- Author: Jeffrey P Mitchell
- Author: Anil Shrestha, California State University, Fresno
- Author: Jeffery A. Dahlberg
- Author: Lynn Epstein
Since the advent of irrigation in California with the widespread drilling of wells in the 1930s and the proliferation of orchard crops during the past two decades, total annual water use in many watersheds exceeds supply. Partly as a consequence, California enacted the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act in 2014, which limits withdrawals to replenished levels.
Because irrigated agriculture accounts for nearly 80% of total water use, reductions in irrigation will be required, but preferably without decreasing either productivity or food supply. Furthermore, with some climate change projections suggesting a potential 20% water loss by the middle of the century, the need for more efficient water use could become acute. Fortunately, some water-saving methods such as drip irrigation have been supported by the government and there have been programs that have increased implementation and farmers understand these methods well.
Reduced disturbance tillage, or no-till, however, also offers an under-utilized strategy for increasing agricultural water use efficiency in California. There has been very little research and there is very little information available to farmers on no-till production systems for the diverse array of crops that have been produced in the state historically.
UC Cooperative Extension cropping systems specialist Jeff Mitchell led a diverse team of ANR, farmer, private sector and other public agency partners to evaluate the potential for producing sorghum and garbanzos, using high residue, no-till techniques in the San Joaquin Valley in a four-year study conducted at ANR's ag experiment station in Five Points, Calif.
Standard tillage practices have been used throughout the region for nearly 90 years. Using similar inputs and amounts and pest management, they showed that a garbanzo and sorghum rotation in no-till yielded at least as well as in standard tillage.
Sorghum yields were similar in no-till and standard tillage systems while garbanzo yields matched or exceeded no-till than in standard tillage, depending on the year.
In the trial, no-till garbanzos yielded an average of 3,417 pounds per acre versus standard tillage with an average of 2,738 pounds per acre; garbanzo production in California, which is almost all in standard till, averages 2,300 pounds per acre.
We envision that if water costs continue to rise and as curtailments on water supply increase, the value of agricultural land in California will eventually decline, providing more of an economic incentive for using no-till for growing a portfolio of crops, such as sorghum and garbanzo, amenable to these pending constraints on irrigation.
In addition, there already exists high acreage of relatively low-value field crops in the state. As annual row crop farmers are faced with the need to reduce water use, knowing which field crops perform well in no-tillage conditions is important for the region. For this reason, this work may serve as a decision-making tool for growers in the future, especially if there is the opportunity to both reduce management costs and maintain yields
An outgrowth of this work on no-till systems is the group of about 15 farmers who're now a part of a USDA NRCS Conservation Innovation Grant Program project that is looking at opportunities and approaches for reducing disturbance in organic vegetable production systems.
- Author: Michelle Leinfelder-Miles
In early June 2019, I visited some contiguous garbanzo bean fields in southern San Joaquin County, at the request of the grower. The grower observed that plants were yellowing and dying (Fig. 1) and wondered what might be causing the problem. The grower did not figure that he would be able to do anything about the problem in this year's crop, but he was thinking ahead for future cropping. He doesn't have reliable water at this site, so his cropping options (i.e. rotation options) are limited. He would consider growing garbanzos in these fields again next year unless diagnostics revealed a disease problem.
My observations of the field were that there were patches of several nearby plants with symptoms, but across the three contiguous fields, the patches were widespread. I suspected a vascular disease because of what appeared to be a progression of the disease from yellowing to necrosis to eventually plant death. I submitted samples to the plant pathology lab at UC Davis, and they diagnosed Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. ciceris, which is the Fusarium wilt pathogen for garbanzos. Fusarium wilt (also called Fusarium yellows) has the external symptoms previously described, but in addition to these symptoms, splitting the stems may reveal reddish-brown streaking in the vascular system at the center of the stem (i.e. xylem). The roots won't show discoloration with Fusarium wilt like they will with Fusarium root rot. Fusarium wilt should not be confused with yellowing caused from virus, which will exhibit discoloration in the phloem. Fusarium wilt can reduce yield by reducing seed quantity and size.
In general, cultural practices are the only ways to manage this disease. Luckily, the Fusarium wilt pathogens are crop-specific, so this pathogen will only infect garbanzos. The pathogen, however, can survive for a long time in the soil (upwards of 6 years or more) because it can survive under wide temperature and pH ranges. Therefore, crop rotation is an important management practice. Crop rotation will help to slow the proliferation of the disease, but it generally won't eliminate it. Growers should plant certified disease-free seed. They should not save seed for planting because Fusarium wilt (and Ascochyta blight) can live externally on the seed. Growers should also consider planting UC-27, which has disease resistance and is adapted to the Central Valley. Disease management may also include cleaning soil from equipment when moving from an infected field to a non-infected field. In some studies, soil solarizaton has been shown to reduce Fusarium wilt in subsequent garbanzo crops, but to my knowledge, there hasn't been any work on soil solarization in California garbanzos.
Garbanzo beans are an important crop worldwide for human and animal nutrition. In California, they are grown during the winter months, like small grains, and provide growers with another crop choice that can be winter rain-fed. Because they are a legume, they can fix atmospheric nitrogen to fulfil some of their nitrogen needs. Garbanzos also are more tolerant of soil salinity than common beans and limas. In California, we annually grow approximately 10,000 acres of garbanzos. California garbanzos are generally a high-quality product grown for the canning industry. More information on garbanzo production in California can be found in the UC production manual.
This article was originally posted in the UC Dry Bean Blog.
- Author: Michelle Leinfelder-Miles
My observations of the field were that there were patches of several nearby plants with symptoms, but across the three contiguous fields, the patches were widespread. I suspected a vascular disease because of what appeared to be a progression of the disease from yellowing to necrosis to eventually plant death. I submitted samples to the plant pathology lab at UC Davis, and they diagnosed Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. ciceris, which is the Fusarium wilt pathogen for garbanzos. Fusarium wilt (also called Fusarium yellows) has the external symptoms previously described, but in addition to these symptoms, splitting the stems may reveal reddish-brown streaking in the vascular system at the center of the stem (i.e. xylem). The roots won't show discoloration with Fusarium wilt like they will with Fusarium root rot. Fusarium wilt should not be confused with yellowing caused from virus, which will exhibit discoloration in the phloem. Fusarium wilt can reduce yield by reducing seed quantity and size.
In general, cultural practices are the only ways to manage this disease. Luckily, the Fusarium wilt pathogens are crop-specific, so this pathogen will only infect garbanzos. The pathogen, however, can survive for a long time in the soil (upwards of 6 years or more) because it can survive under wide temperature and pH ranges. Therefore, crop rotation is an important management practice. Crop rotation will help to slow the proliferation of the disease, but it generally won't eliminate it. Growers should plant certified disease-free seed. They should not save seed for planting because Fusarium wilt (and Ascochyta blight) can live externally on the seed. Growers should also consider planting UC-27, which has disease resistance and is adapted to the Central Valley. Disease management may also include cleaning soil from equipment when moving from an infected field to a non-infected field. In some studies, soil solarizaton has been shown to reduce Fusarium wilt in subsequent garbanzo crops, but to my knowledge, there hasn't been any work on soil solarization in California garbanzos.
Garbanzo beans are an important crop worldwide for human and animal nutrition. In California, they are grown during the winter months, like small grains, and provide growers with another crop choice that can be winter rain-fed. Because they are a legume, they can fix atmospheric nitrogen to fulfil some of their nitrogen needs. Garbanzos also are more tolerant of soil salinity than common beans and limas. In California, we annually grow approximately 10,000 acres of garbanzos. California garbanzos are generally a high-quality product grown for the canning industry. More information on garbanzo production in California can be found in the UC production manual.
- Author: Michelle Leinfelder-Miles
My observations of the field were that there were patches of several nearby plants with symptoms, but across the three contiguous fields, the patches were widespread. I suspected a vascular disease because of what appeared to be a progression of the disease from yellowing to necrosis to eventually plant death. I submitted samples to the plant pathology lab at UC Davis, and they diagnosed Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. ciceris, which is the Fusarium wilt pathogen for garbanzos. Fusarium wilt (also called Fusarium yellows) has the external symptoms previously described, but in addition to these symptoms, splitting the stems may reveal reddish-brown streaking in the vascular system at the center of the stem (i.e. xylem). The roots won't show discoloration with Fusarium wilt like they will with Fusarium root rot. Fusarium wilt should not be confused with yellowing caused from virus, which will exhibit discoloration in the phloem. Fusarium wilt can reduce yield by reducing seed quantity and size.
In general, cultural practices are the only ways to manage this disease. Luckily, the Fusarium wilt pathogens are crop-specific, so this pathogen will only infect garbanzos. The pathogen, however, can survive for a long time in the soil (upwards of 6 years or more) because it can survive under wide temperature and pH ranges. Therefore, crop rotation is an important management practice. Crop rotation will help to slow the proliferation of the disease, but it generally won't eliminate it. Growers should plant certified disease-free seed. They should not save seed for planting because Fusarium wilt (and Ascochyta blight) can live externally on the seed. Growers should also consider planting UC-27, which has disease resistance and is adapted to the Central Valley. Disease management may also include cleaning soil from equipment when moving from an infected field to a non-infected field. In some studies, soil solarizaton has been shown to reduce Fusarium wilt in subsequent garbanzo crops, but to my knowledge, there hasn't been any work on soil solarization in California garbanzos.
Garbanzo beans are an important crop worldwide for human and animal nutrition. In California, they are grown during the winter months, like small grains, and provide growers with another crop choice that can be winter rain-fed. Because they are a legume, they can fix atmospheric nitrogen to fulfil some of their nitrogen needs. Garbanzos also are more tolerant of soil salinity than common beans and limas. In California, we annually grow approximately 10,000 acres of garbanzos. California garbanzos are generally a high-quality product grown for the canning industry. More information on garbanzo production in California can be found in the UC production manual.
- Author: Konrad Mathesius
“Commodity prices are in the tank.”
“Wheat prices these days don't look so good.”
“Diesel's worth the price of gold, it's the cheapest grain he's ever sold.”
Two quotes from growers I've spoken with, one from a country singer, all relevant points.
Growers looking to diversify their rotations as a way to weather the ebb and flow of the market might consider several alternative crops. Garbanzo beans might fit the bill.
Because of the Central Valley's mild winter, garbanzos can be grown in winter as an alternative to wheat. As a legume, garbanzos can partner with nitrogen-fixing bacteria to produce some of their nitrogen requirement. This is helpful in years like 2016-2017 where frequent rains make it difficult to get into fields for side-dressing applications of N.
When deciding where to plant with garbanzos, there are several things that growers should consider. High-boron soils or wells such as those in certain parts of Yolo county can stunt root growth. Otherwise, heavy rainfall can be problematic for garbanzos particularly on clay soils. Prolonged moisture can make them susceptible to root diseases such as fusarium wilt that often lead to a later collapse under heat stress. As such, bedding for drainage is a must. Exposure to damp conditions for a long period of time can also lead to ascochyta outbreaks.
As with many crops that humans have selected over the years to put arguably silly amounts of work and energy into an oversized food item, garbanzos do not compete well with weeds. This includes the more enthusiastic volunteers. Avoid planting garbanzos after sunflower or safflower, hoeing costs will quickly eat up any potential post-harvest profits. Garbanzos are easier to manage after corn and wheat because volunteers that are not controlled with a pre-plant herbicide can be controlled with herbicides specific to grasses such as Sethoxydim (Poast) or Clethodim (Select Max). Tomatoes are rarely a problem for garbanzos to follow.
With 9,000 acres, garbanzos were the most widely-planted bean crop in our state in 2014. Particularly brutal drought conditions in the winter of 2014-2015 may have played a role in reducing yields to a 2nd place position with 7,200 acres harvested. Garbanzos are currently the best-paying of the pulses coming in at about 42 cents a pound in California relative to black-eyes and kidneys at around 40 cents a pound. Add to that the fact that they need to be grown in the winter, yield roughly 1.5 tons/ acre, and are adept at mining the soil for deep water, and it becomes clear what some of the reasons for the expanded acreage might be.
Even with the growth over recent years, the market for garbanzos in California is, as expected, relatively segmented and not as widely developed as more mainstream crops such as wheat and alfalfa. There are several confirmed processors and contractors of garbanzos that growers should get familiar with if they are thinking about growing in the Sacramento and San Joaquin Valley.
Cal-Bean and Grain is a cooperative located in Pixley (Tulare County) that cleans and processes garbanzos after harvest. Chad van der Feer is the general manager.
Contact: Chad, 559.757.3581
Email: chad at calbean.com
Dompe Warehouse processes garbanzos for David Kirsten in Crow's Landing (Stanislaus County). David manages contracts through Kirsten Company LLC. David is seeking additional contracts as of this posting.
Contact: David Kirsten, 209.747.1100; Dompe Warehouse, 209.837.4725
Email: dave at kirsten.com
Rhodes-Stockton Bean Co. located in Tracy is a co-op/ processor that works closely with Cal Bean and Pea's Joel Parreira. For growers farther north, they have a separate warehouse in Meridian (Tarke Warehouse). They are seeking additional members/ contracts as of this posting.
Contact: Rhodes Stockton, 209.835.1284; Cal Bean and Pea, 559.685.9491
Email: ken at beanplant.com
Sutter Basin Co-op is based in Knight's Landing (Yolo County). They work with Steve Benson of Northwest Trading but are currently not seeking additional members/ contracts.
Contact: 530.735.6295
Additional warehouses and dealers can be found at: http://www.calbeans.org/bean-board/, although those not listed above may not process garbanzos (based on information available at the time of writing this).
While growing garbanzos is not the same as growing wheat, it is a sound choice for growers looking to diversify amid some painful commodity prices.
Growers considering planting garbanzos should keep an eye out for the upcoming UC ANR Garbanzo Production Handbook. Speak to the UCCE Agronomy Advisors in your local counties for more information in the meantime.
Growers with garbanzos in the ground should also feel free to reach out to advisors if they see disease or stress cropping up in their acreage. Heavy rains this year will likely reveal some insight into how resistant current varieties are being impacted by water logging.