Ag Alert July 24, 2024

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.

SGMA ruling State enforcement halted in Kings County

Special issue Drones, robotics and research aid farmers

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

Page 6

More stories inside

www.cfbf.com • www.agalert.com JULY 24, 2024

Vegetables

special report

By Christine Souza California farmers’ use of higher-risk pesticides, which protect crops against damage from pest populations and dis- ease outbreaks, is on the decline, a new study shows. The state’s agricultural pesticide use dropped in both pounds applied and acres treated between 2021 and 2022, with the 5% overall decline reflecting a decade-long trend, according to the California Department of Pesticide Regulation’s an- nual pesticide use report this month. In addition, for pesticides applied that contain active ingredients, or more toxic- ity, farmers applied 181 million pounds, which is a 10.4-million-pound decrease from the previous year. Cumulative acres treated fell by 3.2% year over year. During the same period, the use of lower-risk bio- pesticides increased by 56%. Data for the report are collected by county agricultural commissioners, who receive reports from growers, applicators and others through the department’s pes- ticide-use reporting program, which began in 1990. As pesticide use has dropped over a decade, the report noted, California has seen a 77% decrease in groundwater contaminants and a 21% drop in toxic air contaminants. “DPR’s report just confirms what we already know, which is California agricul- ture continues to improve its use of mate- rials by using softer materials and more targeted applications,” said Christopher Reardon, government affairs director for the California Farm Bureau. “Pesticides cost money, so farmers don’t want to spend money for these materials if they don’t have to.” Reardon added, “Use of these materials by farmers happens only when necessary and in certain circumstances, and espe- cially when growers want to control a pest that is threatening the industry.” See PESTICIDES, Page 15 Farmers decrease use of higher-risk pesticides in state

Sensors guide growers on water decisions Ventura County avocado farmer Lisa Tate uses a cellphone app to check on soil conditions. The Ventura County Resource Conservation District has provided state grant money to help local avocado, strawberry and vegetable growers install soil-moisture sensors to aid in irrigation decisions.

By Rob McCarthy Lisa Tate, a fifth-generation grower in

that too much water was sitting in the root zone after a second year of above-average rainfall. It was still spring, and her crew suggested it was time to irrigate. But Tate was proven right, thanks to readings from a soil-moisture sensor. As a result, her young trees didn’t get watered again until June. These days, water conservation agencies and University of California Cooperative

Extension farm advisors are advocating adding soil-moisture sensors to create pre- cision irrigation management in drought- prone California agricultural areas. They say the technology has come a long way in the past 50 years and contin- ues to evolve with Wi-Fi connectivity and digital readings.

Santa Paula, said she knew something was amiss in a block of young avocado trees planted on her fami- ly’s ranch. She had a hunch

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

See SENSORS, Page 18

n e w s p a p e r

Comment.......................................2 From the Fields........................4-5 Vegetables........................... 10-11 Classifieds........................... 17-18 Inside

Published by

Farmers to benefit as Sites Reservoir nears fruition

By Fritz Durst From prolonged drought to excessive flooding, water conditions in California have been anything but consistent during the past few years. That’s a problem for one of the world’s leading agricultural regions. With climate change threatening one of California’s biggest industries, we need to invest in a truly resilient and reliable wa- ter future. We need Sites Reservoir. After the worst

selected by Gov. Gavin Newsom and the state Legislature for streamlined judicial review under Senate Bill 149. We’re also thankful to have won a recent environ- mental court case, which found the final EIR fully complies with the California Environmental Quality Act. On the permitting front, the California State Water Resources Control Board deemed the project’s water right applica- tion complete. That moved Sites Reservoir through to the next phase of the process, during which the board will determine whether to issue a water right permit for the project. Finally, the project, which is 100% fund- ed by local, state and federal public dol- lars, has secured significant investments in the past few years. More than $517 million in federal funding is committed to the project. Sites is also eligible for $875 million in funding from the state under the Proposition 1 initiative approved by California voters in 2014. On top of these direct investments, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency also invited Sites to apply for a $2.2 billion loan through the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act. This low-interest loan will save millions of dollars during the life of the Sites Project. The project has hit many milestones during the past few years, and we’re ex- cited to be this close to the finish line. The state water board is considering the Sites Reservoir water-right permit, and we ex- pect that decision in 2025. With a permit in hand and other key requirements met, we hope to start con- struction in 2026. It’s time to build Sites now— and we are closer than ever. (Fritz Durst is a Yolo County farmer and chairman of the Sites Joint Power Authority. He may be contacted at fdurst@rd108.org.)

drought on record in 2022, historic, wet winters in 2023 and 2024 produced record rain that filled reservoirs and aquifers above av- erage levels. It was

Sites Reservoir is planned for this basin along the border of Glenn and Colusa counties. The facility is gaining momentum after withstanding court challenges and securing financing options.

Fritz Durst

a welcome change for California’s farms, which were relying on depleted wells and aquifers in the previous two years. But it wasn’t enough to overcome losses from the state’s large groundwater deficit. If it were already operational, Sites Reservoir—a 1.5 million acre-feet off- stream water storage project planned for rural Glenn and Colusa counties north of Sacramento—would be 100% full as of this past spring. As California is predicted to get more precipitation in the form of rain, we need to capitalize on wet periods and store ex- cess water for the inevitable dry periods that will follow. Thankfully, Sites Reservoir is specifically designed to adapt to our changing climate, providing significant benefits to our local agricultural economy. It will capture and store water during storm events for use during severe dry periods when it is needed the most, increasing the flexibility, reliability and resiliency of our statewide water supply.

The irrigation districts, urban water agencies and natural resource agencies investing in Sites Reservoir will have flexibility to use their storage space and stored water in a way that makes sense for their communities. For our farmers and ranchers, it will pro- vide additional water to sustain farming and food production, especially as hotter and drier weather becomes more frequent. By capturing and storing water during wet periods, farms will be able to tap into a savings account during dry periods instead of leaving land fallow or forgoing planting and seeding, as they’ve had to do in recent years. This will create a stronger agricul- tural economy, which creates a ripple of benefits for our rural communities that depend on this way of life. There will be economic benefits, too. Sites Reservoir will create an estimated 2,000 direct jobs at the peak of construction. The Sites Project Authority is committed to

training and hiring local workers and busi- nesses throughout construction, ensuring that Colusa and other Sacramento Valley counties benefit from this job creation. Once operational, Sites Reservoir will bring more people to Colusa County for camping, boating and similar activities, which means increased activity at local restaurants, retail stores and other businesses. We’re eager to deliver these benefits to California’s farms and communities, so last year, we set out to achieve significant funding, planning and permitting goals for Sites Reservoir. Thanks to collaboration, local engagement and support from our state and federal partners, we did just that. Last fall, after extensive review, we cer- tified the Final Environmental Impact Report for the project—one of the most comprehensive environmental analyses ever done for a water supply project. Sites Reservoir was also the first project

VOL. 51, NO. 27

July 24, 2024

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2 Ag Alert July 24, 2024

A drone releases green lacewing eggs and predatory mites over a Salinas Valley lettuce field. Researchers say such aerial applications show promise for controlling aphids and other pests.

Beneficial bugs from drones help manage pests in lettuce

By Caitlin Fillmore Researchers, farmers and technology entrepreneurs are experimenting with drones to drop thousands of beneficial in-

founder of the Salinas agriculture tech- nology firm Parabug, Del-Pozo concluded that “our results could be interpreted as preliminary evidence that drone-released lacewings could reduce aphid densities when compared to untreated plots.” The study also noted that drone de- ployments of beneficial insects could be a useful complement to organic-certified insecticides on organic lettuce to help save on labor costs. “Traditionally, the cost of labor has lim- ited the use of beneficials in the lettuce production system, but the use of drones for these releases may make this strategy more attractive,” the report said. In an interview, Morgan said drone use in agriculture “presents unparal- leled opportunities for enhancing effi- ciency and precision.” He noted that drones already assist in plant population counts by reducing plant loss during cultivation. He said he sees opportunities to use drones to help calculate irrigation uniformity and apply pesticides and nutrients while boosting worker safety. “The sky is the limit, and we need inno- vative thinkers and engineers to develop drone-based tools that meet the evolving needs of growers,” Morgan said. The drone and lacewing egg exper- iment inspired further research from Addie Abrams, a doctoral candidate and researcher at UC Davis. Abrams is expand- ing the lacewing study, adding repeated releases of green lacewing eggs at different phases in the lettuce growing cycle. “There is the potential here to provide an alternative to chemical sprays that still lets growers respond quickly to changes in pest pressure in the field,” Abrams said. Abrams’ study adds drone releases of predatory Amblyseius cucumeris mites and combined releases of the mites with green lacewing eggs to suppress western flower thrips.

sects over farm fields as eco-friendly com- batants against de- structive insect pests. In the Salinas Valley, thrips in recent years have

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

spread impatiens necrotic spot virus in let- tuce fields, causing significant losses. That and other pest concerns inspired quests for innovative solutions. Experiments led by former University of California Cooperative Extension entomol- ogy advisor Alejandro Del Pozo-Valdivia and the UC Davis Fi-VE Bug IPM Lab first analyzed a single drone release of green lacewing eggs to combat lettuce aphids, which transmit the lettuce mosaic virus. It worked: Del-Pozo Valdivia’s first at- tempt employing a drone to spit out green lacewing eggs a single time over an organ- ic lettuce field helped curb aphid popu- lations in the limited conditions studied. Ian Grettenberger, an entomology spe- cialist at UC Davis, said the trial represent- ed one of many steps towards developing new technologies and practices to support sustainable pest management goals. “We are looking at the whole gamut for integrated pest management options,” Grettenberger said. “It’s a ‘many small hammers’ approach.” According to the trial findings, which were published in the Sept. 15, 2021 Journal of Economic Entomology, aphid populations were reduced after lacewing eggs were released from drones at a rate of 74,131 eggs per hectare, or more than 183,000 per acre, and organic-certified in- secticides were used. Along with fellow journal authors Eric Morgan, vice president of environmen- tal science for Salinas-based Braga Fresh Family Farms, and Chandler Bennet,

See DRONES, Page 9

July 24, 2024 Ag Alert 3

From the Fields ®

To contribute to From the Fields, submit your name, county of membership and contact information to agalert@cfbf.com.

Kevin Merrill Santa Barbara County winegrape grower

Ray Yeung Yolo County farmer

It’s been an interesting year weather-wise. We started out with a very cool summer, and we’ve caught up with some days in the upper 90s and 100s. Fog attributed to a lot of mildew pressure in the winegrapes, so we are trying to deal with the mildew infestations throughout the Central Coast. Plus, we are pulling leaves in the vineyards and shoot thinning to a degree. We’re waiting for verai- son to kick in, which is just starting. Winegrape harvest will probably start in late August to early September, which is the norm. We’re looking forward to some good weather to get us to the finish line. Labor is always challenging, but we have gotten by OK this year. We are using more H-2A labor, but that’s also an issue because it is very expensive and always going up. In our part of the state, we had a 40,000-acre wildfire near the Santa Ynez Valley. We did have some smoke, but for the most part, I don’t think it caused any smoke taint issues in the winegrapes. We hope the market will start to turn around as a lot of grapes have been re- moved in areas of California. The Central Coast has done its share of taking out older vineyards, and we’re hoping we get production back in balance. The over- supply of winegrapes is a state problem. People are not drinking as much wine anymore, and we’re battling production from around the world. Larger wineries are bringing in juice from other countries and selling it mixed with a little of our “California”-labeled wine, and that is not helping. We are concerned with the direction the state Department of Pesticide Regulation is headed with new restrictions. The department’s notification regu- lation is unnecessary. They should let agricultural commissioners do their jobs. Plus, PCA licensing costs are going way up, and the way we report our continu- ing education classes are changing and will be more burdensome.

This year was interesting because it was a really wet spring, and now it’s this record heat, so we’re having to deal with that. We’re heavily irrigating the pro- cessing tomatoes because we’re afraid all the flowers are going to fall off. We’re also trying to keep the pistachios irrigated. Everything looks good, but looking good and what we get at harvest are two different things. We grow fresh-market heirloom tomatoes, and because the spring was really cool, we were worried they weren’t going to be ripe on time. But everything has caught up because of this latest heat wave. We finished harvesting our triticale, which is for feed. Prices are really bad this year. We also grow a lot of alfalfa. It’s tough because prices are not good for a lot of these commodities. With alfalfa, we can hardly sell it because the prices are so bad and no one wants it. We sell it to a broker, but we’ll sell it to anybody with animals that wants it. I don’t understand what’s going on. I’ve been on the farm for almost 40 years, and I’ve never seen a year like this where it was so good one year and then so bad the next. People have said they’ve never seen anything like this. I think because the price of hay was so high the last few years, livestock people have thought of alternative ways to feed their animals other than depending on hay. Maybe that has something to do with it. Everything is down. For us, it all started when we lost the (contract on) sun- flowers. The processing tomato price is down, but it’s not as bad as the other ones. Grain prices are down to what they were in the ‘70s. We grow fresh-market tomatoes for the restaurants, and they have challenges too because they have to pay more wages, and the economy is bad, so it’s a tough deal this year.

Chris Jergenson Merced and Stanislaus counties farmer

Everything I farm is organic. My peaches look a week or two later than last year. We were thinking this heat would make them ripen a lot quicker, but it actually slows stuff down. The crop looks very good, with minimal insect damage. For sweet potatoes, the heat is nice because they’re under- ground, and they want that warm dirt. Because I’m organic, we don’t mow or spray any herbicides, so we have a lot of native grasses and beneficial pests like praying mantis and ladybugs that take care of all the other pests. For peach twig borer and oriental fruit moth, we put organic mating disruptors out in the springtime. Our pest numbers are very small on peaches and almonds. I’m one of Dole’s only organic growers in California for peaches, and the plant manager can’t believe how clean my fruit is. I started planting sweet potatoes in May and finished June 1. The plants are completely vined out. All I’m doing now is flood irrigating and hand pulling weeds. Our main weed is pigweed. I like to flood because it helps leach out a lot of the salt, and I don’t have to have an employee setting gopher traps. I furrow irrigate with siphon pipe. I don’t use a diesel pump or electric pump. I use water out of the canal. With flood irrigation, it takes me six hours to irrigate my 20-acre blocks, and I don’t have to go back for 21 days. It’s not too expensive. It also helps the sweet potatoes grow on both sides very well. As far as cultivating and getting rid of the weeds, it’s a lot easier for me be- cause I don’t have to move hoses. I can get in there with the tractor, put my sweets in and cultivate. I’ll probably be harvesting my sweet potatoes in late September. I start harvesting peaches in about three weeks, and I harvest for about two weeks. Then I harvest my almonds.

4 Ag Alert July 24, 2024

Insights from farmers and ranchers across the Golden State, including members of the California Farm Bureau.

Greg Gatto Plumas County rancher

We have a herd of about 200 Tibetan yaks. We are on the tail end of our calv- ing season. Most of our animals have calved. The calving season has gone well. We have in Sierra Valley a pretty bad grasshopper infestation. That has af- fected a lot of the range, a lot of pasture. We are supplementing our cow-calf herd with hay because of the lack of pasture. We’re looking closely at potential hay supplies for this winter because it also has affected a lot of the hay produc- ers up here. We’re certainly keeping an eye on herd size, whether people are going to be selling off herds, whether there’s going to be sufficient hay and suf- ficient pasture to get people through the late summer and early fall. Yaks are high-elevation, cold-hardy animals, and Northern California has experienced a heat wave the last two weeks. We do have irrigation channels that we will fill up, and we will plug up some of our channels to allow them to cool off through their hooves. They have a lot of blood vessels in their hooves, so that allows them to cool off by standing in water. We’ll fill up depressions and ponds in the fields with irrigation water to allow them to cool off during the really hot days. One of the blessings this year is we’ve got plenty of water, so no problems there. The older animals seem to do fine in the heat. Sometimes some of the newborn calves do have a little bit of heat stress. We had one mom with twins, which is a pretty rare occurrence in the yaks. We did have to bring in one of the twins to treat for heat and dehydration. But otherwise, they’ve all been doing generally well. The heat does affect the gains because they’re not eating as much during the day. They’re loping around during the day and eating when it gets cooler.

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July 24, 2024 Ag Alert 5

Ruling puts state’s groundwater crackdown on hold A Superior Court judge has temporarily blocked state enforcement actions affect- ing Kings County growers who faced po- tential state groundwater extraction fees and an order to install water meters to re- port annual pumping. deficiencies in a regional plan to protect groundwater supplies. Superior Court Judge Kathy Ciuffini sided with the plaintiffs. She issued a temporary restraining order halting state water board orders that would have imposed new regu- latory burdens on farmers operating in the Tulare Lake Subbasin. of legal challenges over the subbasin’s probationary status.

The Kings County Farm Bureau and two local farmers filed suit May 15 to block the subbasin’s probationary designation— which marked the first such state designa- tion for failing to meet early requirements of California’s Sustainable Groundwater Management Act, or SGMA. In a July 11 ruling, Kings County

“The judge’s decision to issue the TRO gives us great hope that receiving a tempo- rary injunction in August is a real possibili- ty,” said Dusty Ference, executive director of the Kings County Farm Bureau. Under the probation declaration, the state ordered growers to install meters on irrigation wells if they had extracted more than 500 acre-feet of water between Oct. 1, 2022, and Sept. 30, 2023, or anticipated exceeding that amount in the same period this year. Groundwater extractors in the sub- basin also faced annual fees of $300 per well and $20 per acre-foot pumped, plus late reporting fees of 25%, under require- ments that they file yearly groundwater extraction reports. The Kings County Farm Bureau said the temporary restraining order means growers in the subbasin are not required to meter or record groundwater pumping information until further notice. In explaining her ruling, Ciuffini said a July 15 deadline for Kings County land- owners to begin complying with the state’s water metering order was untenable. “The plaintiffs have made a reasonable request to delay the July 15 deadline, and the board either cannot or will not act,” Ciuffini said in court, the SJV Water news site reported. “They have shown that this is a true emergency, and they will suffer irreparable harm if the measuring and re- porting requirements start today. There is no doubt in my mind they will suffer fi- nancial losses.” In its lawsuit, the Kings County Farm Bureau said the state water board’s pro- bation decision is “an act of state over- reach that exceeds the board’s authority under SGMA.” The suit said the state actions threaten “to devastate the Tulare Lake Subbasin and the Kings County economy.” It argued that the water board “is proposing to ex- tract tens of millions of dollars directly from landowners in the Tulare Lake Subbasin to carry out this expansion of authority.” Other plaintiffs in the lawsuit are grow- ers Julie Martella and Helen Sullivan. Kings County agriculture, valued at $2.6 billion, is the region’s largest econom- ic sector and accounts for $33 million in property taxes, Ference said. The Tulare Lake Subbasin includes five groundwater sustainability agen- cies: South Fork Kings, Mid-Kings River, El Rico, Tri-County Water Authority and Southwest Kings. The agencies developed a single groundwater sustainability plan for the subbasin. The state water board has notified five other subbasins—Tule, Kaweah, Kern County, Delta-Mendota and Chowchilla— that their plans to bring critically overdraft- ed groundwater aquifers into balance are inadequate. The board is due to decide later this year or early next year on wheth- er to place any of those subbasins under probationary status.

The California State Water Resources Control Board on April 16 placed the Tulare Lake Subbasin, which spans Kings County, on probation for failing to correct

Ciuffini scheduled a hearing for Aug. 20 at 1:30 p.m. on whether to grant a pre- liminary injunction that could block fur- ther state actions pending the outcome

6 Ag Alert July 24, 2024

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State growers cheer tariff decision on Spanish olives Existing U.S. antidumping and counter- vailing duties on Spanish ripe olives will re- main in place, the U.S. International Trade Commission has determined. Spain’s highly subsidized olives are sold into the U.S. at artificially low prices, flood- ing the U.S. market and undercutting do- mestic producers.

The two rulings extend the tariffs for another five years. The five-year “sunset review” is required under U.S. trade law. In a statement, Glenn County table ol- ive grower Michael Silveira, who serves as chairman of the Olive Growers Council of California, said the U.S. government and court systems have repeatedly confirmed that Spain continues to benefit from unfair European Union subsidies while dumping its ripe olives in the U.S. market.

“If it weren’t for the U.S. government’s ongoing (antidumping and countervail- ing) orders on Spanish olives, American table olive production and hundreds of family farmers and allied jobs would be in serious jeopardy,” he said. Since imposition of the duties, the EU has worked to overturn the orders by taking the case to the World Trade Organization. In the fall of 2021, the WTO ruled that the U.S. may maintain some countervail- ing duties on Spanish olives but said it needed to bring its measures in line with WTO tariff and trade rules. The Commerce Department responded last year by scaling back rates of the countervailing duties. The growers council said the tariffs al- low California table olive farmers time to reinvest in modern farming techniques. Musco Family Olive Co. in Tracy, one of two remaining major table olive proces- sors left in the state, has tried to help table olive growers transition to new plantings that can be mechanically harvested. California table olive bearing acreage in 2023 stood at 12,400, up from 12,000 in 2022.

In a five-year review, the commission voted unanimously last week to keep the tariffs, first imposed in 2018. It said revok- ing them would likely lead to continuation or recurrence of material injury. California table olive growers praised the vote. For years, they have argued that

The commission’s vote comes after the U.S. Department of Commerce made a similar determination in late 2023. In that decision, the department said revoking the duties would lead to a recurrence of dumping margins as high as 25.5% and 13.9%, respectively.

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1 For commercial use only. Customer participation subject to credit qualification and approval by CNH Industrial Capital America LLC. See your participating New Holland dealer for details and eligibility requirements. Eligible equipment limited to dealer inventory in stock. Previous retail sales are not eligible. Down payment may be required. Offer good through July 31, 2024. Not all customers or applicants may qualify for this rate or term. CNH Industrial Capital America LLC standard terms and conditions will apply. This transaction will be unconditionally interest free. ²For commercial use only. See your participating New Holland dealer for details and eligibility requirements. Cash back applied at time of sale. Offer is nontransferable. Offer ends July 31, 2024. Offer subject to change or cancellation without notice. ©2024 CNH Industrial America LLC. All rights reserved. CNH Capital and New Holland are trademarks registered in the United States and many other countries, owned by or licensed to CNH Industrial N.V., its subsidiaries or affiliates. 1 For commercial use only. Customer participation subject to credit qualification and approval by CNH Industrial Capital America LLC. See your participating New Holland dealer for details and eligibility requirements. Eligible equipment limited to dealer inventory in stock. Previous retail sales are not eligible. Down payment may be required. Offer good through July 31, 2024. Not all customers or applicants may qualify for this rate or term. CNH Industrial Capital America LLC standard terms and conditions will apply. This transaction will be unconditionally interest free. ²For commercial use only. See your participating New Holland dealer for details and eligibility requirements. Cash back applied at time of sale. Offer is nontransferable. Offer ends July 31, 2024. Offer subject to change or cancellation without notice. ©2024 CNH Industrial America LLC. All rights reserved. CNH Capital and New Holland are trademarks registered in the United States and many other countries, owned by or licensed to CNH Industrial N.V., its subsidiaries or affiliates.

@cabountiful

8 Ag Alert July 24, 2024

Drones Continued from Page 3

aphid predator, and the thrip-destroying minute pirate bug are often found in insec- tary strips. However, their naturally occur- ring numbers are too small to be realistically used as a biological control. Therefore, the drone program will examine if small releas- es of the beneficial insects into insectary strips help boost and sustain a larger aphid midge or minute pirate bug population. Ice plant, a ubiquitous succulent that often borders cropland on the Central Coast, provides another opportunity to

establish a population of thrip-battling beneficial insects. A drone-based exper- iment to deploy cucumeris mites and minute pirate bugs will study if the pred- ators can survive in ice plant and provide long-term thrip protection. Organic farmers and early IPM adopt- ers already use biological controls on their farms, but the tactic is limited to small- scale applications, often done by hand. Mites or lacewings could require hun- dreds of thousands of insects per acre at

the price of double-digit dollars per acre, Grettenberger said. Drones may be the way to make benefi- cial insects feasible at a large scale. “Drones are a tool, a natural enemy de- ployment tool,” Grettenberger said. “This technology could open up the options to use natural enemies at a larger scale.” (Caitlin Fillmore is a reporter based in Monterey County. She may be contacted at cslhfillmore@gmail.com.)

Abrams emphasized the drone study is still early in its design, and she is exploring variables such as rate of beneficial insects released per acre and age of the plants being treated. Abrams coordinates her research with Parabug, which owns and pilots the drones. “It’s really important for people to al- ways be forward-looking,” Grettenberger said. “To play catch-up is too late, especial- ly in the vegetable industry.” In addition to inundating fields with lab- raised predatory insects, drone technology may also support existing insectary strips. The strips use flowers such as sweet alys- sum to nurture beneficial insects and were historically the only way to attract species such as the syrphid fly to crop fields. The flies, also called hoverflies or flower flies, can eat more than 100 aphids daily. Like syrphid flies, the aphid midge, an Robotic weeders touted as efficient farming solution By Bob Johnson Central Coast vegetable growers are leading the way in adopting new smart technology to save on labor costs. Lettuce grow-

ers widely employ smart-technology cultivators that use cameras and software to remove weeds within the seed line

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

without damaging the crop. “Probably half the growers in the Salinas Valley are using robotic weeders,” Mark Mason, manager of Salinas-based Huntington Farms, noted during the 2024 Automated Technology Field Day at Hartnell College in Salinas. Smart technology that allows weeders to quickly remove weeds within the seed line is just a little more than a decade old. But at the June 27 gathering, representatives for 13 companies turned out to demonstrate high-tech cultivators at work on a weed-in- fested field of lettuce seedlings. The machines kill weeds using a wide variety of methods, including cultivators, herbicides, lasers, steam or hot vegetable oil. They use cameras aided by software to distinguish crops from weeds. Foreign manufacturers attending the technology event said they believe the Central Coast vegetable region is the strongest potential market for their robot- ic weeders. “We just sell in California,” said Sam Lockwood, vice president of technical projects and support for New Zealand- based Weed Spider. The agriculture-tech demonstrations, sponsored by the University of California Cooperative Extension, reflected con- tinuing efforts by the Western Growers See TECHNOLOGY, Page 14

July 24, 2024 Ag Alert 9

CALIFORNIA

Vegetables A SPECIAL GROWERS’ REPORT OF AG ALERT ®

USDA facility to enhance crop production research By Bob Johnson New greenhouses at the Sam Farr Crop Improvement and Protection Research Center in Salinas will be used to conduct fruit and vegetable research. At left, research is underway to develop strawberry varieties with resistance to fusarium wilt, a soil-borne disease.

impatiens necrotic spot virus, or INSV, a plant disease spread by thrips that has seriously impacted Salinas Valley lettuce crops in recent years. Richardson noted they have made progress in identifying genetic materials that show resistance to INSV. In addition to INSV, researchers are studying lettuce fusarium, which moved five years ago from warmer regions to the Salinas area. “We have a changing pathogen population,” Richardson said. “We have something new in California fields.” Over time, officials say the facility will play a leading role in developing fumigant alterna- tives to methyl bromide in strawberries and vegetables. Researchers there will also under- take studies to boost organic agriculture production and develop methods for weed control. With lettuce breeding already focused on yield and disease resistance, Gail Taylor, University of California, Davis, executive dean of life sciences, said the center uses plant breeding to help increase product shelf life, bolster food safety and reduce waste . She said researchers are studying small epidermal cells, speedy stomata and deep-green leaves for their correlation with extended lettuce shelf life. “There’s good reason to believe we can breed for these traits,” Taylor said. Researchers are also breeding for a diverse microbiome, with the hope that future gen- erations of lettuce varieties will reduce food safety issues, she said.

The new Sam Farr Crop Improvement and Protection Research Center in Salinas is ex- pected to cement the region’s place as a hub for improving fruit and vegetable production.

Opened in November, the 117,000-square-foot facility features state-of-the-art laboratories and greenhouses where scientists work to solve some of the most pressing problems facing farmers. Six new greenhouses came online in May. While much of the research is focused on finding sources of resis- tance to important crop diseases, work is also being done to enhance postharvest quality, improve food safety, produce healthier vegeta-

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

bles, and breed crops that use water and nitrogen more efficiently. The research center is an expansion of a U.S. Department of Agriculture research labora- tory that has been at the site since the end of World War II. The new building was conceived in 2004 by USDA Salinas station coordinator Jim McCreight and houses employees from USDA and the University of California, Davis. “We can do more of the research, and we can do it more efficiently,” Kelley Richardson, a USDA research plant geneticist, said during an open house and tour in June. “Our capacity has increased.” The gathering served as an opportunity to outline spinach and lettuce research that will continue at the center and statewide. For example, scientists at the center are taking aim at

See RESEARCH, Page 11

10 Ag Alert July 24, 2024

Research Continued from Page 10

“We’ve identified some leaf surface traits we think are associated with the microbi- ome,” Taylor said. Renee Eriksen, a USDA plant physiol- ogist, said research on plant polyphenols in lettuce that offer anti-fungal and an- ti-bacterial benefits may help humans prevent diseases such as colon cancer and Alzheimer’s. Other researchers offered insights on attempts to breed lettuce that is more effi- cient in using water and nitrogen. “We want to identify plants with high nitrogen concentration that will turn car- bon into more plant mass,” said David Still, California State University, Pomona, pro- fessor of plant sciences. Still’s lab is screening lettuce types to find those that fare best with lim- ited nitrogen applications and under drought conditions. “The lettuce cultivars we have now have shallow roots,” he said. “We want to select for more root biomass.” Charlie Brummer, director of the UC Davis Center for Plant Breeding, dis- cussed efforts to breed improved spin- ach varieties. “Some of our lines have quite low cad- mium uptake and might be good candi- dates for breeding,” Brummer said. Some spinach varieties take up cadmium

Opened in November, the Sam Farr Crop Improvement and Protection Research Center in Salinas is operated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and is one of 49 research units at 21 locations in eight western states.

easily, and when grown in the wrong soil, the metal can reach toxic concentrations, he said. One of the greatest challenges facing spinach growers is downy mildew be- cause of its ability to evolve new races in a moist microclimate of densely packed, sprinkler-irrigated plots used to grow clipped spinach. “We are making some progress toward broad spectrum mildew resistance,” Brummer said. Lettuce downy mildew, like its spin- ach counterpart, can evolve to overcome variety genetic resistance, said Richard Michelmore, founding director of the UC Davis Genome Center.

“As plant breeders, we need to be aware of variations in the pathogen and adjust our resistance genes,” he said. During decades of working with lettuce downy mildew, Michelmore has seen re- searchers discover new sources of genetic resistance, only to have the mildew evolve to overcome the genetic resistance. “We need to slow down the boom-and- bust cycle,” he said. “The genetic and mo- lecular resources for stable resistance are increasingly available.” In addition to studying disease resis- tance, Michelmore said researchers will need to develop lettuce varieties amena- ble to machine harvest and able to use

phosphate more efficiently. “The world is running out of phosphate,” he said. “We’ve got to be more efficient.” The research center is dedicated to retired lawmaker Sam Farr, who rep- resented the Central Coast in the U.S. House of Representatives for more than 23 years from 1993 to 2016. Farr also served six years as a member of the Monterey County Board of Supervisors and 12 years in the California State Assembly. He led the charge for the new research facilities. (Bob Johnson is a reporter in Monterey County. He may be contacted at bjohn11135@gmail.com.)

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July 24, 2024 Ag Alert 11

CIMIS REPORT | www.cimis.water.ca.gov

CALIFORNIA IRRIGATION MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEM

For the week of July 11 - July 17, 2024

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)

IMPERIAL (87)

THIS YEAR LAST YEAR AVG. YEAR % FROM AVG.

1.82 1.82 1.82 0

1.76 1.87 1.82 -2

1.88 1.94 1.89 -2

1.87 1.90 1.83 2

2.08 2.10 2.03 4

1.57 1.56 1.40 11

2.04 2.00 2.03 0

1.99 2.41 2.07 -4

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 irrigation water. Contact Richard Snyder at the University of California, 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. ETo information is provided by the California Irrigation Man- agement 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

ENTER YOUR PHOTO! Open now through September 22

Prizes 1st place $1,000 2nd place $500 3rd place $250 People’s Choice $100 Honorable Mentions $50 (six winners)

Enter up to fi ve high-resolution photos for the general contest and one photo for the People’s Choice category at cfbf.com/photocontest. Submit photos of fresh food, rural scenery, animals, crops, harvests, life, work, family or any inspiring photo captured on the farm or ranch.

Budding Artists (ages 13 & younger) 1st place $250 2nd place $100

Voting for the People’s Choice category will be open from Sept. 24–30.

The contest is open to amateur photographers who are Farm Bureau members. Participants who are not Farm Bureau members can visit cfbf.com/join to learn about becoming a member. Go to cfbf.com/photocontest for contest rules.

2023 1st place winner Cayden Pricolo, Merced County

12 Ag Alert July 24, 2024

Agricultural Heritage Club honors legacy farms, ranches

Five California farms and ranches were inducted last week into the California Agricultural Heritage Club, which recog- nizes pioneering farms, ranches and agri- cultural businesses in continuous opera- tion in the state for 100 years or more. Two ranches honored during the induc- tion ceremony at the California Exposition and State Fair have been in existence for more than 150 years. They include Thompson Ranch, which was established in Lassen County in 1871 by Irish immigrant George Thompson and his wife, May Thompson, of New York. After his death, she took over ranch op- erations with their then-13-year-old son, Jim Thompson. The 4,400-acre ranch, with nearly 500 head of cattle, has entered its sixth generation. “I have to say the first three generations had it a lot tougher than the last three,” said Bill Thompson Jr., the fourth-generation operator, in accepting the Ag Heritage Club award with his son, Sam Thompson, and granddaughter, Lindlee Thompson. The Morehead-Hill-Baker Ranch in Butte County was also honored for 150 years in business. The ranch, located outside of Chico, was founded in 1872 by James John Morehead, who came to

California from West Virginia and became a beef and wheat producer. The operation now grows almonds. Honored among the farms and ranches that have passed the century mark is Scott Brothers Dairy. The operation has more than 1,000 head of cattle in San Jacinto in Riverside County and a dairy produc- tion facility and creamery in Chino in San Bernardino County. The business was founded in 1913 by Ira Scott, who arrived from Iowa. His sons and grandchildren later took charge of two dairies in Pomona before operations were moved. “I think back many times, when I’m taking that milk tanker to Chino, of my great-grandfather in 1913, who came out from Waterloo, Iowa, in a railcar with four Guernsey cows and a couple chickens,” said Brad Scott, the current dairy farm manager and fourth-generation operator. “I sure wish my great-grandfather would be here today to see how the industry has changed,” he said at the Ag Heritage Club induction ceremony. Also inducted were businesses that have been in existance for 100 years or more. These honors include Ocean Mist Farms in Castroville in Monterey County. The com-

Jill Scott, second from left, Sally Scott and Brad Scott were recognized by the California Agricultural Heritage Club for Scott Brothers Dairy, founded in 1913. At far left and far right are Rina DiMare and Arturo Barajas, members of the California Exposition and State Fair Board of Directors.

pany is the largest grower and shipper of fresh artichokes in North America. The venture began in 1924 when Italian immigrants Daniel Pieri and cous- ins Amerigo and Angelo Del Chiaros launched the California Artichoke and Vegetable Growers Corporation. They partnered with a local vegetable grower, Alfred Tottino, and leased property south of Castroville. Ocean Mist now farms lettuce in Salinas and Coachella, and artichokes in Castroville, Oxnard and Coachella, and

in Yuma, Arizona, and Northern Baja California, Mexico. Silva Ranches was also honored for 100 years. The business is a fourth-gen- eration beef-cattle operation in Herald in Sacramento County. It was founded by Portuguese immigrant Faustino Silva in 1919 and later managed by Silva’s son, Gary Silva Sr. Today, Gary Silva Jr. manages the ranch with his wife, Tracy Silva. Their children, Justin and Alexis Silva, grew up working on the ranch, where the family still lives.

EXCELLENCE IN AGRICULTURE AWARD, ACHIEVEMENT AWARD & DISCUSSION MEET COMPETITION

California Farm Bureau is excited to recognize farmers, ranchers, and agriculturalists between the ages of 18-35 for their impact on the agriculture field! Apply TODAY for a YF&R Award! • The Achievement Award recognizes members for their achievements in production agriculture and leadership. • The Excellence in Agriculture Award recognizes members who are actively contributing and growing through involvement in Farm Bureau and the agriculture industry. • The Discussion Meet Competition is designed to simulate a committee meeting where discussion and active participation are expected from each participant at the table. Visit CFBF.com/YFR to learn more and apply. Deadlines for Applications: Achievement and Excellence in Agriculture Awards are due by August 31. Discussion Meet competition is due by October 31.

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Modesto Honda Of Modesto 209-529-5424 www.hkmodesto.com Red Bluff Red Bluff Motorsports 530-527-1466 www.redbluffmotorsports.com

powersports.honda.com PIONEER 1000 IS ONLY FOR DRIVERS 16 YEARS AND OLDER. MULTI-PURPOSE UTILITY VEHICLES (SIDE-BY-SIDES) CAN BE HAZARDOUS TO OPERATE. FOR YOUR SAFETY, DRIVE RESPONSIBLY. ALWAYS WEAR A HELMET, EYE PROTECTION AND APPROPRIATE CLOTHING. ALWAYS WEAR YOUR SEAT BELT, AND KEEP THE SIDE NETS AND DOORS CLOSED. AVOID EXCESSIVE SPEEDS AND BE CAREFUL ON DIFFICULT TERRAIN. WE RECOMMEND THAT YOU COMPLETE THE RECREATIONAL OFFHIGHWAY VEHICLE (ROV) E-COURSE. THE FREE COURSE IS AVAILABLE AT WWW. ROHVA.ORG. READ THE OWNER’S MANUAL BEFORE OPERATING THE VEHICLE. NEVER DRIVE AFTER CONSUMING DRUGS OR ALCOHOL, OR ON PUBLIC ROADS. DRIVER AND PASSENGERS MUST BE TALL ENOUGH FOR SEAT BELT TO FIT PROPERLY AND TO BRACE THEMSELVES WITH BOTH FEET FIRMLY ON THE FLOOR. PASSENGER MUST BE ABLE TO GRASP THE HAND HOLD WITH THE SEAT BELT ON AND BOTH FEET ON THE FLOOR. RESPECT THE ENVIRONMENT WHEN DRIVING. Pioneer® is a registered trademark of Honda Motor Co., Ltd. ©2022 American Honda Motor Co., Inc. (08/22) powersports.honda.com PIONEER 1000 IS ONLY FOR DRIVERS 16 YEARS AND OLDER. MULTI-PURPOSE UTILITY VEHICLES (SIDE-BY-SIDES) CAN BE HAZARDOUS TO OPERATE. FOR YOUR SAFETY, DRIVE RESPONSIBLY. ALWAYS WEAR A HELMET, EYE PROTECTION AND APPROPRIATE CLOTHING. ALWAYS WEAR YOUR SEAT BELT, AND KEEP THE SIDE NETS AND DOORS CLOSED. AVOID EXCESSIVE SPEEDS AND BE CAREFUL ON DIFFICULT TERRAIN. WE RECOMMEND THAT YOU COMPLETE THE RECREATIONAL OFFHIGHWAY VEHICLE (ROV) E-COURSE. THE FREE COURSE IS AVAILABLE AT WWW. ROHVA.ORG. READ THE OWNER’S MANUAL BEFORE OPERATING THE VEHICLE. NEVER DRIVE AFTER CONSUMING DRUGS OR ALCOHOL, OR ON PUBLIC ROADS. DRIVER AND PASSENGERS MUST BE TALL ENOUGH FOR SEAT BELT TO FIT PROPERLY AND TO BRACE THEMSELVES WITH BOTH FEET FIRMLY ON THE FLOOR. PASSENGER MUST BE ABLE TO GRASP THE HAND HOLD WITH THE SEAT BELT ON AND BOTH FEET ON THE FLOOR. RESPECT THE ENVIRONMENT WHEN DRIVING. Pioneer® is a registered trademark of Honda Motor Co., Ltd. ©2022 American Honda Motor Co., Inc. (08/22) July 24, 2024 Ag Alert 13 powersports.honda.com PIONEER 1000 IS ONLY FOR DRIVERS 16 YEARS AND OLDER. MULTI-PURPOSE UTILITY VEHICLES (SIDE-BY-SIDES) CAN BE HAZARDOUS TO OPERATE. FOR YOUR SAFETY, DRIVE RESPONSIBLY. ALWAYS WEAR A HELMET, EYE PROTECTION AND APPROPRIATE CLOTHING. ALWAYS WEAR YOUR SEAT BELT, AND KEEP THE SIDE NETS AND DOORS CLOSED. AVOID EXCESSIVE SPEEDS AND BE CAREFUL ON DIFFICULT TERRAIN. WE RECOMMEND THAT YOU COMPLETE THE RECREATIONAL OFFHIGHWAY VEHICLE (ROV) E-COURSE. THE FREE COURSE IS AVAILABLE AT WWW.ROHVA.ORG. READ THE OWNER’S MANUAL BEFORE OPERATING THE VEHICLE. NEVER DRIVE AFTER CONSUMING DRUGS OR ALCOHOL, OR ON PUBLIC ROADS. DRIVER AND PASSENGERS MUST BE TALL ENOUGH FOR SEAT BELT TO FIT PROPERLY AND TO BRACE THEMSELVES WITH BOTH FEET FIRMLY ON THE FLOOR. PASSENGER MUST BE ABLE TO GRASP THE HAND HOLD WITH THE SEAT BELT ON AND BOTH FEET ON THE FLOOR. RESPECT THE ENVIRONMENT WHEN DRIVING. Pioneer® is a registered trademark of Honda Motor Co., Ltd. ©2022 American Honda Motor Co., Inc. (08/22) powersports.honda.com PIONEER 1000 IS ONLY FOR DRIVERS 16 YEARS AND OLDER. MULTI-PURPOSE UTILITY VEHICLES (SIDE-BY-SIDES) CAN BE HAZARDOUS TO OPERATE. FOR YOUR SAFETY, DRIVE RESPONSIBLY. ALWAYS WEAR A HELMET, EYE PROTECTION AND APPROPRIATE CLOTHING. ALWAYS WEAR YOUR SEAT BELT, AND KEEP THE SIDE NETS AND DOORS CLOSED. AVOID EXCESSIVE SPEEDS AND BE CAREFUL ON DIFFICULT TERRAIN. WE RECOMMEND THAT YOU COMPLETE THE RECREATIONAL OFFHIGHWAY VEHICLE (ROV) E-COURSE. THE FREE COURSE IS AVAILABLE AT WWW. ROHVA.ORG. READ THE OWNER’S MANUAL BEFORE OPERATING THE VEHICLE. NEVER DRIVE AFTER CONSUMING DRUGS OR ALCOHOL, OR ON PUBLIC ROADS. DRIVER AND PASSENGERS MUST BE TALL ENOUGH FOR SEAT BELT TO FIT PROPERLY AND TO BRACE THEMSELVES WITH BOTH FEET FIRMLY ON THE FLOOR. PASSENGER MUST BE ABLE TO GRASP THE HAND HOLD WITH THE SEAT BELT ON AND BOTH FEET ON THE FLOOR. RESPECT THE ENVIRONMENT WHEN DRIVING. Pioneer® is a registered trademark of Honda Motor Co., Ltd. ©2022 American Honda Motor Co., Inc. (08/22)

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