California Ag Network

Category: Non-Video

  • USDA Assists Farmers, Ranchers & Communities Affected by Western Wildfires

    The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced the availability of assistance for residents and agricultural producers affected by recent wildfires.

    As of today, wildfires have burned nearly 6.9 million acres across 11 states. More than 31,000 personnel from the local, state and federal levels are working to contain 61 large fires. The USDA Forest Service has more than 7,800 personnel committed to firefighting efforts along with airtankers, helicopters, and other air and ground firefighting resources.

    Food waivers and flexibilities

    On August 27, 2020, USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) approved California’s waiver request to allow for the purchase of hot foods with Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits in select counties. As many California residents are not able to store food or access cooking facilities, households in those counties can purchase hot foods with SNAP benefits through September 23, 2020.

    On September 3, 2020, FNS also approved California’s request to issue automatic mass replacements of SNAP benefits to impacted households. This waiver allows households in certain counties and zip codes to receive replacement of 50% of their August SNAP benefits as a result of wildfires and power outages that began on August 17, 2020. For more information on either of these actions, contact the California Department of Social Services.

    Helping producers weather financial impacts of disasters

    When major disasters strike, USDA has an emergency loan program that provides eligible farmers low-interest loans to help them recover from production and physical losses. This program is triggered when a natural disaster is designated by the Secretary of Agriculture or a natural disaster or emergency is declared by the President under the Stafford Act. USDA also offers additional programs tailored to the needs of specific agricultural sectors to help producers weather the financial impacts of major disasters and rebuild their operations.

    Livestock owners and contract growers who experience above normal livestock deaths due to specific weather events, as well as to disease or animal attacks, may qualify for assistance under USDA’s Livestock Indemnity Program.

    Livestock producers who have suffered grazing losses due to a qualifying drought condition or fire on federally-managed land during the normal grazing period for a county may qualify for help through USDA’s Livestock Forage Disaster Program. Producers of non-insurable crops who suffer crop losses, lower yields or are prevented from planting agricultural commodities may be eligible for assistance under USDA’s Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program.

    Helping operations recover after disasters

    USDA can also provide financial resources through its Environmental Quality Incentives Program to help with immediate needs and long-term support to help recover from natural disasters and conserve water resources. Assistance may also be available for emergency animal mortality disposal from natural disasters and other causes.

    Farmers and ranchers needing to rehabilitate farmland damaged by natural disasters can apply for assistance through USDA’s Emergency Conservation Program. USDA also has assistance available for eligible private forest landowners who need to restore forestland damaged by natural disasters through the Emergency Forest Restoration Program. USDA’s Emergency Watershed Protection Program can also help relieve imminent threats to life and property caused by fires and other natural disasters that impair a watershed. Orchardists and nursery tree growers may be eligible for assistance through USDA’s Tree Assistance Program to help replant or rehabilitate eligible trees, bushes and vines damaged by natural disasters.

    Producers with coverage through the Risk Management Agency (RMA) administered federal crop insurance program should contact their crop insurance agent for issues in filing claims. Those who purchased crop insurance will be paid for covered losses. Producers should report crop damage within 72 hours of discovering damage and follow up in writing within 15 days. The Approved Insurance Providers (AIP), loss adjusters and agents are experienced and well trained in handling these types of events. As part of its commitment to delivering excellent customer service, RMA is working closely with AIPs that sell and service crop insurance policies to ensure enough loss adjusters will be available to process claims in the affected areas as quickly as possible. Visit the RMA website for more details.

    Helping with the long-term recovery of rural communities

    USDA Rural Development has more than 50 programs available to rural and tribal communities for the rebuild, repair or modernization of rural infrastructure including drinking and waste water systems, solid waste management, electric infrastructure, and essential community facilities such as public safety stations, health care centers and hospitals, and educational facilities. Visit theUSDA Rural Development website for more information on specific programs.

    Visit USDA’s disaster resources website to learn more about USDA disaster preparedness and response. For more information on USDA disaster assistance programs, contact your local USDA Service Center.

  • California’s Wine Industry Unites to Support Fire-Impacted Communities

    Fires have once again ravaged California’s rural agricultural regions, leaving the most vulnerable in those communities without access to basic resources ranging from gas money to shelter. In response, California’s wine industry has rallied under the umbrella of #CAWineStrong to raise awareness and funds to support those in need.

    “Though many of our member wineries and growers are at risk of loss from these fires, our focus right now is on the broader community in which we live,” says Kim Stemler, who runs the Monterey County Vintners & Growers Association and is one of the industry leaders behind the #CAWineStrong effort.  “Many people are looking for ways to help, so we’re asking them to donate to regional community foundations, which can more quickly and directly benefit locals than national charities.”

    Information about the campaign is online at CAWineStrong.com, including links to each region’s community funds. Graphic indicators help website visitors to easily recognize which regions have been directly impacted by fire and to what degree.

    Questions about the campaign or how to get involved can be directed to cawinestrong@gmail.com.

    About #CAWineStrong

    California wine industry leaders have formed a support network to provide immediate assistance and long-term aid to victims of the fires impacting Northern California. The CAWineStrong Network includes:  Alexander Valley Winegrowers, Anderson Valley Winegrowers Association, Amador Vintners Association, Calaveras Valley Winegrape Alliance, Clarksburg Wine Growers & Vintners Association, Winegrowers of Dry Creek Valley, El Dorado Winery Association, Lake County Winery Association, Livermore Valley Winegrowers Association, Lodi Winegrape Commission, Lodi District Grape Growers Association, Monterey County Vintners & Growers Association, Madera Wine Trail, Mendocino Wine Co, Mendocino Winegrowers Inc., Napa Valley Vintners, Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance, Petaluma Gap Winegrowers Alliance, Placer County Wine Trail, Russian River Vineyards, Santa Cruz Mountains Winegrowers Association, San Luis Obispo Wine Country, Sonoma County Winegrowers, Sonoma County Vintners, Sonoma Valley Vintners & Growers, Temecula Valley Winegrowers, West Sonoma Coast Vintners, Wine Road Sonoma County, and Wineries of Santa Clara Valley.

  • 20% Raisin Crop Reduction in China Spurs Increased Demand

    China’s raisin production is forecast at 160,000 MT in MY 2020/21, down 20 percent from the previous year as the Covid-19 outbreak in the country’s major producing area has delayed raisin processing. As a result, China’s raisin export forecast is reduced sharply from the previous year to 20,000 MT on reduced exportable supplies. The raisin import forecast is expected to increase over the previous marketing year by nearly 20 percent to 37,000 MT given the shortage of local supplies and recovering demand.

    Production

    China’s raisin production is forecast at 160,000 metric tons (MT) in marketing year (MY) 2020/21 (August-July), down 20 percent from the previous year. The quarantine measures against Covid-19 have delayed raisin processing indefinitely in the Turpan area of Xinjiang, the single largest raisin producing region in China. The Xinjiang government is enforcing a quarantine lockdown across the whole province following an outbreak of Covid-19 in Urumqi, the capital of Xinjiang, in mid-July. As a result, many farming activities, including grape harvest, are suspended, according to local area sources in Turpan.

    The raisin processing season normally begins in mid-August and ends in late September or early October. Although the processing volume is relatively small at the beginning of the marketing year, if the quarantine measures persist, raisin production may be seriously affected. Turpan produces more than 80 percent of the country’s raisins (Turpan is shown in red below and Xinjiang is shown in orange). 

    Turpan produces mainly green raisins that are wind-dried in special drying houses by local farmers. Currently, green raisins, which are traditionally consumed as snacks, account for nearly 60 percent of the total market share. China is the world single largest producer of green raisins and the country’s raisin exports mostly fall in this category. Companies also process dark raisins in Turpan with sun- drying yards. The market share of dark raisins, which are mainly used as food ingredients, has reached around 40 percent in recent years.

    More than 90 percent of the grapes grown in Turpan belong to Thompson Seedless varieties that can be used for both raisin processing and fresh consumption. In MY2020/21, Turpan is expecting a good harvest of fresh grapes under favorable growing conditions. Normally, around 70 percent of the fresh grapes are processed into raisins and approximately five kilos of fresh grapes make one kilo of raisins.

    Price

    Raisin wholesale prices for MY2020/21 are not available as processing activities have not started. With the anticipated sharp decline in production, raisin prices are expected to increase from the previous marketing year. At the beginning of MY 2019/20, the wholesale prices for green raisins were quoted at RMB 24 (U.S. $3.50) per kilo in Turpan and dark raisins were sold at RMB 17 (U.S. $2.50) per kilo.

    Consumption

    The outbreak of Covid-19 in early 2020 has seriously impacted the consumption of raisins in China due to the closure of stores, disruption of logistics, and the limited use of gift baskets during the Chinese New Year. Although online snack food sales maintained moderate growth, consumption is focused more on meal substitutes such as instant food, bread, and cookies.

    With the effective control of Covid-19 and resumption of economic activities, raisin consumption is expected to recover gradually. Additionally, consumers will probably pay more attention to food safety and product brands. The consumption growth of raisins is dependent on development of new products and innovation of marketing strategies by major food producers.

    Raisins are used primarily in food processing as an ingredient or consumed directly as snacks. The rapid development of the snack food industry and the bakery sector has driven raisin consumption. The snack food industry had experienced an average growth of 6.7 percent during 2013-2019 and was predicted to maintain an annual growth rate of more than 6 percent in years to come, according to an industry report.

    Trade

    Imports

    The import forecast of raisins into China is 37,000 MT in MY 2020/21, an increase of nearly 20 percent from Post’s revised estimate of MY 2019/20 imports. Local importers and food processors are expected to increase their purchases from the world market given the sharp decline in Xinjiang raisin production. Uzbekistan remains China’s largest raisin supplier with a 65-percent market share in MY 2019/20. Chile passed the United States as the second largest raisin supplier. Raisin imports from the United States have not improved despite a tariff exclusion process that partially exempts the retaliatory tariffs imposed on U.S. origin products since the beginning of March 2020. The MY 2019/20 raisin import estimate is 31,000 MT.

    China’s raisin import shipments are concentrated in October-December (see chart below). During these months importers stock up in preparation for Chinese New Year celebrations and gifts. 

    Exports

    China’s raisin exports are forecast to decrease by 45 percent to 20,000 MT in MY 2020/21 from the revised number in the previous marketing year. The anticipated decline in local raisin production will reduce the exportable supplies. In addition, the world demand for raisins is likely to remain weak in the wake of the global Covid-19 outbreak. Leading export markets for Chinese raisins are the EU countries and Japan. The month-on-month data below highlights continued weakened exports. The MY 2019/20 export estimate was revised up in accordance with official customs data.

    Policy

    The State Council Tariff Commission (SCTC) announced that retaliatory tariffs imposed on U.S. agricultural products would be lowered as of February 14, 2020. As a result, the collected tariff on U.S. raisins became 55 percent, down from the previous 60 percent (see GAIN report CH2020-0016). In addition, SCTC launched a tariff exclusion process on March 2, 2020, focusing on individual importers who could apply for tariff exclusions on specific consignments of U.S. products. These exclusions exempted only the retaliatory Section 301-tariffs for the products and are valid for one year (refer to GAIN report CH2020-0017). If an exclusion application is successfully approved, import tariff for U.S. raisins would be cut to 25 percent.  

    Marketing

    U.S. raisins remain important for China’s snack food and baking sectors. However, consumer demand has been impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic, particularly in the HRI sector where many U.S. raisins are used. Slow consumption by the HRI section and overstocking of inventory led to delays for new orders. Supply chain disruptions during the pandemic also impacted sales.

    E-commerce channels

    The e-commerce channel continues to grow rapidly in China. In the first quarter of 2020, online retail food consumption grew 32.7 percent compared to the previous year, according to the China Statistic Bureau. This period coincided with some of the strictest Covid-19 measures in China. Consumers who switched to e-commerce sourcing during Covid-19 are likely to continue online purchases after experiencing consistent quality and increased ease from these platforms. This e-commerce trend is expected to continue across first, second and third-tier cities.

    About 30 percent of U.S. raisins are distributed through various e-commerce platforms. Some U.S. raisin brands have established their flagship stores on Taobao or JD.com to supply Chinese consumers.

    Baking industry continues to expand

    In 2020, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Trade Offices across China worked with the Raisin Administrative Committee (RAC) to support in-person events showcasing U.S. raisins as ingredients in baked goods at retail chains. Raisins remain the most frequently used and popular dried fruit ingredient in the quickly expanding baking industry because of their familiar flavor and sweet taste. Consumer demand for baked goods and the sector’s expansion has helped push U.S. raisins into second- and third-tier cities. As home baking becomes a greater trend, the RAC is supporting online marketing initiatives that increase Chinese home bakers awareness of raisin uses in their recipes. — By the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service

  • An Insider’s Guide to California’s Wine Harvest

    California’s annual winegrape harvest is underway, and wineries across the state are humming with activity as they transform the grapes into wine. Despite this year’s challenges, vintners are pleased with the quality of the 2020 vintage. As a tribute to this special time, Wine Institute presents eight lesser-known facts about California’s winegrape harvest.

    Want to experience California wine country‘s harvest? California Wines is offering free Zoom backgrounds of winegrape harvest scenes—from picking to crush. Just download the images and select a California harvest backdrop for your next Zoom session. For instructions, see Zoom’s support page.

    California harvest: largest in the U.S. California produces more than 80 percent of U.S. wine and isthe world’s fourth-largest producer. More than 90 percent of all California wine is produced in a Certified California Sustainable winery.

    Seeds hold the clues. Along with measuring the fruit’s sugar, acidity and pH levels, California winemakerscontinually taste the grapes—making sure to chew the seeds—in the days leading up to harvest. That’s because as grapes mature, their seeds turn brown and become less bitter. By chewing the seeds, winemakers can tell when the grapes have reached perfect ripeness.

    Sparkling wines go first.Harvesting early—typically in late July or early August—helps the state’s wineries maintain refreshing acidity in their sparkling wines. While just about any grape variety can be used to make sparkling wine, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay are the most common choices.

    The grapes come in after dark. Wineries typically harvest between midnight and early morning because the cooler nighttime temperatures help concentrate and preserve the fresh fruit aromas and flavors and stabilize sugar levels. Night harvesting also saves energy in the winery because it eliminates the need to cool down the grapes after they have been picked, and it provides more comfortable working conditions for vineyard crews.

    Falcons help at harvest time. As part of their sustainable farming practices, many California vintners recruit trained raptors to scare away flocks of starlings and other birds that swoop in to eat ripe winegrapeshanging on the vines.

    Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon: state’s top grapes. Chardonnay is the number grape by tons harvested in California, followed by Cabernet Sauvignon.

    118+grape varieties. The state’s diverse climate and soils provide a hospitable home for dozens of winegrape varieties from Albariño to Zinfandel.

    One ton of grapes = 63 cases. On average, one ton of winegrapes produces about 63 cases of wine, or 756 (750 ml) bottles.

  • Automation Helps Solve Specialty Crop Challenges

    With support from the National Institute of Food and Agriculture’s Multistate Research Fund, researchers at 17 land-grant universities are working together to develop automated systems that work well for labor-intensive specialty crops like fruits, vegetables, tree nuts, and nursery plants. A multi-state collaborative approach lifts the burden of research and development from a single specialty crop sector and spurs major advances.

    Automation is helping the specialty crop industry overcome labor shortages, fine-tune management decisions, conserve resources and meet growing demand. Consistent with the USDA Agriculture Innovation Agenda, advances in technology for growing, harvesting, handling, and processing are generating significant savings for growers and consumers, while improving sustainability.

    University of Florida scientists developed a robot that counts and maps the fruit on citrus trees, and University of California-Davis researchers developed fruit-picking carts with instruments that map orchard fruits. These automated devices have helped farmers see if and where production issues arise, so they can make targeted, effective management decisions. Accurate yield estimates are also important for programming harvest machines and making marketing decisions.

    Automated disease detection and management technologies could mitigate crop losses. For example, Iowa State University scientists are guiding the manufacturing of technology that reduces pesticide drift. Washington State University scientists developed drones to deter birds that eat and damage fruit crops. And, handheld devices designed by University of Hawaii researchers give coffee growers an inexpensive way to spot leaf water stress and optimize irrigation.

    To overcome labor shortages and cut labor costs, Washington State University scientists designed a robotic twining machine for hops, and University of Georgia researchers are perfecting affordable automated technologies for efficient blueberry harvest. A new pruning method recommended by Pennsylvania State University Extension could cut pruning time by 42% and save $136 per acre. Automation can also make labor less dangerous. For example, a harvest-assist device designed at Penn State eliminated ladder falls and reduced the time apple pickers spent in awkward, dangerous postures from 65% to 43% of picking time.

    Automation won’t soon replace the keen eye of talented growers, but these technologies will reduce costs, improve quality, and ensure consumer satisfaction, while eliminating some on-farm health risks, increasing efficiency, and reducing environmental impacts.

    Learn more about this USDA-NIFA funded project: W2009: Integrated Systems Research and Development in Automation and Sensor for Sustainability of Specialty Crops(link is external) (2013-2018). Learn more about NIFA Impacts.

    This research supports the “value-added innovation” theme outlined in the USDA Science Blueprint and moves us closer to meeting the goals outlined in USDA’s Agriculture Innovation Agenda. Learn more about The Hatch Act of 1887 (NIFA’s Multistate Research Fund).

    Advances in technology, automation, and remote sensing is a cross-cutting, macro movement in science impacting agriculture outlined in the USDA Science Blueprint (PDF, 2.6 MB). The Science Blueprint guides USDA’s science priorities for the next 5 years, building from past success. Relative to other crops, many specialty crops are more dependent on agricultural labor for production, harvesting, and processing. This is part of a blog series that highlights research investments to advance automation and mechanization for specialty crops. — By Sara Delheimer, NIFA-funded Multistate Research Fund Impacts Program

  • CDFA Environmental Farming Program Saves Water & Energy

    Recent heat waves have caused California’s energy grid to take a beating, which forced the California Independent System Operator, the entity that operates the state’s power grid, to institute rolling blackouts.

    Fresno County fruit grower Balvinder Purewall points to his variable frequency drive, which saves on energy use when irrigating. His solar array in the background produces energy for use on his farm

    How do California’s farmers and ranchers deal with energy uncertainty during times like this, when the intense heat demands an increase in irrigation? For many years, they have been working to improve both energy and water efficiency of their irrigation systems. And since 2014, CDFA’s State Water Efficiency and Enhancement Program (SWEEP) has been an important resource for California farmers, providing financial support for long-term efficiency improvements with a focus on greenhouse gas reductions.

    “For many years, SWEEP has been funding grants that help California farmers and ranchers save water and reduce greenhouse gases through reduced energy consumption,” said CDFA Secretary Karen Ross. “The proactive, hard work of these farmers really shines when the state deals with challenges like the recent heat waves. Our farmers’ and ranchers’ contributions provide us with food security plus a host of other benefits seen through SWEEP efforts, which are invaluable to the state, especially now.”

    Some SWEEP grant recipients, for example, have installed energy efficient technologies such as efficient pumping systems coupled with variable frequency drives to reduce energy demands of irrigation. Other grant recipients have also installed solar and other forms of renewable energy, resulting in less imported energy and thus reducing the strain on the grid. Energy-saving practices like these also result in reduced greenhouse gas production.

    Central Coast citrus and avocado grower Daryn Miller received a SWEEP grant, which helped provide two small solar arrays, one for each irrigation pump, to offset his farm’s GHG production use and save water. The project also included installation of soil moisture and weather sensing technologies that help the farmer make data-driven choices on when and for how long to irrigate his crops.

    “The objective overall was mostly to cut down our energy,” said Miller, “to really see how much water we were using … to get a good idea of where we’re at on a total amount of water and a total amount of electricity, and to essentially create our own little electric grid.”

    Fresno County fruit grower Balvinder Purewal received a SWEEP grant to enhance his 37-acre farm’s irrigation system with a high-efficiency pump, soil moisture sensors, double-line drip system and 25-kilowatt solar array. “The SWEEP program is going to help us save on both water from the ground level and save energy,” he said. This energy savings results in statewide GHG savings by reducing the energy grids reliance of other forms of energy production.

    In 2019 alone, SWEEP supported 122 projects with an estimated reduction in greenhouse gas emissions equal to 3,200 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent per year. This is equivalent to supporting the electricity needs for nearly 550 homes for one year, based on federal EPA equivalency factors. SWEEP utilizes similar incentive strategies to the United States Department of Agriculture: Natural Resources Conservation Service: Environmental Quality Incentives Program (NRCS:EQIP).

    Scientists tell us that extreme heat days and extreme heat waves are becoming more common in California due to climate change, and reports developed by CDFA in collaboration with several partners and engagement with the farmer community, further highlight the same concerns. With compounding impacts of climate change and other stressors on our environment and natural resources, SWEEP and other CDFA Climate Smart Agriculture programs are helping build a more resilient ‘California For All.’

  • False Chinch Bug in New Avocado Plantings

    The false chinch bug (FCB), Nysius raphanus (Hemiptera: Lygaeidae), is a pest of many plants. FCB is a generalist and has been found to be a problem in many cropping systems such as soybeans, quinoa, tobacco, cotton, broccoli and other Brassicaceae plants. FCB adults (above) is mostly light to dark gray, elongate, and about 0.12 inch (3 mm) long. Females lay eggs on host plants or in cracks in soil. The mostly pale gray nymphs have inconspicuous reddish to brown abdominal markings. FCB has 4-7 generations per year with all stages being potentially present throughout the year. All stages can be present throughout the year. They also can be found invading homes in the southwest. Their populations generally start in unmanaged fields with lots of weeds and are an issue for crops when they build up large numbers and move into the crops from the unmanaged, weedy fields. 

    This year it’s host of choice is young avocado plantings in Ventura County. False chinch bug occasionally causes severe injury on young trees by sucking sap from shoots and young stems. Infested shoots wither and die suddenly after attack, which typically occurs in May and June. Economic damage normally occurs in groves away from the coast only on young trees in border rows adjacent to uncultivated areas or grasslands. Otherwise healthy mature trees tolerate bug feeding.

    Here are photos of damage to young avocado provided by Tom Roberts, Integrated Consulting Entomology.

    To best manage FCB, a grower will need to catch it before it establishes and the populations explode. This is difficult because the pest will not reoccur every year on regular basis. From what has been seen in the field this year, FCB appears to prefer young avocado plantings and thus, a targeted approach is to monitor only in new plantings right as summer temperatures are rising. In paper in the journal, Phytoparasitica from 2006, the authors investigated what color sticky trap was best for monitoring and found that yellow worked best. Thus, passive monitoring with yellow sticky cards that are placed throughout the field and monitored weekly is a potential option. However, this approach can be expensive with the labor hours needed to properly process the sticky cards. A more practical approach is to sweep net weedy areas on the outside of avocado groves and adjacent unmanaged areas nearby weekly in search for the first signs of FCB.

    In conventional avocado production, there is only one insecticide recommended for use against FCB. Malathion 8 at 16 oz/acre. — By Monique Rivera & Ben Faber, UC Cooperative Extension

  • US Increases Market Share of Stone Fruit Exports in Taiwan

    In 2019, U.S. peach, nectarine, and cherry exports to Taiwan increased as competitor market share declined. Taiwan’s peach and nectarine production is forecast to increase from 16,171 metric tons (MT) in 2019 to 19,000 MT in 2020 due to improved bearing. Taiwan’s robust handling of COVID-19 has led to a modest recovery in domestic consumption, which has allowed consumption to remain strong and imports to remain stable. In 2020, total Taiwan peach and nectarine imports are forecast to increase nominally to 15,000 MT and imports of cherries are forecast up at 12,000 MT.

    Read the full report from the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service HERE.

  • Removing Avocado Suckers with Glyphosate

    This is not good. You find an avocado tree with sun blotch or it is time to thin the orchard and you remove the offending tree. You know that if you don’t remove the sucker, you’ll end up with some rootstock growth that just gets in the way of the other trees. Avocado suckers can look like a valued tree until it’s time for harvest several years later, and then you are likely to find that it’s not the variety that you thought it was. Homeowners often find this problem several years after a freeze and the lemon tree that regrew from the freeze damage turns out to be the rootstock variety and produces some gnarly, seedy, juiceless fruit. Even without a frost, sometimes rootstocks which are selected for their vigor, can be more vigorous than the scion variety and will overgrow it. You then end up with whatever the rootstock fruit turns out to be.

    In some situations, it is legal and common to use a “cut stump” treatment to kill stumps and prevent resprouting. In these cases, glyphosate or triclopyr is sprayed, drizzled, or painted onto a freshly cut stump. Relatively high concentrations of the herbicide are applied to the cambium, which is the living tissue just under the bark. Cut stump treatments work well in many situations, including citrus orchards. This type of cut and spray treatment is commonly done to remove undesirable plants, like arundo and weedy tree species. However, in some trees, like avocado and many forest species, there can be root grafting, which are tree-to-tree root connections.

    Due to root grafting in a mature avocado orchard, it really can be one giant root system, one tree connected to all the other trees. And if a systemic herbicide is injected in one tree, the surrounding trees can be affected – they might get enough herbicide through the root graft to be injured or even killed along with the target tree. This technique has been used in Florida to remove Laurel Wilt Disease infected avocado trees which can rapidly infect surrounding trees with the killer fungus. This is a helpful technique, because it removes any doubt that all infected trees have been killed to prevent the spread to healthy trees in the orchard.

    In a healthy orchard in California, this is not a really good way to remove avocado stump sprouts. Every year reports come in of glyphosate killing good trees that surround a removed tree. Figure 3 is a recent case where the stump (circled in blue) was scored and painted with glyphosate. Within two weeks the surrounding tree were also killed. The systemic material was translocated from the cut surface by way of root grafts to the neighboring trees. And those trees are now dead, too.

    The stump (circled in blue) was scored and painted with glyphosate.

    So what to do? One thing done by those with a front-end loader or a backhoe, is to pull the stump and have an end to the sucker problem. It also reduces the possibility of chronic armillaria fungus persisting to infect trees. The problem is that it leaves a big hole to deal with which can open up a slope to erosion. If on a slope, it requires a decent sized tractor that can safely be operated on the slope without tearing up everything, including the irrigation system. And in the end, it’s expensive.

    The other approach is to just cut the tree down as low as possible without damaging the chain saw. Then as the irrigator makes inspections, just physically knock off the suckers as they come up. If walking the irrigation lines, it’s not a problem. Covering the stump and immediate area with a physical barrier such as thick, black plastic sheet (greater than 5 ml), can reduce the number of suckers. To speed degradation of the stump, the top of the cut can be scored and a salt such as urea or magnesium sulfate (both at 10 pounds per stump) can be applied. At this rate, rather than fertilize the stump, under moist conditions, this treatment facilitates the activity of wood-decaying microorganisms; it can also damage or reduce the regrowth of the suckers.

    There are also a range of registered contact herbicides that can be used to burn out the suckers. Materials, such as Scythe®, Axxe® and Suppress® are all registered for avocado sucker control. There are others. These contact herbicide work best on small tender suckers so don’t let the suckers grow more than a foot or so. For best control of suckers, apply them at the highest allowable rate with an approved adjuvant at a spray-to-wet rate. Because these products are not systemic, you’ll likely need repeat applications, as new fresh buds break and new suckers erupt.

    Using a contact spray means the grower would still need to be out in the orchard controlling the suckers. The grower still needs to be out in the orchard checking the irrigation lines. Why spray the suckers when they can just be broken off?

    Although systemic herbicide can be used effectively to control suckers or stump sprouts in some tree crops or situations where root grafting does not occur, this is not a recommended practice for avocado because of the risk of damage to nearby trees. — By Ben Faber & Brad Hanson, UC Cooperative Extension

  • California Citrus Acreage Report: Increase in Lemons & Mandarins

    The Pacific Regional Office of the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) conducts an acreage survey of California citrus growers as funding is available. The purpose of this survey is to provide bi-annual citrus acreage, which includes information on new plantings and removals. It is the continuation of a long series of industry-funded Citrus Acreage surveys.

    Users are cautioned that this report consists of two parts:

    – Table 1 shows estimated statewide bearing acreage for the 2017-18, 2018-19, and 2019-20 seasons.

    -Tables 2, 3, and 4 show detailed acreage data by type, variety, and year planted — as voluntarily reported by citrus growers and maintained in NASS’ database.

    With perfect information, the estimated statewide bearing acreage and the detailed acreage data would be the same. Generally, this will not be the case for the following reasons:

    -A voluntary survey of approximately 5,400 citrus growers is unlikely to ever attain 100 percent completeness.

    -It is difficult for USDA/NASS to detect growers who are planting citrus for the first time. 

    PROCEDURES

    The major source of the citrus detailed acreage data was a questionnaire mailed to all citrus growers currently on NASS’ database. The mailing was made in January 2020 to approximately 5,400 citrus growers. The questionnaire contained previously reported crop, variety, and acreage information preprinted. Producers were asked to update the information with new plantings, removals, and any other corrections; and new growers were mailed a blank questionnaire. Growers were given about eight weeks to respond by mail. A telephone follow-up was then undertaken. Field personnel were unable to personally visit large growers who did not respond by mail because of social distancing requirements that have been in effect since March 2020.

    To arrive at the estimated statewide bearing acreage, the NASS citrus acreage database was compared with pesticide application data maintained by County Agricultural Commissioners and the Department of Pesticide Regulation.

    ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

    Thank you to the many orchard operators, owners, and management firms that provided their acreage information. Funding for the survey was provided by the California Citrus industry.