California Ag Network

Category: Row Crops

  • Farm Tours Offers Rare Insight into Cotton Industry

    One of the nation’s few events offering the public an on-the-ground look at cotton production returns in October in the San Joaquin Valley.

    Growing in popularity over the past decade, the annual Cotton Tour attracts across section of consumers, apparel company representatives and textile industry officialsfrom across the country, offering a unique behind-the-scenes look at how San Joaquin Valley growers are reshaping the future of California’s $225 million-a-year cotton industry. The event is scheduled from 8:00 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Thursday, October 25. Cost is $40 a person, which includes transportation to field locations, snacks and lunch at the Cardella Winery in Mendota.

    Growers and a leading University of California cotton farm advisor will provide insights about conventional cotton cultivation and the Sustainable Cotton Project’s Cleaner Cotton™production in the heart of the Central Valley.  Participants will inspect the crop before harvest, explore a perennial hedgerow, meet with farmers and visit a cotton gin during the tour.

    Buses will leave the Best Western Apricot Inn – Interstate 5 and West Panoche Road about 23 miles southwest of Firebaugh. Register through the Sustainable Cotton Project’s Eventbrite site.

    The annual tour also highlights the successful efforts of SCP growers, who follow sustainable agriculture and biointensive integrated pest management practices to reduce the application of the most toxic pesticides used in cotton production.

    “People in the fashion industry rarely have the opportunity to experience cotton cultivation first-hand. These tours bring together farmers, brokers, supply chain partners and brands to understand the challenges and possibilities of making changes in the cotton industry,” said Lynda Grose, SCP marketing consultant. “This experience stays with people for years.”

    Founded in 1996, the Sustainable Cotton Project is a California nonprofit that has worked with valley growers to produce Cleaner Cotton™ and bring the fiber through the textile supply chain to a wide variety of markets.

  • UC Experts Provide Update on Valley Cotton at Mendota Field Day

    A trio of University of California extension and farm advisors will offer tips and provide the latest developments in cotton across in the San Joaquin Valley during a Tuesday, July 24 field day in Mendota.  Open to all growers and pest control advisors, the free event starts at 9:30a.m. at Pik-A-Lok Farms on Bass Avenue in Mendota. Featured speakers are:

    • Dan Munk, UCCE Fresno County farm advisor and cotton specialist, who will discuss monitoring cotton for improved yield performance.
    • Bob Hutmacher, UCCE extension specialist of the Westside Research and Extension Center, who will provide an update cotton diseases and plant development issues.
    • Jeff Mitchell, associate vegetable crop specialist at the Kearney Ag Center, will talk about going beyond the hype of soil health and doing something about it.

    The field day is sponsored by the San Joaquin Sustainable Farm Project, which provides farmers with valuable strategies to improve yields while becoming better environmental stewards in today’s challenging economic and regulatory climate.

    SJSFP is a state and federally funded program under the direction of the Sustainable Cotton Project, a California nonprofit that has worked with Valley growers to produce environmentally friendly Cleaner Cotton™ for the consumer market. Funding for this project has been provided through an agreement with the State Water Resources Control Board and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency – Clean Water Act Section 319.For more information about the field day, contact Project Director Marcia Gibbs at (530) 370-5325.

  • Steve Patricio Honored for Significant Contributions to Ag

    Western Growers to Present Patricio with 2018 Award of Honor on October 30

    Western Growers will honor Stephen (Steve) Patricio, who’s visionary leadership has advanced the agricultural industry by leaps and bounds, with the 2018 Award of Honor. The Award of Honor is Western Growers’ highest recognition of industry achievement and is given to individuals who have contributed extensively to the agricultural community.

    “Steve has been a tireless advocate for agriculture, and his ability to turn some of the most tumultuous challenges that our industry has faced over the past few decades into opportunities is unmatched,” said Tom Nassif, president and CEO of Western Growers. “He has already left a tremendous legacy as someone who shoulders the responsibility of igniting change that advances the industry as a whole.”

    Patricio is being recognized for his immeasurable leadership and contribution to the agricultural industry, making significant advancements in food safety and the protection of public health. Steve led the creation of the first-ever mandatory food safety compliance program for the California cantaloupe industry, as well as helped raise millions of dollars to fund research geared toward preventing foodborne illness. He also played an integral role in the establishment of the California and Arizona Leafy Greens Marketing Agreements, which today have become the model for produce safety and accountability.

    “When you look at the success of California agriculture, Steve is a true representative of why the ag community is as successful as it is today,” said Bonnie Fernandez-Fenaroli, executive director of the Center for Produce Safety. “He truly embodies passion and proactivity, and his commitment to food safety to benefit both the consumer and industry is unlike any other.”

    Patricio’s tenacity does not just stop at food safety. Patricio has spent countless hours throughout his 45-year tenure in the industry advocating for a sustainable supply of water for farmers to grow the food that feeds the state, nation and world. He has taken every opportunity, as he did when he was asked to join former California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger at the San Luis Reservoir, to call attention to the need for more surface water storage and stress the need for a comprehensive water solution. Furthermore, Patricio launched the industry’s first orientation program for agribusinesses that focused exclusively on water rights.

    “Steve has one of the brightest minds and quickest wit in the industry,” said Bob Gray, past chairman of Western Growers and former president/CEO of California Ag Leadership Foundation. “He is a contributor of substance, and the expertise and competence he has brought regarding food safety and water has made major impacts for the industry.”

    A Los Banos-native, Patricio is deeply involved in the community and industry. He has served as chairman for Western Growers, Center for Produce Safety, California Cantaloupe Advisory Board and Monrovia Nursery Company. He has also held leadership positions at Western Growers Assurance Trust, Monsanto Vegetable Seeds Advisory Council and the Produce Marketing Association.

    “I was speechless when I found out I was selected for this award,” said Patricio. “I never thought that, in the end of it all, I would be a farmer or involved in this honorable and wonderful world that I am so engaged in today. I often tell youth that your career chooses you, and because I followed the path life decided to take me on, I am proud to say that I am a farmer. I couldn’t imagine being in any other industry.”

    Patricio’s accomplishments and passion for shaping the ag industry will be recognized at the Award of Honor Dinner Gala at the Western Growers Annual Meeting on October 30, 2018, in Palm Desert, California.  There, Patricio will be honored by his peers, friends and family. To attend the ceremony, visit http://www.wgannualmeeting.com/.

  • Alfalfa Project Reports Massive Water Savings

    The Alfalfa Project (TAP) recently released its environmental impact report of the last three years, sharing that water usage on alfalfa farms using its precision agriculture practices and subsurface drip irrigation dropped by nearly half. The 47% water savings totaled 3.1 billion gallons of water over three years on 1,100 acres during 2015-2016 and 1,430 acres during 2017 that took part in the project.

    San Joaquin Valley farmers still face the threat of water scarcity and state-mandated management of their water use. “These results demonstrate not just the promise of The Alfalfa Project but its real-world benefits to farmers and California’s environment,” said Tyler Bennett, founder of The Alfalfa Project.  “With our farmers facing multiple pressures to reduce their water usage significantly, The Alfalfa Project offers a unique path forward to help them not just manage their water use but actually improve their yields and strengthen the health of their business. It is a way to address the challenges ahead while improving agricultural practices and results.”

    The Alfalfa Project was created with the goal of converting 350,000 acres of alfalfa in California’s San Joaquin Valley from traditional flood or sprinkler irrigation to subsurface drip irrigation, and from conventional farming practices to precision farming practices. The conversion of the 350,000 acres is expected to take three to five years. Full project implementation would reduce water usage by more than 400 billion gallons of water annually while increasing crop yields and farmer profits, based on the results released by TAP today.

    As a comparison, the state average water use per person is 85 gallons per day or 31,000 gallons per year. The water savings TAP announced today would be enough to supply the annual water needs of 100,000 Californians. The fully scaled project would save over 400 billion gallons of water annually, enough to supply the annual water needs of over 12 million Californians, and is also equivalent to roughly half of the water California conserved during the state’s mandated reduction in water use from June 2015 to February 2017 (total state savings of 2.6 million acre feet or roughly 847 billion gallons).

    Alfalfa in California primarily is used as feed for dairy cows and is one of three key forage crops. “As farmers, we know we have to re-think how we approach our practices given the realities of sustainability and the mandates that will come with new groundwater regulations,” said Stephen Maddox Sr. of Maddox Dairy. “What is critical is that we don’t inadvertently hurt our farms, our dairy and cattle industries and our state’s critically important agricultural economy. We feed not just California, but our country and the entire world.”

    TAP works using a program called Precision Alfalfa Management (PAM), which begins with the engineering design and installation of a subsurface drip irrigation system. The subsurface drip irrigation allows for water and fertilizer to be spoon fed directly to the alfalfa plant root system. Underground drip tape, originally invented in Israel, delivers a uniform application of water and fertilizer by controlling hydraulic pressure throughout the entire system. Subsurface drip irrigation has been proven as the most efficient irrigation method and it gives farmers more control than any other method.

    In addition, the PAM program addresses specific issues such as water sources, cost and water quality, soil characteristics and plant health, hot-spot mitigation, and a gopher control plan. PAM operates on the ground and from the air to evaluate and adjust programs to current and future conditions including continual soil moisture and crop monitoring and reporting as well as irrigation scheduling – amount, frequency, and duration.

    “Based on the rigorous, independent study, TAP clearly has potential to help farmers save significant amounts of groundwater while increasing the crop yield,” Bennett said. “With the coming increased water regulations all farmers will face, the need for efficient irrigation methods such as TAP that consistently produce high-quality crops has never been higher.”

    As well as its significant water conservation, the TAP project also increased alfalfa yields. The California state average yield for alfalfa in 2015 was 6.9 tons, according to the California Department of Food and Agriculture. The audited results for TAP for the years 2015 and 2016, covering the 1,100 acres of independently owned alfalfa fields, and 1,430 acres in 2017, was an average of 12.77 tons, meaning that cumulatively over the three years, TAP has increased production of 21,308 tons of alfalfa.

  • Small Grains and Soil Health Field Meeting, June 5

    UC Cooperative Extension will host a Small Grains and Soil Health Field Meeting on Tuesday, June 5, 2018, from 9:30am to noon, on Staten Island in the San Joaquin County Delta. The agenda is pasted below and attached. The attached version includes a map and directions. We have applied for CCA continuing education credits, and light refreshments will be provided. RSVP is not required. Hope to see you in the field!

     

    9:30am       Meet at Staten Island grain silos to caravan to field trial location

    10:00am     Welcome and Meeting Overview

    Michelle Leinfelder-Miles and Brenna Aegerter, UCCE, San Joaquin County

    Dawit Zeleke, Conservation Farms and Ranches

    10:15am     Small Grains Variety Testing – Statewide and Delta Trials

    Mark Lundy, UC Davis

    10:30am     Soil Nitrate Quick Test Demonstration

    Mark Lundy, UC Davis

    10:45am     Introduction to Cover Cropping Project (funded by CDFA Healthy Soils Program)

    Michelle Leinfelder-Miles and Brenna Aegerter, UCCE, San Joaquin County

    11:00am     Cover Crop Trial Results

    Valerie Bullard, USDA-NRCS Plant Materials Center

    11:15am     Demonstrations and Evidence – Why the Hype Over Soil Health Really Matters

    Jeff Mitchell, UC Davis

    11:30am     Walk through small grains trial, participate in soil health demonstrations

    12:00pm     Wrap up and evaluations

    More details Here

  • CropManage Hands-on Workshop, June 6

    Bringing Irrigation & Nutrient Management Decision Support to the Field

    Date: Wednesday, June 6, 2018
    1pm – 4:30pm

    Location: UCCE Ventura, 669 County Square Drive, Ventura, CA 93003
    California Room

    669 County Square Drive Suite 100 Ventura CA 93003 805-645-1451 • ceventura.ucanr.edu

    • Learn how to use CropManage to support irrigation and nutrient management decisions and record-keeping
    • Learn the new version of CropManage (3.0) – also available in SpanishCropManage is a free online decision support tool for water and nutrient management of coastal crops. Based on in-depth research and field studies conducted by the University of California, CropManage provides real-time recommendations for efficient irrigation and fertilization applications— while maintaining or improving overall yield.

      At this free workshop, we will provide hands-on training so that you can learn to use the newest version of CropManage (3.0) which has been updated to be more compatible for in-field use by farm staff. CropManage is now available in Spanish.

      Crops currently supported by CropManage in Ventura County include strawberry and celery. In the Watsonville area, raspberry, head, romaine, and leaf lettuce, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, bell pepper, spinach, baby lettuce, cilantro and mizuna, in addition to strawberry and celery.

      Who should participate? Vegetable and berry growers, ranch managers, other farm staff, and technical service providers are welcome. The workshop is for both new and current CropManage users.

      What to bring? This is a participatory workshop. Please bring a tablet or laptop computer so that you can follow along and participate in the exercises. Each participant will need a user account for CropManage. Please set up a free user account at v3.cropmanage.ucanr.edu before the workshop.

      Registration is free: Please register by May 30 using the following link:http://ucanr.edu/survey/survey.cfm?surveynumber=24795

      Questions: Andre Biscaro at asbiscaro@ucanr.edu or 805-645-1465.

      AGENDA

      1:00 – 1:30 Registration and computer set-up
      1:30 – 3:00 Getting started with CropManage 3.0
      3:00 BREAK
      3:15 – 4:00 Strategies for using CropManage for decision support and record-keeping 4:00 – 4:20 Advanced features and interfacing sensors with CropManage
      4:20 – 4:30 Discussion of new features or changes needed

      2.5 Continuing Education Units (CEU) applied for Certified Crop Advisers (CCA)

      It is the policy of the University of California (UC) and the UC Division of Agriculture & Natural Resources not to engage in discrimination against or harassment of any person in any of its programs or activities (Complete nondiscrimination policy statement can be found at http://ucanr.edu/sites/anrstaff/files/215244.pdf ).

      Inquiries regarding ANR’s nondiscrimination policies may be directed to John I. Sims, Affirmative Action Compliance Officer/Title IX Officer, University of California, Agriculture and Natural Resources, 2801 Second Street, Davis, CA 95618, (530) 750-1397.

  • UC Davis Students Breed Beans for Organic Farming

    Davis, Calif., (April 19, 2018) – Graduate students at the University of California, Davis, have begun field tests on very rare commodities: high-yield, disease-resistant bean varieties that can thrive on organic farms.

    “Most crops — about 95 percent — have been bred for conventional farming and can be difficult to grow in organic systems,” said Travis Parker, a Ph.D. student in plant biology who is leading the project. “These new bean varieties could make a big difference in performance and profitability of organic legumes like pinto, black and kidney beans, as well as heirloom-like varieties with high culinary quality.”

    Parker is working with a team of student breeders under the guidance of Professor Paul Gepts, a bean geneticist with the UC Davis Department of Plant Sciences. The bean project is part of a larger plant-breeding effort at UC Davis to develop new varieties of tomatoes, peppers, beans and other vegetable crops that can flourish in both organic and conventional systems.

    Why breeding matters – To create a winning variety, breeders cross plants with desired traits and select the best offspring over multiple generations. It takes several years of plot testing to give birth to a variety good enough to name and sell.

    With each new generation of crops, breeders pick plants that perform well in the system in which they are being raised. That’s usually conventional farming, which is the most common system. Conventional agriculture uses some applications that organic farmers don’t use, such as synthetic pesticides and fertilizers. As a result, those crops can be tricky for organic farmers to grow because they are not especially well suited to organic production.

    Parker’s team recently received a $25,000 grant from Western Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education, a U.S. Department of Agriculture program that funds innovative projects in agriculture. The grant will support the team’s ongoing efforts to identify the genetic basis of important traits, develop tools to accelerate the time it takes to measure traits as plants grow in the field and — ultimately — release new varieties specifically bred for high performance on organic farms.

    “We have begun trials on virus-resistant lines in fields on campus and on farms in California,” Parker said. “We hope to have varieties available for commercial production soon after 2020.”

    The beauty (and challenge) of beans – Legumes are nutritious and especially important to sustainable agriculture. They contain symbiotic bacteria in their roots that produce nitrogen compounds, which feed the crop and enrich the soil even after harvest.

    “That’s why beans are so useful in rotation with other crops,” Parker said. “Plus, dry beans have a long shelf life so farmers can store them and sell them according to market conditions.”

    But conventionally bred beans can present a challenge for organic farmers. With limited use of herbicides, organic farmers have a tough time controlling the weeds that battle young crops for water, sun and food.

    To address that, Parker and his team are breeding fast-growing plants that can outcompete weeds. The new varieties will grow tall enough to shade out weeds without tipping over to make it easier for farmers to use tractors to mechanically control weeds.

    More crops in the works   – The bean project is part of a larger effort UC Davis launches in 2015. Funded by a $1 million grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the UC Davis Plant Breeding Center is working with the Organic Seed Alliance and organic growers in California to set priorities and develop new crop varieties.

    Students are leading the project as part of the center’s innovative efforts to train a new generation of plant breeders.

    “We want to give our plant-breeding students experience with real cultivar development that results in products that growers and seed producers want,” said Professor Charlie Brummer, director of the UC Davis Plant Breeding Center. “This project lets us put those pieces together in a very meaningful and exciting way.”

  • UC Agricultural Issues Center Releases Cost Estimates For Growing Processing Tomatoes

    Davis, Calif., (April 2, 2018) – A new study on the costs and returns of producing processing tomatoes in Fresno County and the central San Joaquin Valley has been released by the UC ANR Agricultural Issues Center. Growers contemplating crops to grow may use the estimates to help decide whether to plant processing tomatoes.

    The cost study for processing tomatoes can be downloaded for free at http://coststudies.ucdavis.edu.

    The report estimates costs and returns and provides an overview of common production practices related to irrigation, fertility and pest management of processing tomatoes. In this report, some specifics are assigned and calculations are based on a hypothetical well-managed farming operation, which is described in detail.

    Net profits are calculated relative to a range of yields and prices. Monthly cash costs, hourly equipment costs, operational annual equipment, investment and business overhead costs are included. The authors received input and reviews from UC Cooperative Extension vegetable crops advisors and other agricultural associates.

    Processing tomato harvest. A new report estimates costs and returns for of processing tomatoes in Fresno County and provides an overview of common production practices related to irrigation, fertility and pest management.

    The new study, “Sample Costs to Produce Processing Tomatoes in the San Joaquin Valley South, Fresno County – 2018,” can be downloaded for free from the UC Davis Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics website at http://coststudies.ucdavis.edu. Sample cost of production studies for many other commodities are also available.

    For additional information or an explanation of the calculations used in the study, contact Jeremy Murdock at the Agricultural Issues Center at (530) 752-4651 or jmmurdock@ucdavis.edu, or Tom Turini, UCCE farm advisor for Fresno County, at taturini@ucanr.edu.

  • UC Estimates Costs And Returns For Growing Garbanzo Beans

    Sacramento, Calif., (March 15, 2018) – The UC Agriculture and Natural Resources’ Agricultural Issues Center has released two new studies on the estimated costs and returns of producing garbanzo beans, also known as chick peas, in the Sacramento and San Joaquin Valleys.

    Garbanzo beans mature in June and are harvested in July.

    “Although acreage is relatively small, garbanzos are an important crop because California growers produce the large, cream-colored seed that’s used for the canning industry, often used for garnishes for salads,” said Rachael Long, UC Cooperative Extension farm advisor serving Sacramento, Solano and Yolo counties.

    The studies estimate the cost of producing garbanzo beans on 200 acres as part of a row crop rotation, using subsurface drip irrigation. A three-row bed tillage implement shallowly chisels, tills and reshapes the beds, avoiding disturbance of the buried drip tape left in place. Planting of seed treated for fungal and seedling diseases, Ascochyta rabiei, Rhizoctonia and Pythium, into residual soil moisture occurs in December. Seeding rates for the garbanzo beans are 85 pounds per acre.

    Input and reviews were provided by UC ANR Cooperative Extension farm advisors and other agricultural associates. Assumptions used to identify current costs for the garbanzo bean crop, material inputs, cash and non-cash overhead. A ranging analysis table shows profits over a range of prices and yields. Other tables show the monthly cash costs, the costs and returns per acre, hourly equipment costs, and the whole farm annual equipment, investment and business overhead costs.

    “The importance of these studies right now is that they are currently being used to help secure USDA crop insurance for garbanzo production, expected in 2020,” Long said.

    The new studies are titled “Sample Costs to Produce Garbanzo Beans (Chick Peas), in the Sacramento and Northern San Joaquin Valleys – 2018” and “Sample Costs to Produce Garbanzo Beans (Chick Peas), in the Southern San Joaquin Valley – 2018.”

    Both studies can be downloaded from the UC Davis Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics website at http://coststudies.ucdavis.edu. Sample cost of production studies for many other commodities are also available at the website.

    For additional information or an explanation of the calculations used in the studies, contact the Agricultural Issues Center at (530) 752-4651 or the local UCCE Farm Advisors; Sarah Light, selight@ucanr.edu, Rachael Long, rflong@ucanr.edu, Michelle Leinfelder-Miles, mmleinfeldermiles@ucanr.edu, or Nicholas E. Clark, neclark@ucanr.edu.

  • Good News For Hedgerows: No Effects On Food Safety In The Field

    Davis, Calif., (February 23, 2018) – Hedgerows enhance wildlife abundance and diversity around farmland without contributing to food safety problems in field crops, according to a new study published by a team of University of California researchers. The UC Agriculture and Natural Resources and UC Davis study documented that field edge plantings around farms are generally too narrow relative to the surrounding landscape to be a source of rodents and foodborne pathogens.

    “This study is particularly pertinent right now when FDA’s Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) is calling for farmers to co-manage wildlife and agriculture, instead of clear cutting wild habitat around their crops,” said co-author Rachael Long, UC Cooperative Extension farm advisor in the Sacramento Valley. “Our paper provides support for this ruling, showing that the presence of hedgerows does increase wildlife diversity, but does not increase wildlife intrusion into the fields and, more importantly, does not increase the prevalence of animals carrying foodborne pathogens.”

    This is good news for hedgerows, rows of shrubs, trees, grasses and flowers that are planted on field edges. The plants bordering crop fields provide habitat and floral resources for beneficial insects, such as bees and natural enemies, that help with pollination and biocontrol of pests in adjacent crops. Hedgerows also help enhance biodiversity – especially for insect-eating birds – help reduce wind and soil erosion, and protect water quality.

    The two-year study in Sacramento Valley walnut orchards and processing tomato fields was led by Long and Roger Baldwin, UC Cooperative Extension vertebrate pest control specialist at UC Davis, former graduate student Laurel Sellers, the Western Center for Food Safety at UC Davis’s Michele Jay-Russell, Xunde Lib and Edward R. Atwill, and Richard M. Engeman of USDA National Wildlife Research Center.

    The study, titled “Impact of field-edge habitat on mammalian wildlife abundance, distribution, and vectored foodborne pathogens in adjacent crops,” was published in the February 2018 Crop Protection (Sellers et al. 2018).

    Elsevier is providing 50 days of free access to this article. Anyone clicking on the following link before March 31, 2018, will be taken directly to the article on ScienceDirect. No signup or registration or fees are required. Simply click and read at https://authors.elsevier.com/c/1WXU~xPFYej~4.

    Winter migratory birds like to eat the lovely red berries of toyon.

    This journal article supports a growing body of literature suggesting that plantings along the edge of fields do not substantially attract wildlife species that intrude on fields and transfer foodborne pathogens. For example, in a 2015 study, UC Davis researchers found more food pathogens when wildlife habitat was reduced on farms. This may be attributed to the vegetation filtering pathogens, a better breakdown of pathogens in diverse environments, and that removing vegetation may not deter wildlife from entering farm fields.

    Relative to the larger crop acreage, hedgerows and similar field-edge habitats are generally too linear and small to serve as a significant source of rodents to damage nearby crops. However, cottontail rabbits favor hedgerows, and can sometimes cause damage to adjacent seedling crops.

    “Overall, we found risk of crop loss or contamination of foodborne pathogens in crops bordered by hedgerows wasn’t significant in our study in the Sacramento Valley, although potential damage could vary by the sta ge and type of crop and wildlife species present,” Long said. She will be presenting this work at the 28th Vertebrate Pest Control Conference, which will be held in Rohnert Park Feb. 26 to March 1.

    In its Standards for the Growing, Harvesting, Packing, and Holding of Produce for Human Consumption, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration says, “We continue to encourage the co-management of food safety, conservation, and environmental protection.”

    Hedgerows, the plants bordering this field of processing tomatoes, provide habitat and floral resources for beneficial insects that help pollinate crops and provide natural control of pests.