California Ag Network

Category: Row Crops

  • Foodservice Campaigns Find New Ways to Promote Watermelons

    Watermelon continues to find its place on menus throughout the country despite the rapidly changing foodservice landscape. Partnering with both quick service and full service national chains in the spring and summer months, the National Watermelon Promotion Board (Board) focused on takeaway- and delivery-friendly options to not only include watermelon on the menu, but keep it top of mind with their customers.

    Juice and smoothies played a prominent role in all of these promotions, allowing operators to experiment with watermelon’s flavor profile, while understanding that away from home, consumers most enjoy watermelon raw, as a snack or with lunch.

    The Board worked with the following foodservice outlets:

    • Another Broken Egg – Chain wide usage in 74 outlets included a fruit side and

      Watermelon Cucumber Cooler. This year, the promotion started earlier in the year (March 17) and, for the first time, the chain tested a savory application, Tacos Verano with Watermelon Salsa.

    • First Watch – Running June 1 through the end of August in 380 locations, the Watermelon Wake Up juice scored a 96/100 for frequency of ordering desire on Datassentials SCORES, a monthly report that tracks and ranks new menu items tested with consumers. Promotions included in-store chalkboards, e-blast, blog post and social.

    • Nektar – Expanded social media promotional elements including Instagram Live and Stories with Nektar founder Alexis Schulze and Board beverage consultant Tony Pereyra, amplified on Board channels. Offerings in 165 units included a smoothie and juice, running from June 15 until Labor Day weekend.

    • Robeks – Custom graphics on Instagram and Facebook promoting the Wailea Watermelon Smoothie, a customer favorite, in 84 locations.

      “Adjusting to operators’ and consumers’ needs was a top priority this year,” said Megan McKenna, Senior Director of Marketing and Foodservice. “Additionally, leveraging

    existing relationships with past partners has made executing programming straightforward and incredibly successful.”

    “You know you have a hit when guests ask for more watermelon salsa on an already generous portion or my favorite, when a guests asked how much for a container to take home because they know a dozen other things that the bright, sweet, spicy, crunchy, salty goodness would go with!” said Jason Knoll, Vice President of Culinary, Another Broken Egg of America Franchising, LLC.

    Looking forward to fall/winter programming, the Board will continue to monitor foodservice needs and consumer trends. For more information about the Foodservice program including how NWPB can support watermelon usage in the foodservice sector, visit watermelon.org/foodservice or contact Megan McKenna at mmckenna@watermelon.org.

    About National Watermelon Promotion Board

    The National Watermelon Promotion Board (NWPB), based in Winter Springs, Florida, was established in 1989 as an agricultural promotion group to promote watermelon in the United States and in various markets abroad. Funded through a self-mandated industry assessment paid by more than 800 watermelon producers, handlers and importers, NWPB mission is to increase consumer demand for watermelon through promotion, research and education programs.

    Watermelon packs a nutritious punch, with each serving providing an excellent source of Vitamin C (25%), a source of Vitamin B6 (8%), and a delicious way to stay hydrated (92% water), with only 80 calories. Watermelon consumption per capita in the United States was an estimated 15.6 pounds in 2019. Watermelon consumption in the United States was approximately 5.1 billion pounds in 2019. The United States exported an additional 321.2 million pounds of watermelon. For additional information, visit www.watermelon.org.

  • Insect-Deterring Sorghum Compounds May be Eco-Friendly Pesticide

    Compounds produced by sorghum plants to defend against insect feeding could be isolated, synthesized and used as a targeted, nontoxic insect deterrent, according to researchers who studied plant-insect interactions that included field, greenhouse and laboratory components.

    For this study, at the University’s Russell E. Larson Agricultural Research Center, researchers grew two nearly identical lines of sorghum — alike except that one, a mutant, did not possess the functional gene responsible for producing the flavonoids that essentially poison corn leaf aphids. Then researchers compared how the lines were faring.

    The researchers examined the role of sorghum chemicals called flavonoids —specifically 3-deoxyflavonoid and 3-deoxyanthocyanidins — in providing resistance against the corn leaf aphid, a tiny blue-green insect that sucks sap from plants. To defend against pests like the aphids, sorghum has evolved defenses that includes biosynthesis of secondary metabolites, including flavonoids to poison the pests.

    A previous Penn State study showed that in sorghum, accumulation of these flavonoids is regulated by a gene called yellow seed1 that controls responses to stresses such as fungal pathogens, noted Surinder Chopra, professor of maize genetics, Penn State. His research group in the College of Agricultural Sciences led both studies.

    In the current research carried out at the University’s Russell E. Larson Agricultural Research Center, researchers grew two nearly identical lines of sorghum — one with a functional y1 gene that produced flavonoids, and the other a mutant called null y1, which did not possess the functional yellow seed1 gene responsible for producing the flavonoids.

    The flavonoids are not present in the phloem — vascular tissue in plants that conducts the sugars aphids seek — but are in the epidermal cells that form the outermost layer of defense. When aphids repeatedly probe and puncture the epidermal cells with their stylets, or beaks, they take up the flavonoids that lead to their demise.

    When they compared the two lines of plants, researchers found that a significantly higher number of adult corn-leaf aphids colonized null y1 plants compared to the plants with functional y1 gene that produced flavonoids. The aphids actively fed on the null y1 plants to where some of them showed signs of stress with yellowed leaves. The functional sorghum plants that produced the flavonoids had much lower aphid numbers and showed no ill effects from aphid feeding.

    Greenhouse experiments with similar potted sorghum plants demonstrated that the aphids clearly preferred to feed and reproduce on null y1 plants, and the adults produced many more nymphs.

    In a companion laboratory experiment, researchers fed two groups of adult aphids diets of sorghum leaf tissues — but to one they added an extract containing the flavonoids. After a few days, most of the aphids that fed on the flavonoid-enriched leaf tissue died and reproduction was curtailed — none of those aphids had nymphs before they succumbed.

    On sorghum that didn’t have the functional gene to produce the flavonoids, researchers found that a significantly higher number of adult corn leaf aphids colonized on them and fed actively to the point that some of the plants showed signs of stress with yellowed leaves.

    Perhaps surprisingly, Chopra explained, the flavonoids are not present in the phloem — vascular tissue in plants that conducts the sugars aphids seek — but are in the epidermal cells that form the outermost layer of defense. When aphids repeatedly probe and puncture the epidermal cells with their stylets, or beaks, they take up the flavonoids that lead to their demise.

    The findings, published online in the Journal of Chemical Ecology, indicate flavonoids can potentially be deployed as potent insect deterrents to protect crops, Chopra suggested.

    “Sorghum plants have evolved to precisely emit compounds offering defenses against harmful predatory insects that threaten them, and yet these chemicals in their defenses don’t hurt beneficial insects,” said Chopra. “If we could develop nontoxic insecticides, it would be a game changer — given that the toxicity of synthetic pesticides is of great concern, and they are considered to be dangerous to human health.”

    Chopra, supported by Penn State, has applied for a patent on using flavonoids as insect deterrents. He pointed out that while much more research needs to be done, the most important consideration is that flavonoids are natural plant products that do not cause any pollution and are not harmful to human or animal health.

    several varieties of Sorghum

    This research may be an early step toward developing new phytochemicals for crop defenses, Chopra believes. “How well the flavonoids work against other herbivores is being researched, but we know with corn leaf aphids they are very, very potent,” he said.

    Also involved in the research at Penn State were postdoctoral fellows Iffa Gaffoor and Sampurna Sattar, and Cullen Dixon, an undergraduate student, all in the Department of Plant Science; Nadia Frock and Juliet Moen, students in the Department of Entomology; and Associate Dean of Research Gary Thompson, professor of plant science. The team included Consuelo De Moraes and Mark Mescher, Department of Environmental System Science, ETH Zurich; and Rupesh Kariyat, Department of Biology, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley.

    The research was supported by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture. — By Jeff Muhollem, Penn State University

  • Irrigation Strategies to Avoid Heat Damage to Cool Season Vegetables

    Currently, we are experiencing a prolonged heatwave on the central coast.  Heatwaves have become a recurring phenomenon in recent years, especially in late summer. With thousands of acres of cool season vegetables in the ground, irrigation will be critical for keeping crops cool and for supplying enough moisture to meet their water needs.

    Crops can be kept cool by maximizing evapotranspiration (ET).  As liquid water vaporizes heat is lost from the surfaces of leaves and soil and from the surrounding air, which cools the temperature of the crop.  Under water stress leaf stomates close during the hottest period of the day (11 am to 4 pm) and the temperature of the plant tissue can rise above the temperature of the surrounding air.  If the temperature becomes too great leaves and other plant parts may become scorched.

    Since most ranches have a limited number of wells and personnel to irrigate, it is challenging to assure that each field has adequate soil moisture to prevent plants from overheating.   A good strategy is to irrigate just enough to refill the soil profile to the rooting depth of the crop.

    To prioritize which fields to irrigate one should consider the water holding capacity and existing level of moisture of the soil, as well as rooting depth and developmental stage of the crop.  For example, a lettuce crop near maturity with a high ET demand, growing on a sandy textured soil that feels dry, should probably be irrigated soon.  A young lettuce crop with a low ET demand, growing on silt loam soil that still feels moist, likely can be irrigated later without suffering heat damage.

    Another consideration for prioritizing which fields to irrigate are recent field operations.  A recently transplanted vegetable field may need to be irrigated first but may not need a long irrigation to re-saturate the soil around the roots.  A crop that was recently cultivated may have pruned roots, and therefore may need water soon to prevent wilting under these hot conditions.

    Table 1 estimates how much moisture is available to a vegetable crop between saturation and moderately dry or dry conditions for different soil textures.  This table can be a guide for how much water should be applied to re-saturate the soil.  For example, applying 0.42 inches per foot of rooting depth will bring a moderately dry silty clay soil back to saturation.  Applying more than this amount of water will likely over-saturate the root zone.

    Table 1. Estimated plant-available moisture for different textured soils.

    Also, estimating the cumulative crop ET since the last irrigation can guide how long to irrigate. Reference ET values between south Salinas and Soledad during this hot spell have been as high as 0.27 inches per day.  If the crop has a full canopy, 0.25 to 0.3 inches for each day since the last irrigation would be a good rule of thumb for how much water to apply as long as the total does not exceed the water holding capacity of the soil.

    Lastly, one needs to convert the amount of water to apply to an irrigation run-time.  To make this calculation one needs to know the application rate of the irrigation system. For impact sprinklers, the application rate can be estimated using Tables 2-4.  Note that pressure and nozzle size have a significant effect on application rate.  For drip, the irrigation time will depend on the tape discharge rate and pressure, as well as the spacing of drip lines.  Assuming that the drip system is operated at the pressure recommended by the manufacturer (usually 8 to 10 psi) one can use Table 5 to approximate the application rate.  For example, for one drip line of medium flow tape (0.45 gpm/100 ft) on 40- inch wide beds the application rate of the drip system is 0.13 inches per hour. If there are several drip lines per bed then multiply the application rate in the table by the number of drip lines.

    The appropriate run-time can be estimated by dividing the amount of water to apply by the application rate of the irrigation system.  For example, to apply 0.6 inches of water to a field with drip using medium flow tape the water would need to run for 4.6 hours:

    Hours to operate the irrigation system = 0.6 inches of water/0.13 inches per hour = 4.6 hours

    Summary

    Irrigating the right amount of time to bring the soil back to saturation will maximize crop ET during these hot days, and hopefully prevent any heat damage to crops.  Also, consider visiting the CropManage website (cropmanage.ucanr.edu) for further guidance on scheduling irrigations. This online tool can assist growers in quickly estimating how much water to apply to meet crop water needs.

    Table 2.  Sprinkler application rate for varying pressures and nozzle diameters for a solid set spacing of 30 × 30 feet (Rainbird 20JH).
    Table 3.  Sprinkler application rate for varying pressures and nozzle diameters for a solid set spacing of 30 × 33.3 feet (Rainbird 20JH).
    Table 4.  Sprinkler application rate for varying pressures and nozzle diameters for a solid set spacing of 30 × 40 feet (Rainbird 20JH).
    Table 5.  Drip application rates for varying bed widths and tape flow rates estimated for 1 drip line per bed.  Multiply the rate in the table by the number of drip lines per bed to determine the actual application rate.  (For 3 drip lines on an 80-inch bed multiply by 3)
    “— By Michael Cahn, UCCE Farm Advisor, Monterey County”

  • North Coast Wine Harvest Underway (Initial Reports)

    The 2020 North Coast wine grape harvest is underway throughout the region, with sparkling wine varieties leading the way to the presses. 2020’s growing season bodes well for a landmark harvest. Following weeks of steady daytime heat and cool evenings, grapes are ripening evenly, with harvest starting about 10 days earlier than it did in 2019, a relatively cooler, wetter year.

    Sonoma County

    In Sonoma County, the earliest grapes harvested were picked on Monday night, August 3rd in Dry Creek Valley.  Dutcher Crossing Winery’s team picked 4.4 tons of Chardonnay to be used in their estate sparkling wine, a tradition started in 2016. “The team was super excited to get the 2020 vintage started, and what better way to celebrate the harvest season than with Chardonnay for our sparkling wine,” said Nick Briggs, Dutcher Crossing’s Winemaker. “While we were earlier this year by over a week due to light crop load yields, the quality is exceptional!”

    Lower crop yields this season are a theme echoed by winegrowers around Sonoma County. While there were some reports of “shatter” associated with April frost, the main cause for lower yields is related to the cyclical nature of the vines, which have experienced several above-average vintages, including the largest on record in 2018. Many growers call this phenomenon of lower grape yields following several larger vintages “right-sizing.”

    Among other reports of grape harvesting in Sonoma County, MacMurray Ranch in Russian River Valley, picked 20 tons of Pinot Noir for the J Vineyards brand on August 5th. Sasaki Vineyards in Schellville, one of the earliest to pick last year, brought in around 20 tons of Pinot Noir for the Gloria Ferrer sparkling wines early morning, August 6th. The Sasakis have been growing Pinot Noir for Gloria Ferrer for 19 years.

    In Sonoma Valley, vintners, growers and members of the community have gathered in recent years at the Mission San Francisco Solano on the Sonoma Plaza to officially ring the harvest bell to signal the beginning of the harvest season in Sonoma Valley. This year, in observance of social distancing, Sonoma Valley Vintners and Growers Association has asked winegrowers, winery staff and locals to celebrate the beginning of harvest by creating their own “harvest bells” videos and post them to social media using the hashtag #SonomaValleyHarvest.

    “Harvest is the most exciting time of year for the thousands here in Sonoma County who are connected to wine and ag. After months of care and anticipation, the wait is over and the action is picking up in vineyards and wineries,” said Karissa Kruse, president of Sonoma County Winegrowers.  She added, “Reports from winegrowers indicate a well-balanced and quality crop, with even ripening through veraison. As always we are looking forward to getting our fruit off the vine, and enjoying the 2020 vintage.”

    Napa Valley

    The 2020 Napa Valley growing season kicked off with mild spring weather, and in June, the conditions were perfect for uniform fruit set. From June to early August, temperatures were steady and warm, little to no heat spikes, creating ideal conditions for the final stretch. Veraison has continued over an extended period, allowing for balanced fruit development. Weather permitting, growers plan for a steady harvest going into October when thicker-skin grapes like cabernet sauvignon will be picked.

    “Amidst the chaos of the pandemic, the grapes continue to ripen, and grape growers feel the continuity of harvest. It has been a superb growing season with moderate weather; Napa Valley is fortunate, we continue to have beautiful fruit, ready for harvest, time and time again,” said Kendall Hoxsey-Onysko, Business Manager for Yount Mill Vineyards and Napa Wine Company, whose first pick is this coming Saturday, August 8, from her Block House Vineyard in Yountville, “COVID-19 protection is top-of-mind though, and we are committed to enforcing best practice protocols to ensure all employees in the vineyard and winery are safe while harvest is underway.”

    “We’re gearing up to pick white fruit varieties in the next three weeks, with viognier and sauvignon blanc coming in first. Until then, we’re diligently learning best practices for COVID-19 prevention, and readying for a safe harvest in the workplace, all while keeping a close eye on the grapes still on the vine,” noted Courtney Shifflett, NVG member and viticulturist for Duckhorn Wine Company.

    At the start of harvest, many in the Napa Valley grape growing community gather at various vineyards for the blessing of the grapes, a longstanding tradition dating back to agrarian times, that gives thanks for the bountiful crop. Although ceremonies will look much smaller this year, the Napa Valley community has much to be thankful for with the 2020 harvest, as it reflects the perseverance of Mother Nature through chaotic times.

  • Pollinator Partnership Announces Three New Designations for Bee Friendly Farming

    Pollinator Partnership (P2) is proud to announce enhancements and improvements to its Bee Friendly Farming (BFF) program to better recognize engage and support BFF participants and pollinators everywhere. The new BFF program will have three categories that allow them to engage with all participants at a finer scale while addressing their goals: Bee Friendly Farming Certified, Bee Friendly Farming Partner and Bee Friendly Farming Garden.

    Bee Friendly Farming Certified designation will apply to large-scale commercial farms, ranches, wineries and other land-use businesses that grow food and other resources. This certification will require compliance at registration and every third year to be validated in the seven specific criteria required to qualify. “From habitat to cover crops to best management practices, the Bee Friendly Farming Certified mark will identify farms engaged in science-based Bee Friendly Farming practices,” said BFF Coordinator Miles Dakin. “This enables us to enhance grower and pollinator benefits through greater engagement in nutrition, habitat, biodiversity and other guidelines.”

    Bee Friendly Farming Partner includes sponsorship from individuals and companies, as well as apiarists, who do not actively manage their own landscapes but wish to support the BFF program. Multiple tiers of sponsorships are available to provide the resources necessary to build and maintain the BFF program.

    The third category of recognition, Bee Friendly Farming Garden, includes smaller landscapes, community gardens and homeowners who voluntarily adhere to the seven criteria of Bee Friendly Farming actions. By separating and reorganizing these distinct members, BFF can better recognize the different contributions by farmers, apiarists, home gardeners, community members and commercial sponsors to support vital pollinators.

    Photos courtesy of Geoffrey Thurner, California State University Fresno

    “After conversations with long-standing participants, environmental groups, grower associations and sponsors, we saw a clear need to further refine the BFF experience and to add a level of scrutiny and permanence to the certification aspects of Bee Friendly Farming,” said Laurie Davies Adams, President of Pollinator Partnership, parent organization of Bee Friendly Farming. “This new tri-level approach will still recognize existing affiliates as BFF Partners, while taking a great step forward for the dedicated agricultural community that seeks rigorous and validated certification of its adherence to best practices for pollinators. In all instances, BFF will provide excellent guidelines for all levels of BFF practitioners.”

    The three categories have slightly different criteria and benefits. Some currently certified historic BFF participants may fall into a different category and will be contacted about the changes.

    Visit www.beefriendlyfarming.org for more information on Bee Friendly Farming and to learn how you can participate.

    ABOUT POLLINATOR PARTNERSHIP (P2) Established in 1997, the Pollinator Partnership is the largest 501(c) 3 non-profit organization dedicated exclusively to the health, protection, and conservation of all pollinating animals. P2’s actions for pollinators include education, conservation, restoration, policy, and research. P2’s financial support comes through grants, gifts, memberships and donations from any interested party. P2’s policies are science-based, set by its board of directors, and never influenced by any donor. To make a donation or for information on events during Pollinator Week visit www.pollinator.org.

  • Dairy Methane Reduction Programs: Providing Great Bang for the Buck

    California dairy methane reduction programs are providing a valuable mitigation strategy in the state’s efforts to fight climate change. A growing body of evidence shows that the Dairy Digester Research and Development Program (DDRDP) and Alternative Manure Management Program (AMMP)have proven to be among the state’s most cost-effective approaches for reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

    The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) recently released its 2020 report of dairy digester projectsfunded through the DDRDP. Anaerobic digesters, like the one pictured here, capture biogas from decomposing manure, which can be used to create renewable fuel or electricity. The 108 dairy digesters funded to date are already reducing 6 percent of the total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from all California agriculture. That’s a reduction of 19.9 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalents (MMTCO2e) over ten years. Alternative manure management projects avoid the creation of methane emissions by promoting drier handling and storage practices. The AMMP has funded a total of 105 of these projects, which are estimated to reduce about 1.1 MMTCO2e over 5 years.

    These programs stand out as top performers in California’s climate investment portfolio. The 2020 annual climate investment report shows that the DDRDP provides more GHG reductions than any other program (more than double the reduction of the next-ranking program). At a cost of $9 per ton of GHG reduction, the DDRDP is also the second most cost-effective of the 68 programs. This is in due in no small part to the matching private funds being invested at a 2 to 1 rate, helping the state leverage its investment and greatly expand the benefits. At a cost of $49 per ton of GHG reduction, the AMMP is the seventh most cost-effective of the 68 climate programs funded by the state.

    There’s another reason why California’s climate-smart dairy programs stand out: they reduce methane. Unlike carbon dioxide (CO2) and other long-lived GHG’s, methane is short-lived in the atmosphere, which means a reduction can have a cooling effect within a shorter amount of time. Leading climate scientists are now recognizing that reducing methane emissions can quickly stabilize the climate pollutant’s powerful impact and actually help offset the damaging impact of CO2—the state’s most significant GHG—which accumulates and persists in the atmosphere for hundreds of years.

    In a recent preliminary analysis of progress, the California Air Resources Control Board (CARB) documented that significant ongoing state incentive funding will be needed to achieve the state’s dairy and livestock methane emission reduction target created by Senate Bill 1383 (Lara, 2016). The analysis verifies that the DDRDP and AMMP have been highly effective. CARB also estimates that an additional $85 million in incentive funding will be needed each year between now and 2030 to make the additional reductions needed. This shows that CARB understands incentive funding remains very important, as the state seeks to reduce methane from smaller dairies. Early incentive funding led to the development of digesters on some of the larger dairies in the state, as these projects were able to demonstrate greater economies of scale. While the total costs of digester projects is less for smaller dairies, the cost per cow is higher. As a result, to be economically viable and successful, adequate incentive funding will be even more essential moving forward.

    California’s significant progress on dairy methane emissions reduction has not happened by accident. It has occurred because California had the foresight to structure a voluntary incentive-based approach to prevent the emission leakage that would occur from command and control regulation. The voluntary incentive-based approach—carried out through the DDRDP and AMMP—has worked well, helping take dairy farms more than halfway toward the state’s dairy methane reduction goal. Additional investments will help to not only meet the state’s methane-reduction goals, but also its overarching, ambitious climate targets.

    California’s dairy methane reduction programs are the state’s most effective climate mitigation tools.

  • Largest CA Grower of Organic Thomcord Grapes Gears Up for Harvest

    Fruit World Co., a family-owned, flavor-focused grower-shipper of organic and conventional fruit and the largest California grower of organic Thomcord grapes, has announced that it expects to begin shipping this popular variety the first week of August in new high-graphic 2 lb recyclable paper totes. Known for being especially aromatic and flavorful, Thomcord grapes are a hybrid of Concord and Thompson Seedless grapes.
     
    “We’re about a week away from harvesting our Thomcords and the crop is looking great,” said CJ Buxman, co-founder of Fruit World. “We expect consumers who eagerly await the arrival of these unique and delicious grapes each year are going to be thrilled with them when grocers start stocking their shelves. Demand is always high for this variety, and we anticipate that trend to continue this year.”
     
    Fruit World is forecasting strong Thomcord grape volumes with promotable numbers available in late August. The supply is expected to last until mid-October.
     
    This season’s crop will be available in 10 x 2 lb recyclable and compostable paper totes, with new, bold and colorful graphics. In previous years, this paper tote packaging was popular among consumers for its portability and sustainability, and the new high-graphic bag is anticipated to stand out at retail. The company will be shipping 20 x 1 lb clamshells as well, to meet current consumer demand for packaged premium products.
     
    The company also announced that it will continue a consumer engagement program first used in 2018 and then again last year that encourages consumers to text Fruit World about their Thomcord grape eating experience. Dubbed “Thomcord Tales,” the campaign involves “Text-me” cards being added to packages, and has proven to be a fun and easy way for consumers to provide feedback.
     
    “We try to reply to every Thomcord Tales text we get from consumers, and they seem to enjoy the interaction as much as we do,” said Fruit World co-founder Bianca Kaprielian. “Consumers’ love for Thomcords really comes across in their messages, and retailers have shared that this personal touch drives significant repeat sales.”
     
    In addition to Thomcord grapes, Fruit World will be shipping 10 other organic grape varieties to retailers and wholesalers, including a limited supply from the heritage vines of grower partner Pete Wolf, one of California’s first organic growers and a recognized grape expert. Fruit World is accepting orders now for its high-demand specialty grape varieties. Call (559) 650-0334 for more information or visit fruitworldco.com

    About Fruit World Co.
    Fruit World Co. is a fresh and creative produce company with generations of history. Fruit World Co. grows and ships the most flavorful fruit in California—including organic and conventional citrus, organic grapes, organic stone fruit, and more—and works with customers who share a passion for quality and taste. They’re all about honoring their growers, staying true to their farming heritage, and keeping family farming thriving into future generations. Visit fruitworldco.com.

  • CA Squash Delights Meals All Year

    Summer Squash Harvest at Frontyard Farms

    Whether you grow it, grind it into other forms or just enjoy it at mealtime your choice of squash from California is almost without limits.  Florida is the only state that produces more squash than California, but a half dozen other states produce it commercially.

    Production in Mexico has increased steadily, competing primarily with growers in the Coachella Valley for the early spring market.  The Central San Joaquin Valley is a major producer, mostly of the spring and summer varieties, with large volumes coming from the Stockton area and from the Salinas Valley as summer progresses.

    As any backyard gardener knows, seed packets of dozens of squash varieties are at your fingertips, and squash plants grow heartily and produce generously in about 60 days after planting.  Along with radishes squash plants are about as sure a bet as home gardeners can make in early summer, practically guaranteed to produce enough to share with a neighbor.

    But even a small backyard planting attracts hungry, and sometimes large and ugly, insects, that demand control measures if the vegetable is to grow to tasty maturity. Probably more than any other vegetable, squashes provide home gardeners an experience closer to those of experienced professional producers than any other food commodity.  Weather, irrigation demands, insect attacks and harvest determinations are comparable at whatever level or volume the vegetable is grown. In a 12-foot row of squash behind the house a homeowner will perform about the same duties as a commercial grower tending acres of squash, and at about the same time.

    Ratatouille made with Summer Squash from Frontyard Farms in Fresno, CA

    For those who appreciate squashes only for meal preparation and enhancement the passing parade of varieties at their supermarkets or vegetable stands is an assuring feature.  Part of the delight is in the variety of colors and shapes that squashes present, from crisp green to deep reds and purples, and shapes that stretch from banana-like to circular and bulbous.

    To isolate on just one of the many squash varieties, butternut, provides ample interest and intrigue.  A colorful winter variety, butternut squash is technically not a vegetable, but a fruit. It is not only tasty, but heavily endowed with vitamins, minerals, fiber and antioxidants, but low in calories.  Preparation commonly involves roasting or baking.

    Research has shown that diets high in certain antioxidants such as those found in butternut squash can reduce the risk of certain cancers. Studies have demonstrated that a higher dietary intake of beta-carotene and vitamin C may reduce lung cancer risk.  Butternut squash contains high levels of both.

    Mixed Summer Squash at Frontyard Farms’ Produce Stand in Fresno, CA

    Those thinking about weight loss – and that seems to include almost everybody these days – can be encouraged that a cup of cooked butternut has only 83 calories, and provides seven grams of filling fiber, making it an excellent choice for those concentrating on losing excess weight and body fat.

    Aside from all the appeal to health and weight-loss enthusiasts most of the squashes grown commercially are relatively easy to pack and ship.  They are not easily bruised or otherwise damaged in the harvest and packing mode, and commonly arrive at their commercial destinations undamaged and ready to display.  Their color and freshness seem to appeal to shoppers without their being dressed up or polished.

    Don Curlee

    One Central California grower and shipper of a large volume of squash for most of every year said he expects recent virus and health concerns to not be focused on the popular vegetable.  Rather, the health benefits of those in the squash family might receive increased attention in the months ahead.  Quick! Get those seeds in the ground. – By Don Curlee, Ag at Large

  • Pest Colonizes Grape Vines, Forms Tumors, Repels other Predators

    Following a decade-long effort, scientists have mapped out the genome of an aphid-like pest capable of decimating vineyards. In so doing, they have discovered how it spreads — and potentially how to stop it.

    The research team’s work on the genome was published this past week in a BMC Biology paper. In it, they identified nearly 3,000 genes enabling the insect, phylloxera, to colonize and feed on grape vines by creating what are essentially nutritionally enhanced tumors. The insects live in and feed off of the structures they create.

    Phylloxera feeding on a grape root.

    “In effect, phylloxera creates its own refrigerator on the plant that it can feed from whenever it wants,” said Paul Nabity, an assistant professor of plant-insect ecology at UC Riverside. In addition to feeding the insects, these structures also protect them from attack by other parasites.

    A heavy phylloxera infestation, as occurred in the Pacific Northwest last year, could cause grapevines to lose their leaves. If the infestation reaches the roots, the plants could die.

    The tumor-like structures, known as galls, disrupt the vine’s ability to move nutrients and feed itself. They also create wounds in roots that make grapevines more susceptible to fungi and other pathogens, ultimately killing the vines.

    Claude Rispe from the French National Institute for Agriculture, Food, and Environment led the research team, while Nabity helped identify how phylloxera secrete molecules that can change the immune system of grapevines.

    “These molecules alter the plant’s defense systems and make it so that the plant doesn’t know it’s being attacked,” Nabity said.

    Native North American grapevines co-evolved with phylloxera and are now resistant to it. However, most of the grapes we eat and drink are European varieties. As a result, growers have to graft North American roots onto their European grapevines to give them tolerance to this insect.

    Now that the genes involved in the attack on non-native grapes have been identified, it may be possible to engineer phylloxera-resistant grapevines.

    “Growers currently have to graft roots to make their plants viable,” Nabity said. “A lot of money and effort could be saved with pest-resistant rootstocks.”

    About UC Riverside

    The University of California, Riverside (www.ucr.edu) is a doctoral research university, a living laboratory for groundbreaking exploration of issues critical to Inland Southern California, the state and communities around the world. Reflecting California’s diverse culture, UCR’s enrollment is more than 24,000 students. The campus opened a medical school in 2013 and has reached the heart of the Coachella Valley by way of the UCR Palm Desert Center. The campus has an annual statewide economic impact of almost $2 billion. To learn more, email news@ucr.edu.

  • Raisin Bargaining Association Sliding Scale Price Offer for the 2020 Raisin Crop

    On July 27th, the Raisin Bargaining Association’s Board of Directors offered their Signatory Packers a sliding scale fixed price of $1500-$1900/ton (depending on crop size) for the 2020 Natural Seedless Raisin Crop.

    The Raisin Bargaining Board of Directors has also offered our Signatory Packers a fixed price of $2500/ton for the 2020 Zante Currant crop.

    The Board of Directors is asking all their RBA Signatory Packers to accept, counter, or reject this offer by 8/10/20 at 5:00 p.m. The RBA Board of Directors strongly believes it is in the best interest of not only our growers, but all raisin growers, to set a fixed price in this tumultuous year and hope that our processors also realize this and are willing to negotiate with the RBA to establish a 2020 crop price.

    Sincerely,

    Kalem Barserian
    RBA CEO