- Author: Sonia Rios
California produces about 90 percent of the nation's avocado crop. California avocado growers compete in both the domestic and international markets with countries with much lower costs of production and labor availability. To stay competitive will require more efficient farming strategies and a significant increase in productivity on the part of California growers, especially with the increase of water costs and labor constraints. To adapt, growers need to dramatically increase yield per acre using the same amount of water or less. Evolving farming practices and new information is essential for growers to stay competitive with the world market.
Since 1995, University of California Cooperative Extension, in collaboration with the California Avocado Society and California Avocado Commission has developed a seminar series to help avocado growers. Each seminar is tailored to each specific growing region in the state: Riverside and San Diego Counties, Central Coast, and northern Central Coast. As part of the educational series, growers and stakeholders are exposed to various topics: economics, pest management, water quality and usage, soil science, pruning techniques, bio-control, Integrated Pest Management, salinity, labor, and harvesting, etc. The audience has a say in what topics will be discussed, and we have had positive feedback in all three locations. Per stakeholder request, round table discussions and field tours have also been incorporated into the program. These seminars have gained a positive reputation amongst growers and continue to impact the industry in a positive manner.
Seminars provide new information that growers share Surveys determined that these seminars address current issues affecting avocado growers in their growing regions and expose them to new skills and knowledge, encouraging change in current cultivation practices. For example, subjects such has high-density plantings, rootstock selection, and salinity management help growers maximize production. In the most recent survey (8/2017), data suggested that as many as 52 percent of the attendees come to the seminars with little to no knowledge on some of the subjects presented and as many as 73 percent of the attendees leave the seminars with either “quite a bit”, or a “complete understanding” of knowledge from the material. In addition, more than 50 percent of the clientele that attended the seminar said they are likely going to share the material learned that day with as many people as possible (10+ people). This assures that the information given is circulating and reaching those who cannot physically attend the meetings. The collected survey information shows a positive outcome and assures the success of the educational seminar series.
Seminars are held January - August of every year - Keep an eye out for next years line up!
- Author: Ben Faber
You always wanted to know what pollinated rambutan, litchi, blueberries and all those other plants dependent on insect pollen movement? O yes, and also what is pollinating avocado?
Insect Pollination Of Cultivated Crop Plants
by S.E. McGregor, USDA
Originally published 1976
The First and Only Virtual Beekeeping Book Updated Continuously.
Additions listed by crop and date.
This book is out-of-print, but can be found on-line at ABE Books and then you can get the images that are missing from the online version of the book
https://www.ars.usda.gov/ARSUserFiles/20220500/OnlinePollinationHandbook.pdf
This is an old book with a lot of old information, but a lot of it is still good. There is definitely more up-to-date information, but this is a good starting point. For avocado, another good source, or course is AvocadoSource which also has quite a number of articles on pollination of other tree species
http://www.avocadosource.com/search.asp
Recently a group of UC Riverside researchers met to align themselves around the topic of pollination - The biology, effects, interactions of the various pollinator and pollinizers and how they are affected by our environment and how we might be able to manage them better. The participants in this pollination group have all manner of expertise and hopefully their interaction will bring a synergy of understanding to this very complicated subject.
Photos: Syrphid (hover) fly, bumblebee, honeybee, thrips carrying pollen
- Author: Sonia Rios
The green stink bug is the dominant species found in fruit and nut trees; the others are found primarily in vegetables. Stink bug infestations originate when adults fly in from weedy areas. Damage is often limited to the edges of fields near these areas, but in years with a lot of spring rain and late weed growth, stink bugs may be numerous and damage more widespread. The southern green stink bug has piercing-sucking mouthparts. The mouth consists of a long beak-like structure called the rostrum. Salivary fluid is pumped down the salivary duct and liquefied food is pumped up the food canal.
Life Cycle
The southern green stink bug can complete its life cycle in 65 to 70 days. Females can lay eggs 3-4 weeks after becoming adults. A female southern green stink bug could lay as many as 260 eggs over her life span. The eggs are drum-shaped with circular "lids" are laid ire deposited on the undersides of leaves. The nymphs, nearly round & often brightly colored, remain close together at first but scatter as they grow. They pass through four or five molts, gradually developing wings & adult coloration.
Damage
Overwinters as an adult, & hides in the bark of trees, leaf litter, or other locations to obtain protection from the weather. As spring temperatures begin to warm, the southern green stink bug moves out of the winter cover to feed. Is normally determined after nuts are harvested & processed, which may be many months after damage occurred in the field. Damage occurs to the nut when the stink bug places its stylet-like mouthparts on the nut husk & secretes saliva containing a suite of digestive enzymes that softens the husk, allowing it to insert its mouthparts through the husk and
A major drawback in management is the lack of an effective monitoring technique (Jones 2002, Les-key & Hogmire 2005), an issue we address in many studies. Southern green stinkbug cannot survive on macadamia nuts alone and require a primary food plant, or host. Stinkbugs reproduce and develop on the weeds and feed on macadamia when their primary food plants become unavailable.
Growers who continually experience damage should monitor weed hosts surrounding the crop field. It may be possible to utilize trap-borders of preferred hosts such as Crotalaria (rattlepod) to attract and hold stink bug populations. Stink bugs will usually remain on the plants where parasites can readily find them. It is important that these borders not be allowed to dry before control occurs. California used Trissolcus basalis in an effort to control its southern green stink bug population.
Insecticidal applications are usually not required, however sprays may be needed if stink bug populations are high. This pest can be chemically controlled by the use of carbamates & organophosphate compounds. However, because most of these compounds persist on the treated plant for a relatively short period, the crop is vulnerable to re-infestation from nearby areas.
- Author: Ben Faber
Synopsis of: “The Organic Premium for California Blueberries” by Hoy Carmen, professor emeritus in the Agricultural and Resource Economics Dept., UC Davis
Commercial-scale production of blueberries in California is a relatively recent development. California first reported blueberry statistics in 2005 when there were 1,800 acres of blueberries harvested and production of 9.1 million pounds with a total value of $40.58 million. Harvested acres increased to 3,900 acres in 2010 with production of 28 million pounds and a total value of $75.98 million. Growth continued through 2015 with California Agricultural Statistics Survey (CASS) reporting 5,700 acres of blueberries harvested, production of 62.4 million pounds, and total value of $116.98 million.
California blueberries are shipped throughout the U.S. and to a number of export destinations. During the 2016 harvest, California's largest U.S. market was California, which accounted for 34.75% of California's total fresh blueberry shipments of 46,493,407 pounds.
The largest out-of-state domestic shipments were to Texas, Oregon, Washington, Arizona, New York, Minnesota, Utah, and Pennsylvania. These states collectively accounted for 36.54% of California shipments. Canadian shipments of 5.54 million pounds accounted for 11.9% of California's volume and made up 67.1% of exports.
Typically, the price per pound of organically grown blueberries is higher than for conventional production. Prices also vary by package size, with smaller package sizes usually selling for more per pound than larger packages. There is usually a premium for the first portion of the crop-marketing year, and the overall level of prices will vary by year. Prices can also be expected to vary by geographic location. California organic blueberries are among the first domestic fruit on the market when prices tend to be seasonally high.
Growth in California organic blueberry production has outpaced conventional production for several years, and California accounted for about half of the U.S. supply of organic blueberries in 2014. The organic share of California blueberry shipments in 2016 was 23.1% in terms of volume and 34.8% in terms of value. The larger share of value is due to the premium price for organic blueberries.
The organic premium, which averaged $2.28 per pound in both 2015 and 2016 (78–79% of the conventional fresh blueberry price), varies by package and over time. California has some of the earliest domestic blueberry production, with relatively high prices for both conventional and organic blueberries at the beginning of the season. The proportion of shipments that are organic decreases as the season progresses and the organic premium tends to be highest after the first one-third of the season. The growth of organic blueberry production in California, relative to overall California production as well as U.S. organic blueberry production, seems to indicate a comparative advantage for organic blueberries in California. Further growth of organic as well as total blueberry production in California is expected.
For the full article see:
Organic production costs, South Coast
Conventional costs, South Coast
Conventional, San Joaquin Valley
Report on US Organic Sales, 2016
https://www.nass.usda.gov/Newsroom/2017/09_20_2017.php
- Author: Sonia Rios
The University of California Cooperative Extension conducted an Avocado Pest Management Round Table grower meeting in Fallbrook, CA on September 28, 2017. Approximately 64 growers, industry, Pest Control Advisors, and other stakeholders were present. Sonia Rios, Subtropical Horticulture Farm Advisor, University of California Cooperative Extension (UCCE), Riverside/San Diego Counties gave a talk on “Introduction to Avocado Weed Management.” Tim Spann from the California Avocado Commission (CAC) spoke on a potential threat to California's avocado industry, “A Review: Redbay Ambrosia Beetle & Laurel Wilt Disease.
Growers were able to participate in 2 round table discussions, one on “Old challenges/possible new solutions - pesticide resistance, proper spray application, new pesticides” and another on New Challenges in the Avocado industry. Round Table panel members were: Mary Lu Arpaia, University of California, Riverside/CE, Frank Byrne, University of California, Riverside/CE, Kevin Turner, CAL FIRE, Tim Spann, CAC, Enrico Ferro, Avocado Grower/PCA, Sonia Rios, UCCE, Victor Lopez, Crop Production Services.
The growers will be looking forward to the next Round Table meeting in the Spring. If you missed the meeting, below is a link to a recording of the meeting https://soundcloud.com/user-95194984/controlling-pests-in-avocado-roundtable-meeting