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.
Warming market Timber producers are optimistic for season
Breeding resistance New lettuce lines may withstand crop threats
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www.cfbf.com • www.agalert.com MAY 17, 2023
Field Crops ® Vegetables ®
special reports
By Caleb Hampton Wildfires that raged across California over the past several years have devas- tated farms, spoiling crops and burning farm buildings. After the flames were ex- tinguished, the threat of wildfires has con- tinued to cost farmers in other ways. Since the Thomas and Tubbs fires in 2017, farmers in parts of the state have seen the premiums on their property insurance policies rise exponentially. Some have had their policies dropped altogether. “We started being targeted for living in an area that was susceptible to wildfires,” said Peter Nissen, a Napa County wine- grape grower and president of the county Farm Bureau. “In certain zip codes, insur- ance carriers would not renew—or not even entertain in the first place—a prop- erty’s ability to get insurance.” Last week, the California State Senate passed legislation that would build on solutions signed into law in 2021 to im- prove insurance options for farms exposed to wildfire risk. The California FAIR Plan, the state’s in- surer of last resort for those struggling to find coverage options, covers residences. But the FAIR Plan long excluded commer- cial farm structures. Structures such as tasting rooms, outbuildings, packinghous- es and storage facilities, some containing thousands of bottles of wine or other valu- able commodities, became impossible for many farmers and vintners to insure. “Just like any business, you want to be able to have insurance to manage your risk,” said Peter Ansel, policy advocate for the California Farm Bureau, adding that the problem threatened the viability of farm businesses. Without insurance, business owners, like homeowners, are generally ineligi- ble for the loans they need to establish their operations. “If you are a homeowner, you typical- ly can’t get a mortgage to buy that home without being able to access insurance,” See INSURANCE, Page 16 Senate passes farm-backed bill on fire insurance
San Joaquin County cherry farmer James Chinchiolo checks the status of Coral cherries. With harvest set to begin this week, he says he will likely need to pick twice due to fruit ripening at different rates. Growers throughout the state report a delayed harvest because of the cool spring.
Later start foils holiday push for cherries
By Ching Lee As the first one out of the gate, cherries typically kick off the stone-fruit season with peak volumes heading into the Memorial Day holiday. But longer periods of cool weather this spring have slowed development of the fruit, delaying harvest by about two weeks, farmers say. Growers in the southern San Joaquin
Valley—whose fruit accounted for 34% of the state volume last year—have been picking since earlier this month. Northern California growers, including from the Stockton-Linden-Lodi district and the Gilroy-Hollister-San Jose area, produced 65% of the volume in 2022, according to the California Cherry Board. James Chinchiolo, who grows cherries in Lodi, said he likely won’t begin harvest until next week, noting that most of his fruit
will miss the Memorial Day push. Some of his cherries are marketed di- rectly to consumers by mail, and he said the lateness of the harvest has some cus- tomers “upset that their cherries haven’t shown up yet.” “I’m like, guys, they’re still ripening on the tree,” he said. With harvest running behind,
See CHERRIES, Page 13
n e w s p a p e r
Comment.......................................2 Field Crops...............................7-8 Vegetables........................... 11-12 Classifieds........................... 18-19 Inside
Published by
Ag Vision seeks to secure state’s agricultural future By Karen Ross
agencies in the administration, and with farmers and ranchers to highlight the benefits beyond nutrition security that working lands provide. • Collaborating on smarter regulations: CDFA and the California Environmental Protection Agency are undertaking a pilot project to demonstrate how we can work with other state agencies and stakehold- ers to explore and support smarter reg- ulations that rethink ways to meet public obligations for health, safety and environ- mental protection and support small and mid-size farmers with simplified, less ex- pensive regulatory compliance, reporting and implementation. The end result of advancing all five prior- ities will be creating opportunity and elic- iting trust and support from communities. Today’s issues and opportunities are complex, and no one agency or stakehold- er can achieve the vision on its own. CDFA will work with the California State Board of Food and Agriculture, along with other state agencies and traditional and nontra- ditional partners to bring the vision to life. Industry also has an important role to play, and Ag Vision outlines numerous ways in which industry can get involved. As you go back to your farm or ranch, we know you have a lot on your mind. Our hope is that you can support and get in- volved with Ag Vision. At the end of the day, the plan is designed to be a catalyst for collaboration and partnerships, and we ask that you join us. Visit cdfa.ca.gov/AgVision to learn more about how farmers and ranchers, trade groups, and the food and agricultural sec- tor can help make Ag Vision a reality. (Karen Ross is secretary of the California Department of Food and Agriculture. She may be contacted at OfficeOfPublicAffairs@cdfa.ca.gov.)
It’s no secret that times are tough for many California farmers and ranchers. I have heard their stories and concerns
over their live- lihoods and the future of agricul- ture in the Golden State. I know that, for many, it’s hard to think be- yond the imme- diate challenges at hand. While there is no silver
Karen Ross
bullet to address all they face, there is a new plan that will grow opportunity for farmers and ranchers, farmworkers, individuals and communities. It’s called Ag Vision for the Next Decade, and it builds upon the existing good work of many in agriculture who are constantly adapting and serving as good neighbors and stewards of the land and natural re- sources. It’s a plan with numerous benefits. It connects farmers and farm products to local communities and builds bridges with urban audiences. It encourages innovation and training for the jobs of tomorrow to support farmworkers. And it takes aim at something we have heard time and again is important to the farming community: fostering smarter regulations. It’s a plan not only for agriculture to thrive well into the future but for all Californians. It was developed through an inclusive process including input from a diverse set of agricultural stakeholders. Interviews were held with members of an Ag Vision task force and the State Board of Food and Agriculture. Seven virtual round- table discussions occurred with various segments of California agriculture—from dairy and livestock farmers to berry grow- ers and tree nut producers—along with
California Department of Food and Agriculture Secretary Karen Ross says the Ag Vision for the Next Decade plan will grow opportunities for farmers and ranchers, farmworkers and communities.
processors and supply-chain partners and historically underserved farmers. While the plan is intended to outline areas where the State Board of Food and Agriculture and the California Department of Food and Agriculture can make the biggest difference, it’s dependent upon collaboration, partnerships and industry involvement. It focuses on five key areas: • Fostering climate-smart, resilient and regenerative food systems: We will augment the good work that is already oc- curring in farming operations across the state and encourage others to take part in climate-smart agriculture programs. We will also support the development of ecosystem services markets and help turn waste streams into revenue streams. • Building healthy, local communities: We will connect school districts, food banks and community members directly with California farmers and ranchers and support agricultural education. We will also support a host of strategies focused on equity, including the establishment of farmworker resource centers. Through
these centers, farmworkers will have ac- cess to services related to housing, health care, immigration, training and other wrap-around services to improve quality of life. • Driving next-generation talent and tools: Plans are unfolding to meet current agricultural labor needs, while supporting workforce development programs to en- sure workers are equipped with the skills necessary for fast-changing precision and agricultural technology now and in the future. We will also collaborate with University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources, the California State University Agricultural Research Institute and community college representatives to stimulate innovation and develop a mas- ter plan for California agriculture science and research. • Enhancing understanding of agri- culture: In partnership with California Grown, CDFA will support engagement with rural and urban audiences on the value of California agriculture. At the same time, we will collaborate with other
VOL. 50, NO. 19
May 17, 2023
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2 Ag Alert May 17, 2023
Timber producers expecting stronger demand for lumber
As a large segment of the U.S. popula- tion—those in their early to mid-30s— drives demand for housing, he said he ex- pects demand for timber to continue. He noted low housing inventory for buyers will increase demand for new construction. The U.S. is expected to consume about 50 billion board-feet of lumber this year. The figure includes end-use markets, from housing starts to residential improve- ments, nonresidential construction and industry markets. California consumption represents 9% of the U.S. supply, about 4.5 billion board-feet.
Rising costs and added regulations, Andersen said, affect the bottom line of timber operators. “Due to the cost of diesel, our loggers are coming in with higher hourly rates,” he said. “And with the air resources board looking at zero-emission forklifts, we’ve got 60 or 70 forklifts we’re going to have to turn over to electric, and that’s going to be a very significant cost to us.” California timber operators said the influx of wildfire-salvaged logs, which
By Christine Souza Timber and forest products sector lead- ers and market analysts say warmer tem- peratures mean a return to a more typical seasonal demand as construction and home improvement projects resume after the winter slowdown. They say the timber market should fare reasonably well this year, despite rising in- terest rates affecting new home purchases. Dennis Webb, chief forester of Davenport-based Big Creek Lumber, a family-owned wood products company that produces mostly redwood and op- erates a sawmill and six retail locations, said higher interest rates have led to a modest decline in prices for most species of timber. But he said, “On the flip side, consum- er spending is still fairly strong. Timber markets have been a little more resilient than you’d expect given the rapid rise in interest rates.” John Andersen, forest policy director and registered professional forester for Humboldt Redwood Co. and Mendocino Redwood Co., both of which specialize in redwood and Douglas fir products sold at home improvement retailers, said he ex- pects demand to increase soon. “Once things warm up, people start thinking about projects that use wood products, and we will have maybe some- what of a normal year,” Andersen said. During the pandemic in 2020 through 2022, California timber operators said there was strength and optimism in the market as demand skyrocketed for har- vested logs and lumber products. With people sheltering in place during the pandemic and timber and forest prod- ucts declared as an essential business, the sector experienced a doubling—and in some cases a tripling—of lumber prices as inventories were depleted. People turned to neglected home repair and remodeling projects, and customers waited in long lines outside improvement stores to purchase lumber for decks, fenc- ing and other home needs. At the same time, demand for new housing construction, which represents a major indicator in domestic lumber prices, increased. A single unit of housing requires an av- erage 15,000 board-feet of lumber. In late- 2019 to early 2020, housing starts in the U.S. peaked at 1.6 million units. Lumber market analyst Rocky Goodnow, vice president of timber at Massachusetts-based Forest Economic Advisors, said with shelter-in-place rules rescinded, interest in timber has returned to pre-pandemic levels with improved de- mand for harvested logs and lumber in the spring and summer. “From a wood products and lumber market perspective, we’re off the highs that the markets reached in ‘21 and early ’22,” Goodnow said. “We’re starting to see pos- itive signs for demand in housing starts, and we continue to see strong numbers on
the repair and remodeling side.” Goodnow said he expects the U.S. econ- omy to enter a recession in late 2023. But he said the timber sector may be able to withstand a potential downturn. “Generally, we think this sector is likely to outperform the overall economy because there’s still a lot of strong fundamentals that we think is going to help,” Goodnow said.
See TIMBER, Page 9
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May 17, 2023 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/Christine Souza
Photo/Beatriz Indart
Gino Pedretti III Merced County farmer and dairy farmer
Ryan Indart Fresno County farmer and sheep rancher
We planted 70% pima and 30% acala cotton this year. We are a week to 10 days behind from where we would like to be. We got a better stand than I was anticipat- ing, so that’s positive. Now, as the crop is starting to mature, we’re spraying weeds and running cultivators. The pima price has been higher, and with all the flooding in the Corcoran area, there is talk that a lot of cotton ground may not get planted. Since pima is a niche market, I expect a high price come fall. We might lose a little yield having to plant later because of the cool, wet spring, but we’re hoping the price is high enough to make up for that. We’re starting our second cutting of alfalfa. We are cutting wheat hay, which is going to take some time to dry. We bale all our wheat. The market is down $75 to $100 a ton compared to the high last year. In the past few weeks, corn and soy- bean prices have dropped, so I’m hoping that feed costs come down. The cows love this mild weather and are milking well. Unfortunately, the milk price has come down, so everybody is worried. The price may not go back up until fall. On the processing side, creameries are hurting a little and seem to need more money from their members for cash flow, so margins are tight in dairying right now. We got a full supply of water this year in the Merced Irrigation District. Our area received floodwaters in January, February and March. The district wants to push as much water as it can to help with groundwater sustainability. We’re fortunate to have this wet year. It seems a lot of farmers are finally starting to understand what we need to do to be sustainable and are taking advantage of the excess water.
We already harvested our oranges back in February. The cherries are going to be harvested at the end of this week. We’re about two to three weeks behind schedule just because of the long, wet winter and the very cool spring. Same thing in the almonds. They were late to mature and develop. We had a lot of inclement weather in the spring, but we still managed to have some pretty good bloom days, so we have a decent crop. Our dryland wheat is still green. The heads are moving into the milk and dough stage. In heavy rain years east of Clovis, dry farming doesn’t do well because there’s so much hardpan out here that the dark-red clay gets saturated. The plants get suffocated because there’s not enough oxygen. A lot of our crop on the east side got stunted because it had too much water. It’ll make a crop. It just won’t be as big of a crop as in past average-rainfall years. Out on the west side by Cantua Creek where we also dryland farm, we have about 1,000 acres of barley. You need about 6 to 7 inches of rain to make a crop out there, and we got eight. We’re going to make a decent crop, which is great, be- cause we make a crop on the west side one out of every five or six years. We have an overabundance of feed this year. About six years ago, we started grazing large utility-scale solar projects. Solar companies hire us to manage veg- etation. They can’t afford to have fires, so we come in with sheep and graze under the panels to remove the fire danger—and they pay us for it. We have sheep all over the state now in large solar projects. It’s been a big help to our business. It’s allowed us to expand, and we’re continuing to grow.
Jay Ruskey Santa Barbara County farmer
When you farm on hillsides and get the rains like we have had in the last four months, the running water moves roads and soil, so it’s all about storm repairs. We’re getting irrigation up and running, checking soil moisture and working on weed control. We started fertilizing because a lot of nitrogen left the soil from copi- ous amounts of rain. A lot of times, long periods of no nutrition and lots of rain mean there’s not a lot of nitro- gen, so we are assessing how this long winter has impacted soil fertility. Avocados are in full bloom. With a strong set on the trees, it looks like we’re coming into an “on” year for the crop. We’ve had some cool nights, but we finally had some warm evenings, which will help with the avocado set. The ideal world for avocados is mildly warm days with mild nights and no wind, which help promote bee activity and fertilization of the flowers. Those are the conditions we’re all looking for, and it looks like a good, strong bloom. With avocados, it is harvest time for us. A lot of Southern California growers are trying to balance the prices that are different than last year with what is happening this year. I see a lot of avocado trucks moving around. Growers are working with their grower-packer-shippers to formulate a plan moving forward, while conversa- tions center around imports this year. Six months ago, we were worried about the availability of water this year, so the worries have definitely shifted. All of us are resting easier and assessing wells. As we turn on irrigation, we are measuring well performance. A lot of larger meteorological organizations are setting their eyes on the potential for a super El Niño. Are we going to get some extreme heat or extreme cold? I’m personally preparing for unpredictability. We’re some of the most resilient farmers on the planet in California.
Photo/Summer Staeb
4 Ag Alert May 17, 2023
Daryn Miller Monterey County winegrape grower and San Luis Obispo County citrus and avocado farmer I have a vineyard management company called Monterey Pacific. We farm about 3,600 acres of wine- grapes in Monterey County. Right now, we’re commencing our fungicide spray passes. After all this rain, we’re going to have a little bit higher mildew pressure possibly this year. We’re getting close to bloom in the next couple weeks, so we’re doing some fertilizers as well. We’ve had to have a lot of weed control going on, doing a lot of mowing to keep up with all the cover crops that have grown throughout the winter and in the spring. On top of all that, what I’m focusing on is a lot of redevelopment—replanting about 400 acres between two ranches. It’s an interesting time in the wine business. Fortunately, there is still quite a bit of interest from wineries needing more fruit. We’re hopeful that things pick up more, so we can find a home for a lot of these grapes. The main varieties we have are chardonnay and pinot noir, but we also have other varieties. We have some grenache and some cabernet. The primary reason for not planting more chardonnay and pinot is because there’s such an abundance of those varietals in the county. While they do very well in Monterey County, we want to diversify and not put all our eggs in the same basket. In any business endeavor, you make sure you’re covering your bases and providing some products that will have interest from various different parties rather than just the main big wineries. We’re really trying to put in a lot more mechanization and trellis systems where we can hopefully mecha- nize as much as possible because we don’t have enough labor. I also do agronomy and pest control work for my family’s citrus and avocado operation in San Luis Obispo County. With citrus, it’s been a cool spring so far. We’re all hoping for warmer temperatures for better fruit-set weather. It’s always a big determinant—how the weather corresponds with the time of year. Hopefully, we get a good fruit set this year. Basically, we need to get enough warm days. Having only cold and windy conditions can be a detriment to setting fruit.
Photo/Courtesy Daryn Miller
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May 17, 2023 Ag Alert 5
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CALIFORNIA
Field Crops A SPECIAL GROWERS’ REPORT OF AG ALERT ®
®
Mustard and bell beans grow in a cover crop blend in a rice field near Arbuckle in Colusa County. Rice farmer Kim Gallagher is partnering with researchers to study soil contributions of cover crops.
Cover cropping on rice fields remains a challenge By Vicky Boyd
It includes a variety trial with plots of oats, bell beans, purple and woolypod vetch, turnips, yellow mustard, oats, rye and balansa clover, as well as one with a blend of vetch, bell beans, field peas and rye to see which ones perform the best. In addition, UCCE farm advisors will collect data on cover crops’ contributions to soil carbon and nitrogen, and other soil health benefits. It is funded by a $100,000 California Department of Food and Agriculture Healthy Soils Program grant. UCCE farm advisors and Gallagher discussed the demonstration project and cover crops during a recent field day near Arbuckle. Whitney Brim-DeForest, a rice advisor for Yuba and Sutter counties, said they were interested in looking at cover crops in rice because of a dearth of data about potential feasibility and soil health contributions. Rice also is different from most crops because it’s grown in an aquatic environment lacking oxygen. As a result, the anaerobic con- ditions may affect soil microbe composition and how they interact with cover crops. Brim-DeForest said they used a four-wheeler and spinner-spreader to plant the cover crop demonstrations in Gallagher’s field in late October. They lightly harrowed in the seed.
Kim Gallagher, who farms row crops and almonds near Arbuckle, is an admitted fan of cover crops because of the soil health and other benefits they provide. Coming off successes in her other crops, she wanted to see if she could obtain similar advantages in her rice fields. After nearly four years trying cover crops in a rice field under the U.S. Department of Agriculture Environmental Quality Incentive Program, or EQIP, Gallagher said the outlook isn’t that “rosy.” “I’ve learned a lot about what you shouldn’t do, but I haven’t had a lot of success (with rice),” she said. “I do believe in regenerative agriculture, where you have roots in the ground year-round. I think it really works in other commodities, but I’m not sold in rice. There are people who do this and do it really well.” In addition to the 230-acre EQIP field east of Arbuckle, Gallagher began hosting a University of California Cooperative Extension cover crop demonstration in a nearby field in late 2022. The three-year project will examine cover crops’ contributions to rice soils in three locations: in Gallagher’s field, at the Rice Experiment Station near Biggs and in a Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta field.
See COVER, Page 8
May 17, 2023 Ag Alert 7
Cover Continued from Page 7
The field went unplanted during the 2022 season because of drought, so they didn’t have to address post-harvest rice straw management. In prior years, Gallagher said they used a forage chop- per to cut the straw into inch-long pieces to aid winter decomposition. Brim-DeForest said straw manage- ment was an issue at the Rice Experiment Station, which had water and grew rice in 2022. Despite disking the ground twice, the cover crop still had trouble germinat- ing through the vegetative mat. In the delta demonstration, UCCE delta crops resource management advi- sor Michelle Leinfelder-Miles said they planted cover crop seed in November and used a harrow to lightly till it in. The site re- ceived more than 3.5 inches of rain shortly after planting, which likely didn’t help ger- mination. The area is also wintering habi- tat for sandhill cranes and other migratory birds, which ate most of the seed or young plants before they could make a stand. She agreed with Brim-DeForest that more data is needed on cover crops in rice, especially under the unique delta conditions. As part of the demonstration, Leinfelder-Miles will compare cover crops to delta rice producers’ standard practice of winter flooding, which helps slow soil oxidation. In the demonstrations, weeks of stand- ing water in January took a toll on the
Colusa County farmer Kim Gallagher recommends exploring cover crops, though she did not have much success with them on rice ground. Her cover crop, which looked strong in December, couldn’t withstand the drenching from heavy rains this year.
cover crops, killing most of the plants that were completely underwater. After two years of struggling to get a cover crop stand in her field near the demonstration site, Gallagher decided to pull drains last fall. In early December, she said, the cover crop looked strong, and she was optimistic. Then historic rains came, and the field was underwater for more than a month. Most of the plants that had leaves above water survived while those that were
entirely submersed died. The drainage helped, and Gallagher said she learned that more is better. “We need as many drains as we can, which I think is really helpful, but I think bigger drains would be great,” she said. “Then you just have to be willing to work that up in the spring.” Should rice producers want to explore cover crops, Gallagher recommended looking at the additional expense. She has received cost-share funding through USDA’s EQIP Conservation Stewardship Program and Project Apis m.’s Seeds for Bees Program, which promotes planting pollinator forage. “It’s really cost prohibitive,” Gallagher said. “Using all of the programs out there has been a big advantage for me.” Without those, she said, cover crops wouldn’t pencil out for her. Tom Johnson, an agronomist with Kamprath Seed Co., said he’s seen more interest in cover crops in recent years, partly due to incentives such as EQIP.
“But the biggest trick is how do we fit them into the entire cropping system?” he said. Kurt Richter, who grows rice and other row crops near Colusa, said he’s trying to figure out his goals and where cover crops might work. He is consider- ing two fields. One is sandy and may benefit from ad- ditional organic matter to improve wa- ter-holding capacity. The other has salin- ity issues that impede water infiltration. “I think it’s time to start messing around with it,” Richter said. Hearing about the flooding challenges, he said he probably would plant cover crops on beds with the same equipment used for his tomato fields. Richter said having the plants on higher ground should theoretically help keep them above standing water and produce a better stand. (Vicky Boyd is a reporter in Modesto. She may be contacted at vlboyd@att.net.)
8 Ag Alert May 17, 2023
Timber Continued from Page 3
During the drought of 2011-2016, the agency reported that 66 million trees— mostly pine species—died in the south- ern Sierra due to bark beetle infestations, drought, wildfire and climate change. Looking to the future, timber sector leaders say there is increased interest in mass timber construction, which uses engineered wood products made of solid wood panels, columns or beams. “Throughout the U.S., there’s been
a big push for mass timber, and that is building multi-story structures out of wood because you are using a product that stores carbon versus concrete or steel that has a large carbon footprint,” Andersen said. “Everybody is always looking for more customers, and we’re busy trying to enter new markets, and mass timber is part of that.” (Christine Souza is an assistant editor of Ag Alert. She may be contacted at csouza@cfbf.com.)
improved forest health. “Obviously, the ground is saturated, which is great for the forest, so the for- ests will do well this summer,” Brink said. “There’s still (tree) mortality occurring, but it is nothing like it was.” An estimated 36.3 million trees died in California in 2022, primarily because of drought, high temperatures, insects, dis- ease and overcrowded forests, according to a report from the U.S. Forest Service.
take priority over green timber because they must be harvested within a year to maximize their value, is easing. Too many salvaged logs can depress prices for the rest of the market, Webb said. After three years of drought and devastating wildfires, Steven Brink, California Forestry Association vice president of public resources, said snow and rain this winter is positive for
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May 17, 2023 Ag Alert 9
Rice growers eligible for aid from $250 million fund The U.S. Department of Agriculture Farm Service Agency is making $250 million available to rice growers who lost production acreage in 2022. rice producers through their crop insur- ance agents or FSA county offices.
Growers who derive 75% or more of their average adjusted gross income from farming can qualify for payments of up to $250,000. The application dead- line is July 10. The aid program was funded under the 2023 Consolidated Appropriations Act, which President Biden signed on Dec. 29. In 2022, in the third year of drought, California rice growers planted their
lowest acreage since 1958. The impacts were most pronounced on the west side of the Sacramento Valley, where farmers in the Glenn- Colusa Irrigation District planted just 1,000 acres of rice. They typically grow about 100,000 acres. The Farm Service Agency is mail- ing applications to producers using information on file with USDA’s Risk Management Agency, as reported by
U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said the Farm Service Agency is “streamlining the application process for rice producers” by mailing prefilled paperwork to farmers. “This approach will result in significant time savings for both farmers and USDA employees, helping to ensure the swift delivery of program benefits to produc- ers and further our goal of better serving farmers,” Vilsack said in a statement. Memorial set for Jack Parnell, former ag leader A service has been scheduled for Jack Parnell, a former Auburn cattle ranch- er, auctioneer and publisher who went on to serve as secretary of the California Department of Food and Agriculture and as U.S. deputy agriculture secretary under President George H.W. Bush. Parnell died at home at his ranch in Sandpoint, Idaho, on April 30, just shy of his 88th birthday. Besides heading CDFA from 1987 to 1989, Parnell was director of the then-California Department of Fish and Game from 1984 to 1987. He was a mem- ber of the California Air Resources Board from 1994 to 1999. He was previously founder and pub- lisher of California Cattleman magazine, which he led from 1966 to 1972. Parnell owned and operated Dunipace Angus Ranch in Auburn and served as president of the California Angus Association Board. He also served as chairman of the California Production Credit Association. His family has announced that a cele- bration of his life will be held Sept. 16 at the Parnell Ranch in Idaho.
USDA on May 8 began sending pre- filled applications to rice producers who may want to seek aid. Funds are provid- ed through the new Rice Production Program, which will consider assistance to farmers based on 2022 planted and “prevented planted” rice acreage.
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10 Ag Alert May 17, 2023
CALIFORNIA
Vegetables A SPECIAL GROWERS’ REPORT OF AG ALERT ®
®
Researchers are working to develop lettuce varieties that are resistant to plant diseases such as impatiens necrotic spot virus that have devastated lettuce crops in the Salinas Valley in recent years.
Breeding seeks to boost disease resistance in lettuce By Bob Johnson
lettuce fields. They’re also studying lettuce’s attractiveness to thrips, the insect that carries this disease. Once spot virus infects a lettuce plant, there is no cure for the disease. And once the disease and western flower thrips are in an area, growers can only hope to slow its spread, because they cannot stop it. The plan is to identify the genetic basis for tolerance of the disease and for being nonpreferred hosts for thrips and help seed breeders stack both in future generations of lettuce varieties, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture research geneticist Kelley Richardson, one of several experts who submitted reports for the California Leafy Greens Research Board’s annual conference in Pismo Beach in March. Lettuce lines are being compared to a red Romaine lettuce variety, which has been attractive to thrips and susceptible to more immediate impatiens necrotic spot virus infection. Among lettuce varieties screened at a USDA test field in Salinas last October, nine had lower rates of the disease, Richardson reported.
Thanks to expanded breeding trials, lettuce plants may become tougher and better able to hold up if assaulted by diseases such as fusarium, verticillium, pythium, impa- tiens necrotic spot virus and downy mildew, researchers say. Lettuce and spinach growers have devoted a majority of their more than $1.1 million research funding this year to breeding and genetics projects, said Jennifer Clark, exec- utive director of the California Leafy Greens Research Board. “This investment ultimately gives growers the best protection against pests, diseases and abiotic stresses,” she said. Plant pathologists and crop geneticists are looking for variety resistance to ver- ticillium and fusarium, soil-borne lettuce diseases that became more pronounced after growers stopped rotating crops into ground fumigated with methyl bromide for strawberry production. The decades-long effort to keep up with downy mildew, the most important foliar disease in the crop, continues. Researchers are also evaluating lettuce lines for the resistance or susceptibility to impatiens necrotic spot virus, the disease that has recently decimated Central Coast
See LETTUCE, Page 12
May 17, 2023 Ag Alert 11
Lettuce Continued from Page 11
These nine lines are being studied for possible germplasm release to the seed companies. The Salinas researchers are also screening Romaine and crisp head let- tuce lines for their resistance to a combi- nation of pythium and wilt virus. Clark said the Leafy Greens Research Program and its handler members “in- vest research dollars in genetic research and pre-breeding efforts for resistance and other horticulturally important traits that are then available to seed companies developing commercially available leafy green varieties.” Additionally, the Lettuce Genome Sequencing Project at the University of California, Davis, is compiling genetic in- formation on cultivated lettuce to provide resources for other researchers seeking to address crop threats, including fusarium. “Lettuce now has a very high-quality reference genome,” Richard Michelmore, a UC Davis plant pathologist, said in July. Posing a question that inspires the effort, he asked, “Can we look at many of the genes available to breeders in this species rather than just one cultivar?” He added, “We’re getting there.” Michelmore’s report for the Leafy Greens research conference said 43 lettuce lines with fusarium resistance
Richard Michelmore, a plant pathologist at the University of California, Davis, is leading efforts to develop disease resistance in lettuce. Over the past year, researchers have released 43 lettuce lines with resistance to fusarium wilt.
were released over the past year, with re- searchers identifying 17 other lines that may have resistance. Fusarium wilt is a soil borne vascu- lar disease that kills infected seedlings and causes many plants that survive to become stunted and disfigured. The fungus, which is particularly trou- blesome in warmer lettuce regions of Fresno or southern Monterey counties, survives in the soil for many years.
USDA research plant pathologist Frank Martin reported that while only one race of lettuce fusarium has been found in California, three other races have been identified in Japan, Taiwan and the Netherlands. In other studies, researchers are preparing to release lettuce lines that show resistance to both races of verti- cillium wilt that have developed and spread in the Central Coast region in recent decades. Verticillium wilt first appeared in the region’s lettuce fields in 1995. The disease has since spread to more than 10,000 acres. The fungus also survives in the soil, and rotation is difficult because it can affect other common Central Coast crops, includ- ing strawberries, spinach and artichokes.
Work also continues in the never-end- ing struggle to keep up with lettuce downy mildew as the disease evolves to overcome variety resistance. For the last decade, Michelmore’s lab has tracked the rise and fall of five distinct races of downy mildew. Over the last five years, however, a ma- jor share of the lettuce downy mildew in the state has been of novel strains that cannot be identified as belonging to any of those races. Michelmore’s lab has evaluated 30 commonly grown lettuce varieties for their resistance or susceptibility to the disease. (Bob Johnson is a reporter in Monterey County. He may be contacted at bjohn11135@gmail.com.)
2023 Health & Safety on the Farm and Ranch
California Farm Bureau is pleased to offer this year-long program of training sessions presented by Nationwide. Select topics will be presented in both English and Spanish. Members, enjoy access to free classes! Register for the upcoming training webinars. Trainings will be presented via Zoom. The Hazardous Agricultural Materials (HAM) training must be attended in person at a participating County Farm Bureau office or at the California Farm Bureau office in Sacramento. For a list of class dates and to register, visit cfbf.com/FBE or call (800) 698-FARM for assistance. You will receive a Zoom link and details two days prior to your selected webinar date.
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12 Ag Alert May 17, 2023
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