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.
New water year El Niño could bring more wet weather
Tomato threat Campaign launched against parasitic weed
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www.cfbf.com • www.agalert.com OCTOBER 11, 2023
Vegetables ®
special report
By Ching Lee A new quarantine has been established in Ventura County, a key commercial cit- rus-growing region, after two residential citrus trees in the city of Santa Paula tested positive for the fatal citrus disease huan- glongbing, or citrus greening. The quarantine, which covers a mini- mum 5-mile radius around where the dis- eased trees were found, is mandated by law to restrict movement of citrus fruit, trees and related plant material, so as not to ar- tificially spread the disease. State officials said they may expand the quarantine area if more infected trees are found. As of Oct. 6, 11 more trees in Santa Paula had tested positive for the disease, bring- ing the total to 13. Moving citrus nursery stock, host plants or plant parts out of the quarantine area is prohibited, though special provisions are given to commercial growers and pack- ers to allow them to move fruit if they have taken steps to mitigate risk. Quarantine requirements affect them differently de- pending on their location and where their fruit is going. In a meeting last week at Farm Bureau of Ventura County, Keith Okasaki, reg- ulatory manager for the California Department of Food and Agriculture Citrus Pest and Disease Prevention Division, said the state tries to minimize the size of the quarantine to reduce im- pact on growers and the industry. The quarantine area is “never going to be a perfect circle,” he said, as it follows physical mapping features visible in the field, such as roads, highways, rivers, rail- road tracks and various boundary lines to meet legal requirements. That means farms on one side of the road may fall with- in the quarantine zone while a neighboring farm may be outside of it. “We do the best we can to exclude as many people as possible,” Okasaki said. “If you happen to be within the 5 See QUARANTINE, Page 13 Ventura County latest to establish HLB quarantine
A tree shaker harvests walnuts in a San Joaquin County orchard. Thanks to milder summer temperatures and more rain this year, California walnut farmers agree their crop is much improved over the 2022 harvest. Their eyes remain on market prices and how much buyers are willing to pay.
Growers look to higher prices for walnuts
By Ching Lee After a late-season heat wave pummeled their 2022 crop, California walnut growers are much more upbeat about their harvest this year. Favorable growing conditions and in- creased rainfall have allowed them to pro- duce higher yields and quality nuts that marketers say will be easier to sell. A top
concern now is whether buyers who may have gotten used to discounted walnuts are willing to pay more for this year’s crop. “All walnut farmers, more than anything, are focused on the market and market pric- es, hoping that we’re going to see drastic improvement from last year,” Tehama County grower Tyler Christensen said. Don Barton, a walnut grower, processor
and marketer in San Joaquin County, said pricing at the start of the current marketing year is already 40% higher than where it ended last year. If this price trend holds, he said, “maybe we even stand a chance of having some slow price appreciation through the course of the marketing sea- son,” which typically runs through mid- to
See WALNUTS, Page 9
n e w s p a p e r
Inside
Comment.......................................2 From the Fields........................4-5 Vegetables................................ 7-8 Classifieds........................... 18-19
Published by
Ag Innovation competitors showcase farm solutions
By Zippy Duvall One of the most rewarding aspects of my role in the American Farm Bureau Federation is the chance to see, firsthand,
through their bee and honey operation. These semifinalists can now take their innovations to the next level as they ad- vance through the competition and build their networks. Next, they will partici- pate in pitch training from Cornell’s SC Johnson College of Business and work directly with representatives of the U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Business Investment Companies. Then, in January, they will join us at the AFBF Convention in Salt Lake City, Utah, to compete in the final rounds of the Challenge on our trade show floor. Farm Bureau will award $165,000 to support these 10 businesses. The Ag Innovation Challenge winner will earn $50,000 in startup funds provided by our sponsors, with $20,000 going to the run- ner-up, $15,000 going to two finalist teams and $10,000 awarded to the other six final- ists to invest in their ventures. An addition- al $5,000 will go to the “People’s Choice Team”—with any of the 10 finalists eligible for the bonus prize chosen by public vote. The final four teams will compete live in front of Farm Bureau members, investors and industry representatives. I hope you will join me there to cheer them on! No matter who ends up taking home the top prize, we are excited for how these hard-working entrepreneurs are shaping the future. Their innovations, like many we have seen over the past decade, will help strengthen agriculture and lead us into new frontiers. (Vincent “Zippy” Duvall, a poultry, cattle and hay producer from Georgia, is president of the American Farm Bureau Federation. This article is adapted from the Sept. 13 edition of his column, The Zipline, which appears online at fb.org/viewpoints. Some additional details were added on the Ag Innovation Challenge.)
how farmers and ranchers across the country are devel- oping and imple- menting new inno- vative solutions as we work together to feed, fuel and clothe the world. These solutions are the driving
Zippy Duvall
force behind the resilience of American agriculture, and it’s important to recognize and celebrate the agricultural businesses that help get us there. Just as the businesses in our communities rely on us, we must also rely on them, working hand in hand toward one common mission. That is why nearly a decade ago, Farm Bureau created the Ag Innovation Challenge, a national business compe- tition that showcases startups and their innovative solutions to meet challenges on the farm. Launched in 2014, this com- petition was the first of its kind to focus on rural entrepreneurs. Now, thanks to a stra- tegic partnership with Farm Credit and the support of our sponsors, we’ve been able to invest more than $1.3 million in agricultur- al businesses over the past 10 years. Recently, we announced the top 10 teams in the 2024 Ag Innovation Challenge. They represent various regions of the country and will now advance in the Challenge. Each of these businesses fo- cuses on helping farmers and ranchers solve the challenges we’re facing both to- day and tomorrow. Many of the companies selected this year are working toward advancements in
Austin Hausmann pitches to judges in the 2023 Ag Innovation Challenge. The Kansas Farm Bureau member’s team won top prize for technology to produce diesel exhaust fluid at the point of use.
farm safety and efficiency. For instance, in California, UAV-IQ Precision Agriculture has designed a drone system for precise aerial releases of beneficial insects and mites to combat harmful pests. In Iowa, Appanoose Manufactured Products found a solution to reduce on-the-farm fires by designing a porta- ble device that provides on-the-ground fire suppression resources. In Nebraska, Idem Irrigation is developing a precision irrigation system for targeted water, fer- tilizer and pesticide delivery to improve water management. Others are working in the field of ani- mal agriculture to promote animal health and well-being. In Indiana, ReproHealth Technologies is enhancing bovine repro- duction efficiency with a device for ad- vanced continuous embryo culture media. Udder Ways LLC, in New York, is im- proving sanitization for dairy cows with a
new system to sanitize and prepare udders for milking. And in Texas, Smooth Ag is improving overall pasture management with autonomous robots that monitor livestock and alert farmers when health problems arise. Lastly, several competitors have devel- oped solutions for small and beginning farmers to grow their businesses. Anu, in Indiana, designed a Keurig-style device enabling consumers to grow their own produce at home. In Washington state, Share Farms has established a platform connecting minority, women and veteran farmers directly with potential buyers. In Colorado, Barn Owl Precision Agriculture is supporting small and mid- size farms with its autonomous robot that assists in planting, soil sampling, weed control and spraying. Lastly, in North Carolina, Secret Garden Bees is boosting the pollinator population and providing reintegration opportunities for veterans
VOL. 50, NO. 37
October 11, 2023
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2 Ag Alert October 11, 2023
The water level of Lake Oroville, shown on July 3, rose more than 240 feet as a result of 2023 storms. Officials say a continuing El Niño pattern could mean more wet weather over the next year.
El Niño lifts hopes for more water, stirs fears of flooding
By Peter Hecht California reservoirs are brimming at historic levels after a water year described as akin to a “miracle.” Lake Shasta, the largest reservoir in the federal Central Valley Project that provides water to over 3 million acres of farmland, stood last week at 131% of its historic av- erage water level. Lake Oroville, the cor- nerstone of the State Water Project that supplies water to 27 million people, stood at 136% of its historic average after its water level rose by more than 240 feet. The dramatic increases in surface-water supplies are the result of an El Niño weath- er pattern this year that brought drenching atmospheric river storms. It followed a La Niña pattern that delivered three years of searing drought, resulting in the fallowing of as much as 1.3 million acres of farmland. With farmers and ranchers suddenly blessed with ample water supplies, state and federal officials said last week they expect to release water from reservoirs to create more water-storage space. That is because of fears of potential severe flood- ing from a predicted second consecutive El Niño year. “The No. 1 operational priority is flood control,” said Levi Johnson, act- ing operations manager for the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation’s Central Valley Operations Office. However, officials said an El Niño pat- tern doesn’t necessarily mean flooding or even assure a year of bountiful rain and water storage opportunities. “It may not be wet, but it may not be as severely dry as some of the years we’ve seen recently,” said Michael Anderson, state climatologist for the California Department of Water Resources. Anderson’s cautious observation came as state and federal officials previewed the water year that runs from Oct. 1 to Sept. 30 and discussed the 2022-23 water year that just ended.
The phenomenal year brought 33.56 inches of rain, 141% of the statewide aver- age, with rain from October to March 153% of average. The state’s snowpack on April 1 was 237% of normal, only the fourth time it topped 200% of normal since 1950. “This was, I think, as close to a miracle year as you can get after following just the intensity of drought conditions,” DWR Director Karla Nemeth said. She added, “We’ve always had intense variability in California. But the sudden- ness of the shift from very extreme dry to very extreme wet is something that we think needs additional research to understand how changes in the climate may have played a factor or not in that extreme shift.” Ernest Conant, regional director for the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, said federal officials are “pleased to go into this new water year in a much better place than we’ve been in the last few years.” Conant said, “Both our reservoirs as well as groundwater basins were able to be re- plenished nicely with excess flows from the winter storms.” Ted Craddock, deputy director of the State Water Project, said the SWP was able to provide 100% water allocations this year to 29 water agencies. He noted, “This is the first time that’s happened since 2006, and we were also able to provide an additional 400,000 acre-feet of water on top of that 100% allocation, which is really good news for water supply in the state.” Paul Gosselin, the state’s deputy director for sustainable groundwater management, said storms this year helped replenish the state’s depleted aquifers by more than 1.2 million acre-feet through groundwater re- charge efforts. But the state’s improved water picture came at the cost of massive agricultural losses from flooding this year. See WATER, Page 11
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/Courtesy Katie Harris
Photo/Paolo Vescia
Katie Harris Tehama County fish farmer
Robin Lynde Solano County sheep rancher
I raise Jacob sheep. I’m mainly in it for the fiber, but I also sell butcher lambs— the live lamb, not the meat. We facilitate them harvesting on our property. Then it goes to a local butcher. I sell the fiber for yarn, and I weave and sell my handwo- ven things. I’m a farmer and a weaver. I do a lot of public interaction things like teaching classes, mainly on weaving. I also teach a class on livestock management. The sheep business is going well. I’ve sold all the sheep I wanted to. I’m not selling direct to market, which has better pricing. I’m selling them for $3 a pound live weight. I think it’s working out. We just sold 11 lambs, and they were the last for the year. We’re in breeding season. I put the rams out a little earlier than I normally do. They’ve been out for two and a half weeks. I’ll keep them out for another couple of weeks. We had some challenges in the spring with how much water we had and how long the fields were flooded. Things didn’t grow as well, and hay prices went up a lot earlier this year. One of the smartest things I ever did was to start something called Farm Club, where people—usually fiber enthusiasts—pay a yearly fee because they want to support a small farm and be part of it. They get to come do hands-on things and learn behind-the-scenes stuff about the farm. I send them emails about what’s happening on the farm, the nitty-gritty stuff. I have farm days where they come and take part in what’s going on. I invite them out at lambing time and breeding season. The members get a product each year, either fiber or sheep skin or whatever they choose. I don’t know that I have a business model, but if I did, Farm Club is part of it.
We produce rainbow trout. About 80% of our sales is for recreational fishing markets throughout California, and 20% goes to our seafood sales. During the summer, we focus on seafood sales, and we’re just getting ready to kick off our stocking season. We have a lot of inventory that we’ve been building up, and we’re getting ready to start stocking in Southern California and the Bay Area. The most noteworthy thing this year is we have significantly more water. All our farms are on springs. With the past year’s winter, the rains have been able to re- charge those springs. Having more water at all our farms allows us to grow more fish. Our greatest challenge is the cost of goods. Cost to raise fish has gone up substantially. Fuel prices dictate so much of our margins because we transport fish all over the state. Trying to adjust for inflation and what we can pass on to our customers is absolutely our greatest challenge, particularly for me as I try to set pricing for the year. Feed is another huge cost for us. Our feed varies dramatically. What we feed our baby fish is very different than what we feed our larger steelhead. It has dif- ferent nutritional requirements based on the life stage of the fish. Our babies get a feed that has much greater protein. Recreational fishing markets remain very strong in California. We stock urban areas, and there’s still a lot of people in the greater Los Angeles area, San Diego and Bay Area who want to go fishing. Seafood sales have been lower since COVID. We sell our fish into high-end restaurants, and the restaurant market remains somewhat weak for a multitude of reasons. That’s definitely been a chal- lenge. We compete in the seafood world with different species, so there’s much more competition in the seafood side than in recreational fishing. Recreational fishing is really sustaining us right now.
Mel Resendiz San Diego County cut flower farmer We grow different varieties of proteas. We’ve been doing this for 23 years. It’s been difficult for a few years, but this year, finally, we got some rain. The storms really helped. Some areas were damaged, but mostly the water just went down into the creek. This is the first year that I’m seeing water running in the creek the whole year round. We didn’t have that many hot days. It was cool and kind of drizzly early in the mornings. With the trop- ical weather, there were some issues with mildew in some of the flowers. Other than that, it has been pretty good. I’ve had a very good market the last three years, so I’ve been doing pretty good. The prices are hold- ing up. There’s been more demand in the domestic markets, so we don’t need to export as many flowers to other countries. The busiest season for us is Valentine’s Day all the way to Mother’s Day. Right now, it’s not as busy. We’re harvesting some of our Special Pink Ice, which is a variety of protea. The plants started produc- ing a month ago, and they’re going to go for another six weeks. It’s a lot of work. We have to harvest every other day, back and forth in the hills, in order to get a good flower crop. If we don’t harvest every other day, there’s a lot of yellowjackets and insects that get into the flowers. The flowers might end up looking nice on the outside, but the insides are damaged. Some of the difficulties we’ve had have been with finding labor. I think that’s the main thing. And ev- erything is so expensive. Minimum wage went up. Water rates went up. When you’re adding up all those things, it’s hard to operate. We have to work three times harder in order to do what we did before.
Photo/Rob Andrew
4 Ag Alert October 11, 2023
Dan Errotabere Fresno County farmer
I grow almonds, pistachios, winegrapes, garlic, onions, cotton, barley and garbanzo beans. Most harvesting is done. We’re getting down to the last two or three crops be- fore turning our total focus to next year. We completed harvest of almonds and pistachios. Almonds came in a little below average on yields, but our insect damage was pretty minimal. Pistachios came in better than expected. The cotton is getting ready for foliation in another week. We are cautiously optimistic about the crop. The cotton market is very tight. We’re hoping for better prices later on. Tomatoes started off really well, but the mold started becoming a problem. We were able to deliver all our crop, but I know others have had difficulty. Winegrapes came in lower than we expected. We had a lot of shatter in our berries. We’re harvesting garlic. Yields look average. We’re about halfway through. We’re doing land prep on some of the permanent crops, getting them ready for the coming year. We’re working our open ground where we had tomatoes and garlic. We pulled out a third of our almond acreage this year. Probably in a couple years we’ll take another third out. We didn’t have garbanzos this year just because we started the year off pretty dry, and we didn’t get it planted. We’ll probably have some next year. The last few years were really dry, so we’ve been fallowing quite a bit of the farm. This year, the outlook went from being too dry to the difficulty of it being too wet. The most challenging input costs are labor and fuel. Trying to find good workers is difficult. We try to hold on to our long-term workers. This year, we were able to harvest everything on a timely basis. We’ll be farming more next year because we have the wa- ter. The challenge will be getting our work staff geared up enough to farm our ranch.
Photo/Cecilia Parsons
Grants up to $100,000 for Small Agricultural Businesses and Farmers Help your business grow beyond H2O
The California Small Agricultural Business Drought & Flood Relief Grant Program will provide relief to small agricultural businesses that experienced a decline in annual gross receipts or gross profits due to drought or flood conditions.
Applications are now OPEN
The California Small Agricultural Business Drought & Flood Relief Grant Program is administered by the California Office of the Small Business Advocate (CalOSBA).
Apply Today!
October 11, 2023 Ag Alert 5
Newsom signs bill easing farmers’ access to drones By Caleb Hampton Farmers will soon face fewer obsta- cles in getting approved to use drones for aerial applications thanks to a bill, signed into law Saturday by Gov. Gavin Newsom, that will modernize the California Department of Pesticide’s certification process. Growers of various commodities have touted the technology’s ability to im- prove worker safety, lower labor costs and boost crop yields. However, farmers say an outdated regulatory process has made it difficult for them and their employees to get li- censed to use drones to spray pesticides and biological treatments. “The regulations that have been in place for upwards of 40 years weren’t a
A biological pest-control drone from UAV-IQ Precision Agriculture of California flies over a vineyard. State legislation awaiting the governor’s signature would streamline the certification process for growers to use drones for aerial applications on farms.
really great fit with the technology com- ing to market and how farmers wanted to use it,” said Peter Ansel, policy ad- vocate for the California Farm Bureau, which sponsored Assembly Bill 1016.
The bill, which was introduced by Assembly Member Reggie Jones- Sawyer, D-Los Angeles, is “the brain- child of a California Farm Bureau member, who is a farmer and also an applicator,” Ansel said. San Diego County farmer Al Stehly be- gan looking into using drones to apply pesticides after watching his employ- ees trek up and down the slopes of his winegrape vineyards wearing backpacks loaded with 60 pounds of chemicals. Applying those chemicals with drones would improve worker safe- ty and efficiency, but Stehly faced a lengthy process to obtain the neces- sary certifications. To use drones for commercial aeri- al applications, farmers must obtain a license from the Federal Aviation Administration. Then, they need to get a special exemption to apply pesticides using drones weighing 55 pounds or more. Those requirements alone took Stehly six months, but he wasn’t done. He also needed to get a journeyman pi- lot’s license. In California, DPR rules require
applicants for that license to work as an apprentice for one year under a jour- neyman pilot. Because there are only a handful of journeyman drone pilots in the state, that typically means apprentic- ing for a fixed-wing or helicopter pilot in order to be allowed to fly a drone. “That makes little sense,” Stehly wrote in an editorial. “Drone pilots should be trained by drone pilots.” The new law will allow DPR to reform the pesticide applicator credentialing requirements and make specific training programs for drone applications. The bill will “add a whole (new) sta- tus” for commercial drone applicators, said Alfonso Garcia, staff member of DPR’s enforcement branch. That status will be a designation un- der the unmanned aircraft pilot license. “If you have this designation,” Garcia said, “a farmer would be able to make applications to their commodities.” Both chambers of California’s Legislature approved the bill with unan- imous bipartisan support. “We’re hopeful that we’ll see more of
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6 Ag Alert October 11, 2023
CALIFORNIA
Vegetables A SPECIAL GROWERS’ REPORT OF AG ALERT ®
®
Parastoo Farajpoor, a doctoral student at the University of California, Davis, collects tomato plant leaves in a Yolo County field infested with a parasitic weed, branched broomrape, which can devastate tomato crops.
Researchers target parasitic weed in tomato fields By Vicky Boyd University of California researchers are waging a multipronged attack against a parasitic weed that threatens the state’s $1.5 billion processing tomato industry.
broomrape research, institute general manager Zach Bagley wrote in an email. To help fund further work, a group of growers, processors and industry associations supported creation of an industry-funded state Broomrape Control Board. Assembly Bill 402, sponsored by Cecilia Aguiar-Curry, D-Winters, would do just that. It passed the Assembly and Senate, and awaits Gov. Gavin Newson’s signature. Comprising 12 regional representatives, the board would provide recommendations to the California Department of Food and Agriculture secretary related to surveying, de- tecting, analyzing and treating broomrape, according to the bill language. It also would establish annual assessment rates to be paid equally by tomato producers and handlers. Branched broomrape was eradicated from the state about 40 years ago. But when it reappeared in Yolo County tomato fields in 2017, eradication began anew. The cause for concern is established broomrape populations in other tomato-grow- ing areas with Mediterranean climates have caused up to 80% yield loss. As such, CDFA considers it an A-rated noxious weed subject to quarantine.
By taking innovative approaches, such as using special digital and pest-sniffing tech- nology, they hope to develop long-term management options for Orobanche ramosam, an invasive, blossoming plant known as branched broomrape. “To me as a field researcher, to have this kind of mixture of all of the other research, from applied to early stage development, has been really interesting,” said UC Cooperative Extension weed specialist Brad Hanson. Currently, a study team from UC Davis is gathering crop samples in a broomrape-infest- ed research field near Woodland, following strict protocols to ensure they don’t spread the weed. In partnership with the UC Digital Agriculture Laborabory, they are using drones equipped with special cameras and technology to scan the fields, along with human spotters and new techniques to detect volatile organic chemicals that may indicate the presence of the weed. The California Tomato Research Institute has already provided more than $600,000 for
See RESEARCH, Page 8
October 11, 2023 Ag Alert 7
Research Continued from Page 7
Yolo County reported 71 to 403 acres af- fected between 2017 and 2022, with some years seeing more than others. No cases have been reported this year, according to Yolo County Agricultural Commissioner Humberto Izquierdo. UCCE farm advisor Brenna Aegerter, who serves San Joaquin County, saw branched broomrape in two adjacent to- mato fields in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta in 2014. The growers rotated those fields out of tomatoes into almonds and rice, which are not host crops. She has not seen broomrape in the county since. Gene Miyao, UCCE farm advisor emer- itus for Yolo and Solano counties, found the related Egyptian broomrape in three Solano County fields about six years ago. It marked the first time the weed had been found in the United States. The fields were fumigated, and there have been no addi- tional finds. Orobanche weeds are obligate para- sites, meaning they depend entirely on their hosts for survival. Several species are found worldwide, but branched broom- rape is the one currently causing head- aches in California. In spring, tan to brownish seeds small- er than grains of sand germinate in the soil. When the parasitic weeds come in contact with tomato roots, they typical- ly latch on, sucking water and nutrients.
A flag in a Woodland tomato field, above, marks the location of a branched broomrape weed. At right, researcher Brad Hanson examines the weed, which has caused tomato yield losses of up to 80%.
After blooming, plants may produce more than 100,000 seeds that are easily spread and can remain viable in the soil for years. Because broomrape weeds spend much
of their life underground or entwined around lower portions of tomato plants, scouting for them is difficult. In the Woodland field, UC Davis re- searchers are employing drones and hy- perspectral imaging—a technology that captures a wide spectrum of light beyond what human eyes and normal cameras can detect, allowing for in-depth analysis. “Different characteristics of plants re- flect light in a different way, which results in them appearing in different colors,” UC Davis doctoral student Mohammadreza Narimani said in a statement on the on- going research. “We can monitor different levels of nutrients in the plant and identify if there are any signs of broomrape.” Doctoral student Matt Fatino, who is part of Hanson’s lab, is looking at how to modify broomrape management systems from other countries with Mediterranean climates and apply them to California. The goal is to develop an integrated program California growers could use should the pest become widespread. Part of Fatino’s research involves test- ing different herbicides, application rates and timings to find ones that control broomrape but cause minimal damage to tomatoes. One that passed the muster was Matrix SG from Corteva Agrisciences, which already was registered for other weeds in tomatoes. It received a special local need registration for broomrape in late 2022. For three seasons, Fatino also screened the most common commercial tomato varieties for broomrape resistance in UC Davis’ quarantine greenhouse. He found few differences. In addition, Fatino conducted small- scale tests on research and breeding lines and noted potential resistance in some of them. Hanson and his team will work with interested seed companies to conduct fur- ther testing. “The seed companies are starting to
take this seriously as a breeding objective,” Hanson said. On a related front, Davis postdoctoral researcher Pershang Hosseini is preparing to conduct experiments in the quarantine greenhouse this winter looking at alternate broomrape hosts. Scientific literature re- ports a wide host range, but Hanson said little is known about the parasite’s prefer- ences in California. At the infested Woodland site, Hanson has found broomrape on nightshade, a weed in the Solanaceous plant family that also includes tomatoes and potatoes. Although sunflower is reported as a host, Hanson said he hasn’t seen it in that crop. Safflower also is considered a host, but he said most of California’s crop is grown in the winter when soils likely are too cool for the weed. In addition, Hosseini is working with UCCE plant pathologist Cassandra Swett to test whether a handful of sanitizers can kill broomrape seed and several to- mato pathogens, reducing their spread on farm equipment. Last year, they worked with processors on sanitizing tomato harvesters. Building on that work, they are focusing on tomato trailers this season. Cristina Davis, professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering, is leading ef- forts to develop a sensor to detect broom- rape. It measures volatile organic chem- icals infected plants emit as alert signals. (Vicky Boyd is a reporter in Modesto. She may be contacted at vlboyd@att.net.)
8 Ag Alert October 11, 2023
Walnuts Continued from Page 1
That means many trees are ready to harvest at once, putting more pressure on hullers, said Bill Carriere, a grower and processor in Glenn County. Growers will save some money because they will likely shake trees one time, he said, but “it’s going to be hectic at the hullers.” Barton said shippers need to get prod- uct on the water by mid-October to hit European markets by early December in time for the Christmas shopping season. The risk of late-harvest downpours puts pressure on growers, as heavy rains pre- vent equipment from getting in the field. Nuts sitting on wet ground also promotes mold and affects the color of the kernels. Though growers are excited about their higher yields, Barton said the bigger crop also means more supply, which creates more pressure on pricing. California growers are expected to harvest 760,000 tons of walnuts this year, up 1% from 752,000 tons in 2022, according to a revised forecast last week by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. If realized, it will be the second-largest crop in state history. The increased production comes even though bearing acreage has dropped 6%— from 400,000 in 2022 to 375,000 this year. After years of growth, this marks the first time state bearing acreage dipped. Some growers say they believe acreage is even lower than the current estimate, as more orchards were removed or have been abandoned after USDA did the survey. Yolo County grower Stan Lester has been working all summer taking out most of his walnut trees. At 77, he said he and his family decided it was not worth “keeping the doors open” after the “disaster” of last year’s crop and “all the regulations coming down the pipeline.” Another contributing factor was the costs he had incurred re- planting a walnut orchard that later suf- fered nematode problems. “It takes at least 11, 12 years to recoup (the investment),” Lester said. “In the
meantime, you’ve got all this money spent, and then interest rates are going up. How do you cash flow the thing in between?” Lester still has 65 acres of walnuts left and said he plans to grow row crops on the ground he just cleared. Annual crops such as tomatoes, he said, are “the only thing that’s making any money” right now. Carriere acknowledged marketers were selling below the cost of production last year. This year, “we’re trying to hold out” and sell at a “reasonable price,” or about $2.50 a pound for light halves and pieces. That translates to about 66 cents a pound to the grower, which would be break-even for some of them. With inflation and higher production costs, Carriere said most grow- ers need about 85 cents to make a profit and 75 cents to break even. “We’re trying to educate the buyers on this, like, if you want us to provide you wal- nuts in the long term, you’ve got to keep us alive,” he said. “Banks are already knocking on people’s doors, and people are trying to sell orchards, and there’s no market out there for anybody to buy an orchard.” As part of the Walnut Bargaining Association, Sutter County grower Donald Norene said the group has urged growers not to accept a price lower than 60 cents a pound for good-quality Chandler walnuts, even though 60 cents—or $2.20 a pound for buyers—remains “a pretty marginal price” and not profitable for many grow- ers. About 80 cents a pound “would be very helpful,” he added. Buyers remain “very patient,” Carriere said, noting there have been very few transactions to date. Because of the push- back marketers face from buyers, he said a few are “caving in” by selling at $2.10 a pound because “they’ve got to get some- thing on the books and cash flow.” Sutter County grower Brian Fedora ac- knowledged 2022 was “a very, very bad marketing year,” with growers overpro- ducing and some of the crop ending up as cattle feed or destroyed. With much of
late March, when Chile’s crop comes on the scene. “We have some cautious optimism,” Barton said. Several factors are working in California growers’ favor, including less carryover in- ventory, a large portion of which has al- ready been sold to the federal government for food nutrition assistance programs. Removal of India’s 20% retaliatory tariff should improve access to an important ex- port market for California walnuts. Shipping logistics, which had been hampered by port slowdowns during the past two years, are “much more normal” these days, Barton said. This should allow shippers to get product to markets during key demand periods such as Christmas in Europe, Diwali in India and Ramadan in the Middle East. On the farm, growers agree that ample rain and relatively mild summer tempera- tures this year helped their crop, producing nut kernels that are fully filled, meaty and light in color. “We will have buyers that will be encour- aged, especially when they see the first loads that get shipped overseas,” Barton said. “We think that when they do see those, they’ll be eager to get more. That will really help us from a marketing perspective.” With harvest of the Chandler variety— which accounts for two-thirds of the state walnut crop—underway and on time after a later start of earlier varieties, Barton said the harvest season will be compressed. Growers say a spotty rain event in late September made some fields muddy, de- laying harvest for a couple days, but the moisture also sped overall crop ripening.
San Joaquin County farmer Josh Barton examines the readiness of a walnut for harvest.
the old crop gone and a better quality new crop, “price is supposed to be up,” he said. “It’s up to those marketers to go out and market it, but also market it in a man- ner that pays the grower,” Fedora said. Considering some retailers continue to sell walnuts for $11 to $12 a pound and grow- ers were paid 26 cents a pound last year, “that’s too much of a disparity,” he said. With the higher cost of labor, fertilizer, fuel, insurance and other inputs, Fedora said “they’ve got to pay growers more or there’s not going to be any growers.” Carriere said he anticipates more “sig- nificant” tree removals this year. Even though most older varieties that do not have much value have already been taken out, he said marginal orchards, even those planted to Chandlers, should be removed. “It’s going to take another painful year, unfortunately,” Carriere said. “But I think we’re positioning ourselves for long-term success.” (Ching Lee is an assistant editor of Ag Alert. She may be contacted at clee@cfbf.com.)
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October 11, 2023 Ag Alert 9
Nominate your favorite ag teacher for the Golden Owl Award ®
Go to GoldenOwlAward.com to find out more and complete a nomination today.
Agricultural teachers devote countless hours and often their own resources to make a difference in the lives of their students and inspire the next generation of agricultural leaders. That’s why Nationwide®, California Farm Bureau and California FFA Foundation work together to bring recognition and important funding to California’s outstanding ag educators. The Golden Owl Award® awards $500 to six finalists and $3,000 to the grand prize winner, California’s Agricultural Educator of the Year.
Honor an ag teacher you know by nominating him or her today. Nominations are being accepted September 1 to January 16.
Products are underwritten by Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company and affiliated companies, Columbus, Ohio, and are subject to underwriting guidelines, review and approval. Availability varies. Nationwide Investment Services Corporation, member FINRA, Columbus, Ohio. Nationwide and the Nationwide N and Eagle are service marks of Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company. The Farm Bureau and the letters FB are registered service marks of the American Farm Bureau Federation and are used under license by Nationwide. © 2023 Nationwide FBO-0208CA (08/23)
Water Continued from Page 3
In Monterey County alone, officials estimated damage to crops and farm in- frastructure at $600 million. Hundreds of millions of dollars in agricultural losses were also reported in Kings and Tulare counties as storms resurrected the dor- mant Tulare Lake, submerging farmlands and dairy properties. State and federal crews are racing to make repairs in anticipation of more storms to come. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is rebuilding three sections of the Pajaro River levee that failed in March, flooding the town of Pajaro and Monterey County farm fields. State officials said they are investing $52 million for levee repairs and local flood control projects in the ensuing months in hopes of preventing additional flooding in the next water year. Gary Lippner, DWR’s deputy director of flood management and dam safety, said the potential of new flooding “keeps me awake a little bit at night going into an El Niño year.” Last month, the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration said there is a 95% probability that El Niño conditions will persist through January to March of 2024, with a 71% likelhood of strong weath- er impacts. Nemeth said it is “absolutely critical”
Heavy equipment was deployed in March to close a levee break on the Pajaro River that flooded farm fields. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is now rebuilding three sections of the levee as state water officials accelerate flood-control projects elsewhere in California.
for water officials to keep a close eye on “long-duration forecasting” to plan for potential flood emergencies. Yet Craddock of the State Water Project said officials also must plan “for both dry and wet scenarios.” He said that means meticulous decisions on adjusting res- ervoir levels, whether releasing water for
flood control or holding it back “in the event conditions turn dry.” After dealing with California’s driest years on record from 2020 to 2022, Nemeth said the state was blessed with water abun- dance this year. But she said there were also abundant challenges in managing the water deluge. “Mother Nature really helped us out, and she did help us out in a really, really big
way in certain parts of the state,” Nemeth said. “But there are always ways in which Mother Nature can throw us a curve ball, and we shouldn’t expect that necessari- ly again. There’s a lot of work to continue to be done, particularly when it comes to flooding and protecting our communities.” (Peter Hecht is chief editor of publications for the California Farm Bureau. He may be contacted at phecht@cfbf.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.
October 11, 2023 Ag Alert 11
CIMIS REPORT | www.cimis.water.ca.gov
CALIFORNIA IRRIGATION MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEM
For the week of September 28 - October 4, 2023 ETO (INCHES/WEEK)
YEAR
3.0
THIS YEAR
2.5
LAST YEAR AVERAGE YEAR
2.0
1.5
1.0
0.5
0.0
MACDOEL II (236)
BIGGS (244)
DAVIS (06)
MANTECA (70)
FRESNO (80)
SALINAS-SOUTH (214)
FIVE POINTS (2)
SHAFTER (5)
IMPERIAL (87)
THIS YEAR LAST YEAR AVG. YEAR % FROM AVG.
0.72 0.93 0.88 -16
0.95 1.03 1.07 -11
1.03 1.07 1.16 -12
1.00 1.11 1.00 1
1.03 1.26 1.08 -3
0.95 0.96 0.98 -5
1.02 0.88 1.23 -17
1.10 1.22 1.11 -1
1.50 1.41 1.43 6
W eekly reference evapotranspiration (ETo) is the rate of water use (evapotranspiration—the sum of soil evaporation and crop transpiration) for healthy pasture grass. Multiplying ETo by the appropriate “crop coefficient” gives estimates of the ET for other crops. For example, assume ETo on June 15 is 0.267 inches and the crop coefficient for corn on that day is 1.1. Multiplying ETo by the coefficient (0.26 inches x 1.1) results in a corn ET of 0.29 inches. This
information is useful in determining the amount and timing of irriga- tion water. Contact Richard Snyder, UC Davis, for information on coefficients, 530-752-4628. The 10 graphs provide weekly ETo rates for selected areas for average year, last year and this year. The ETo information is provided by the California Irrigation Management Information System (CIMIS) of the California Department of Water Resources.
For information contact the DWR district office or DWR state headquarters:
SACRAMENTO HEADQUARTERS: 916-651-9679 • 916-651-7218
NORTHERN REGION: Red Bluff 530-529-7301
NORTH CENTRAL REGION: West Sacramento 916-376-9630
SOUTH CENTRAL REGION:
SOUTHERN REGION:
Fresno 559-230-3334
Glendale 818-500-1645 x247 or x243
California Marketplace Come shop the bounty and artisan goods of our state and local vendors, enjoy food and beverage samples, and visit sponsor/exhibitor booths. Workshops Educational topics covering three paths: Marketing, Branding & Sales, Policy, and Professional Development. Sunday Activities Join us for fun tours, annual cornhole tournament, and more, as well as the many offerings of the Grand Sierra Resort and Casino. Research and Grant Updates Dr. Amrith Gunasekara, CAFB director of science and research, discusses exciting research and grants led by the California Bountiful Foundation. PLUS • Continuing Education (CE) Sessions for Pesticide Licensing • Awards Banquet Recognizing Counties and Individuals • Receptions and Networking • Silent and Live Auctions • YF&R State Conference Workshops, Awards, and Networking
December 1–6, 2023 • Grand Sierra Resort and Casino, Reno, NV Register Now
For more information, visit cfbf.com/annual-meeting or call 916-561-5594
12 Ag Alert October 11, 2023
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