NEWS BRIEFS
Grape acreage declines California was home to 895,000 acres of grapevines in 2020, continuing a slight downward trendover the preceding cou- ple of years, according to the California Department of Food and Agriculture. The figures represents a 2.5% de- cline from the 918,000 acres in 2019, which itself was down from 925,000 acres in 2018.
Of the total grape acreage in 2020, 844,000 were bearing acres, with the re- mainder being non-bearing, according to the report. Winegrapes comprised 620,000 of the total grape acreage, according to CDFA; raisin grapes accounted for 145,000 acres and table grapes totaled 130,000 acres. The most widely planted winegrape varieties were chardonnay and caber-
net sauvignon, whereas flame seedless was the top table-grape variety and raisin farmers continued to favor the Thompson seedless. CDFA and the Pac i f i c Reg i ona l Of f i ce o f the U. S. Depar tment o f Agr icul ture Nat ional Agr icul tural Statistics Service surveyed California grape growers in October to compile the report. The survey was funded by an assessment on winegrapes, along
with funding from the California Table Grape Commission and the Raisin Administrative Committee. The full report is available at www. nass.usda.gov/ca.
Almond acrease rises
Two estimates agree that California farmers will grow almonds on about 1.3 million acres in 2021. The U.S. Department of Agriculture reported last week a preliminary 2021 estimate of 1.33million acres of bearing almond trees. That would be about a 6% increase from the 1.25 million bearing acres in 2020. A s e p a r a t e e s t ima t e f r om t h e Sacramento-based research and con- sulting firm Land IQ put this year ’s bearing acreage at a nearly identical 1.32 million. The Almond Board of California said the acreage reports point to continued increases in almond production in coming years. “Demand has consistently been very strong during this crop year with global shipments YTD (August 2020–March 2021) up 17.7%, as production crossed the 3 billion pound threshold for the first time,” board President and CEO Richard Waycott said. The first estimate of 2021 almond product ion, known as the subjec- tive estimate, will be issued May 12. USDA, which produces the estimates, will release its objective almond report July 12. Citrus liaisons sought People wi th knowledge of ci trus production, grove operations and the relationships among farmers, ship- pers and allied businesses may apply to serve as grower liaisons in eight re- gions of California. The Citrus Pest & Disease Prevention Programsaid the CaliforniaDepartment of Food and Agriculture is accepting proposals for contractors to act as liai- sons. The CPDPP described the liaisons as integral in the fight to protect citrus from the Asian citrus psyllid and the HLB plant disease it carries. The liaisons will assume responsibili- ties that include direct outreach to farm- ers, providing information and regulato- ry updates, and describing voluntary or mandatory pest treatments. Grower liaison positions are open to serve Fresno andMadera counties; Kern County; northern Tulare County; south- ern Tulare County; northern Ventura County; southern Ventura County; San Bernardino County; and San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties. Proposals for each of the positions will be accepted through May 10. The CPDPP said a pest control advisor’s li- cense is “desirable but not required” for the positions. More informationmay be foundon the CPDPP website, citrusinsider.org.
The scientific explanation. Calcium is a critical element for fruit development. A calcium deficiency in plants results in dividing cells being unable to stay bound together. This causes poor quality in grapes such as dieback of growing tips of roots and leaves, internal fruit decay and blossom end rot.
ENCOURAGE NANOCAL is a unique formulation of calcium carbonate. ® ®
Typical calcium soil additives have particle sizes of up to 200 microns, too big to be readily absorbed by roots. NANOCAL is milled to less than one micron. This greatly expands the calcium surface area, and allows more particles in solution, providing a denser field of calcium particles for uptake.
Proof of Performance:
Foliar-applied calcium does not translocate to fruit.
The only efficient way to move calcium into developing grapes is through root uptake. Soil-applied NANOCAL’s particle size allows immediate movement into the meristematic region of growing roots. TransXylem ™ technology translocates the calcium throughout the plant to rapidly dividing cells in the developing grapes.
Better quality fruit.
Soil-applied NANOCAL calcium particles are immediately available to developing fruit. Benefits of improved calcium uptake include: • Reduction in calcium-deficiency quality issues • Improved shelf life and storability • Better uniformity at maturity • Increased firmness • Increased yield Learn more at oroagriusa.com ENCOURAGE NANOCAL is a proprietary trademark of Oro Agri Inc. Always read and follow label directions.
12 Ag Alert April 28, 2021
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