Ag Alert. June 8, 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.

Notorious pest Researchers seek remedies for grape leafhopper

Lettuce irrigation Drip systems can help reduce downy mildew

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www.cfbf.com • www.agalert.com JUNE 8, 2022

Trees & Vines ®

special report

By Ching Lee The buzz about industrial hemp becom- ing the next big cash crop didn’t last. Soured by the heavily regulated nature of the crop and market instability, farmers who dabbled in growing hemp say they’re bowing out this season, choosing to go back to farming more traditional crops. This comes four years after the 2018 Farm Bill legalized production of indus- trial hemp. Since then, the crop has expe- rienced some growing pains. Much of the hemp that’s been grown in the state and across the nation has been focused on the production of cannabidiol, or CBD, which is marketed as a health and wellness product and as a potential treat- ment for a range of conditions. With hopes of cashing in on a newly legal crop and demand for CBD, farmers rushed to plant hemp. Now they face an oversat- urated market and lower prices. Some are plowing under their crop or storing it until they can find a buyer. California farmers planted 2,650 acres of hemp last year, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Nationwide, acreage totaled 54,200. Some farmers are trying to move beyond CBD, eager to return to hemp’s roots and a broad array of products. “The market can only bear so much CBD. That’s why it’s busted,” said Sutter County farmer and hemp grower Justin Eve, who serves on the state Industrial Hemp Advisory Board. “But the market can bear livestock feed, textiles, clothing, oil and paper products.” Kings County farmer Tom Pires, who also manages a cotton gin in Riverdale, has been working with a hemp supplier in experiments growing hemp for fiber. A converted cotton gin is processing the hemp, keeping employees working as state cotton acreage plummets from historical levels, Pires said. His goal, Pires said, is to grow hemp for See HEMP, Page 16 After crash, hemp farmers look to fiber, other uses

Farmer David Richter looks over developing tomato plants at his farm outside Knights Landing. Richter lowered his tomato acreage slightly this year because of a smaller water allocation brought on by the drought. The shortage of water is expected to hammer already-tight tomato supplies.

Lack of water means smaller tomato crop

By Kevin Hecteman David Richter has a good tomato crop going so far—but like many other farmers, not as much as in preceding years. Richter, who farms near Knights Landing in Sutter County, cut his tomato acreage by 75 acres, mainly because his water allo- cation from the Sacramento River is 18%. Trying to make the allocation and other

challenges work for this year’s crop is “like putting a puzzle together,” he said. “I’ve done 42 of these now since I’ve been out of college, and we always say, well, this is different than what we’ve had,” Richter said. “I don’t know what to expect.” Tomato processors have, or soon will have, contracts for 11.7 million tons of tomatoes, grown on 234,000 acres, ac-

cording to the latest estimate from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. That’s down from the January forecast of 12.2 million tons. That would represent an increase from the nearly 10.8 million tons grown in 2021, if it comes to fruition—a dubious proposition in some quarters. “I just don’t think we’re going to get

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Budget blueprint may be a gravy train to a fiscal cliff

By Taylor Roschen This month, Gov. Gavin Newsom re- leased the “California Blueprint.” Also known as the “May Revise,” it updates his January budget proposal based on reve- nues and new policy initiatives. At a time when most Californians are struggling to

few seem to want to address—the State Appropriations Limit, also known as the Gann Limit. It was approved by voters in 1979 via Proposition 4, which requires per person government spending, when ad- justed for inflation, stay under 1978 levels. If the state wants to spend more than that limit, based on Proposition 4, it gen- erally has two options: It can issue refunds to taxpayers or allocate excess revenues to schools. What novel concepts. But, practically speaking, asking the state to give money back is a lot like getting water from a rock. So other, less restricting op- tions exist. The Legislature can spend more money on items excluded from the limit, such as offerings to local government, debt, capital projects or emergencies. It can re- duce taxes—an unlikely path—or put more back into the state’s savings accounts. While spending under the limit is not a problem in most years, this year and be- yond will bring a new paradigm. The ad- ditional revenue from personal income tax and capital gains has pushed the bud- get up against this limit, and decisions to adopt tax increases over time have dimin- ished any wiggle room. Then there’s the risk of a recession. The LAO emphatically says “the state cannot ‘grow its way’ out of a budget problem.” It also warns, “The state has a $52 billion sur- plus—now is the time to prepare for these looming budget problems.” Or we could do nothing and plod along as if a recession and the related fiscal cliff aren’t ahead of us. While debates will con- tinue, one thing the governor said during his budget press conference resonates. “We’re as dumb,” Newsom said, “as we want to be.” (Taylor Roschen is a policy advocate for the California Farm Bureau Federation. She may be contacted at troschen@cfbf.com.)

make ends meet, the ironies abound. The state now boasts a $300.7 billion budget and a $97.5 bil- lion surplus. Based on re- ports from the Department of Finance, this sur-

Taylor Roschen

A podium is prepared for Gov. Gavin Newson’s May 13 budget revision presentation. California has a $97.5 billion budget surplus, but the legislative analyst said a recession could make it disappear.

plus is the happy accident of unprece- dented revenue growth over the last two years—namely a 20% to 30% increase in revenue from the state’s largest taxes (per- sonal income, corporation and sales tax). Rising stocks, consumer spending and cor- porate earnings have also pumped more money into California’s coffers. But the gravy train won’t run forever, the Legislative Analyst’s Office warns. In a re- cent report issued by the LAO, economic indicators—including tight labor markets, rising inflation, slowing home sales and declining consumer confidence—suggest a recession may be on the horizon. Based on spending versus savings, California could veer from a surplus to a budget defi- cit. But more on that later. So back to the budget, what is in “the Blueprint?” Well, plenty. Between the January and May proposals, in some in- stances, it’s simply a matter of adding a few more zeros on the end. As expected, the budget includes all of the governor’s campaign promises—for housing, climate change, public education, zero-emission

vehicles and health care expansion. Newsom’s proposal also focuses quite a bit on agriculture. Highlights of note include $2 billion in drought relief. This includes $60 million for on-farm irrigation efficiency; $25 million for direct relief for small farms; $40 million for agricultural land repurposing; and $75 million for the California Small Agricultural Business Drought Relief Grant Program, which pro- vides grants of up to $50,000 for ag-related business in regions hardest hit by drought. California farmers will also be eligible to compete for $2.7 billion in another round of the Small Business COVID Relief Grants. The Blueprint maps out $75 million for California State University farms, $100 million for methane-monitoring satellites, and hundreds of millions for “nature-based solutions,” including grazing, healthy soils, wetland restoration and composting. Additional funds go to broadband, energy reliability and wildfire prevention. Beyond seeking favor with a broad swath

of Californians, Newsom has another audi- ence to please—the Legislature. Even with a two-thirds Democratic majority, with elections looming, leadership fights heat- ing up and most moderate members — and voters — frustrated, the last round of budget negotiations could prove divisive. Parties disagree on how to offer gas tax relief. There are disagreements on how best to “dole out” the cash—funds for car owners or based on income levels—while others want a pause or repeal of the gas tax. Climate and drought relief talks may be less about how much to spend, but rather over who gets money and for what. And community issues such as homelessness, public safety and mental illness are rarely met with consensus. Regardless, we’re now at the point of negotiations, when the veil is drawn and the “Big Three”—leaders of the Senate, Assembly and the administration—ham- mer out the final details. However, there’s still one item that

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2 Ag Alert June 8, 2022

USDA food plan is pledging a ‘better deal’ for farmers

Forestry. In a statement, he said the pro- posal “misses the mark and fails to meet the moment.” Ranking member U.S. Rep. Glenn “GT” Thompson, R-Pa., said in a statement that the framework “blatantly ignores the sky- rocketing inflation rates and input costs that are crushing America’s producers, compounded by the administration’s bur- densome regulatory overreach.” In answering a question posed by the USA Rice Federation about what USDA is doing to secure and protect U.S. agricultur- al production and processing to maintain

food security domestically and overseas, Vilsack said, “Part of it is trying to address the congestion problems; part of it is trying to make sure that we have relationships with other countries so that markets re- main open. “There’s a series of steps that we’re tak- ing in effort to try to continue to expand export opportunities,” Vilsack said, adding that USDA is working with ocean carriers and ports to solve congestion. The framework includes investments in

By Christine Souza U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has unveiled a framework to address “a litany of chal- lenges” in order to transform the U.S. food system to become more resilient and help farmers, producers and consumers. “We live in a great time of disruption,” Vilsack said last week during a live-stream appearance, in which he announced the release of the USDA Food System Transformation Framework. “A trans- formed food system is part of how we as a country become more resilient and com- petitive in the face of these big and future challenges and threats.” Referencing challenges of the pandem- ic, changing climate, supply-chain disrup- tions, inflation and more, Vilsack said it is important to strengthen the country’s food system across all aspects of the sup- ply chain. He also called for building on lessons learned during the COVID-19 crisis and resulting supply-chain disruptions. Transforming the nation’s food system, Vilsack said, must be comprehensive and touch on four elements: production, pro- cessing, food distribution and aggregation, and market development. Vilsack noted that the program and poli- cies announced are at different stages, with some deployed now and others happening in the next few months, with resources ob- ligated by the end of the year. “A transformed food system will deliv- er a better deal for farmers, ranchers and growers and consumers through more new and better markets while also stim- ulating our rural economy,” Vilsack said. Republican leaders criticized the frame- USDA seeks to fill vacant board seat The U.S. Department of Agriculture is seeking nominations to fill a seat on the National Organic Standards Board. The nomination deadline is Aug. 5 for a five-year term, which begins next January. The National Organic Standards Board is a 15-member volunteer advisory board appointed by the agriculture secretary. It makes recommendations on the National List of Allowed and Prohibited Substances and other topics related to organic agriculture. USDA encourages applications from tra- ditionally underrepresented individuals, organizations and businesses to reflect the diversity of the organic sector. Qualified candidates may also apply to be consid- ered for future unexpected vacancies on the board. For more information about the positions, member time commit- ment and workload, visit the NOSB Nominations page at www.ams.usda. gov/rules-regulations/organic/nosb/ nomination-process.

work, noting that much of the funding draws from the American Rescue Plan Act and other pandemic-era relief already al- lotted to USDA. “Our global food-supply system faces severe challenges that require serious re- sponses,” said U.S. Sen. John Boozman, R-Ark., ranking member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and

See FOOD, Page 9

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June 8, 2022 Ag Alert 3

Farm groups ‘troubled’ by court’s bumblebee ruling By Ching Lee

the insect protection as fish. Unlike federal law, the state ESA does not include insects as eligible for listing. Specifically, state law extends protections only to birds, mammals, fish, amphibians, reptiles and plants. Nevertheless, the California Fish and Game Commission voted in 2019 to des- ignate the Crotch bumblebee, Franklin’s bumblebee, Suckley cuckoo bumblebee and western bumblebee as candidates for

ESA listing. The move triggered full protec- tion for the bumblebees under state law, which prohibits actions that would kill, or “take,” candidate species without a permit or other authorization. The state based its listing decision on a provision of the Fish and Game code, which defines fish to include invertebrates. Because bumblebees and other insects are invertebrates, the commission argued, then they may be

listed under the state ESA. Farm groups, including the California Farm Bureau, sued, saying that bumble- bees are not fish and that the commission abused its authority by adding the spe- cies as candidates for state ESA protection. They also contend that protections for the bumblebees could affect farming activities in the state, including grazing and growing crops, herbicide and pesticide applica- tions, and use of commercial honeybees to pollinate crops. The trial court sided with farmers. It re- jected the state’s argument, saying that the Fish and Game Code’s definition of “fish” applies only to marine invertebrates, not to terrestrial insects such as bumblebees. Subsequently, the state and three environ- mental groups appealed. In last week’s ruling, the appellate court said it took a more “liberal interpretation” of the law, which it said was intended to be read more broadly to cover all imperiled invertebrate species, including bees. “Although the term ‘fish’ is colloquial- ly and commonly understood to refer to aquatic species,” the court said, “the term of art employed by the Legislature in the definition of fish … is not so limited.” The court agreed that the law “is am- biguous as to whether the Legislature in- tended for the definition of fish to apply to purely aquatic species.” But it concluded that legislative history supports its liberal interpretation: The commission had previ- ously listed a terrestrial mollusk and inver- tebrate—the Trinity bristle snail—and two crustaceans as endangered or threatened. California Farm Bureau Senior Counsel Kari Fisher said the organization is “trou- bled” by the appeal court’s decision and is “evaluating potential next steps.” Farm groups said the court disre- garded prior positions of the Office of Administrative Law, the Office of the Attorney General, and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, all of which concluded that insects cannot be protected under the state ESA. The state Legislature in 1984 consid- ered a bill that would have added insects and plants to the categories of protected species, farm groups pointed out, and it expressly decided to add plants but not in- sects. Reports of the committees that pro- duced the legislation also plainly stated that insects cannot be listed, the groups said. The ruling could complicate existing efforts to manage farmland to protect wildlife, they added. What’s more, the case could set a precedent and inspire ad- ditional petitions to list other insects such as the monarch butterfly under the state ESA, they said. In addition to the Farm Bureau, oth- er farm groups party to the case are the Almond Alliance of California, California Association of Pest Control Advisers, California Citrus Mutual, California Cotton Ginners and Growers Association, Western Agricultural Processors Association, Western Growers Association and The Wonderful Company. (Ching Lee is an assistant editor of Ag Alert. She may be contacted at clee@cfbf.com.)

Saying that bumblebees may be classi- fied as fish, a state appeals court has ruled that the pollinator insect may therefore be eligible for protection as an endangered or threatened species under state law. The ruling, issued last week, revers- es a 2020 Sacramento County Superior Court decision blocking the state from listing the bumblebee under the state Endangered Species Act and granting

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4 Ag Alert June 8, 2022

Report: Field crop plantings mixed in challenging times

largely of exports, is projected at 17 mil- lion bales. That is down 300,000 bales from the estimated 2021-22 use. Exports are projected to be down 250,000 bales, to 14.5 million bales in 2022-23. Low cotton stocks and a below-average crop are expected to support relatively high prices in 2022-23. USDA projects an average price of 90 cents per pound for upland cotton. That is just 2 cents below the estimated price for 2021-22 of 92 cents, which would be a record and would be 17 cents above the projection this time last year.

Farmer planting decisions will not be updated by USDA until the June 30 acre- age report, which will provide a better idea of supply expectations for the new- est marketing year. High input costs could shift planted acreage, and continued high prices could result in revised supply expectations throughout the 2022-23 marketing year. (This report was adapted from the American Farm Bureau Federation’s May 13 Market Intel Report, which may be found at fb.org/market-intel/first-look-at-the-2022- 23-marketing-year-amid-global-turmoil.)

Amid concerns about global grain and oilseed supplies due to the Russian war on Ukraine, the U.S. Department of Agriculture World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates report provides a first look at supply and demand expecta- tions for the newest marketing year. The May WASDE report also gives pro- jections for corn, soybeans, wheat and cotton for the upcoming marketing year. Here are some highlights, published by the American Farm Bureau Federation in its Market Intel report: • USDA estimates for corn planted for the 2022-23 marketing year, at 89.5 mil- lion acres, was down 4.2% from the 93.4 acres planted in 2021-22. Farmers are expected to harvest 81.7 million acres of corn in 2022, at a yield rate of 177 bushels per acre. That projects to 14.5 billion bushels, down from 2021’s near record 15.1 billion bushels. But it would be 4% above the five-year average of 14.5 billion bushels. USDA projected the 2022-23 corn price at $6.75 per bushel, up 85 cents from this year’s estimated total. This would be the highest since $6.89 in 2012-13. USDA’s estimate for the corn price in 2021-22 increased by a dime from April to May, to $5.90. • Wheat planted acres for the U.S. in 2022-2023 are estimated at 47.4 million acres. That’s an increase of 1.5% from 2021-22’s 46.7 million acres. Yield is estimated at 47 bushels per acre, which would generate wheat pro- duction of 1.729 billion bushels, a 5% increase from a poor 2021-2022 wheat crop. But that would still be about 8.5% below the five-year average of 1.89 bil- lion bushels. Estimated wheat demand in 2021-22 is down 8.5% from 2020-21, and 2022-23 demand is expected to decline another 2.4%, to 1.885 billion bushels, largely as the result of reduced exports, according to the Market Intel analysis. Based on USDA data, feed use of wheat for 2021-22 is expected to decline by 20 million bushels in 2022-23 to 100 million bushels, while exports are antic- ipated to fall 30 million bushels to 775 bushels in 2022-23. USDA estimates the average farm price of wheat for 2021-22 at $7.70 per bushel. That is an18% increase from its projec- tion last year, when the crop price was projected at $6.50 per bushel. In the newest marketing year, USDA estimates the 2022-23 average price of wheat at $10.75 per bushel, which would be the highest annual U.S. wheat price in history, $2.73 above the record of $8.02 in 2008. • Cotton planting expectations for the 2022-23 marketing year are 12.23 mil- lion acres. That is 9% above this year’s estimate, but farmers are projected to harvest only 9.14 million acres, based on historical rates of abandonment and poor soil moisture in the Southwest, according

to the Market Intel analysis. USDA anticipates a 6% yield bump to 867 pounds per acre for those acres, though, so the total harvest is expected to be 16.5 million 480-pound bales. That would be down 5.8% from the current year and about 13% below the five-year average. Overall cotton use, which consists

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June 8, 2022 Ag Alert 5

As fertilizer costs spike, farmers reducing nitrogen By Bob Johnson

“according to grower’s standard practices,” Smith and Cahn wrote. They said the trial showed it is possible to reduce nitrogen applications by more than 60 pounds an acre without reducing romaine lettuce yields. “Total nitrogen applied to the CropManage treatment was 129 pounds an acre and the grower standard treat- ment was 191 pounds an acre,” the re- searchers reported. Some Central Coast growers have a head start in targeting their fertilizer applica- tions as they took steps to prevent nitrate from reaching groundwater supplies. Until recent cost increases, fertilizer was not an important item in the budget for producing leafy green vegetables. “In the 2019 romaine hearts cost study, fertilizer costs represented 8.5% of total crop production costs,” Smith and Cahn wrote. “However, in light of current price spikes, fertilizer prices have become more significant. Central Coast growers are fac- ing increased fertilizer prices and are look- ing for ways to reduce the use of fertilizers. In high value horticultural crops, fertilizer costs typically represent a smaller portion of production costs than they do for agro- nomic crops.” Thousands of acres of Central Coast See FERTILIZER, Page 9

As inflation impacts the Salad Bowl, fertilizer, fuel and labor costs have all in- creased for growers of lettuce, baby spin- ach, baby leaf lettuce and specialty greens concentrated in the Central Coast and Salinas Valley regions. For most growers, spikes in fertilizer prices have come as other costs have also increased. “Fertilizer has gone up an average of 10% to 12% the last few months, but it’s not just fertilizer,” said Richard Bianchi, director of farm operations at Sabor Farms in Salinas. “Couple that with fuel costs and labor. Fuel costs have doubled the last 13 months.” Sabor Farms grows a range of specialty greens including baby leaf lettuces, mus- tards, spinach, arugula, cilantro, parsley, kale, endive, radishes, green leaf and green butter lettuce. Because current higher fertilizer prices are caused by complex factors, including strong demand for Midwestern grains, the situation could get worse in the next few months or years, researchers say. “Growers have been affected by a near doubling in fertilizer prices between the summer of 2020 and the end of 2021,” University of California Cooperative Extension farm advisors Richard Smith and Michael Cahn wrote in a recent edi- tion of the Salinas Valley Agriculture re-

Salinas Valley farmer Richard Bianchi says he carefully monitors nitrogen applications to improve efficiency. But he says nitrogen levels must be adjusted with caution to avoid hurting crop yields.

port, which is published by UC Agriculture and Natural Resources. Smith and Cahn noted that corn, soy- bean and wheat prices increased 60% from the summer of 2020 through the end of 2021. They said that may have incentivized growers to apply more fertilizer, which also put pressure on fertilizer prices. Smith and Cahn, who reviewed decades of research, are sharing information with Salinas Valley growers on how they can re- duce fertilizer use by targeting applications

more precisely without damaging yields. The farm advisors have done extensive work over 25 years on applying nitrogen efficiently while also complying with wa- ter-quality regulations. In 2019, they conducted a trial with a grower to evaluate water and nitrogen management of romaine lettuce. The trial involved splitting the field in half. On one side, field irrigation and fertilizer decisions were guided using a CropManage decision support tool. The other half was managed

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6 Ag Alert June 8, 2022

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

The Western grape leafhopper, inset, is a persistent challenge for vineyards, with pest populations causing defoliation and economic loss- es. But growing habitat near vines, such as coyote brush, above, can harbor predatory enemies of the leafhopper that parasitize its eggs.

Photo/University of California, Riverside

Grape growers, researchers target leafhopper pest By Dennis Pollock Fritz Helzer is no stranger to the Western grape leafhopper, a notorius pest for California vineyards since the 1870s.

Houston Wilson of UC Riverside. The meeting was co-hosted by the university and the San Joaquin Valley Winegrowers Association. The experts spoke on management of the leafhopper to prevent yield loss, reduced grape quality, photosynthesis disruption and leaf burn. Wilson favors deploying a counter-offensive against the leafhopper. His weapon of choice is habitat that can harbor enemies of the vineyard pest that parasitize its eggs. Leafhoppers overwinter as adults and have two or three generations a year on the coast and three to five generations in the San Joaquin Valley. They have a wide range of predators including soldier beetles, green lacewings, big-eyed bugs, brown lacewings, lady-bird beetle, damsel bug, minute pirate bug, spiders and hover flies. Researchers are studying natural habitat for overwintering parasitoids. That includes French prune, alder, blackberry, ceanothus, coyote brush, manzanita and willow. They are also looking at gardens and hedgerows with plantings of apple, catmint, ceanothus, mint, pear, roses and sage. But Wilson said there can be a challenge if there is a small strip of habitat neigh- boring a large vineyard. Parasitoids that overwinter can dramatically increase their population during the summer, and then overwhelm and parasitize all hosts on that strip of habitat, wiping out the population of those alternative hosts that are not a pest.

He knows a lot about the parasitoids in the genus Anagrus that parasitize it. He is also familiar with the two new generations of leafhoppers that came to California in the 1980s: the Virginia creeper and the variegated leafhopper. But Helzer, a manager with Mesa Vineyard Management in the San Luis Obispo County community of Templeton, never stops seeking new ideas to manage the leaf- hopper and similar pests. That’s because their populations can cause defoliation in vineyards and economic losses for growers—and Helzer said he wants to be on top of the threat. So he found it worthwhile to make the two-hour drive between Templeton and the Kearney Agricultural and Extension Center in Parlier for a session on how to tame the leafhopper. “We get reinforcement on a lot of information,” Helzer said. Researchers say leafhoppers can still reach dangerous population levels in some areas of the Sierra Nevada foothills and the western Central Valley. Grapes are a billion-dollar crop in Fresno County, where Helzer turned out to hear from speakers, including entomologists Kent Daane of the University of California and

See LEAFHOPPER, Page 8

June 8, 2022 Ag Alert 7

Applications open for farmer, farmworker training The California Department of Food and Agriculture is accepting applications for a new grant program intended to enhance training or apprenticeship programs for beginning farmers or farm employees. The Beginning Farmer and Farmworker Training and Workforce Development Program was funded through the 2021 California general fund budget. The pro- gram seeks to aid farmers and ranchers in their first 10 years of business, as well as farmworkers seeking sustainable employ- ment by improving their job skills. Aug. 1. The grants will be announced in September, with funded projects begin- ning Nov. 1. taged, small-scale farmers, farmworkers and in workforce development programs. CDFA’s Farm Equity Office will hold two informational sessions via Zoom on the grant program during the application peri- od. Sessions will be recorded and available on the program website. The 2022 program request for ap- plications can be found at www.cdfa. ca.gov/BFFTP. Applications will be accepted via the Amplifund grant application service. All applicants will need to register for an Amplifund account. Amplifund staffers will host an applicant training session via Zoom, explaining how to register for an account and answering questions on the platform. For more infor- mation on the 2022 BFFTP Grant Program, contact: carmen.carrasco@cdfa.ca.gov.

“We don’t know what that alterna- tive host is, but it is on coyote brush and blackberries quite a bit,” Wilson said. “If the ratio is off and you get too much vineyard and too little overwintering habitat, you kind of get biocontrol in reverse. In a good situation, you have a tiny vineyard and a ton of overwinter- ing habitat.” He said how far the parasitoids travel and the precise ratio of habitat to vineyard size are among “researchable questions.” Helzer took special note that among the plants that the parasitoids favor is coyote brush. “A lot of that is native,” he said. On the drive home, he discussed such Leafhopper Continued from Page 7 Those eligible to apply for the program include nonprofit organizations, tribal governments and community colleges. Community colleges are eligible as co-ap- plicants with local partner organizations. Entities applying must have demonstrat- ed expertise in assisting socially disadvan-

The effort is also intended to boost agricultural career skills for socially disadvantaged populations and help create more qualified candidates for the farm workforce. Grant applicants may apply for two types of awards. The farm workforce development pro- gram provides grants of up to $100,000 for program planning and curriculum development. Grants of up to $1 million are available for implementing beginning farmer and farmworker training and work- force development programs. CDFA is awarding up to $10 million for the program. That includes $5 million made available for fiscal year 2021-22 and another $5 million for 2022-23. Applications for one- or two-year projects will be accepted until 5 p.m.

Houston Wilson, a University of California, Riverside, entomologist, discusses Western leafhop- per management and ecology during a field session with North Coast winegrape growers.

plantings as a potential solution, adding, “That was one of the positive takeaways.” Helzer was accompanied by two other vineyard managers and a viticulturist to the seminar. He said they were looking for insights on “four big subjects”—the vineyard leaf- hopper, vine mealybug, water manage- ment and powdery mildew. Another vineyard pest, the Virginia creeper, lays egg masses with a pro- tective coating to ward off parasitoids.

The Western leafhopper lays eggs sin- gly on the surface of leaves, and the variegated leafhopper lays eggs singly into leaf tissue. In addition to the toll leafhoppers can take on vines, they are also a nuisance pest for workers. “They inhale them,” Wilson said, “as I have many times.” (Dennis Pollock is a reporter in Fresno. He may be contacted at agcompollock@yahoo.com.)

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8 Ag Alert June 8, 2022

Food Continued from Page 3

dependently owned food processing, dis- tribution and aggregation infrastructure. Investments include: up to $375 million in support for independent meat and poul- try processors; up to $100 million to sup- port development of trained processing workers; $200 million to help specialty crops with food safety program expenses, and up to $600 million in financial assis- tance for food supply-chain infrastruc- ture such as cold storage. To increase infrastructure to help

gather, move and hold food, Vilsack an- nounced $400 million to create regional food business centers that will provide coordination, technical assistance and capacity building support to small and midsize food and farm businesses. He also announced $60 million for farm-to- school programs and up to $90 million to prevent and reduce food loss and waste. The framework dedicates millions of dol- lars in nutrition programs for underserved families, as well as other programs that are

aimed at addressing food insecurity. USDA also intends to improve access to markets for consumers by investing $155 million in grants and loans to those offering healthy food in underserved communities. To learn more about the Food System Transformation Framework, visit www. usda.gov. (Christine Souza is an assistant editor of Ag Alert. She may be contacted at csouza@cfbf.com.)

programs to boost local food production and help small, midsize and beginning farmers with up to $300 million in a new initiative to support farmers transitioning to organic production and up to $75 mil- lion to support urban agriculture, includ- ing outreach and training. Monterey County organic farmer Javier Zamora of Watsonville, owner of JSM Organics, spoke of the framework’s in- vestment in organic farmers to help those transitioning to organic production. “Now that I feel a little comfortable that my business is moving forward, I can share with others what the resources are and where to go and get (them),” Zamora said. “How can you make something happen if you don’t have the tools?” Zamora also said, “A part of this program will help us connect with end consumers who are sometimes not educated on who is producing the food and where it’s com- ing from.” To build resiliency in the food supply chain, Vilsack announced framework pro- grams that encourage investments in in-

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Fertilizer Continued from Page 6

vegetables are already managed using UC’s CropManage software, which makes irrigation and fertilizer recommendations based on crop type and age, soil test and weather-station information. Regional Water Quality Control Board records show there is a wide variation in the amount of fertilizer that is applied to major vegetable crops. That means some growers have already taken the obvious steps to improve nitrogen efficiency. “We’ve been at this for the last five years or so,” Bianchi said. “We can save a per- cent or two, but if we cut more than 10%, it would hurt the crop.” A quick soil test can estimate available nitrate nitrogen in the soil in minutes. Precise management of drip irrigation sys- tems is the key to applying only as much fertilizer as the crop needs. Smith and Cahn emphasized careful monitoring of residual soil nitrates and ac- counting for them in making fertilizer ap- plication decisions, and careful irrigation water applications to reduce nitrate loss. “These are the two key practices that can help growers efficiently manage nitrogen applications and minimize over applica- tion that is now so costly,” they wrote. The quick test lets a grower estimate on a color-coded test strip how much nitrate nitrogen is already available in the topsoil. “The day of or the day before, we moni- tor to decide if we’re going to put fertilizer on,” Bianchi said. “We’ve been doing a lot of quick testing, making sure we’re putting the right amount of nitrogen on. We also use a synthetic surfactant to keep the ni- trogen in the root zone.” (Bob Johnson is a reporter in Monterey County. He may be contacted at bjohn11135@gmail.com.)

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June 8, 2022 Ag Alert 9

Drip irrigation can reduce mildew threat for lettuce By Bob Johnson

From the day a downy mildew spore lands on a lettuce leaf, growers have a brief window to take action to reduce crop damage caused by the next gener- ation of spores. Once mildew infects the leaves, noth- ing can prevent cosmetic damage that makes lettuce or spinach unfit for market. The disease spreads quickly because each generation produces many air- borne spores that can move the infection throughout a field. “These airborne spores can be car- ried by wind; they land on a healthy leaf and penetrate it,” said Alex Putman, University of California Cooperative Extension assistant plant pathology specialist. He discussed the downy mil- dew threat during an online seminar last month, part of the UC Ag Experts Talk series. Spinach and lettuce growers contend with this disease every season, and they have made downy mildew a priority is- sue. They financed numerous studies on the disease, including some that were shared in the recent 2022 Leafy Greens Research Conference held in Pismo Beach. Variety resistance is the brass ring of control tools because it is the easiest,

The climate in the Central Coast region is ideal for lettuce—and for development of diseases such as downy mildew. Researchers suggest new irri- gation strategies.

most economical and reliable way to manage downy mildew. But the disease shows a troubling ability to evolve and confound efforts to maintain resistance, experts say. Seventeen races of spinach downy mildew have been identified and at least seven lettuce downy mildew, as the dis- ease has overcome varieties that were once resistant. Monitoring shows that spinach and lettuce downy mildew spores are in the air year-round in the Salinas Valley, as host crops and favorable weather for the

diseases are usually present. Unfortunately, the cool, moist climate that makes the Central Coast region ideal for lettuce and spinach is also favorable for the development of water molds such as downy mildew. While researchers are working fe- verishly to catch up with the disease by discovering new genetic sources of resis- tance, they are also developing new tools to monitor mildew and devising irriga- tion strategies to slow its spread. Drip irrigation on lettuce is a way to reduce the leaf wetness that makes for

mildew infection and spread. Spinach, however, is sprinkler irrigated in densely seeded 80-inch beds that can be machine harvested, which creates a microclimate ideal for downy mildew. Recent trials of organic spinach in the desert showed that drip irrigation can significantly reduce mildew pressure. “Downy mildew was two to seven times lower with drip than sprinklers,” Putman said. “Drip reduces direct wet- ting of the leaves.”

See MILDEW, Page 18

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10 Ag Alert June 8, 2022

Researchers test rice stress amid drought, flooding Plants are like people, with techniques for handling stress. To save one of the most important crops on Earth from extreme climate swings, scientists are mapping out plants’ own stress-busting strategies. the atmosphere,” Borowsky added. The researchers also identified the genes controlling some of rice’s other stress behaviors.

“One of our interesting findings is that when rice plants are submerged in water, the root cell growth cycle goes on pause, then switches back on shortly af- ter the shoots have access to air,” Bailey- Serres said. In the future, the research team plans to test how modifying these stress re- sponses can make the plant more resil- ient to both wet and dry conditions. “Now that we understand these re- sponses, we have a roadmap to make targeted changes to the rice genome that will result in a more stress-tolerant plant,” Bailey-Serres said. Though heavy rains and droughts are both increasing as threats, Bailey- Serres has hope that new genetic tech- nology can increase its resilience before it’s too late. “With genome editing, the fact that we can make a tiny but targeted change and protect a plant from disease is amazing. Though our crops are threatened, new technologies give us reasons to hope,” Bailey-Serres said. (This article was originally published by the University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources.)

A team led by the University of California, Riverside, has learned what happens to the roots of rice plants when they’re confronted with two types of stressful scenarios: too much water or too little. These observations form the basis of new protective strategies. “This one crop is the major source of calories for upwards of 45% of humanity, but its harvests are in danger,” said Julia Bailey-Serres, a UC Riverside geneticist and study lead. “In the U.S., floods rival droughts in terms of damage to farmers’ crops each year.” While it is possible for rice to flourish in flooded soils, the plants yield less food or even die if the water is too deep for too long. This work simulated prolonged floods of five days or longer, in which plants were completely submerged. It also simulated drought conditions. In particular, the researchers exam- ined the roots’ response to both types of conditions, because roots are the unseen first responders to flood and drought-related stress. Their work is described in a new paper published in the journal

A study, led by researchers at the University of California, Riverside, simulated drought and flood- ing conditions to measure the impacts on rice roots. Rice produces lipid molecules amid stress.

Developmental Cell. One key finding is about a cork-like sub- stance, suberin, that’s produced by rice roots in response to stress. It helps protect from floods as well as from drought. “Suberin is a lipid molecule that helps any water drawn up by the roots make it to the shoots, and helps oxygen from shoots to reach roots,” Bailey-Serres said. “If we reinforce the plant’s ability to cre- ate suberin, rice has better chances for survival in all kinds of weather.” The researchers were able to identify

a network of genes that control suberin production and can use this information for gene editing or selective breeding. “Understanding suberin is particularly exciting because it is not susceptible to breakdown by soil microbes, so carbon that the plant puts into suberin molecules in the roots is trapped in the ground,” said Alex Borowsky, UCR computational biol- ogist and study co-author. “This means that increasing suber- in could help combat climate change by removing and storing carbon from

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12 Ag Alert June 8, 2022

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