Knapp said the “long-term goal is to increase the economic sustainability of strawberry fruit and nursery stock production under increasing patho- gen pressure.” “The elimination of methyl bromide fumigation,” he said, “has threatened the economic outlook for strawberry grow- ers and created an urgent need for the development and deployment of culti- vars resistant to soil-borne and above- ground pathogens that cause losses in both fumigated and nonfumigated pro- duction systems.” The grant has also allowed the UC sys- tem to train 110 strawberry researchers while improving breeding materials. “Training the next generation is an im- portant part of what we do,” Knapp said. Current strawberry breeding re- search is focused on disease resistance, but also aims to make the crop viable in other ways. “One of the first traits we focused on was resistance to fusarium, which is a problem now,” Cole said, adding re- searchers did their first sets of cross breedings in 2016. Fusarium is one of the diseases that has become more troublesome in straw- berries since fumigation with methyl bromide was phased out because it is an ozone depleter. Strawberries Continued from Page 7
bromide. But breeders are also looking to come up with generally better berries. “There’s more than just diseases; there’s also yield, taste and plant archi- tecture,” Cole said. One of the numbered variet- ies—16C108P060—had 48% better yields than Monterey in 2020 and 14% better in 2021. This promising variety has improved resistance to fusarium, verticillium, phy- tophthora and macrophomina. It has superior firmness and good brix levels, though not quite as high as Monterey. “It has broad adaptability and good yield performance in Santa Maria, Watsonville and Oxnard,” the breeders wrote in a summary. Although all five experimental varieties showed promise, especially in the areas of disease resistance and yield, only a few of them will make it through to commer- cial release. (Bob Johnson is a reporter in Monterey County. He may be contacted at bjohn11135@gmail.com.)
Steve Knapp, director of the University of California, Davis, strawberry breeding program, says growers are looking for varieties to resist pathogens that used to be handled with methyl bromide.
Resistant varieties are essential be- cause once fusarium is in the ground, fungicides do not help, and the patho- gens remain viable for many years. The five experimental varieties are all rated as resistant or moderately resistant to fusarium, while Monterey is suscepti- ble to the disease. “Probably 95% of the plants in the trial are fusarium resistant,” Cole said. “We are also working on verticillium and macro- phomina resistance.” Fusarium causes wilting and stunting
that is particularly severe in plants carry- ing a heavy fruit load. The search continues for genetic sources of resistance to macrophomi- na charcoal rot, the second soil-borne disease that has spread without methyl
State awards $66 million for farm, rangelands projects
The California Department of Food and Agriculture has awarded $66 million in grants to fund 940 projects under its Healthy Soils Program. According to CDFA, the projects will cover 82,000 acres of California agricul- tural and rangelands and are aimed at im- proving soil health, sequestering carbon and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The projects receiving fund- ing are listed online at cdfa.ca.gov/ oefi/healthysoils/docs/ 2021-HSPIncentive-SelectedProjects.pdf. The Healthy Soils Program incentivizes carbon-capturing practices that provide additional benefits such as improving wa- ter retention and water quality. The latest grants bring the total award- ed for Healthy Soils projects to more than $107 million since the program began
in 2017, with funded projects covering 136,254 acres of agricultural land. In April, the program awarded $1.1 mil- lion in demonstration project grants. Those fund on-farm initiatives that showcase con- servation management practices that curb emissions and increase soil health. The Healthy Soils Program is part of California Climate Investments, a state- wide initiative that uses money raised by the state’s cap-and-trade emissions offsets program for projects that improve public health and the environment. Other California Climate Investment projects include affordable housing, re- newable energy, public transportation, zero-emission vehicles, environmental restoration and sustainable agriculture For more information, visit caclimateinvestments.ca.gov.
The Produce Safety Rule is Here; ARE YOU READY?
Farm Employers Labor Service (FELS), an a liated company of the California Farm Bureau (CAFB), has partnered with the Safe Food Alliance through a California Department of Food and Agriculture grant contract, as their designated training provider for Central and Southern California, to conduct the required Produce Safety training for growers. Presented in a free two-day remote delivery webinar format! What sets Safe Food Alliance, FELS, and Farm Bureau apart is their total of over 100 years of experience and our dedication to providing technical guidance and leadership to the California agriculture community. Most farms are required to have at least one designated supervisor who has been trained in accordance with the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Produce Safety rule. Upon completion of the course, attendees will receive an o cial certi cate from the Association of Food & Drug O cials.
-Reduce Toxins, pH, Scale, Corrosion, Iron Bacteria -Increase Life & GPM -24/7 Well Treatment -Nitrogen Management “The solution to your water problems.”
Our patented, computerized technology changes the molecular structure of water, soil, and tissue.
The Food Safety Training Partnership is offering these training courses throughout California. You can find more information and register at foodsafetytrainingpartnership.com, or call 916-561-5672. Supported by California Department of Food and Agriculture
(559) 645-1462 www.waterchangers.com
8 Ag Alert July 6, 2022
Powered by FlippingBook