- Author: Pamela Kan-Rice
A new study outlining the costs and returns of establishing and producing navel oranges with low-volume irrigation in the southern San Joaquin Valley has been released by UC Agriculture and Natural Resources, UC Cooperative Extension and the UC Davis Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics.
“A cost study gives a ‘new' grower a better idea of all the costs that are involved with producing the crop,” said co-author Greg Douhan, UC Cooperative Extension citrus advisor for Tulare and Fresno counties.
Real estate agents, land leasers, bankers evaluating loan applications and others can use the cost study to estimate current costs to plant and produce oranges and expected profits.
This study updates an earlier version, using as an example the Cara Cara navel, which is known for its distinctive pink-colored flesh rather than the conventional orange flesh of the Washington navel.
“The Cara Cara has been returning very good prices to growers for the past decade or so and is a relatively new navel,” said co-author Craig Kallsen, UC Cooperative Extension farm advisor in Kern County. “Of course, grower returns are driven by consumer demand. Why consumers like it so much I do not know, but I suspect it is because it tastes good and is different. You cut it and get a pink surprise. Its harvest maturity is similar to that of the Washington navel.”
The updated version takes into consideration “things like inflation, chemical availability, changes in markets both domestic and foreign, governmental regulations and other things,” Kallsen said.
The study is based on a hypothetical farm that consists of 65 contiguous acres onlandin the San Joaquin Valley previously planted to another tree crop. Establishment and production costs are based on 10 acres being planted to oranges. Mature orange trees are grown on 50 acres and the remaining five acres are roads, equipment, shop area and homestead. The grower owns and farms the orchards.
The two major orange varieties grown in the San Joaquin Valley are navels and valencias. Navels are grouped into three types by harvest timing – early, mid and late season. Due to current planting practices, only navels are included in this budget. Cara Cara is the variety of navel oranges currently most commonly planted.
The Cara Cara orange trees are planted double density, 10-by-20-foot spacing, at 218 trees per acre. At this density, it is possible to start harvesting in year 3 or 4. At year 8 or 9, full maturity is achieved and growers begin pruning back every other tree. This allows the grower to maintain yields while at the same time converting the field to 20-by-20 spacing – maximizing yield for a fully mature orchard.
For pest management, the study includes detailed information and links to UC Integrated Pest Management guidelines for citrus. The narrative contains tables of insecticide treatment cycles for establishment and production years.
The section “Exotic Pests of Economic Concern to Citrus Growers” contains information to meet quarantine regulations on exporting oranges from California to countries such as South Korea.
The authors describe the assumptions used to identify current costs for oranges establishment and production, material inputs, cash and non-cash overhead. A ranging analysis table shows profits over a range of prices and yields.
“2021 - Sample Costs to Establish an Orchard and Produce Oranges in the Southern San Joaquin Valley” can be downloaded for free from the UC Davis Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics website at coststudies.ucdavis.edu. Sample cost of production studies for many other commodities are also available for free on the website.
For additional information or an explanation of the calculations used in the studies, refer to the Assumptions section or contact Donald Stewart at (530) 752-4651, destewart@ucdavis.edu or Karen Jetter at (530) 792-8255 or jetter@ucanr.edu. To discuss this study with a UC Cooperative Extension farm advisor, contact your local UC Cooperative Extension office: http://ucanr.edu/County_Offices.
This study was funded in part by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture, under award numbers 2017-70016-26755 and 2019-70016-29068.
- Author: Blake L Sanden
- Editor: Julia Stover
This is the opening BLOG for our 2020 Pistachio Irrigation Demo where we will attempt to put up relevant data and images to help growers see alternative monitoring methods in action over 3 different mature pistachio production orchards from Eastside to Westside, non-saline to saline soils. This DEMO BLOG is intended not only to give you easy to digest summary irrigation management snapshots, but also allow for your feedback/questions which I will attempt to address as time allows. Fortunately, none of these Demo orchards had blanking problems this spring. For a summary of yield, applied water and tree stress (using the pressure chamber to measure stem water potential, SWP) for 2019 go to the above website hosted by the UCD FNRIC.
For this first BLOG we're going to take a quick look at CERES remote sensing aerial imagery of tree water stress (calculated from the canopy temperature as determined by infrared camera) and Normalized Differential Vegetative Index (NDVI, basically a plant volume and vigor estimate calculated from a normalized ratio of near infrared reflectance over the entire infrared spectrum). We will see how the last image just before harvest (9/6/2019) compares with just a couple weeks ago (4/25/2020) and how the in-field ground-based stem water potential (SWP) pressure bomb readings compare. This is where interpreting this kind of imagery gets tricky…
Point 1, NDVI: CERES changed the NDVI color scheme from last year to increase the contrast resolution so the red and yellow now correspond to last year's least green more open areas. Eventually, CERES is going to provide numbers to go with these images, but my eyeball calculator says that the 4/25/2020 NDVI in the Eastside west 80 acres is less than the NDVI in the 9/6/2019 image. This makes sense because as of 4/25 the full leaf expansion was about 75% -- so smaller leaves and no cluster weight pulling branches down like in the 9/6 image means that the trees appear to have a lower density of foliage in the aerial image. This difference is less in the Lemoore saline field as the 4/25 leaf expansion was 90%.
Point 2, Accuracy of Water Stress and relative color scheme: Comparing the Water Stress images (right hand image, all fields) from September to April is like a slap in the face! Your first thought is, “Wow, these fields were not sufficiently pre-irrigated to refill the profile and there is less water in the rootzone then there was right before the 2019 harvest!” But this is not true. Compare the SWP readings I show in white for 9/6 versus 4/25. These ground-based tree readings ran -12 to -19 bars depending on the field and salinity at harvest indicating that stored rootzone water was depleting and creating some stress in the trees (-14 bars is moderate stress). But for 4/25 these numbers are much less negative at -9 to -13 bars, which is what you want to see – no stress during the spring push. But why is there much less blue (least stress color) in the 4/25 image compared to the 9/6 image? Unfortunately, this an artifact of the automatic coloring legend used by CERES and most imaging companies. For any given image they take the coolest pixel temperature and make that range blue. Since they are working with only 4 colors in the legend (blue to red) the program divides the range of canopy temperatures in a given flyover into 4 zones to give you the colorized image. This colorized scheme is an accurate representation of the relative variability in canopy temperature/stress at that time, but it is not an absolute measure of real plant stress, like the SWP number from the pressure bomb, that can be compared across different images. For example, the Eastside 9/6 image may have had an average canopy temperature of 95 F, with the coolest to hottest temps running 93-98 F. Now the 4/25 image was maybe an average temp of 82 F with a range of only 81-83 F. And for this image the coolest area is the SE 40 acres with an actively growing cover crop of Brome grass, so now the western 80 acres gets colored mostly yellow even though it may be only 0.7-1 degree higher canopy temp then the SE 40. This is another reason why it would be helpful to have actual numbers and not just colored pixels for these images.
Point 3, Cover crop interaction: An actively growing cover crop will significantly influence remotely sensed canopy temperature and reflectance of other wavelengths (near infrared, NIR, for example most often associated with chlorophyll content) and can skew the real results from just the trees when you have hedged during the winter and a lot of the drive is visible between the trees. This is very clearly shown in the Eastside location where the Brome grass was planted later and responded vigorously to the 2.5” of rain in early April. This effect was not as pronounced on the Westside field for the Cover vs. No Cover zones as the Brome had been seeded in November and had already set seed and was dying down by 4/25. The bluest (coolest) area in this field was clearly associated with the irrigation set to the east that had come on at 7:00 AM, which is also confusing as I was told that this 300 acre field irrigates in two sets ... And so the blue area should have extended to the eastern edge of the field.
Point 4, Boots on the ground, in-field tree and soil moisture measurements essential: the SWP pressure bomb readings confirmed the lack of stress on the trees despite minimal “blue/no stress” in the CERES images. Hand probing, neutron probe, tensiometers, Sentek Drill & Drop capacitance probes with Jain Logic transmitters and web-based processing all tell us that there is plenty of soil moisture storage. Walking the field and observing good shoot growth and leaf expansion confirm we're on track. Our Phytech dendrometers to measure tree trunk shrink/swell as a direct measure of tree stress are currently functioning at only 2 sites in the Lemoore saline field. We will discuss these other technologies in future BLOGS.
EASTSIDE NON-SALINE Sandy Loam
CERES IMAGING
NDVI & THERMAL WATER STRESS
(9/6/2019, 4/25/2020)
WESTSIDE NON-SALINE Sandy Loam (no cover crop) and Clay Loam (cover crop)
CERES IMAGING
NDVI & THERMAL WATER STRESS
(9/6/2019, 4/25/2020)
LEMOORE SALINE & SEMI-SALINE
Clay Loam
CERES IMAGING
NDVI & THERMAL WATER STRESS
(9/6/2019, 4/25/2020)
- Author: Craig E. Kallsen
Some instances of significant scorch of the leaf canopy in Golden Hills orchards have come to my attention in the past two weeks. We do not understand the causes of scorch, and the most prominent cultivar demonstrating symptoms over the years has been the male cultivar Peters.
Scorch is not a disease but appears to develop, abiotically, later in the season, under hot temperatures. In my breeding work, there appears to be a strong genetic component in whether a given set of progeny will develop leaf scorch and associated early leaf defoliation.
I have also observed that with respect to Peters and other breeding selections in our trials that scorch appears more readily in some years than in others. Water stress later in the season appears to be associated with the onset of scorch symptoms.
In evaluating Golden Hills over the years in a number of experimental trials, it is apparent that the Golden Hills cultivar is more susceptible to scorch than is Kerman. However, instances of scorch in these trials has been minor. The male cultivar Randy, also, demonstrates scorch upon occasion.
This year, some commercial blocks of Golden Hills have experienced a considerable degree of defoliation late in the season. The reason(s) for these more severely scorched orchards is not clear. The following hypotheses have been proposed for the increased susceptibility of Golden Hills to scorch:
- A greater genetic susceptibility to scorch. Some scorched leaves can be found in most Golden Hills blocks as harvest approaches.
- Most pistachio varieties appear to have increased susceptibility to defoliation later in the season, especially, if undergoing stress related to a chemical spray or deficient irrigation. I have mentioned in previous newsletters my “Ides of September” rule where I don't visit commercial orchards with drying leaf symptoms and defoliation after September 15, regardless of cultivar, because pistachio trees can defoliate very easily at this time of year. Since Golden Hills matures up to two weeks earlier than Kerman, stress related defoliation would occur earlier in the calendar year in Golden Hills.
- Temperatures, also, tend to be hotter, when Golden Hills nuts mature in late August and early September, increasing the risk for late-season scorch.
- Differences in leaf anatomy or physiology (probably related to Reason 1 above) may make the leaves more susceptible to scorch and early drop. Observations are being made in orchards with and without scorch that suggest that late-season chemical sprays are associated with the instances of severe scorch.
So, with what we know now, are there procedures that would be prudent to follow that would minimize scorch in Golden Hills? The following suggestions are proposed:
- Ensure that adequate irrigation exists as the nuts of Golden Hills mature, especially, during the last two to three weeks before harvest. Minimize irrigation interruptions for crop pesticide spraying and avoid excessively long periods between shutting the water off and harvesting the orchard.
- Avoid late season chemical sprays if possible, especially in the last two to three weeks before harvest. If late season sprays are necessary, such as for navel orangeworm (NOW) control, avoid using chemical adjuvants in necessary pesticide applications, especially late in the season. Most pest control advisors are familiar with spreaders that have a lower risk of leaf damage.
Since the Golden Hills harvest is upon us, at least in Kern County, the information in this newsletter is too late to be of much use this season, but may prove useful in future seasons.
- Author: Pamela Kan-Rice
New Series of Nitrogen Management Advice Available
(Cal Ag Today) March 28
California growers can download a new series of publications summarizing efficient nitrogen management practices from UC Agriculture and Natural Resources. The publications are designed to assist growers in complying with state regulations for tracking and reporting nitrogen fertilizer applied to crops, in an effort to prevent nitrogen from leaching into groundwater.
https://californiaagtoday.com/new-series-of-nitrogen-management-advice-available
UC helps growers comply with new regulations
(Farm Press) Tim Hearden, March 27
A few months ago, while I was working with Todd Fitchette on a special package we were doing (or, he was doing and I was pitching in on) that focused on the 50th anniversary of the Citrus Research Board, I wrote a column about the benefits of land-grant universities such as the University of California (UC).
It's not an overstatement, I wrote, that the vast network of UC Cooperative Extension offices and research facilities has enabled agriculture in the Golden State to survive amid daunting challenges.
https://www.farmprogress.com/commentary/uc-helps-growers-comply-new-regulations
Communities come together to reforest Middletown Trailside Park
(Record Bee) Lucy Llewellyn Byard, March 27
Outdoorsman Greg Gusti, a University of California cooperative extension director emeritus who specializes in forests and wild lands ecology, addressed the crowd and gave them instructions on how to plant the trees 20 feet apart; showed them what 20 feet looked like on a tape measure, told them to plant the green side up and to keep the roots straight.
… Students dug in groups, sharing shovels and gloves. Sofie Hall and Elissa Holyoke worked with Michael Jones, a UC Cooperative Extension Forestry Advisor to plant their saplings.
The science and politics of genetically engineered salmon: 5 questions answered
(The Conversation) Alison Van Eenennaam, March 27
A Massachusetts-based company earlier this month cleared the last regulatory hurdle from the Food and Drug Administration to sell genetically engineered salmon in the U.S. Animal genomics expert Alison Van Eenennaam, who served on an advisory committee to the FDA to evaluate the AquAdvantage salmon, explains the significance of the FDA's move and why some have criticized its decision.
https://www.sfchronicle.com/news/article/The-science-and-politics-of-genetically-13719679.php
Students learn about insects at Farm Day in the City
(ABC 23) Amanda Mason, March 26
"Every single insect plays a role, even if it's only purpose is to get eaten by something. Everything is important," said Haviland.
David Haviland an entomologist at the University of California's Extension who studies insects and helps farmers manage agricultural pests, spent Tuesday at the Kern County Fairgrounds teaching students about good bugs and bad bugs at Farm Day in the City.
https://www.turnto23.com/homepage-showcase/students-learn-about-insects-at-farm-day-in-the-city
Expert: Speak up now about agriculture's carbon footprint
(Leader Telegram) Brooke Bechen, March 25
Dr. Frank Mitloehner, a professor and air quality extension specialist in the Department of Animal Science at the University of California-Davis, isn't afraid to speak up, particularly on Twitter where he writes under the handle @GHGGuru. He sees 2.5 million people visiting his Twitter account each month, which provides accurate information on air emissions and busts myths distributed by those looking to attack animal agriculture.
“Being in California is like being at Ground Zero,” he said. “There are urban centers of people who think they're food experts, but most of these people have never set foot on a farm and don't know anything about agriculture.
Wildfire Speaker Series Tonight: Fire Resistant Homes & Defensible Space
(YubaNet) March 25
…Dr. Kate Wilkin is the new Forest and Fire Adviser with UC Cooperative Extension in Butte, Nevada, Sutter, and Yuba Counties. She recently moved here from Berkeley, CA where she was postdoctoral researcher focused on wildfire emissions and fire-forest-water relations. Her PhD, also at UC Berkeley, focused on the efficacy of fuel treatments in Northern California shrublands to reduce fire hazards and on mixed conifer forest-fire-water and fire-biodiversity relations. Before moving to California, Kate grew up in rural Appalachia and then explored other fire-prone regions of the US as a natural resource manager and prescribed fire burner on public and nonprofit lands. Based on these experiences and more, she knows that we need to use solutions responsibly, both old and new, to solve our forest health crisis. Kate will be focusing on incorporating fire safe concepts into residential landscaping.
https://yubanet.com/regional/wildfire-speaker-series-tonight-fire-resistant-homes-defensible-space
UC Cooperative offers water-measurement class
(David Enterprise) March 25
California water rights holders are required by state law to measure and report the water they divert from surface streams. For people who wish to take the water measurements themselves, the University of California Cooperative Extension is offering training to receive certification April 4 in Redding and Woodland.
Costa Mesa designates April as Coyote Awareness Month and approves further informational efforts to manage them
(Los Angeles Times) Luke Money, March 20
…In the past 30 days, about 20 coyote sightings or encounters in Costa Mesa were logged with Coyote Cacher, an online reporting system [created by Niamh Quinn, UCCE advisor, and IGIS].
https://www.latimes.com/socal/daily-pilot/news/tn-dpt-me-cm-coyote-plan-20190320-story.html
UCCE Biologicals Conference Introduces New Crop Protection Tools for Growers
(Vegetables West) Matthew Malcolm, March 19, 2019
Biocontrol agents, beneficial microbes, entomopathogenic fungi and bacteria that can enhance crop production — these were all topics of discussion at the recent UC Cooperative Extension Ag Innovations Conference in Santa Maria, led by UCCE Entomology & Biologicals Advisor Surendra Dara. Watch this brief interview with Surendra as he shares more about what was discussed.
Landowners aim to fight fire with fire
(Benito Link) Blaire Strohn, March 19, 2019
The 2018 wildfire season in California was devastating, which left local landowners to consider how future blazes can be prevented. Their solution: more fire.
On March 14, The San Benito Working Landscapes Group and the UC Cooperative Extension (UCCE) hosted a meeting to discuss prescribed burning on San Benito County rangelands.
…UCCE livestock and natural resources advisor Devii Rao said the meeting also looked at Cal Fire funding and prescribed burn associations. She mentioned that last year former Gov. Jerry Brown signed two pieces of legislation related to prescribed burning:
Senate Bill 901 provides Cal Fire $1 billion for forest health, fuel load, and prescribed burns over five years, including $35 million a year for prescribed fire and other reduction projects.
Senate Bill 1260 requires Cal Fire to collaborate with public and private landowners on prescribed burns. They must also create a program for pre-certification for a “burn boss,” a private contractor that has experience in prescribed burning.
…In June, Rao will co-host a meeting with Lenya Quinn-Davidson and Jeff Stackhouse from UCCE Humboldt County. The meeting is expected to focus on how to develop a prescribed burn association, in addition to a small burn demonstration on a local private ranch.
https://benitolink.com/news/landowners-aim-fight-fire-fire
A More Humane Livestock Industry, Brought to You By Crispr
(Wired) Gregory Barber, March 19
Hopes were running high for cow 401, and cow 401 serenely bore the weight of expectations. She entered the cattle chute obligingly, and as the vet searched her uterus, making full use of the plastic glove that covered his arm up to his shoulder, she uttered nary a moo. A week ago, Cow 401 and four other members of her experimental herd at UC Davis were in the early stages of pregnancy. But now, following a string of disappointing checkups, it was all down to her. Alison Van Eenennaam, the animal geneticist in charge of the proceedings, kept watch from off to one side, galoshes firmly planted in the damp manure, eyes fixed on a portable ultrasound monitor. After a few moments, the vet delivered his fifth and final diagnosis. “She's not pregnant,” he said. Van Eenennaam looked up. “Ah, shit,” she muttered.
https://www.wired.com/story/crispr-gene-editing-humane-livestock
Climate change is hurting migrating waterbirds across the West. It could get worse
(Sacramento Bee) Andrew Sheeler, March 18
…Some birds, like the black-necked stilt and the sandhill crane, which breed early in the season, have thrived in the warming climate, said Mohammad Safeeq, a hydrologist with the Sierra Nevada Research Institute and an adjunct professor at UC Merced.
But others suffer. That includes the killdeer, the Wilson's snipe, the black tern, and the western and Clark's grebe.
“We have looked at 14 species and among eight open-water and shoreline foraging species that have undergone significant population declines, five were negatively associated with temperature increases,” Safeeq said in an email interview.
https://www.sacbee.com/news/local/environment/article227983859.html
Group seeks healthy, resilient forests and communities
(Plumas News) March 18
…A public workshop was held at the Quincy Library on Jan. 15th. Presenter Jeff Stackhouse, the Livestock and Natural Resources advisor for the U.C. Cooperative Extension in Humboldt, presents case studies from the prescribed burn association.
http://www.plumasnews.com/group-seeks-healthy-resilient-forests-and-communities
US researchers moving abroad to avoid FDA's CRISPR-edited animal regulations
(Genetic Literacy Project) Cameron English, Alison Van Eenennaam, March 14
One day soon, farmers may be able to raise food animals immune to deadly diseases and spare them painful but necessary procedures like horn removal. These innovations, made possible by CRISPR and other gene-editing techniques, could cut the cost of food production, reduce antibiotic use in agriculture and dramatically improve animal welfare. But federal regulation may very well stifle these developments in the US.
In 2017, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) proposed a plan to regulate gene-edited animals as veterinary drugs under the 1938 Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, because their DNA is “intentionally altered.” The proposal has drawn harsh criticism from animal scientists, some of whom are packing up their labs and leaving the US to avoid the FDA's rules. Food animals, these experts say, should be regulated based on the risk they pose to human health, not the breeding method that produced them.
Corky Anderson's energy, innovation helped save California's pistachio industry
(Bakersfield Californian) Steven E. Mayer, March 13
"Corky was an important player in the early pistachio industry," said a Kern County farm adviser with the UC Cooperative Extension who specializes in citrus and pistachios.
"And he was a great cooperator," Kallsen said. "He allowed lots of test trials on his properties."
… In 1980, Anderson and Puryear's first patented rootstock changed the industry, said Kevin Blackwell, general manager of Pioneer Nursery, the wholesale business founded by the two entrepreneurs.
"In our heyday, we were selling a million trees a year," said Blackwell, who said he has known Anderson for 47 years.
No one does it alone, Kallsen noted. Anderson built and refined his patented rootstock based on earlier research by the University of California.
Farmers protect crops in rain's aftermath
(Ag Alert) Ching Lee, March 13
Franz Niederholzer, University of California Cooperative Extension farm advisor in Colusa, Sutter and Yuba counties, said though cold weather does reduce the risk of most fungal diseases, other problems such as bacterial blast and jacket rot—also a fungal disease—are more prevalent during cool weather.
Cooler weather, however, does help to extend the bloom, he said. That allows farmers more time to apply fungicide, which is recommended at the beginning of bloom and again at full bloom, he said.
Brent Holtz, UCCE farm advisor in San Joaquin County, said he hasn't seen too many problems with fungal diseases at this point, because of how cool it's been, but there have been more incidents of bacterial blast, which can infect trees under stress. In orchards with high nematode populations, the bacteria can enter wounds on the surface of the plants created by frost, he noted.
"It blights the blossoms, and if the blossom is dead, they don't produce fruit," Holtz said.
http://agalert.com/story/?id=12801
Michael learns about 4-H in Fresno County
(KMPH) Stephen Hawkins, March 13, 2019
The 4-H Youth Development Program is preparing for events all over the Central Valley and you are invited.
Michael Ikahihifo spent the morning at Dry Creek Park in Clovis to see what the local 4-H has planned.
https://kmph.com/great-day/michael-in-the-mix/michael-learns-about-4-h-in-fresno-county
The City of Cypress calls for its residents to be “Coyote Aware”
(OC Breeze) March 13
The Cypress City Council recently adopted a coyote management plan to address community concerns about the presence of coyotes in Cypress. While coyotes are generally reclusive animals who avoid human contact, it is important to be aware of their presence and take appropriate action to ensure the safety of your property and pets.
…Residents are encouraged to reportcoyote activity on Coyote Cacher:
Coyote Cacher allows the City to monitor all reported encounters.
Residents can also use Coyote Cacher to view a map of reported
encounters and sign up to receive email alerts.
California's super bloom attracts swarms of migrating butterflies
(CNN) David Williams, March 13
This year's wildflower super bloom is not only filling California deserts with eye-popping displays of color -- it's also providing a feast for swarms of painted lady butterflies making their way north from Mexico.
"This is the biggest outbreak since 2005," said Art Shapiro, a professor at the University of California, Davis, who's been studying the migration of butterflies in the state since 1972.
…"I saw more butterflies in the last 10 minutes than I've seen my entire life," Jason Suppes wrote Tuesday on Twitter. Suppes is an education specialist at an agricultural research facility in Irvine.
http://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/california-butterflies-trnd/index.html
Grape growers continue push to mechanize
(Western Farm Press) Lee Allen, March 13
…In Fresno, growers affiliated with the San Joaquin Valley Winegrowers Association met to discuss the latest UC research on incidents of disease and machine injury to trunks and rootstock.
… “Growers are having a hard time finding workers to maintain their vineyards and increasing labor costs are challenging grape-farming's economic sustainability,” says UC Cooperative Extension viticulture advisor George Zhuang. “We're studying the use of machines to reduce the number of people needed to perform tasks like pruning.
“Because canopy architecture and yield characteristics involving mechanically-pruned vines are much different from those that are hand-pruned, water and fertilizer requirements for the mechanically pruned vines can be quite different. Performance of different rootstocks in mechanical pruning systems is critical for both yield and fruit quality of grape production in the San Joaquin Valley.”
…Kaan Kurtural, UC Cooperative Extension viticulture specialist in the UC Davis Viticulture and Enology Department, whose research involves improving vineyard production efficiency through canopy and crop load management via mechanization, says the case for switching out hand labor with machines gets stronger with growers using such mechanization for pruning, suckering, and removing shoots and leaves.
“Mechanical pruning can produce more stable year-to-year fruit yields of better quality than traditional and more costly hand pruning spurs or canes.” His comments were based on a Kern County two-year research trial looking for ways for growers to reduce both cost and water use.
https://www.farmprogress.com/grapes/grape-growers-continue-push-mechanize
As Wildfires Devour Communities, Toxic Threats Emerge
(Reuters) Sharon Bernstein, March 13
At U.C. Davis, where researchers are studying eggs from backyard chickens that may have breathed smoke and pecked at ash in areas affected by wildfires, the work is complicated.
"In an urban fire you're dealing with contaminants that don't go away – arsenic, heavy metals, copper, lead, transformer fluid, brake fluid, fire retardant," said veterinarian Maurice Pitesky, who is leading the study.
https://www.usnews.com/news/us/articles/2019-03-13/as-wildfires-devour-communities-toxic-threats-emerge
DR. GLENDA HUMISTON: Managing our Lands to Manage our Water
Maven's Notebook, March 13, 2019
Dr. Glenda Humiston is Vice President of Agriculture & Natural Resources for the University of California. At the 2019 California Irrigation Institute conference, Dr. Humiston was the opening keynote speaker, and in her speech, she talked about work being done to address drought vulnerability, the importance of managing watersheds, the goals of the California Economic Summit, and the promising future of biomass.
She began by saying that we have known for a long time that water insecurity is a huge issue, and not just due to climate change or droughts; it's also policy, regulations, allocations and technology – there are a lot of issues and managing the effects of it are very challenging.
https://mavensnotebook.com/2019/03/13/dr-glenda-humiston-managing-our-lands-to-manage-our-water/
Hearing planned to examine the future of development in California's most fire prone regions
(Lake County News) March 13
…The hearing, led by Senators Henry Stern and Mike McGuire, chair of the Senate Natural Resources and Water Committee and the Senate Governance and Finance Committee, respectively, titled “Living Resiliently in the New Abnormal: The Future of Development in California's Most Fire Prone Regions” will be held Wednesday at 9:30 a.m. at the State Capitol in Room 4203.
…Testifying at the hearing are:
· Mark Ghilarducci, director, California Office of Emergency Services;
· Bob Fenton, regional administrator, FEMA Region 9;
· Dr. Max Moritz, statewide wildfire specialist, University of California Cooperative Extension;
· Jeff Lambert, director of planning, city of Oxnard, past president, American Planning Association, California Chapter;
· Chief Kate Dargan, California State Fire Marshal (retired), Cal Fire;
· Chief Ken Pimlott, director (retired), Cal Fire;
· Scott Lotter, former mayor, city of Paradise;
· Tim Snellings, planning director, Butte County;
· Chief Michael McLaughlin, Cosumnes Community Services District Fire Department;
· Ty Bailey, California Professional Firefighters, president, Sacramento Area Firefighters, Local 522, fire captain, Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District.
- Author: Jeannette E. Warnert
Early this week, rain was in the forecast for Bakersfield, the southernmost city in the Great Central Valley, but UC Cooperative Extension farm advisors were unconcerned, reported John Cox in the Bakersfield Californian.
The rain never materialized, and that was good news for Craig Kallsen, UCCE Kern County citrus and pistachio advisor.
"In general, on the valley floor, if it's raining, somebody's going to get hurt," he said.
Kallsen said the ideal situation for farmers is when rain and snow fall on the mountains, providing water to be harnessed for irrigation. Because of the dry, warm climate in the South Valley, even after it rains, "It's probably going to dry out really rapidly."
UCCE orchard systems advisor Mohammad Yaghmour said rain is a bigger concern in the spring when almonds are in bloom. By this time of year, most almonds have been harvested, largely removing the threat of mold.
"For almonds, luckily, most of the harvest is almost over," he said. "I don't anticipate seeing much effect."