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.
Speaking up Farm leaders discuss state of agriculture
New disease Red leaf blotch detected in California almonds
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www.cfbf.com • www.agalert.com AUGUST 14, 2024
Trees & Vines
special report
By Christine Souza Guided by a plan that prioritizes sus- tainable pest management and a goal to eliminate high-risk pesticides by 2050, of- ficials from the California Department of Pesticide Regulation last week discussed agency priorities now being supported by a $34 million revenue boost from raising the mill assessment on pesticide sales. Annual increases in the mill assess- ment—a fee that farmers pay when they purchase pesticides—went into effect in July after Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill 2113, which authorized tiered assessment increases. From July 1 to June 30, 2025, the rate increased from 21 mills, or 2.1 cents per dollar of sales, to 24.5 mills, or 2.45 cents per dollar of sales. The fee increases again in 2025 and 2026 and jumps to 30 mills, or 3 cents per dollar of sales, July 1, 2027. DPR Director Julie Henderson said the mill assessment increase will sup- port agency priorities and add 117 new positions. The department is working on streamlining processes, timely processing of pesticide product registration, reviews and evaluations, and to expand adoption of Sustainable Pest Management. Henderson outlined the agency’s prior- ities last week at a regulatory conference held in Sacramento by the Western Plant Health Association, which represents crop protection interests, including product manufacturers and distributors, and ag- ricultural retailers. The gathering featured a state-of-ag- riculture address by California Farm Bureau President Shannon Douglass. She discussed challenges facing farmers and ranchers, including low commodity prices, high input costs and burdensome regula- tions, which Douglass said make it tough to remain profitable, especially for small, mid-sized and beginning farmers. “We are really looking at some of the toughest commodity prices that we have seen in a very long time,” said Douglass, See FORUM, Page 12 Forum focuses on mill tax, burdens facing agriculture
U.S. walnut-bearing acreage, past and projected
300 320 340 360 380 400 420 2018/19 2019/20 2020/21 2021/22 2022/23 2023/24 2024/25 2025/26 2026/27 2027/28 2028/29
Source: California Walnut Commission; USDA; RaboResearch estimate 2024
Walnut market recovery may come slowly
After peaking in the 2022-23 season, U.S. walnut acreage fell and is expected to continue to slide in the coming years. Despite more trees being removed, analysts say domestic walnut production may not decline at the same speed as acreage because of better yields in the remaining orchards.
By Ching Lee With more California walnut orchards being removed, the outlook for the indus- try is expected to improve as growers try to balance supply and demand. But such efforts alone will not be enough to put them on a fast track to market recov- ery and profitability, analysts suggest. A new report by RaboResearch Food and Agribusiness says walnut production may not decline as fast as acreage because growers are taking out older, less-produc-
tive trees and so-called “heritage” varieties that are also lower yielding. Growers are also removing orchards with poor water availability or soil quality. What’s left are orchards that have higher-density plant- ings and improved cultivars, with yields expected to surpass historical averages. “The remaining acreage is going to be more productive,” said David Magaña, a senior analyst with RaboResearch and one of the authors of the report. Until recently, walnut bearing acreage
in California has been on a steady climb, reaching a peak of 400,000 in 2022 before dropping to more than 382,000 in 2023. For now, acreage appears to have stabilized, Magaña said, with trees being removed as others come into production. “Things are starting to turn around from 2022,” when growers faced elevated pro- duction costs, a lower-quality crop and his- torically low prices, Magaña said. Thanks to “exceptional quality” nuts in 2023, prices
See WALNUTS, Page 17
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Farmers and ranchers deserve a break on insurance
By Peter Ansel Far too many Californians have been im- pacted by a worsening insurance market crisis, which creates confusion and anxiety as it imposes ever higher costs in America’s most expensive state to live. The insurance
the State Fire Marshal to create new wild- fire mitigation area maps that change a current tiered fire-risk map delineation to better reflect overall “fire-hazard severity” in state and local responsibility areas. Farm Bureau’s amendments would re- quire the fire marshal to consider excluding areas such as working rangelands and cul- tivated, plowed and irrigated agricultural properties with a low risk of wildfire prop- agation when developing the new maps. The Department of Insurance plans to use the maps to identify distressed areas to track where insurers are competing for business and to move policies out of the FAIR Plan during the next two years. By rec- ognizing the low risks of agricultural prop- erties, many of those properties should move out of the FAIR Plan and back into the competitive insurance marketplace. The 2025-26 legislative session kicks off in just five months. While the past year largely saw the Legislature defer to Department of Insurance efforts to ad- dress the crisis, constituents are making daily calls to elected officials complain- ing about being nonrenewed by insurers. When those nonrenewals fail to account for actual property risks, consumers may rightly conclude the market is undertaking an exercise in expectancy confirmation, in which insurers will land the market exactly where they want it. Farmers and ranchers deserve fair treat- ment when the characteristics of working agricultural lands—with cleared proper- ties, low fuel loads and minimal wildfire risk—warrant a nonflammable classifica- tion in the state’s wildfire mitigation area mapping, as those same maps determine a consumer’s access to affordable insurance. (Peter Ansel is a senior policy advocate for the California Farm Bureau. He may be contacted at pansel@cfbf.com.)
crisis delays hous- ing production and impedes real estate transactions. It curbs discretionary spending, making it harder to raise local sales taxes. It
Peter Ansel
The 2021 Tennant Fire burns in the Klamath National Forest near Siskiyou County farmland. The California Farm Bureau works to ensure low-risk farm properties receive a nonflammable classification in state fire-hazard mapping used by insurers.
stresses retirees on fixed incomes, forcing many to consider resettling out of state. In 1988, California voters passed Proposition 103, which promised trans- parency and fairness in the rating plans process that determines the cost of insur- ance. The measure admirably kept insur- ance costs low, providing Californians with largely affordable property insurance rates. But in 2017, amid a then-record year for wildfire destruction in California, insurers faced massive property loss claims exceed- ing their ability to meet reasonable profit expectations and conduct business. The challenge deepened with new record fire years in 2018 and 2020. Meanwhile, the California Department of Insurance struggled to timely approve new rate plan filings due to issues includ- ing staffing levels and legal challenges. By the early 2020s, it was no surprise that in- surers were taking actions to create a new market dynamic to restore profitability to their California portfolios. It may be hard to describe nonrenewals or cancellations of residential and com- mercial property insurance policies as a strategy. But those are the levers insurers
have used to make their case to California that the state market is broken. The California Fair Access to Insurance Requirements, or FAIR Plan, the state’s insurer of last resort, has faced surging de- mands to provide insurance alternatives, which often come at high costs. This is be- cause residential and commercial proper- ty policyholders—including farmers and ranchers—have faced market cancella- tions or nonrenewals, even for properties outside high fire-risk areas. Insurers rely on satellite imagery and drone flyovers to identity reasons for non- renewing property insurance policies with- out providing consumers with photographs, video or even a report on how to mitigate those issues. Nonrenewal determinations could be based on insurers’ internal guide- lines, such as a 1-mile proximity to high-risk fire areas that fails to exempt structures sur- rounded by row crops or consider defensible space, proactive home hardening or other nonflammable aspects of those parcels. The Department of Insurance says it has an agreement with insurers on new
regulations to restore their ability to conduct business in our broken market. But nonrenewals are expected to increase during the next two years, with still more FAIR Plan policies being issued to address the fallout. The situation is unsustainable. Insurers will be allowed to submit rating plans based on new catastrophe modeling, which may bring higher rates to all poli- cyholders in the state. State Farm asked for a 30% rate increase in early July just to stay in the market, arguing that the in- crease would fend off insolvency issues. Obviously, insurers need to be able to pay incurred claims, which include high costs of rebuilding in California. Last year, the California Farm Bureau sponsored state Senate Bill 505 to help commercial insurance policies in the FAIR Plan participate in a clearinghouse program to move back to the competi- tive insurance marketplace. In July, Farm Bureau worked with Cal Fire and offices of Gov. Gavin Newsom and state Sen. Scott Weiner, D-San Francisco, to amend Senate Bill 610. The measure directs the Office of
VOL. 51, NO. 30
August 14, 2024
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Farm leaders call attention to rising economic pressures
safety requirements. Regulators suggested the grower get help from her children. “And she said, ‘Well, this is why my kids don’t want anything to do with the farm,’” Douglass said, telling the board this is “a common sentiment that peo- ple are feeling,” which has been made worse “when you pile that on with the economic crisis.” With aging farmers retiring, Douglass said it is often suggested that the solution is to teach more people to farm. But she said such a response does not clear the true ob- stacles that prevent people from entering the profession. “Never in my experience have I found that people are not able to get into farm- ing because they don’t know how to farm. There’s an abundance of that knowledge, frankly,” she said, adding that people farm “because they love it so much.” What they don’t love, she said, is being “a regulatory paperwork farmer.” Because of the high regulatory costs farmers face, Douglass said not only are young, aspiring farmers discouraged from jumping in, but existing farms are being pushed into consolidation. This will result in the loss of more small, mid-sized and socially disadvantaged farmers, she said. “Those are the people that we want to make sure we have in this space,” Douglass said. “I want room for everybody in their sizes and opportunities because we all bring something different to the table.” Neill Callis, a partner of Turlock Fruit Co.
in Stanislaus County, said California farm- ers are “very anxious” about their business outlook because “not a lot of crops are making money right now.” Though his company is largely a verti- cally integrated melon shipper, it is also one of the last three asparagus growers in California. He said competition from Mexico has led to the virtual disappear- ance of asparagus in California, and the “upward wage pressure California farmers face” is chiefly to blame. At its most recent peak, the Golden State grew 40,900 acres of asparagus in 2000, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. In 2022, planted acreage dropped to 2,200. Callis said his company handles about 400 acres, using 175 workers to harvest the spring crop and 180 workers to pack it. “Our workers make in a day what our competition’s workers make in a week,” he said, noting the state minimum wage has increased 60% during the past 12 years. Add to that the state’s higher produc- tion and water costs. To break even, he said needs about $2 a pound. But buyers are reluctant to pay that price, he said, as they could get asparagus for $1.79 a pound from Mexico. “The punchline of the entire story is we went to one of the stores (selling aspara- gus) in Los Banos, and there was Mexican asparagus under a ‘Buy Local’ banner,” Callis said.
By Ching Lee With some of the state’s major agricul- tural commodities struggling and farmers and ranchers facing increasing economic and regulatory pressures, California farm leaders say the industry will continue to lose farms as more are squeezed out and few people enter the business. In a meeting last week of the California State Board of Food and Agriculture, farm- ers and farm advocates representing spe- cialty crops, winegrapes, cattle and dairy voiced their concerns about problems vex- ing the industry. Analysts also presented findings on trends in agricultural markets, land use and farmland values. The state board advises the governor and the California Department of Food and Agriculture secretary about important agricultural issues. Speakers highlighted the economic hardships felt by farmers in key California agricultural sectors such as almonds, wal- nuts, winegrapes and dairy as they grapple with weak market prices and soaring pro- duction costs—some related to inflation and others due to increased regulations on labor, water and the environment. Even cattle ranchers—who have en- joyed record-high beef prices in recent
years—have not had it easy as wildfires burn up grazing land and losses mount due to the state’s growing wolf population (see related story, page 9). Agricultural leaders warned that these pressures will lead to more consolidation, with smaller family farms being cannibal- ized by larger players, and send signals to next-generation farmers that they should look for other prospects. California Farm Bureau President Shannon Douglass, a first-generation diversified farmer from Glenn County, pointed to the 2022 Census of Agriculture, which showed the state shed more than 10% of its farms compared to the previous census in 2017. “We have really big challenges right now,” she told the state board. “They con- tinue to grow. Challenges are a little bit eas- ier to deal with when at least our pricing is good. But when pricing is not good, those problems feel even bigger.” On top of the financial difficulties creat- ed by falling commodity prices, Douglass said the increased regulatory burdens California farmers and ranchers face ham- per their ability to stay in business. She shared a story about a 72-year-old walnut grower who spoke to her about her frustrations trying to comply with food-
See FARM, Page 5
August 14, 2024 Ag Alert 3
Produce market for food service sees improvement
By Bob Johnson
pers to adjust their strategies for selling fresh fruits and vegetables. Henke said he expects produce for the food service market to return to pre-pan- demic levels in 2028. Food service establishments in 2023 purchased 13.7 billion pounds of produce, including 9.6 billion pounds of vegetables and 4.1 billion pounds of fruits. Henke said the sector is expected to continue growing by 2% annually, with sales of vegetables
growing slightly faster than fruits. Restaurants account for nearly half the fresh produce used by the food service sec- tor. Top vegetables are tomatoes, onions and lettuce. “Significantly more operators are still using fresh rather than frozen or dehydrat- ed because that’s what consumers want,” Henkes said. A challenge for shippers is to deliver fresh produce that does not spoil before being provided to customers because “costs are dire right now, and food services operators are cautious about waste,” Henkes said. Food service operators are experiencing high labor costs, which have surged by 30% since the pandemic, Henkes said. Labor costs are even higher in California, he added. Despite the challenges, he said there are opportunities for fresh produce in restau- rants, driven these days by a “health and wellness appeal to consumers.” “But it’s got to fit into a menu consumers want,” he said. At the conference, the Coosemans, a Los Angeles specialty produce and shipping firm, introduced the Essential Mixologist, a produce line of dehydrated fruits and vegetables designed for use by bartenders, baristas and chefs. Showcased items in- clude shelf-stable citrus slices for cocktails. Market opportunities are also increas- ing for breakfast items and food delivery, Henkes said, noting that shippers could do well in partnering with restaurants to try new things that might catch on. Joe Watson, vice president for re- tail, foodservice and wholesale for the International Fresh Produce Association, added, “I think they have to take that risk, and produce suppliers need to get in on that process.” While restaurants are the largest food- service operators, other sectors are becom- ing more important. “There are some big opportunities in education, travel, leisure and recreation, including casinos and stadiums,” Henkes said. “The business traveler is back. The events business is great, but the leisure traveler is more budget-focused.” (Bob Johnson is a reporter in Monterey County. He may be contacted at bjohn11135@gmail.com.)
tegic partnerships at Technomic, which provides analytics for the food service and beverage industries. Henkes discussed the swings in the produce market for food service at the Food Service Conference held last month in Monterey. Starting in 2020, COVID-19 restrictions closed restaurants, and consumers turned to preparing more meals at home, he not- ed. The closures forced many grower-ship-
Fresh produce purchases by the food service sector continue to recover but still haven’t fully bounced back from the COVID-19 pandemic when restaurants faced widespread closures. “We’ve rebounded pretty much from that slump, but we are still only back to 90% of pre-pandemic levels,” said David Henkes, senior principal and head of stra-
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Produce sector eyes growth in partnerships with schools young people, Mills said.
By Bob Johnson School nutrition leaders from across the U.S. convened with fruit and vegetable grower-shippers and processors with two goals in mind: Increase healthy options in America’s schools and cultivate the next generation of produce consumers. A key focus of the Food Service Conference, held last month in Monterey, was to build awareness about the bene- fits of healthy produce and help students learn more about where fresh produce comes from. “Farm to school is a big trend,” said Julie Raway, a registered dietitian for Broome- Tioga BOCES School Nutrition Services based in New York. She noted the compa- ny serves 20,000 meals a day and tries to create them with locally sourced produce. During a panel on maximizing fresh produce for school menus, Raway said Broome-Tioga BOCES School Nutrition Services conducts frequent taste tests to learn which fruits and vegetables appeal to students. She credited school agriculture pro- grams for boosting demand for farm- grown produce. “We have several Future Farmers of America programs to expose students to how food is grown,” Raway said. “We also have a lot of schools with gardens.” Dorene Mills, a chef at Maine-based Hannaford Supermarkets, said “local is a state of mind for people. People want to know where their food comes from.” Shippers selling to local markets need to take care to ensure their fresh produce looks appealing to consumers, including
“Customers want to see that their pro- duce is fresh,” she said. “Salad products have to stay fresh at least three days.” As part of a fresh ideas showcase at the conference, shippers displayed the latest fresh fruit and vegetable products. Some new products are designed to make it eas- ier to use fresh vegetables in sandwiches or salads. Salinas-based Taylor Farms introduced single-serve salad kits in a variety of fla- vors designed to help schools, hospitals and quick-service restaurants save on la- bor costs. David Henkes, senior principal and head of strategic partnerships at Technomic, said demand has increased for healthy beverages. The trend provides opportunities for fruit growers to target younger consumers, he said. David Ruiz, executive chef at Scalo Restaurant in New Mexico, said his restaurant already caters to a younger generation that prefers fresh, fruit-based nonalcoholic beverages. “The younger generation just isn’t drinking (alcohol), and we’re playing into that,” Ruiz said. “We don’t call them mock- tails; we call them zero-proof cocktails.” The conference, sponsored by the International Fresh Produce Association, presented awards to restaurants, schools and hospitals showing excellence in their use of fresh fruits and vegetables. The event attracted a record 1,800 attendees. (Bob Johnson is a reporter in Monterey County. He may be contacted at bjohn11135@gmail.com.) comply with regulations. Others highlighted the benefits of the different agricultural sectors, which contribute to the state’s economic base. For example, dairies and crops such as winegrapes provide year-round employ- ment. Vineyards also add to the state’s aesthetics, said Jeff Bitter, president of Allied Grape Growers. With the volun- tary California Sustainable Winegrowing Program, he said certified winegrape growers have led the effort on sustain- ability for California agriculture. Geoffrey Vanden Heuvel of Milk Producers Council said dairy cows are the “ultimate up-cyclers,” noting how the ani- mals can turn agricultural waste products such as almond hulls, which used to be a problem to dispose of, into milk and meat. California dairies have also invested “very serious resources” to environmental stew- ardship, he said, pointing to the amount of greenhouse gases that have been captured by dairy digesters. “We’re a big part of California reaching its climate goals,” Vanden Heuvel said. (Ching Lee is an assistant editor of Ag Alert. She may be contacted at clee@cfbf.com.)
Farm Continued from Page 3
He said while the California-grown and buy-local movement is admirable, it does not immediately address the “loss and lack of opportunity for young, motivated farmers” who want to start their own op- eration but can’t overcome the high cost of doing business here. In the Panoche Water District where he also farms, for example, a 700-acre piece of ground costs around $4 million, Callis noted. “Who in their 20s is going to come up with that kind of capital to get started? And who in the world is going to borrow that kind of money?” he said. Catherine Van Dyke of California Association of Family Farmers echoed the concerns about increased farm consolida- tion. She also pointed to the most recent U.S. Department of Agriculture census, which showed California lost more than 7,500 small and mid-sized farms of fewer than 500 acres between 2017 and 2022. Van Dyke said challenges for small farmers include access to land, capital, infrastructure and insurance. Small mi- nority farmers also face language barriers, which make it more difficult for them to
A SPECIAL GROWERS’ REPORT OF AG ALERT ® CALIFORNIA Trees & Vines
Almond hulls split in a healthy orchard in Ripon. Researchers, growers and pest control advisors are on the watch for red leaf blotch disease after its recent discovery in some California almond orchards.
First finding of red leaf blotch in California almonds By Vicky Boyd
lesion that goes across the leaf area. I’m not a plant pathologist, but it looked a little off to me, especially with the color.” He contacted Trouillas and followed up with the consultant to visit the orchard for a closer look. Trouillas’ team also collected samples, which were confirmed as red leaf blotch by his lab, CDFA and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Zuber said he has since visited a few other orchards in Merced County that had suspi- cious yellow and orange spots, but they have not yet been confirmed as red leaf blotch. In the original orchard, he said he didn’t see any defoliation. In subsequent ones, Zuber said he saw some but not widespread defoliation caused by what he assumed was red leaf blotch. As word of the disease spread and telltale reddish-brown leaf spots became more ad- vanced in June and July, northern San Joaquin Valley farm advisors began to receive an uptick in calls about suspicious leaf spots. So far, the disease has been found in Madera, Merced, San Joaquin and Stanislaus counties, suggesting it is “somewhat widespread” in the northern San Joaquin Valley, Trouillas said. Suspicious symptoms also have been found but not yet confirmed in a Fresno County orchard. See BLOTCH, Page 7
University of California plant pathologists have confirmed red leaf blotch disease in almonds for the first time in the state, prompting calls for farmers and pest control advisors to keep their eyes peeled. “The first step is to reach out to UC Extension so the disease can be confirmed—that’s the most important step,” said Florent Trouillas, UC Cooperative Extension fruit and nut crop pathology specialist. “From the disease management perspective for this year, it’s too late. No fungicide is effective once the symptoms are visible, so the whole management strategy needs to be initiated next year in the spring.” Contacting UCCE farm advisors about suspicious leaf spots also will help the almond industry understand how widespread the fungal disease is, he said. In addition, the infor- mation will assist the California Department of Food and Agriculture determine a specific pest rating. Because of red leaf blotch’s prevalence, Trouillas said it’s likely here to stay. The disease first surfaced in California in May when UC orchard crops advisor Cameron Zuber contacted Trouillas about unusual leaf symptoms in an almond orchard straddling the Merced-Madera county line. Infected leaves on the nonpareil, Monterey and Fritz varieties had yellow spots with orange to dark red-brown centers. Zuber said a consultant had texted him photos of unknown leaf symptoms on May 29. “When I first saw it, I was a little concerned,” he said. “It’s very odd to get this large a
6 Ag Alert August 14, 2024
Blotch Continued from Page 6
Red leaf blotch is widespread through- out Europe’s Mediterranean basin and the Middle East and is considered one of the most important foliar almond diseases. It has not been found in Central or South America or Australia. Trouillas said the disease likely entered California on imported plant material, as that is a common pathway for invasive spe- cies and diseases. Based on when symp- toms were discovered, he said the disease probably was introduced recently. Known scientifically as Polystigma amygdalinum, the causative fungus is spe- cific to almonds and does not infect related species such as peaches, nectarines and plums, he said. The organism overwinters in fallen leaf litter, and during spring rains, it releases ascospores, specialized spores that infect newly emerged leaflets. The infection remains asymptomatic or latent for 35 to 40 days—about late April to mid-May—after which small, yellow splotches begin to form on each side of the leaf. During this early stage, it could be confused with other common almond problems such as herbicide injury. As spring progresses, the blotches typically expand and turn orange to red- dish-brown. “When you see them, they’re really
Red leaf blotch produces unique symptoms that progress from small, yellow spots to orange or reddish-brown blotches on both sides of the leaves. The disease, which affects almond trees, is believed to have entered California on imported plant material.
bright orange-colored spots and blotch- es on leaves,” Trouillas said. “It’s really unique and cannot be confused with anything else.” A severe infection may cause premature leaf loss, according to reports from Spain. In addition, the disease is weather-de- pendent, Trouillas said. Rain coupled with mild spring temperatures are conducive to disease development, while leaf infection drastically decreases with high summer- time temperatures and low humidity. The good news is many of the same fungicides used to manage spring al- mond diseases such as anthracnose and
shot hole also appear effective against red leaf blotch, Trouillas said, citing studies conducted in Spain. Research from that country also found one fungicide applica- tion at petal fall followed by two additional ones at two and five weeks after petal fall, if rains continue, were effective at controlling red leaf blotch. The sprays must be applied as a preven- tive treatment and aren’t effective once symptoms are present, he said. Trouillas and his colleagues plan to conduct field trials next spring to determine fungicide efficacy under California conditions. They also plan to work with
chemical manufacturers to add red leaf blotch to fungicide labels so growers can use them to manage the disease. Since red leaf blotch has only one in- fection cycle per season, researchers in Spain have looked at reducing the prima- ry source of overwintering inoculum by removing leaf litter, spraying fallen leaves with fungicides or applying urea to speed decomposition. To be effective, Trouillas said those practices should be done on an area-wide basis and would be difficult to implement in California. (Vicky Boyd is a reporter in Modesto. She may be contacted at vlboyd@att.net.)
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August 14, 2024 Ag Alert 7
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for the past few years are thought to be a combination of things. Processors want NOW numbers down to 0.5% or growers lose their premium. This has resulted in better sanitation and better nut integrity going later into the summer. Winter sanitation is more difficult in pis- tachio ground because it’s not traditionally as smooth as an almond orchard. There are a lot more gopher holes and textural ground issues. Pistachios are also very difficult to dis- lodge, and rain causes them to get stuck in the mud. But it’s important to get mum- mies out of the tree and tree rows. Winter sanitation is the cornerstone to NOW management. Nothing else comes close. It’s the most cost effective manage- ment tool to reduce NOW populations from the previous year and reduce NOW from building up in the current year. Any dollar spent working in sanitation is better than any other management dollar spent.
In general, numbers of navel orange- worms, or NOW, in pistachios have been lower than previous years. But the appear- ance of early splits in early July could make NOW challenging, especially if early splits allow them to build up. Early splits are related to the crop size and variety. Pistachios have alternating yields—high yields in “on” years and lower years in “off” years. The Kerman variety has more early splits in an on year compared to the Gold Hills or Lost Hills varieties. When orchards start with smaller popu- lations of NOW, there is an increased prob- ability of having better outcomes 100% of the time. But when early splits show up too early, it allows NOW a full month to a month and a half to build up. Even if good sanitation was done, too many early splits can be problematic, and growers should check to make sure they’re not getting infested with NOW. The low navel orangeworm numbers
PEST CONTROL ADVISOR
How do early splits in pistachios affect NOW management?
Justin Nay Integral Ag Services, Durham
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8 Ag Alert August 14, 2024
Livestock losses continue in latest state tally of wolf kills
year involved calves, with one llama and one lamb also involved. In addition, three lambs were confirmed to have been in- jured by wolves, all in Plumas County. The department also reported one possible and one probable kill, both in Siskiyou County. The cause of death of five calves were deemed unknown, typically because the carcasses were mostly consumed or were in advanced stages of decay. The unknown deaths occurred in Siskiyou, Modoc and Sierra counties.
Two livestock deaths were determined to be nondepredation, both in Plumas County. One depredation reported in Butte County was determined to have been from a mountain lion. The state in 2021 appropriated $3 mil- lion to compensate ranchers for livestock losses, nonlethal deterrents and other im- pacts due to wolf presence, but the funds ran out earlier this year. Launched in 2023, the pilot compensa- tion program awarded a total 109 grants to ranchers in Siskiyou, Lassen, Plumas, Tulare counties.
Between Jan. 3 and July 2, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife con- firmed 17 head of livestock killed by wolves, according to depredation inves- tigation reports. Siskiyou County incurred the most con- firmed kills, with 10. Plumas County had four; Lassen County, 2; and Shasta County,
1. All of the confirmed attacks occurred on private property. This compares to 16 confirmed kills in 2023 during about the same period, from Jan. 2 to June 30. Siskiyou County account- ed for most of the confirmed kills, with14, while Lassen had two. Most of the confirmed kills so far this
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August 14, 2024 Ag Alert 9
storage and conveyance infrastructure in the face of climate challenges, includ- ing severe droughts and flooding. “Under future climate conditions, California’s hydrology is likely to become more extreme, with periods of high flows that current infrastructure and operations Delivery capability of the State Water Project could be reduced by 23% in 20 years due to changing flow patterns and extreme weather shifts, according to a re- port from the California Department of Water Resources. Released July 31, the department’s 2023 Report warns of shrinking California water supplies State Water Project delivery capability re- port outlined agency concerns about the system’s ability to meet water needs for a projected 43 million California residents by 2030. The 88-page document said California will require major upgrades in its water are unable to capture, and longer, more severe dry periods that challenge opera- tions,” the report said. Built in 1960, the SVP—a 700-mile expanse of reservoirs, canals and pumping plants—provides water to 27 million residents and 750,000 acres of farmland.
Without improvements, the report not- ed, the SWP would deliver 496,000 fewer acre-feet of water, a 23% drop, in two de- cades. This represents a loss in annual wa- ter supply equal to the amount used by 1.7 million homes. The report said a drop in water supply could lead to an increase in groundwater demand and reduc- tions in available supplies to support groundwater recharge. In a statement, DWR Director Karla Nemeth said the analysis “underscores the need to modernize and upgrade our aging infrastructure so we can capture wa- ter supplies when it’s wet.” She added, “Modernizing the State Water Project is critical to delivering on the human right to water in California.” In a news release accompanying the report, DWR said the analysis reinforced the need for water system upgrades such as the planned Sites Reservoir off-stream water storage facility north of Sacramento and the Delta Conveyance Project, a pro- posed water-intake, tunnel and pumping system to capture, store and move more water from major storms. “The SWP was designed for the climate of the 20th century when our precipita- tion fell as snow more reliably between October and May and we could capture that water effectively for future use,” SWP Deputy Director John Yarbrough said in a statement. He said the agency needs to “add flexibility and resilience for 21st cen- tury conditions.” The report noted the climate vulnerabil- ity of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, which currently supplies fresh water to two-thirds of the state population and millions of acres of farmland. The document said DWR and the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, which manages water deliveries from the Central Valley Project, “face numerous challenges in their diversion facilities in the delta.” It noted agency concerns about ris- ing ocean levels “that could result in more frequent water quality degrada- tion in the delta channels, requiring additional delta outflow to maintain water quality objectives.” In addition, the report said water allocation decisions will continue to be impacted by federal and state man- dates to protect species such as delta smelt and winter- and spring-run chi- nook salmon. State officials said the report will be used for water supply and drought plan- ning by public water agencies that receive SWP and CVP water.
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10 Ag Alert August 14, 2024
Fruit fly quarantines lifted in two South State counties
ing Agoura Hills and Westlake Village in Los Angeles County. More than 300 crops can be hosts for the Mediterranean and Queensland fruit flies. CDFA said potential commercial host crops were required to meet stringent treatment or processing standards before being harvested or moved. “Last year, California experienced an unusually high population of invasive fruit flies, and the response required coordina- tion from residents, agricultural industry members and agricultural commissioners
in both counties,” said Victoria Hornbaker, CDFA director of the Plant Health and Pest Prevention Services Division. In a statement, she said county, state and federal agencies “have successfully achieved the eradication of several species of invasive fruit flies in Southern California, including Mediterranean, Queensland and Tau.” She added, “But the threat is never completely gone.” One active quarantine remains, for the Oriental fruit fly in the Redlands-area of San Bernardino County.
Four state grazing projects get funds for conservation The U.S. Department of Agriculture has awarded $22 million for 29 projects, in- cluding four in California, to provide con- servation technical assistance for livestock producers and increase use of conserva- tion practices on grazing lands. The California entities and projects re- ceiving funding include: • The California Rangeland Conservation. In partnership with the rancher-led California Grazing Lands Coalition, the project will develop long- term strategies for ecologically and eco- nomically beneficial grazing strategies in the state. • The Coastal San Luis Resource Conservation District. Working with the Central Coast Soil Hub, the project will provide technical assistance and peer- to-peer networking for ranchers while in- creasing acreage under managed grazing. • Chico State Enterprises at California State University, Chico. The project will work to expand the footprint of well-man- aged grazing systems under goals of the federal Grazing Lands Conservation Initiative. It will also create a new profes- sional course in “Indigenous Traditional Ecological Knowledge.” • University of California, Davis. The project will promote climate-smart con- servation practices to enhance grazing lands resilience. It will partner with UC Cooperative Extension to help diverse ranching communities increase sustain- ably managed acreage and implement strategies to track conservation benefits. Agricultural officials have lifted quar- antines in Los Angeles and Ventura counties for the Mediterranean fruit fly and Queensland fruit fly. The announcement last week by the California Department of Food and Agriculture came in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture and agri- cultural commissioners in the two affect- ed counties. The two Southern California quar- antines were part of a series of quar- antines imposed in the state since July 2023. Altogether, the quarantines for Mediterranean, Queensland and Tau fruit flies have encompassed some 1,250 square miles. Santa Clara, Contra Costa, Sacramento, Riverside and San Bernardino counties also had been affected. In Los Angeles County, the Mediterranean fruit fly quarantine end- ed nearly nine months after officials first detected populations in the Leimert Park neighborhood of Los Angeles. Officials es- tablished a quarantine encompassing the cities of Inglewood, Hawthorne and parts of Culver City.
In Ventura County, the Queensland fruit fly was detected in Thousand Oaks last October and led to the first-ever quar- antine established for the invasive spe- cies in the Western Hemisphere, CDFA said. That quarantine encompassed areas around Thousand Oaks, Moorpark and the Santa Rosa Valley, as well as neighbor-
August 14, 2024 Ag Alert 11
Forum Continued from Page 1
cated paperwork to comply and must do the work themselves. Comparing state and federal regulato- ry costs for Central Coast growers in 10 years, she cited two economic studies by Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo—one in 2008 and the other in 2018. “We were not sur- prised to find the costs had increased,” she said. “The regulatory costs for a mid-sized California produce grower on the Central Coast had increased by 795%.” Douglass expressed her love of farm- ing in California. But she said economic and regulatory pressures that farmers and ranchers face have motivated some agri- cultural businesses to leave the state at a rate higher than the national average. “We grow great crops here, and we can do a great job and provide safe, healthy
and wholesome food to this whole coun- try,” Douglass said. “But we have to have an environment where our farmers can thrive, because if our farmers cannot be financially sustainable and they can’t pass the farm onto the next generation, then we don’t have that opportunity.” During her remarks, Henderson said DPR is focusing on protecting health, communities and the environment, while also maintaining a productive agricultural sector. To manage pests ef- fectively and sustainably and have com- munities thriving, Henderson said, “all of these have to work together.” Terry Kippley, president of the Council of Producers and Distributors of Agrotechnology, based in Arlington, Virginia, said the council is hopeful that resources and other proposed efficiencies coming to DPR will significantly improve the backlog of registering new tools. “We need predictable and sci- ence-based regulatory decisions if we are going to meet the moral imperative of feed- ing a growing global population while also ensuring we have a vibrant and sustainable agricultural industry,” Kippley said. Developing and approving new pesti- cides is time-consuming and expensive for registrants, often requiring years and hun- dreds of millions of dollars before a prod- uct can be brought to market, according to Christopher Reardon, government affairs director for the California Farm Bureau. In addition, government approval of new pest management materials for use by agriculture is often delayed due to regu- latory and legal challenges, he added. “There are new materials that our friends in the cotton industry are inter- ested in getting into the marketplace, and growers on the Central Coast are con- cerned about cancellation of an herbicide used in broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage,” Reardon said. “Long term, what are they going to be able to use? What is the indus- try going to do without a replacement?” With more crop protection materials
declining in efficacy as pests and diseases develop resistance, Henderson said DPR and stakeholders must collaborate to identify new materials to register for use in the state. “We need to look into the future, so that as new risks are identified, we’re able to have other tools and practices in their place and ensure that growers and urban pest managers have really effective toolkits to be able to manage pests,” Henderson said. “We know that if there are no alternatives to take the place of something that is off the market, that is extremely challenging.” For a more streamlined product regis- tration process, Henderson said DPR is moving from a paper-based system to one that’s electronic through the California Pesticides Electronic Submission Tracking System, or CalPEST. In addition, in early 2025, DPR is launching a first-of-its-kind pesticide application notification system to provide advance information on ap- plications of restricted pesticides used in agriculture. This includes an online map of planned applications created with data from the notices of intent that farmers sub- mit to county agricultural commissioners before applying pesticides. Farm groups have expressed concerns that the system would trigger appeals from activists to cancel restricted-use pesticide permits. In a time of significant changes at DPR, Emily Saad, senior managing sci- entist at Exponent, a Sacramento-based engineering and consulting firm, said this presents “a significant opportunity for collaboration.” “As we look forward,” Saad said, “I think we can see additional opportunities for collaboration to ensure that California growers have access to the tools that they need to ensure food security and battle pests amidst a changing climate and very significantly altered resource demands.” (Christine Souza is an assistant editor of Ag Alert. She may be contacted at csouza@cfbf.com.)
a diversified Glenn County farmer based in Orland. “Right now, the only profit- able thing on our farm is the livestock. Otherwise, most of our crops we are pro- ducing at minimal margins.” For some commodities, the price farm- ers earn is below the cost of production, including for walnuts, she said. “We are losing money to keep our wal- nuts alive right now and hoping that we maintain them just enough so that hope- fully prices improve and markets get better in the next few years,” Douglass said. Farmers have a challenging time nav- igating layers of regulations in the state, Douglass said, noting that small and mid-sized farmers cannot afford to hire outside consultants to complete compli-
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Guidelines available to slow branched broomrape spread
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ommend are removing loose debris with compressed air, scrapers and pressure washing before cleaning equipment with quaternary ammonium compounds. QAC sanitizers effectively kill branched broom- rape and significantly reduce microbial loads. Hanson and Swett said a solution of at least 1% is necessary for efficacy. Hanson has partnered with research- ers in Chile, where branched broomrape is widespread, in studying impacts of the weed, which is a quarantine pest of con- cern for the Golden State. “California doesn’t yet have yield-reduc- ing levels of broomrape, and we don’t want them,” Hanson said. Additional information on branched broomrape in processing tomatoes may be found at www.tomatonet.org/research.
Researchers at the University of California, Davis, have created best man- agement practices for slowing the spread of a parasitic weed that can lead to yield losses in processing tomatoes. Branched broomrape, which attaches to roots of tomato and other host plants and absorbs nutrients and water, doesn’t have many effective in-season options for man- agement and is difficult to eradicate once it’s established. Weed seeds can be carried from field to field by wind, water, soil trans- fers and contaminated farm equipment. Brad Hanson and Cassandra Swett, weed and fungal pathology specialists at UC Davis, are jointly researching meth- ods for equipment sanitation to reduce the spread. They discussed remedies at a field day earlier this year. Among the steps Hanson and Swett rec-
12 Ag Alert August 14, 2024
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