- Author: Michael Hsu
Growers, UC Cooperative Extension researchers offer guidance on producing high-quality olives
Facing a deluge of lower-price products from Europe, the California olive oil industry is doubling down on its clear-cut competitive edge: the consistent and bona fide quality of its oil.
“Olive Production Manual for Oil,” a new book published by University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources, aims to help California olive growers maximize that advantage.
“It's a tough market to compete in, but I think the way to win for California is to compete on quality,” said book co-editor Selina Wang, a UC Cooperative Extension specialist in the UC Davis Department of Food Science and Technology. “The quality of California olive oil is unmatched, but you can't make good quality olive oil with bad fruit, so the goal is to get more fruit from the trees – and for the fruits to be high-quality fruit.”
The 273-page manual, available for purchase online, is the first of its kind in the U.S. While some parts of the book are specific to California (which grows nearly all of the olives for domestically produced olive oil), most of the material would be useful to producers in other states, Wang noted.
“Through our conversations with growers, it became clear to us that a manual like this – not a scientific publication but a manual that is easy to follow, written in language that is accessible, and with pictures and illustrations – would be really helpful to the growers,” she said.
Growth of California olive oil industry necessitated creation of manual
Aside from a book focused predominantly on table olives and another on organic olive production (by UCCE farm advisor emeritus Paul Vossen), there was no one-stop, comprehensive resource on the bookshelf for oil olive growers. The need for such a manual had become more acute as oil olives replaced table olives in California orchards during the last 20 years.
Whereas harvesting by hand was historically cost-prohibitive, the introduction of super-high-density planting systems in 1999 made oil olive production more economically feasible. Mechanical pruning and harvesting of new cultivars (Arbequina, Arbosana and Koroneiki) – specifically bred for these densely planted orchards – led to the rapid expansion of oil olives in the state. According to a U.S. Department of Agriculture report, California olive oil production jumped from 2 million pounds in 2006 to an average of 21 million pounds in 2021–23.
With about 37,000 acres of oil olives planted across California, the Olive Oil Commission of California saw the need to support the production of this manual. Championed by Dan Flynn, founder and executive director emeritus of the UC Davis Olive Center, Wang and co-editor Louise Ferguson outlined the contents of the book. They then sought out a mix of growers and industry professionals and UCCE advisors and specialists to write its chapters.
“Most of the information is data-based, from people who are working with the olives,” said Ferguson, a UC Cooperative Extension pomologist at UC Davis. “This is the first data-based olive oil production manual we've had.”
Manual infused with firsthand insights, practical recommendations
Hard-earned experience taught growers a valuable lesson that is conveyed in the book – the need to hand-prune. While mechanical pruning helps control the size of the trees, some hand-pruning is still required to allow light to filter to the leaves. Failing to do so leads to a dramatic decrease in yield.
“That happened in many of the orchards that were inexperienced in these new cultivars and new super-high-density planting systems,” Ferguson said.
She added that other key topics in the manual include irrigation management in a water-constrained state, nitrogen management, harvest timing and orchard site selection. Choosing a good spot for planting is crucial in this era of extreme climate volatility, Ferguson noted, as olive trees are significantly affected by temperature shocks in spring (fruit set) and fall (harvest).
For Wang, another overarching theme in the manual is the importance of testing. Testing the soil, water and leaves provides critical data that growers can use to adjust their inputs and production practices for optimal profitability.
“You may spend a couple hundred dollars on the lab work, but it will pay off, for sure – you're going to increase the health and productivity of your trees,” Wang explained. “Oil olive growers are paid based on the oil content in their fruit; you not only want to have a lot of fruit on the trees, you want to make sure that your fruit are accumulating oil.”
California oil olive growers, practices continue to evolve
Wang and Ferguson hope their book will help California producers compete more effectively in the global marketplace. Currently, about 90% of the olive oil consumed in the U.S. is imported from Mediterranean countries, due primarily to the lower price point. In that region, producers tend to harvest riper olives that produce oil at a greater volume but lesser quality.
In contrast, California growers harvest earlier and produce oil that is higher quality (with more flavor and more antioxidants) and far exceeds accepted standards for “extra virgin olive oil.”
According to Wang, California olive oil mills have nearly maximized their efficiency, and the growth opportunity for the industry is in the orchards: to optimize practices to produce more fruit, and to plant more trees. Wang said the new manual can help on both fronts.
“Just like for other crops, focusing on quality – while increasing efficiency and productivity, and therefore profitability – is the name of the game,” she said.
Ferguson also stressed that knowledge continues to evolve and urged growers to reach out to the editors and chapter authors with their experiences.
“Most of the authors are in California and they're working,” she said. “So if you start to notice things that are different, or you want more information or something is not clear, the authors are available.”
The manual can be purchased at https://anrcatalog.ucanr.edu/Details.aspx?itemNo=3559.
/h3>/h3>/h3>/h3>- Author: Mike Hsu
Publication in English, Spanish prepares private applicators for state exam
Expanded from four chapters in the previous edition to 12, the third edition of Pesticide Safety: A Study Manual for Private Applicators aims to be more than just a study guide.
The manual, available for purchase in English and Spanish, provides much more detail on essential processes and procedures that will help keep applicators safe while using pesticides – as well as reduce environmental impacts from misapplication.
Published by University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources in collaboration with the state's Department of Pesticide Regulation, the manual – intended for members of the agricultural community who own, manage or work on farms that use restricted-use pesticides – also includes substantial updates.
“The information in the book they were using was way out of date,” said writer/editor Shannah Whithaus, senior editor for pesticide safety education with UC ANR's Statewide Integrated Pest Management Program. “Also, the book was much, much shorter than it needed to be, because it wasn't providing enough information for people to safely apply pesticides, given the complexity of the regulatory environment we're in now.”
The new manual reflects important changes to federal and state regulations since the publication of the previous edition in 2006.
“There are significant regulatory updates which help you stay up-to-date with safety rules and standards – and protect your workers from overexposure to pesticides,” said Lisa Blecker, technical editor of the publication, and currently a pesticide safety educator at Colorado State University.
In addition to emphasizing the broader ecological ramifications of improper pesticide use, the manual includes information on subjects that might get short shrift in other manuals, such as the correct calibration of equipment to ensure accuracy of application.
“All of that is now in the book and fully fleshed out,” Whithaus said. “[Applicators] are going to be able to do that much more effectively using the new book, compared to the old one – it was really hard to be thorough in 80-some pages.”
The new edition – totaling more than 200 substantive pages – also features a more streamlined and user-friendly layout modeled after a sister publication, The Safe and Effective Use of Pesticides, written for commercial applicators.
“A significant update is a layout that is not only beautiful, but helps you identify key information you need to know in order to make safe and effective pesticide applications,” Blecker explained.
She highlighted the “knowledge expectations” listed at the beginning of each chapter and in the margins of the book, next to the relevant passages. The statements serve as “visual cues” to help readers learn and retain the material they need to pass California DPR's certification exam for private applicators.
And while the manual functions as an improved study aid for owners, managers and workers who apply pesticides, it doubles as a reference that they can turn to for years to come.
“It's going to be able to serve as a reference manual, as opposed to just a study guide,” Whithaus said. “You really will be able to use this book as a tool to help you do better in managing your land.”
The manual, listed at $29, is available for purchase in English at https://anrcatalog.ucanr.edu/Details.aspx?itemNo=3383 and in Spanish at https://anrcatalog.ucanr.edu/Details.aspx?itemNo=3394.
/h4>- Author: Bill Stewart
The University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources (UCANR) publications office today announced the release of a new book, “Reforestation Practices for Conifers in California”, a practical manual for landowners and managers that explains the why, where, who, when, what, and how of getting sustainable forests back into California's diverse landscape. It is available now for immediate viewing and downloading for free on the Forest Vegetation Management Conference's website: www.fvmc.org. Next year the book will be published in full color print and web format by
“The primary takeaway from this book is that the most successful reforestation happens if planning begins as soon as the flames die down,” said Dr. Bill Stewart, Co-Director, Berkeley Forests. “The manual presents a planning process, with a detailed explanation of the options at each step. These basic steps are the same for a small landowner, large landowner, or an agency.”
The recommended practices are the result of 50 years of concentrated effort to improve reforestation success and reduce costs under the difficult conditions present in most of California. Significant lessons have been learned since the last reforestation manual for California was published in 1971. The 16 co-authors of the new book present the best practices gleaned from their combined experience of planting over 100 million conifer seedlings on hundreds of thousands of acres of public and private land in the state. Funding for the preparation of this book was provided by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE), the U.S. Forest Service, and private donors.
Successful reforestation is nothing like landscaping a yard and going down to the nursery to buy a few fruit trees to plant and water in your backyard. Because reforesting burned forestland depends on natural precipitation and not costly irrigation systems, reforestation requires careful evaluation of the site and the availability of locally adapted native seeds. If seeds are available, then foresters prescribe treatments for the site and the quantity of seedlings of each species needed. Over the next two years, the forester will plan and implement site preparation, plant nursery grown seedlings, and arrange follow-up treatments as needed.
Bob Rynearson of W. M. Beaty & Associates, Inc, a forestland consulting firm in Redding, California and one of the book's authors explains, “Experience has shown controlling competing vegetation results in the retention of sufficient soil moisture for excellent seedling survival rates, even on very dry sites during prolonged droughts, when high quality, locally adapted native seedlings are planted properly. If you don't properly plan and implement the sequence of each time-critical reforestation step, then you're probably wasting your money, time, and valuable conifer seed.”
“To maintain the carbon capturing potential of our forests, significant investments in effective reforestation on private and public forest lands will be necessary,” said Dr. Stewart. “The bottom line is that achieving success is critical if the growing backlog of California's fire damaged forests are to once again be filled with healthy trees.”
The president of the non-profit organization Forest Landowners of California, Claire McAdams, is enthusiastic in support of the book: “The loss of family forests due to wildfires, often after one or more decades of ownership and careful husbandry, is emotionally gut wrenching. The new Reforestation Practices for Conifers in California publication by UCANR is an excellent guide to both the process and issues facing non-industrial forestland owners seeking to reforest their land. This publication belongs on everyone's reference shelf.”
Bill Stewart of the University of California' Berkeley Forests and Agricultural and Natural Resources is the technical editor for the project. “The final book includes more than 500 pages, 200 figures, and 800 scientific references. It will be a valuable resource for landowners, practitioners, and policy makers” he said. The process involved 16 co-authors and more than 25 peer reviewers. Given the time sensitive need to get this information out in the public arena while UCANR is completing the copy editing, final high quality illustrations, and hard copy publication, we agreed to post all of the peer reviewed chapters for easy download on the Forest Vegetation Management Conference website, noted Stewart. The Forest Vegetation Management Conference made major contributions to both the accumulation of the new knowledge that led to this book's creation and to the process that led to this book becoming a reality rather than just an idea.
- Author: Ben Faber
It's not easy to update the IPM Handbook in paperback, but You can check out the latest IPM Pest Management Guidelines for arthropod pests at:
http://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/selectnewpest.citrus.html
The other sections will be updated soon. Tune in, and in the meantime if you don't have a copy of the IPM Manual, it's time to get one:
How to order
Obtain Integrated Pest Management for Citrus from the UC ANR catalog, or by mail, by telephone, and at many of the UC County Cooperative Extension offices. For more information, see "How to Order Publications."
Third Edition
Integrated Pest Management for Citrus
Published 2012 · Publication 3303 · 275 pages
How to order List of contents |
Book excerpts: General predators in citrus Fruit disorders in citrus |
High-quality Photographs
More than 500 high-quality color photographs and dozens of drawings and charts will help you identify and manage over 150 different citrus pests and to recognize the important natural enemies of pest insects and mites. The book content includes pest insects, mites, diseases, weeds, nematodes, and vertebrates. Abiotic disorders and crop production and harvest-related problems are also covered.
/h4>/h4>/table>/h4>/h3>/h4>- Author: Steven M. Worker
- Author: Jesenia Mendoza
- Author: Diego Mariscal
- Author: Judy Ludovise
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Copyright © 2016 The Regents of the University of California. University of California Cooperative Extension, Sonoma County It is the policy of the University of California (UC) and the UC Division of Agriculture & Natural Resources not to engage in discrimination against or harassment of any person in any of its programs or activities (Complete nondiscrimination policy statement can be found at http://ucanr.edu/sites/ anrstaff/files/169224.pdf). Inquiries regarding ANR's nondiscrimination policies may be directed to John I. Sims, Affirmative Action compliance Officer/Title IX Officer, University of California, Davis, Agriculture and Natural Resources, 2801 Second Street, Davis, CA 95618, (530) 750-1397. |