Facebook
X (Twitter)
Reddit
Pinterest
Tumblr
LinkedInblog
Centro para la postcosecha: misma misión, nuevo enfoque y difusión
Ofrece información de primera al mundo
UC Davis ha sido una de las principales fuentes de información sobre el manejo, embalaje y transportación de cultivos desde principios de la creación del Centro para Investigación y Extensión de la Post Cosecha en 1979. Ahora, el centro está reforzando su enfoque sobre las necesidades de la industria, ofreciendo nuevos cursos, tejiendo alianzas estratégicas y expandiéndose a los medios digitales, todo mientras refuerza su capacidad de investigación para servir mejor a las necesidades de la industria de las frutas y verduras.
“Le estamos preguntando a la gente en la industria, ‘¿Cómo podemos apoyarlos? ¿Cómo podemos escucharlos mejor?' Queremos que la gente sepa que no somos unos sabelotodo desconectados”, expresó la nueva codirectora del centro Bárbara Blanco-Ulate, profesora asociada del Departamento de Ciencias de las Plantas de UC Davis. “Estamos contando con mayor participación del profesorado, personas con experiencia en campos relacionados como ingeniería de calidad y seguridad, así como trayendo a profesores eméritos y gente de todo California. Estamos formando colaboraciones con organizaciones alrededor del mundo y nos hemos abierto a personas de otras instituciones alrededor del país”.
“Entre más grande sea la red, más cosas podemos hacer”, agregó el codirector Irwin R. Donis-González, profesor asociado de Extensión Cooperativa de UC en el Departamento de Ingeniería Biológica y Agrícola.
La fundación: investigación ampliada
Los nuevos codirectores reforzarán el componente de ciencia aplicada del centro con la contratación de un especialista en investigación. Tienen el objetivo de proporcionar nueva información que pueda ser usada en toda la industria mientras las compañías exploran nuevas formas de manejar y almacenar frutas y verduras frescas.
“Estamos creando capacidad para responder a las peticiones de investigación de la industria”, indicó Blanco-Ulate.
Nuevos cursos, alcance nacional
Su primer taller, realizado recientemente, demuestra la renovada visión y compromiso del centro para una amplia red: el taller de sistemas de agua agrícola aborda problemas actuales sobre el manejo del agua y los riesgos de la seguridad alimentaria. Entre los colaboradores en el curso se encontraban la Asociación de Agricultores del Oeste, la Universidad de Arizona, la Universidad de Florida y Taylor Fresh Foods, Inc. con base en Salinas.
Los cursos ofrecidos durante los últimos años serán grabados y publicados en la nueva videoteca en línea del centro y en su canal de YouTube.
“La gente puede ver estos cursos de manera gratuita”, mencionó Blanco-Ulate. Además, se ofrecerán nuevos cursos en persona y de manera híbrida.
Los codirectores trabajan con la Universidad de California para ofrecer créditos por educación continua y profesional a los participantes en los cursos.
¡Recursos en línea – ¡Muchos son gratis!
El sitio web del centro cuenta con una base de datos con enormes cantidades de fichas informativas gratis sobre productos, las cuales son descargadas por usuarios en todo el mundo. Las fichas son tan apreciadas que se consideran como evidencia en procedimientos judiciales, dijo Blanco-Ulate. Los visitantes del sitio web pueden también encontrar enlaces a ensayos publicados por el profesorado de UC Davis, incluyendo trabajos seminales por Adel Kader, quien fundó el centro.
Los libros se ofrecen a través de la librería en línea del centro e incluye títulos de la División de Agricultura y Recursos Naturales de UC. Están planeados diez nuevos títulos, incluyendo actualizaciones sobre temas específicos tomados de clásicos previos.
Desmintiendo mitos: etileno
Un nuevo boletín aborda un nuevo problema: la desinformación sobre alimentos y el manejo de alimentos que se propaga por las redes sociales. Un ejemplo es el uso de etileno para madurar productos como plátanos, para que puedan ser almacenados de manera segura hasta que están listos para el consumidor.
“El etileno es seguro para los humanos y no deja ningún residuo nocivo en las frutas y verduras”, escribió Donis-González en el más reciente boletín del centro. Hay noticias aun mejores, agregó: los niveles de etileno usados en los alimentos son una pequeña fracción de las concentraciones que se necesitarían para crear una explosión, una de las alarmas falsas que han surgido en las redes sociales.
Evolucionando con los tiempos
Después de 47 años de servicio, estas y más actualizaciones mantendrán al centro a la vanguardia del mundo de la postcosecha. La meta principal: responder a las necesidades de los agricultores, industria y consumidores.
“Nos estamos adaptando a nuevas necesidades, con los recursos y el taller que ofrecemos”, dijo Donis-González.
“Como institución de concesión de tierras, tomamos nuestra misión de difusión seriamente”, agregó Blanco-Ulate.
Adaptado al español por Leticia Irigoyen del artículo en inglés. Editado para su publicación por Diana Cervantes
UC ANR project to help underserved farmers in SoCal with land ownership
San Diego County has more than 5,000 small farms but less than 2% are operated or owned by Black, indigenous, or people of color – including those of Asian, Hispanic or Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander descent, according to the 2022 Ag Census.
The reasons vary, but historically, multiple marginalized communities of color have not received the same opportunities or support for land ownership or management as their white counterparts.
Chandra Richards, University of California Cooperative Extension land equity academic coordinator for the Southern California region, is identifying barriers to equity when it comes to addressing land access, tenure, management and opportunities to increase the diversity of land managers and land ownership in the region.
Richards is the principal investigator for the Climate Action and Land Equity (CALE) project administered through UC Agriculture and Natural Resources and funded by the Department of Conservation. CALE aims to engage historically underrepresented communities in coalition building, capacity assessment and climate action planning. CALE elevates knowledge about the challenges and opportunities to land access and management for a diversity of land managers.
Among the challenges is land tenure, an established agreement between a landowner and tenant, outlining the purpose and use of the land over a period of time. However, when landowners decide to sell their land, these agreements are at risk of being null and void, forcing the tenants to renegotiate or discontinue their operation.
Land tenure leases for under five years are considered short-term, which are common in Southern California. For small, new and under-resourced farmers, landowner turnover doesn't just threaten their business plan but their livelihood.
For small farmer Byron Nkhoma, who leases land in Ramona to grow leafy greens and vegetables, the possibility of losing land is a constant worry. Since 2015, Nkhoma and his wife, Joyce, have been renting four of 20 acres to establish Hukama Produce. Over nine years, they have had two landowners. Before the land was sold to his current landowner, Nkhoma said he considered buying land, but the process proved more challenging than he thought.
“What it takes for someone like Byron to find a place to farm and establish a food system is an extremely involved process,” said Richards. “It's not just learning how to obtain land, it's also about managing that land so it can be used for years and generations to come.”
Originally from Zimbabwe, Nkhoma is adamant about taking care of the land he leases and has applied knowledge from his home to ensure resilience. Hukama Produce prides itself in improving environmental health through sustainable farming practices such as compost and mulch application, drip irrigation and low till. An important pillar of the CALE project includes building capacity and providing technical assistance toward land conservation and climate resiliency.
In addition to land tenure, money and time are stressors for small farmers. When they are not working on the farm, Nkhoma and his wife are researching and applying for grants to improve their soils and protect their crops from pests. However, many grants for which Hukama Produce is eligible often have pressing deadlines that demand their immediate attention – cutting into valuable time that could be spent tending to the land or selling at farmer's markets.
Two of Hukama's goals include building and sustaining trust in the market and growing their operation. By partnering with Richards, Hukama Produce has direct access to technical assistance focused on grant writing and conservation to increase ecosystem health and build tenure.
Agricultural land tenure is the arrangement, rights, and responsibilities centered around use, management, and ownership of agricultural land and resources. Building land tenure means that farmers have a stable place to grow their crops and build environmental sustainability without risk of having to move their operations.
While the CALE project boosts support for historically underserved community members hoping to own or manage land, it prioritizes land use for food production as a reinvestment into the greater community.
Eager to bring realities like Nhkoma's to light, Richards partnered with Keith Nathaniel, UCCE director for Los Angeles County, who co-coordinated the Western Extension Leadership Development conference held in San Diego the week of Sept. 23-27. WELD unites Cooperative Extension faculty, agents, advisors, educators and specialists from the western region of the United States for a two-year leadership development program.
While in San Diego, WELD participants joined Richards for a tour of Hukama Produce and learned directly from Nkhoma about opportunities and threats as a small farmer. The tour ended with participants in a circle, sharing how their professional roles can offer support to Hukama Produce and other small farms.
“We grow food so that we can feed the community,” said Nkhoma. “When we feed others, we build relationships. That's what ‘hukama' means – to grow relationships.”
If you operate or know of a small farm in Southern California and would like to be involved with or receive regular updates about the CALE project, please contact Chandra Richards at cmrichards@ucanr.edu.
If you are interested in applying for the Land Equity Project Manager position, please visit https://ucanr.edu/About/Jobs/?jobnum=2894 for details.
UC SAREP financia ocho proyectos alimentarios y agrícolas sustentables
Los proyectos apoyarán a granjeros socialmente en desventaja, incrementarán el acceso de la comunidad urbana a alimentos saludables y más
El UC Sustainable Agriculture Research & Education Program (Programa de Investigación y Educación sobre Agricultura Sustentable de UC), conocido como SAREP, por sus siglas en inglés, anunció recientemente a los ocho recipientes de los pequeños subsidios Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems 2024-25 Small Grants Program (Programa de Pequeños Subsidios para Agricultura y Sistemas Alimentarios Sustentables).
Entre los elegidos se encuentran proyectos de planeación, investigación y educación que apoyan el desarrollo de sistemas alimentarios sustentables y empresas agrícolas respetuosas del medio ambiente y económicamente viables.
De las 33 solicitudes elegibles, ocho fueron seleccionadas para recibir aproximadamente 80 mil dólares en fondos combinados para apoyar sus trabajos. Los subsidios individuales están limitados a diez mil dólares. “El Programa de Pequeños Subsidios es una importante parte de nuestra misión”, señaló Ruth Dahlquist-Willard, directora interina de UC SAREP. Al facilitar estos subsidios, la SAREP puede ayudar a ANR a involucrar a una amplia gama de partes interesadas en los sistemas alimentarios, los resultados muestran que una pequeña inversión financiera puede tener un impacto grande en mejorar las vidas de los californianos”.
Los ocho recipientes de este año son:
En planificación
Creación de capacidad y resistencia entre redes de agricultores californianos socialmente desfavorecidos
Fresh Approach piensa establecer una red común de aprendizaje y apoyo técnico dirigido a negocios emergentes de agregación de alimentos para acceder a canales comerciales sustentables, incluyendo la distribución de alimentos de emergencia. Como parte del proyecto, mejorarán un mapa GIS interactivo de canales de valor para agilizar las oportunidades comerciales para granjeros y agregadores socialmente desfavorecidos. (Líder del proyecto: Andy Ollove, Fresh Approach)
Proyecto de planificación para la expansión de huertos sustentables para residentes urbanos
Growing Hope Gardens usará el subsidio para sistematizar el proceso de alcance, descubrimiento, diseño e implementación en la creación de nuevos huertos para residentes urbanos. El proyecto documentará el proceso de la creación del huerto Growing Hope Gardens para convertirlo en un manual de capacitación e implementación para duplicar de una manera más eficiente los programas de huertos en más comunidades de bajos recursos. (Líder del proyecto: Carolyn Day, Growing Hope Gardens)
Investigación
La evaluación de mejores prácticas administrativas para cultivos de cubierta para minimizar la pérdida de nitrógeno en el valle de Salinas en California
Este proyecto cuantificará la efectividad de los cultivos de cubierta en diferentes épocas de siembra y fechas de finalización para extraer el exceso de nitrógeno en la tierra y reducir la lixiviación de nitrato en un sistema de cultivo de verduras en Salinas. Los resultados servirán de base a la Orden Ag 4.0 para la concesión de créditos a los cultivos de cubierta y ayudarán a las partes interesadas del valle de Salinas a comprender mejor la gestión de los cultivos para un ciclo eficiente de los nutrientes. (Líder del proyecto: Scott Fendorf, Universidad de Stanford)
Las implicaciones de la dieta del cernícalo, dispersión y migración en el control de plagas en los sistemas agrícolas del norte de California
Los investigadores estudiarán cómo la dieta, dispersión post reproductiva y la migración de cernícalos nidificantes influyen en el control de las plagas biológicas en las granjas del norte de California. El proyecto generará recomendaciones de gestión para usar al ave depredadora en el control biológico de plagas en programas de agricultura sustentable en todo California. (Líder del proyecto: Breanna Martinico, UC Cooperative Extensión)
Educación y alcance
EAT! Proyecto para el acceso a mercados de granjeros de la comunidad y promoción
Este proyecto ayuda a granjeros indígenas y socialmente desfavorecidos en el condado de Riverside a crear vías para obtener beneficios económicos. EAT! ofrecerá mentoría para el desarrollo de estrategias comerciales, conectará a los granjeros con compradores, promoverá los mercados de granjeros para que sean más rentables para los agricultores y proporcionará un puesto de cooperativa agrícola en la ciudad de Norco para que los granjeros puedan vender sus productos directamente a los consumidores (¡Líder del proyecto Patrick Mitchell, Ecological Agricultural Training Cultural Center [EAT!])
Cultivando la educación cooperativa, administración y conexión en la Agroecology Commons Cooperative Incubator Farm (Granja Incubadora de Agroecología Cooperativa de Bienes Comunes).
Agroecology Commons se propone abordar los retos que enfrentan los agricultores jóvenes, primera generación, BIPOC, queer y femme (mujeres) en la Agroecology Commons Cooperative Incubator Farm del área de la bahía. El proyecto se centrará en educación y alcance, proporcionando asistencia técnica y capacitación en prácticas agrícolas regeneradas como la salud de la tierra, control de plagas y diversificación de cultivos para granjeros socialmente desfavorecidos. (Líder de proyecto: Jeneba Kilgore, Agroecology Commons)
Señalamientos y renovación de murales para los granjeros del sudeste asiático para mejorar la comercialización directa al consumidor
Este proyecto construirá señalamientos nuevos de alta duración para los granjeros del sudeste asiático que cultivan una diversidad de verduras y bayas en la región de Sacramento. Mejorar el atractivo y durabilidad de los señalamientos de las granjas incrementará la rentabilidad de los puestos agrícolas, pues estos granjeros de recursos limitados dependen de estrategias de comercialización directa al consumidor para promover sus negocios. (Líder del proyecto: Margaret Lloyd, UC Cooperative Extension)
Programa comunitario de seguridad nutricional y educación
Farm Discovery at Live Earth incrementará el acceso a productos orgánicos para individuos y familias que experimentan inseguridad alimentaria y nutricional en el área de Santa Cruz y Monterey Bay. Esto se podrá lograr a través de la agricultura, educación al aire libre, programas de educación y nutrición que se centran en prácticas agrícolas regenerativas para conectar a jóvenes y familias a sus sistemas agrícolas regionales y sistemas ecológicos. (Líder del Proyecto: Jessica Ridgeway, Farm Discovery at Live Earth)
¡El Programa de Pequeños Subsidios de UC SAREP tiene un gran impacto! Ayúdenos a financiar más proyectos que apoyan a sistemas alimentarios sustentables y respetuosos del medio ambiente y empresas agrícolas económicamente viables. Para apoyar este programa, por favor haga su donación aquí. Elija a SAREP Small Grants Program.
Adaptado al español por Leticia Irigoyen del artículo en inglés. Editado para su publicación por Ricardo Vela
Butte County first graders enjoy ‘ricetastic’ day at local farm
UC Cooperative Extension advisors, educators join growers in showcasing rice production
When Tracy Schohr volunteered in her son's pre-K class a couple years ago, she was stunned to find out that only two of the 20 children had ever been around a tractor. And this was in the rural Butte County community of Gridley, in the heart of California's rice-growing region.
Seeking to introduce more young children to agriculture, Schohr – the University of California Cooperative Extension livestock and natural resources advisor for the area – and her friend Lisa Donati created an event to showcase rice farming.
After the debut of “Ricetastic Day” last year with about 140 students from Gridley in attendance, this year's event on Sept. 19 attracted more than 240 schoolchildren – this time from across south Butte County.
First graders from McKinley Primary School in Gridley, Manzanita Elementary School, Biggs Elementary School and Richvale Elementary School – along with their teachers and many family members – enjoyed hands-on experiences at Schohr's rice and cattle ranch.
“There's a dwindling population that produces the food that we eat across America, so how can we have more people know, appreciate and love agriculture if we don't give them that opportunity?” said Schohr. “That's what this day is really about – to teach them about rice, to teach them about their community, how healthy rice can be, and how the farming and ranching can also create habitat for wildlife. It's all-encompassing.”
Event stations share different aspects of rice
Schohr, who grew up on the family ranch in Gridley, remembers coming with her McKinley schoolmates for a visit. But those field trips had comprised only lunch and a quick “drive-through” tour of the historic farming operation.
For Ricetastic Day, however, Schohr organized – with generous help from local growers and community partners – a more comprehensive half-day of activities. After her brother, Ryan Schohr, welcomed the participants to the family farm, the students formed groups that were led by Gridley FFA youth on a rotation through a variety of stations.
At the milling station, Luis Espino, UCCE rice farming systems advisor, demonstrated how his mini mill machines remove the husks from rough rice to make brown rice, and then polish away the bran layer to make white rice. He had the children see and feel the difference as the rice moved through processing.
“I didn't even know brown rice existed!” exclaimed Elsie, a first grader at McKinley.
A native of Peru, Espino came to study agriculture through his lifelong fascination with biology and living things – and he said events like Ricetastic Day can inspire a similar passion in young people.
“It might spark their curiosity so that they might go into these areas of work in the future or have a career in agriculture, when they see that people do this for a living,” Espino said.
Ray Stogsdill, another McKinley school alumnus, returned to Gridley after college to pursue just such a career. A staff research associate in the lab of UC Davis professor Bruce Linquist, Stogsdill manages on-farm rice variety testing across the region. He volunteered to help Schohr with Ricetastic Day by talking about some of the heavy equipment and providing his perspective for the kids.
“They drive by the fields and they don't know what's out there,” he said. “This gives them a chance to know what they're driving by, so they can say, ‘We have rice here and this is how it works; this is how it grows.' It gives them an idea of what's going on around them.”
Where rice fits within a healthy diet was the focus for the CalFresh Healthy Living, UC Cooperative Extension team, comprising nutrition educators Sunshine Hawjj, Joanna Aguilar and Kenia Estrada, as well as community nutrition, health and food security advisor Veronica VanCleave-Hunt. They talked about how rice – like other grains in that vital food group – gives people energy, and then taught the students an energetic “ricetastic” movement activity.
“Because our program is part of UC Agriculture and Natural Resources, it's important to make the connection between where our food comes from and how it gets on our plate – especially with young kids, so that we can promote value for our local agriculture and our food systems,” VanCleave-Hunt explained.
Activities spark further conversations, learning about agriculture
With rice harvest late due to late planting in the spring, Eric Waterbury of Waterbury Farms was able to take some time to attend the event. Although his family has been growing rice for three generations, he said he appreciates opportunities for the broader community to see all aspects of his work – from the equipment to the processing.
“If the kids walk away from this with one thing, I hope it's that they realize every time they have a meal, somebody was out there working hard to provide that meal,” he said. “It wasn't just the person at the grocery store that provided it for them.”
Schohr added that Ricetastic Day was only possible through the support of the community. Butte County Farm Bureau and Natural Resources Conservation Service staff helped kids make art with colorful dyed rice; neighboring farmer Tinker Storm described how the harvester and “bankout” wagon work; and rice farmers Shelley Beck and Sue Orme read aloud “Daddy's Got Dirt: A California Rice Story,” a children's book written by a local rice grower.
With rice at the center of physical activities, arts and crafts, and science lessons for the day, the students learned a lot to take home.
“It's nice that the kids got these hands-on learning experiences,” said Ryan Schohr, “so they can go home tonight and, at the dinner table, talk about it with their parents or brothers and sisters, over dinner or over homework – and share what they learned here on the farm and about their community.”
Rebecca Christy, a first- and second-grade teacher at Biggs Elementary, said she is excited to return to the classroom and hear from her students about all that they learned during the day.
“Every morning right now I'm seeing the big trucks going by our school, and so I'll be able to point that out to them, ‘Where are they going? What are they doing?'” she said. “I can't wait to get back to school and let them tell me about all of this.”
One of her students, Ximena, was finishing her brownbag lunch as the group watched one of the Schohr Ranch harvesters rumble over the field. Despite enjoying a rice cake and a rice cracker earlier, she said her meal was missing one thing.
“Where is my rice, Miss Christy?” she said. “I want rice!”
UC ANR publishes first-ever manual on olive production for oil
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.
