation. Poly pipe was stretched across about 850 feet of one field. It was fitted with ad- justablegates forwater flow. Terracingwas used to improvewater depth uniformity. Flooding did bring oxygen decreases in theroot zone, but recovery fromthatbegan immediately whenwater was off the field, Bachand said. Management techniques were to allow soils to dry briefly for five or sixdaysor toapply rechargewater toevery other row, then switch rows. The cost of recharge ranged from$35 to $200 an acre, about 1.5% to 9% of the cost of regular operations. BothBachandandDahlkesaidresearch has shownon-farmrechargecanbebene- ficial in other crops besides nuts. Dahlke saidpulsed floodingof almonds
This orchard is flooded as part of groundwater recharge efforts at a San Joaquin Valley nut farm.
showed no significant effect on yield, and onwell-drainedsoils, largeamountsofwa- ter can be recharged. She said it is a viable option for regionswhere large amounts of excess water are less frequently available. “Flooding can create short-lived anoxic conditions in the root zone,” she said, add- ing that the duration of such conditions needs to be managed. Flooding reduces oxygen levels within the soil, inhibiting root respiration and root growth with po- tentially negative effects on crop yield. She added that winter recharge can produce nitrates in the root zone through mineralization of organic nitrogen and might reduce fertilizer needs during
the growing season. The most nitrate is leached within the first few hours of ap- plication, before conditions for denitri- fication are reached, and denitrification plays a greater role in fine textured soils with continuous flooding. Dahlke cited notable differences in soil drainagebetweensandysoilsandthosethat are a fine sandy loam. There are also varia- tions incrop tolerance towaterlogging. The grower panel discussionwasmod- erated by Mohammad Yaghmour, UC or- chard systems advisor for KernCounty. The panel included Fresno County growers Cameron; Mark McKean with McKean Farms; and Ben King, the state’s largest pecan grower with orchards near Visalia and Colusa. King also grows al- monds.He iswithPacificGoldAgriculture.
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Is all salt bad?
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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8 Ag Alert August 11, 2021
Researchers target fungus that attacks tree fruit, nuts
upper roots and tree crown is kept fairly moist through the entire growing season. “Most infected orchards have been found in the North Coast with fewer in the Sacramento Delta,” the guide- lines added. “Most affected orchards are on sandy loam to loam soils along streams or rivers originally lined with native oaks.” The disease can show itself as a grad- ual decline of trees in a circle extending out from the center or may result in the sudden collapse and death of trees that appeared for years to be healthy. The native oak root fungus pathogen is
already inmuch of California’s soil, even before susceptible tree fruit or nut crops are planted. “If an orchard is planted on a site where oak, black walnut or willow trees once grew, chances are very high that the inoculum already exists in the soil on old decaying roots,” according to the UC guidelines. Once an orchard is infested with ar- millaria, farmers can limit the spread by machinery or slow the damage through irrigationmanagement, but there is no re- liableway to rid ground of the pathogens.
ByBob Johnson Pear growers may be one step closer to having an answer for a widespread fungus that grows and survives for de- cades in wooded soils while waiting to attack tree fruit and nut crops with dev- astating impact. Armillaria, commonly known as oak root fungus, is a native pathogen that survives invisibly on deadwood and root material deep beneath the ground until new trees are planted, and then it can spread, causing wilt and decline. A recent University of California, Davis, study has developed protocols that will let researchers and plant breeders more quickly detect whether a pear rootstock is resistant to themost lethal strain of ar- millaria, at least in the lab. “There is no pear rootstock known to be resi stant to armi l lar ia,” said Carolina Tweedy, the UC Davis grad- uate student who adapted an in vitro technique for screening armillaria re- sistance in pear rootstocks. “This limits options for replanting trees in infected orchards. Due to the broad host range of armillaria, other tree crops face a similar challenge. In order to identify sources of resistance to be utilized in rootstock breeding programs, a rapid and reliable screening technique for pears is necessary.” Many pear varieties were considered resistant or at least tolerant of armillaria, but changes in irrigation practices may be creating conditions that encourage the disease. The switch from flood or furrow ir- rigation to sprinklers that keep the top of the soil and upper roots moist more often may be the reason armillaria has become more of an issue in pears in re- cent years.
“Armillaria root and crown rot most often occurs when the soil is cool and moist,” according to UC pear pest man- agement guidelines. “Recent infections of armillaria root rot in pear orchards may have been caused by a switch in irrigation practices from flood or fur- row irrigation to permanent under-tree sprinklers where water is applied more frequently and the soil layer close to the
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August 11, 2021 Ag Alert 9
PISTACHIOS HAVE B-VITAMINS, PROTEIN AND NOW THEY EVEN HAVE A SHOW
Friday Fuel-Up is a monthly Facebook Live series hosted by Dr. Mike Roussell, author and nutrition expert, that welcomes top athletes, adventurers and thought leaders from around the world for amazing conversations about what fuels their goals mentally and physically.
DR. MIKE ROUSSELL
TUNE IN TO FUEL-UP WITH:
LUKE COUTINHO With 3 bestsellers and named one of 500 “most influential people in Asia” by the NY Press Agency, Luke joins us from his home in India. He is a holistic lifestyle coach globally known for his approach to Integrative and Lifestyle Medicine. Learn the 4 pillars of wellbeing that blend Eastern and Western thoughts and practices. Friday, August 6, 2021 10:00 am PDT / 7:00 pm CEST 6:00 pm BST / 10:30 pm IST SCOTT M. SMITH, PhD Nutritionist, Manager for Nutritional Biochemistry at the NASA Johnson Space Center. Determining the specific nutritional needs for space exploration, Dr. Smith is one of the few people on the planet whose work ranges from Antarctica to Outer Space. Friday, September 3, 2021 10:00 am PDT / 7:00 pm CEST 6:00 pm BST / 10:30 pm IST JEREMY JONES Big Mountain Snowboarder, Filmmaker, Climate Advocate, National Geographic Adventurer of the Year and dad, Jones recounts his most daring adventures and his passion to encourage action on climate change. Friday, October 1, 2021 10:00 am PDT / 7:00 pm CEST 6:00 pm BST / 10:30 pm IST ALISTAIR & JONNY BROWNLEE Gold, Silver and Bronze-winning British Triathletes made of steel, Alistair, the only 2x Gold winner now chases Iron, while Jonny is fresh from the Tokyo games. Two competing brothers, one brotherly legend. Friday, November 5, 2021 10:00 am PDT / 6:00 pm CET 5:00 pm GMT / 10:30 pm IST
DALLAS SEAVEY 2021 Iditarod champion and one of only two athletes to win five times (along with a team of canine athletes). In a grueling race that braves blizzards, whiteouts and wind chills as low as -70°C, Seavey explains why every second and every calo- rie counts. Friday, January 7, 2022 BRYAN SNYDER, RD Go on a rare behind the scenes tour at state-of-the art Broncos Training Facility, led by the Director of Nutrition for the Denver Broncos. With past experience in consulting multiple pro sports teams, he reveals the effects of sleep deprivation in athletes and how to fuel up for specific sports. Friday, December 3, 2021 10:00 am PST / 7:00 pm CET 6:00 pm GMT / 11:30 pm IST
10:00 am PST / 7:00 pm CET 6:00 pm GMT / 11:30 pm IST VICKY LOSADA
International soccer star, she led her team to 2021 UEFA Champions League title, played two World Cups and two European Cups. A leading advocate for women & girls in sports, she fuels her strength on a
largely plant-based diet. Friday, February 4, 2022 10:00 am PST / 7:00 pm CET 6:00 pm GMT / 11:30 pm IST
JOSH ALLEN As one of the most exciting pro Quarter- backs today, this football hero hails from one of the smallest farming towns in California and takes us on his journey to the pros. But he hasn’t completely left the farm, join us as he talks about his new
venture in his hometown. Friday, March 4, 2022 10:00 am PST / 7:00 pm CET 6:00 pm GMT / 11:30 pm IST
Always on the first Friday of every month @10:00 am PST, the show is LIVE at Facebook.com/AmericanPistachios, with recorded episodes on IG and YouTube.
Organic Continued from Page 3 production, Tencer added.
personnel qualifications and training that haven’t been completed, some- times due to a lack of training records or other paperwork discrepancies, she said. Inspectors also recorded some health and hygiene compliance issues related to improper handwashing or ac- cess to facilities. Most noncompliance issues relate to record keeping, which Phillips said is “easily correctable and is not really going to lead to a large food safety issue.” Noting the program’s motto is “to educate before we regulate,” she said the program offers “a lot” of education and outreach to ensure farmers under- stand how to comply with the produce safety rule.
“We want this culture of food safety to become ingrained” in California farms, she added. Jeremy Johnson, chairman of the Cal i fornia State Organic Program Advisory Committee, said it is work- ing with the state to ease the adminis- trative burden on organic farmers so that there’s less paperwork. He said the committee has also been providing rec- ommendations to the state on how it can best use excess funds from organic registration to support organic. It has narrowed priorities to equity, education and research. Houston Wi l son, di rector of the Un i ve r s i t y o f Ca l i f orn i a Organ i c
Agriculture Institute, formed in 2020, said “a huge gap” remains in research for organic. Though research is need- ed in every area of production, he said the institute’s highest priority is pro- viding more effective crop nutrition practices, followed by weed, pest and disease management. With creation of the institute, Wilson said, California organic farmers will now have an addi t iona l resource to maintain their lead in the nation “while at the same time contributing to the economic viability and envi- ronmental quality of agriculture in this state.” (ChingLeeisanassistanteditorofAgAlert. Shemaybe contactedat clee@cfbf.com.)
D e s p i t e i t s n ame , Ca l i f o r n i a Certified Organic Farmers in Santa Cruz certifies more than 4,000 organic producers throughout North America, including in Mexico, although the li- on’s share of its membership remains in California, where it certifies more than 2,000 farmers and nearly 1,000 processors and handers, according to CEO Kelly Damewood. CCOF’s goal , she said, is to reach 30% organic farmland in the state by 2030, “because we believe organic can really offer solutions for climate resil- ience, economic security and health equity.” As the leading organic state, California currently farms about 10% of i ts land organical ly, she noted. Less than 1% of the nation’s land is farmed organically. Since the start of the CDFA Produce Safety Program in 2017, more than 430 California farms have been inspect- ed, with less than 20% of them organ- ic, said program Supervisor Shelley Phi l l ips. Organic farms “general ly have a good understanding of food safety,” she said. About a third of those inspected have gotten clean records, she said, although two-thirds are not in full compliance. Some compliance issues relate to
Deadly citrus disease found in Oceanside A quarantine has been declared in northern San Diego County after a deadly citrus disease was detected in Oceanside.
threat to California’s $2 billion-plus citrus business. But, as of Friday, the disease hadn’t been confirmed in a commercial citrus grove in California. The quarantine covers 60 square miles around the detection site. Citrus fruit, trees and related plant material may not be transported out of the area except for commercially cleaned and packed fruit. The quarantine area is borderedon the
north by Vandergrift Boulevard at Camp Pendleton, on the south by Carlsbad Village Drive, on the east by Melrose Drive and on the west by the Pacific Ocean. CDFAsaid itwill survey a 250-me- ter radius around the detection site for any additional signs of the disease and the Asian citrus psyllid. A map of the quarantine area may be foundat https://www.cdfa.ca.gov/citrus/ pests_diseases/hlb/regulation.html.
The California Department of Food and Agr icul ture repor ted that two residential citrus trees in Oceanside were found to be infected with huan- glongbing, or HLB, also known as cit- rus greening. The disease, carried by the Asian citrus psyllid, poses a mortal
Agricultural Market Review
Quotations are the latest available for the week ending August 6, 2021 Year Ago Week Ago Latest Week Livestock Slaughter Steers – 5-Area Average Select & Choice, 1050–1150 lbs., $ per cwt. 95-97.50 118-119 116-120 Hogs – Average hog, 51-52% lean, Iowa-Minn. market, $ per cwt. 51.70 110.05 109.31 Slaughter Lambs – $ per cwt. 125–175 lbs. National weekly live sales No Quote 201-286.46 248-283 Field crops – basis prompt shipment Barley – U.S. No. 2, $ per cwt. Truck, Stockton-Modesto-Oakdale-Turlock 9.25 (Tulare-Fresno) No Quote No Quote Cotton – ¢ per lb., Middling 1 3/32” Fresno spot market 63.45 81.31 82.33 Corn – U.S. No. 2 yellow $ per cwt. trucked 8.08 7.98 8.17 Alfalfa Hay – $ per ton, quality*, FOB Region 1, Northern Inter-mountain 195-200 (P/S) 230-240 (P/S) 280 (G/P) Region 2, Sacramento Valley 170 (F) No Quote 240 (G) Region 3, Northern San Joaquin Valley 210-255 (P/S) 250-255 (G/P) 290-300 (S) Region 4, Central San Joaquin Valley No Quote No Quote 260-320 (G/P) Region 5, Southern California 255-280 (P) 225 (G) No Quote Region 6, Southeast Interior 150 (F/G) 210 (G/P) 210-230 (G) Oat Hay – $ per ton, quality*, FOB Northern California, dairy No Quote No Quote No Quote Oats – U.S. No. 2 white, $ per cwt. Statewide, trucked price No Quote 215 (G) No Quote
Dry Beans – Grower FOB prices Baby Limas, $ per cwt, (sacked) Large Limas, $ per cwt. (sacked) Blackeye, $ per cwt. (sacked)
No Quote No Quote No Quote
No Quote No Quote No Quote
No Quote No Quote No Quote
Rice – Milled No. 1 Head, FOB No. Calif. mills Medium grain, $ per cwt. Wheat – U.S. No. 2 or better, winter, $ per cwt. 13% protein, Los Angeles, trucked price
38-42
42-44
42-44
No Quote 14.25 Provided by the California Farm Bureau as a service to Farm Bureau members. Information supplied by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Market News Branch. * ADF=Acid detergent fiber; (S) = Supreme/<27%ADF; (P) = Premium/27-29; (G) = Good/29-32; (F) = Fair/32-35. 215 (G)
12 Ag Alert August 11, 2021
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