The annual Statewide Pistachio Day will be held on Wednesday January 29^th, 2014 at the Visalia Convention Center. Each year Pistachio Day is organized by University of California Cooperative Extension Specialists, Farm Advisors, and the California Pistachio Research Board to bring pistachio growers the latest research-based production practices. Pistachio Day is attended by prospective and current pistachio growers, production managers, and pest control consultants.

Presenters will provide up to date information on a wide range of topics including:

   - Pest, disease, and nutrient management

   - Pistachio varieties and rootstocks grown in California

   - The pistachio collection at the USDA Germplasm Repository

 

 

 

 

Register today or submit a sponsorship application to reserve your spot.

Check the main Pistachio Day website soon for information about PCA and continuing education credits. 

 

 

Post By:

Carlos H. Crisosto

Director of UC Fruit & Nut Research and Information Center

Department of Plant Sciences

University of California, Davis

chcrisosto@ucdavis.edu

 

Minimum maturity is based on skin color changes from green to orange or reddish-orange for ‘Hachiya’ or to yellowish-green or yellow for ‘Fuyu,’ ‘California Fuyu,’ and ‘Jiro.’  Optimum storage conditions are 32 + 2^oF fruit temperature and 90-95% air relative humidity.  Postharvest life under optimum ethylene-free air storage conditions can be up to 3 months vs. 5 months in optimum, ethylene-free CA conditions. ‘Fuyu’ and similar non-astringent cultivars are chilling-sensitive at temperatures between 41^o and 59^oF (5^o and 15^oC) and will exhibit flesh browning and fast softening. Persimmons are very sensitive to ethylene action and exposure to ethylene aggravates chilling injury at these temperatures.  Exposure to 1 ppm and 10 ppm ethylene at 20^oC (68^oF) accelerates softening to less than 4 lb-force (limit of marketability) after 6 and 2 days, respectively. Thus, ethylene removal and/or exclusion from transport and storage facilities are highly recommended. I have seen good protection against ethylene by using 1-MCP.

Post by:

Carlos H. Crisosto

Director of UC Fruit & Nut Research & Information Center

Department of Plant Sciences

University of California, Davis

chcrisosto@ucdavis.edu

 

 

Throughout my career I have been publishing the Central Valley Postharvest Newsletter (CVPN) maintained at the UC KARE and the UC Davis Postharvest Center web sites:

• http://kare.ucanr.edu/programs/Postharvest_for_fruits_and_nuts/
• http://postharvest.ucdavis.edu/

The CVPN has been published three times per year and contains important summaries of information on the predominant commodity harvested at that time. I compiled twenty years of CVPN issues, and other pre- and postharvest articles relevant to our fresh fruit growers, packers, shippers and handlers, in a searchable pdf file for distribution to our industry.  If you would like an electronic copy please send me an e-mail at chcrisosto@ucdavis.edu.

I am slowly adding new ways to reach my clientele. For example, I plan to publish the CVPN as a blog with the help of the UC Fruit and Nut Research and Information Center (http://fruitsandnuts.ucdavis.edu/) and UC KARE. Check the FNRIC home page for regular updates and summaries of ongoing research.

Here is a list of websites that I have found to be an excellent source of postharvest information:  

• http://www.ba.ars.usda.gov/hb66/index.html - A draft version of the forthcoming revision to USDA Agricultural Handbook 66 (Commercial Storage of Fruits, Vegetables and Florist and Nursery Stocks)
• http://www.fao.org/inpho/ - Postharvest information site of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
• http://www.avrdc.org/index.php?id=10 - World Vegetable Center Postharvest Information
• http://www.postharvest.org – Postharvest Education Foundation (training in postharvest technology)
• http://www.avocadosource.com - Production and Handling of Avocado Information
• http://postharvest.ifas.ufl.edu - University of Florida Postharvest Group
• http://flcitrus.ifas.ufl.edu - University of Florida Citrus Resources Website
• http://www.citrusresearch.org – California Citrus Research Board – supported research reports
• http://postharvest.tfrec.wsu.edu - Washington State University postharvest information (emphasis on apple, pear, and cherry)
• http://www.bae.ncsu.edu/programs/extension/publicat/postharv/ - North Carolina State University postharvest information
• http://www.postharvest.com.au/ - Sydney Postharvest Laboratory information
• http://www.chainoflifenetwork.org/ - Chain of Life Network® website about requirements for flowers and ornamentals.

 

The Fruit and Nut Research and Information Center (FNRIC) recently awarded four scholarships to new California tree fruit and nut growers to attend our 2^nd annual “Principles of Fruit and Nut Tree Growth, Cropping and Management” extension course. Course instructors and members of the FNRIC advisory board reviewed applications from a long list of California growers to select four recipients.

Zachary Taylor is a new manager of his small family farm in El Dorado County. He and his uncle grow a wide range of tree crops including apples, pears, chestnuts, walnuts, grapes, olives, persimmons, figs and kiwifruits. In addition to helping run his family farm, Zachary and his wife Kara own and operate a second small business, Smokey Ridge Charcuterie. Zachary is enthusiastic to learn more about tree biology and compliment years of practical experience working in agriculture.

Roger Woodruff is a dedicated father with two years of experience managing a small prune orchard with Sunsweet in Tulare County. He is in the process of taking over management of 9,000 walnuts planted in January 2013. Roger is looking forward to formal training in tree biology and orchard management in our upcoming course, and appreciates UC's support of the farming community in California.

Matt Fortson has the opportunity to convert his family livestock business raising cows, pigs and horses into a commercial orchard. Although he has experience growing corn to feed livestock, Matt is looking forward to formal instruction in tree biology. Our course will help him prepare to plant olives, walnuts and almonds on his family farm in Stanislaus County.

Robert Mahoney is enthusiastic about the opportunity to compliment his business degree with a background in tree biology. He has farmed a small walnut orchard with his father for years. Over the past few years he has scoured all available extension literature, gotten practical hands-on experience working with Tehama County Cooperative Extension, and participated in the Almond Board of California’s Leadership Program. The information and experience provided by our course will compliment Robert's hard work and help prepare him to grow walnuts, almonds and prunes in Tehama County.

We look forward to meeting all the course participants on February 24th, 2014 at the second annual "Principles of Fruit and Nut Tree Growth, Cropping and Management" . Scholarship funding was provided by the Fruit and Nut Research and Information Center at UC Davis and a seed grant from the Office of Outreach and International Programs and the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences at UC Davis.