Fresno, Calif., (July 12, 2017) – Fields of oats, triticale, and wheat continued to be green chopped for silage or cut, windrowed and baled for hay production. Harvester inspections took place to certify wheat fields for inter-county permits to ship out of the County. Rice was growing well and had herbicides applied as needed.
Alfalfa fields were growing well and the cycle of cutting, windrowing and baling was under way. Alfalfa for seed production also was growing well while being pollinated by honey and leaf-cutter bees. Spraying for lygus and aphids took place in alfalfa. Cotton appeared to be growing well but was really hit hard by lygus and aphids. Growers had a hard time getting a handle on the amount of times they needed to spray. Sweet corn and silage corn continued to show good growth in June. Drip tape was pulled in garlic fields to begin dry out. Sorghum was still being planted and being treated with herbicides and insecticides. Lettuce for seed production was maturing. Alfalfa seed was exported to Saudi Arabia and Sudan.
Stone fruit harvesting grew throughout June; with nectarines, peaches, and plums all being harvested and packed. Growers saw light fruit set this year due to lingering drought effects, temperature swings and powerful storms. Apricot and cherry harvesting wrapped up. Almond, pistachio and walnuts continued to mature. Nut orchards were treated for weeds and walnuts were treated for codling moth. New almond orchards were still being planted. Raisin, table, and wine grape growers continued to spray for powdery mildew, mites, hoppers, and vine mealy bugs. Early varieties of grapes started to show berry softening towards the end of the month. Pomegranates continued to mature and have pesticides applied to orchards. Almonds, apricots, nectarines, peaches, prunes, raisins and walnuts were exported to Algeria, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Estonia, France, French Polynesia, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Honduras, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Israel, Italy, Japan, Republic of Korea, Kuwait, Malaysia, Mexico, Morocco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Pakistan, Panama, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, and Viet Nam. Chilean grapes were re-exported to Canada.
Summer vegetable season started off well! Basil, bittermelon, cucumbers (English, Armenian, and Pickle), daikon, eggplant (Italian and Japanese), melons, okra, peppers (bell and jalapeno), tomatillos, tomatoes, squash, and zucchini were all starting to be harvested and showing up in roadside stands. Market onions started to be harvested around the County but only Huron District reported processing onion harvest had started. Growers continued to plant fields of melons, eggplants, cucumbers and squash. Harvesting continued in blackberries, blueberries, and strawberries. Harvest started in early planted tomatoes. Tomato fields continued to be fertilized, had pesticides applied, and were cultivated by hand-weeding crews. Garlic was maturing nicely. Melons grew well and increased in size rapidly over the last month. Cantaloupe, honeydew, and watermelon harvest started towards the end of the month with very good market price. Onions were exported to Australia, Nicaragua, Panama, and Taiwan. Squash was exported to Mexico.
Citrus harvesting wrapped up across the County. Orchards started to receive herbicide treatments and were also cultivated and irrigated. Foliar fungicide and nutrient applications were ongoing. Orange groves had sunscreen applied to foliage. Grapefruit, lemons, oranges and tangelos were packed. Valencia oranges were exported to Republic of Korea. Olive orchards underwent some pruning and discing.
Beehives were placed in melon, squash, and seed alfalfa fields for pollination. Sheep were moved into retired farmland and harvested wheat fields. Cattle continued to be shipped out for processing. Range conditions started to decline as the summer heat set in with concerns of potential wildfires. Poultry and egg production was normal.
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