California Ag Network

Category: Vegetable Industry

  • Field Fresh Farms to Introduce Organic Baby Hemp Greens at PMA Foodservice

    Field Fresh Farms (fieldfreshproduce.com), a leading grower/shipper of conventional and organic produce, will be introducing its new baby hemp greens product at PMA Foodservice at booth 506 in Monterey, CA July 21-22.

    Available as a baby leaf offering and as an ingredient in leafy green mixes—to both foodservice and retail—this specialty, new-to-market salad green is packed with nutrients (including Omegas 3, 6 and 9, potassium and calcium) and features unique flavor profiles ranging from citrusy to earthy. Containing extremely minimal to no THC, baby hemp greens allow consumers to receive the exceptional health benefits of hemp without the effects of THC. This product is certified organic and will be marketed under the Beach Road Organics label.

    Grown by Field Fresh Farms’ fourth-generation, family-owned parent company Dobler & Sons in an exclusive growing partnership with Solare Ventures Inc. (solareventures.com), the licensee of various proprietary certified industrial hemp seeds, this new product has undergone extensive trials and testing to ensure it meets and exceeds USDA, FDA and California state regulatory guidelines. 

    “We look forward to introducing this new, healthful specialty green to our foodservice and retail customers. Even though this product contains no controlled substances, we conduct thorough THC testing of each crop to ensure we meet the rigorous FDA and USDA standards. Since this is such a new product, we look forward to educating customers and consumers about the benefits of this hemp-based edible green,” said Craig Dobler, owner of Dobler & Sons. “We believe the effort is worth it as this novel product is sure to catch the interest of chefs and consumers. It is also a sustainable crop that can be grown year-round on California’s Central Coast.”

    With a short crop cycle of 18 days from planting to harvest, and a long shelf life of over 17 days, baby hemp greens are an excellent transition and shoulder crop with production that can be quickly ramped-up to meet demand. 

    Product branding and retail packing is in development and will be unveiled later this year, while raw product is available now for foodservice and other producers. “In addition to being an excellent source of nutrients and complement to a variety of salad greens, we’re excited to see how chefs and consumers get creative with the unmistakable leaf shape, taste and texture,” Dobler concluded. 

    About Field Fresh Farms:
    Field Fresh Farms is a leading grower/shipper of sustainably grown conventional and organic produce. Headquartered in Watsonville on California’s Central Coast, the company provides top-quality head lettuce, arugula, romaine hearts, spinach, spring and Mega mixes, proprietary baby hemp greens, and other products to foodservice and retail customers across North America under the Field Fresh Farms and Beach Road Organics labels. They operate year-round in California and Arizona. Visit fieldfreshproduce.com or call (831) 722-1422 to learn more.

    About Dobler & Sons:
    Dobler & Sons is a fourth-generation grower and wholesaler of quality fresh produce. Founded in 1953 and based in California’s Central Coast, Dobler & Sons provides high-quality fresh vegetables including lettuce, arugula, spinach, spring mix, and proprietary baby hemp greens to foodservice customers and growing partners, year-round. Call (831) 722-3057 to learn more.

  • The Impact of Water Regulation on Ag Lending

    It is no secret that the American West is in the midst of an alarming water shortage. Data from April shows that almost 80% of the West is in at least moderate drought, while 61% is in severe drought, 42% is in extreme drought and 21% is in exceptional drought.

    This dry spell has created water stress for farmers across the region, and water stress in most cases translates to financial stress. But analyzing that financial risk is tricky given the amount of data involved and how that data is often difficult to analyze and fragmented.

    AQUAOSO uses a data-driven approach to provide water security analysis to help financial institutions incorporate water risk into their business decisions.

    Using this data, Alex Parillo, head of sales at AQUAOSO, and Cameron Buford, co-founder and product manager at AQUAOSO, recently gave a presentation on water security trends titled, “The Impact of Water Regulation on Ag Lending,” using California as a case study. Data from the Drought Mitigation Center shows that almost the entire state of California is experiencing dry conditions, with 94% of the state under at least moderate drought. In addition, 77% of the state is in severe drought, while 37% of the state is in extreme drought.

    About 2 million acres — roughly a quarter — of California’s irrigated farmland is receiving only 5% of its water supply.

    “Farmers are already bracing for severely limited water again in 2021,” Parillo said.

    In the coming years, 780,000 acres of farmland in the San Joaquin Valley are expected to come out of production, and it is likely that water once used for vegetable production will be reserved for higher-value crops such as wine grapes and nuts. Fortunately, vegetable crops, which are planted and harvested annually, are easier to take out of production than tree crops, and therefore easier to manage water requirements.

    While water stress at its most simple can be interpreted as demand outstripping supply, a number of human factors such as population growth and water management must be taken into account when determining actual water stress in a specific region.

    “It looks at all these factors in a local context to really understand what is happening on the ground,” Parillo said.

    In California for instance, one of the most significant human factors is the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA). Because California depends on groundwater for a significant portion of its annual water supply, 41% on average and up to 58% in drought years, SGMA was enacted in order to halt overdraft and bring groundwater basins into balanced levels of pumping and recharge to provide a buffer against drought and climate change.

    SGMA requires local agencies to adopt sustainability plans for high- and medium-priority groundwater basins, and under SGMA basins must reach sustainability within 20 years.

    “Talking about water in California, everything revolves around SGMA,” Buford said.

    Out of the more than 500 basins in California, 94 have been designated medium- or high-priority water basins. But while those basins account for less than 20% of the total basins in the state, they account for 98% of groundwater pumping, 83% of the state’s population and 88% of all irrigated areas.

    “A vast amount of our reliance on groundwater is coming from high groundwater-risk areas,” Buford said.

    AQUAOSO analyzed 53 sustainability plans to do a trend analysis and found about half of the plans proposed supply augmentation, while only a third of the plans proposed any sort of groundwater pumping reductions.

    Supply augmentation entails basins bringing in water from other sources, but with limited surface water, at some point, it becomes unsustainable for every basin to plan on making up their deficit through outside sources without reducing pumping.

    “Where is this water going to come from?” Buford said.

    As a result, lenders cannot simply look at whether or not a property has access to two sources of water anymore to assess water risk. Groundwater limitations and other factors related to policy must now also be accounted for.

    “The risk that we’re seeing on the water side is rapidly changing, more than ever before,” Buford said.

    In addition to assessing water access and its impact on property valuation, the impact of water restrictions could lead to further financial hardships for farms that are forced to fallow lands because of their limited water allotment.

    The Public Policy Institute of California estimated that without flexibility to trade water or adapt crop choices and without new supply, the Central Valley alone would have to fallow 780,000 acres, with an estimated revenue loss of about $3.3 billion per year.

    “If you think about the collateral that you have supporting your loans, if that collateral was once productive farmlands or even permanent plantings, and that gets converted into fallowed lands, the value of that land goes down sharply,” Buford said.

    AQUAOSO found that open land on the east side of California’s Central Valley can sell for twice the amount as land on the west side of the valley, even with similar soils.

    There has been a trend of permanent planting acreage replacing vegetable acreage, and with water regulations in 2021, this year will be no different.

    “Permanent planting prices are more likely to cover rising water costs due to the surface water and groundwater scarcity we are seeing this year. Vegetable acreage is also under threat from farmers choosing to fallow their typical vegetable acreage to use that water on their permanent planting acreage,” Buford said.

    “It’s simply because of water security, and that’s a very clear example that water risk really is financial risk,” Parillo said.

    Although the presentation used California as an example, water security is something agricultural investors throughout the West are prioritizing when assessing a property’s value.

    “While we have thought about this as maybe, ‘This is only a California problem,’ no, this is something we are seeing through the West,” Buford said. – Article by AQUAOSO Technologies

  • NASA Funds Tiny Tomatoes for Vertical Farming on Earth and Space

    Urban agriculture offers many benefits for food production but often has higher costs relative to traditional farming and is limited to only a few crops. By 2050, there will be nine billion people on the planet, but arable land is decreasing. Global food production will need to double to meet food needs, though climate change complicates the problem more.

    Robert Jinkerson, an assistant professor of chemical and environmental engineering at UC Riverside, is working to change this by engineering the size and nutritional value of tomato plants to increase both the diversity and value of crops that can be grown in urban controlled environment agriculture, or CEA.

    Jinkerson has received a $450,000 New Innovator grant from the Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research, or FFAR, to advance this research. FFAR’s New Innovator in Food & Agriculture Research Award provides early career scientists with funding to conduct audacious food and agriculture research.

    “Urban controlled environment agriculture can offer many benefits for the production of crops and is likely to supply more food in the future as worldwide food demand increases,” Jinkerson said.

    Often these urban CEA systems are designed to have plant growth areas stacked vertically to save space. However, this also decreases the height available for plant growth, limiting the size of crops that can be cultivated in vertical farms to small leafy greens.

    “In order to overcome these size limitations and to increase the variety of crops that can be grown in vertical farms, we are engineering tomato plants to have a small stature and are optimized for this unique growing environment,” said Jinkerson, who uses CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing to modulate key genes involved in plant development and architecture.

    In addition to reducing the size of plants, this project will also increase the nutritional value of these crops by increasing their vitamin content, making urban agriculture more profitable.

    The potential applications for these tiny tomatoes don’t end on Earth.

    Jinkerson, along with Martha Orozco-Cárdenas, director of the UCR Plant Transformation Research Center, have been awarded a NASA Space Biology grant to evaluate tomatoes from their prior work on the International Space Station. These plants, also engineered with gene editing technology and dubbed Small Plants for Agriculture in Controlled Environments, or SPACE tomatoes, will be grown in the Advanced Plant Habitat onboard the ISS to determine how these plants grow in microgravity. The SPACE tomatoes will be grown ‘seed-to-seed,’ meaning seeds will be harvested and the next generation grown in space, completing an entire lifecycle. These experiments, which will happen after several years of trials on Earth, will help establish methodologies to grow food on long duration space missions.

    “We are extremely excited to receive support for these projects and hope that the results will help transform the way we produce food here on Earth and beyond,” said Jinkerson.

    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.

  • Conventional Melon Weed Management in the Sacramento Valley

    Sutter County grows between 300 and 800 acres of fresh-market honeydew, mixed melon and cantaloupe each year. The fields vary between furrow and drip irrigation, with many fields in the Sutter Basin only receiving a pre-irrigation.

    Because of the rapid growth of melons, they are competitive with weeds and one cultivation may be sufficient to control weed issues. The growing habits of melons reduce the need for herbicides, which is fortunate since the availability of registered and effective herbicides is limited.

    Generally, in Sutter County, the field is tilled, pre-irrigated, worked again, and melons are planted into moisture. When weed pressure is high, a hand-hoeing crew comes in and cultivates. Since many of the conventional fields in the northern region receive little water, herbicides may not be as effective since they do not work well without water. If water is available, herbicides like Prefar and Curbit may be used.

    Bensulide (Prefar) can be applied before planting and incorporated shallowly or as a preemergent herbicide under sprinkler irrigation. It is used to control small-seeded annual grasses, pigweed and purslane. Remember to always check the label and consider plantback restrictions, especially if following with corn or sorghum. A layby application of ethalfuralin (Curbit) may also be used after thinning when melon plants are young (4-5 leaf stage) to control late germinating weeds.

    In 2017, I received a farm call about a grassy weed in a honeydew field that the pest control adviser had never seen in a melon field during his long career. He applied sethoxydim (Poast) twice and the grass (johnsongrass) kept coming back. When grasses are moisture stressed, sethoxydim can be less effective, which makes sense in a melon field receiving little irrigation. — By Amber Vinchesi-Vahl, Area Vegetable Crops Advisor, UCCE Colusa County

    References

    UC IPM, Pest Management Guidelines-Cucurbits, Integrated Weed Management.  http://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/r116700111.html

  • Numerous Health Benefits Found in Summer-Favorite Watermelon

    No summer barbecue is complete without fresh watermelon. As the nation moves towards the summer grilling season, you may want to consider how watermelon’s fruit chemistry can affect your overall health. Researchers in the USDA’s Agricultural Research Service (ARS) recently identified over 1,500 small molecules of diverse chemical characters in the fruit, known as phytochemicals. They concluded that eating watermelon is an excellent way to increase your intake of antioxidants, non-protein amino acids and lycopene. This means that every time you eat watermelon, you’ll be improving the health of your cells, organs and nervous system.

    The research specifically finds that the antioxidants in watermelon can help your body fight free radicals and slow down cell damage. The fruit’s non-protein amino acids will also help to repair your body tissue, break down food from other meals, and even regulate your blood pressure.

    “Watermelon could be part of the refreshing and healthy fruit options on your summer picnic table,” said USDA-ARS scientist Larry Parnell. “The fruit has gone through many years of evolution, domestication, and selection for desirable qualities—mainly those associated with flesh color, texture and nutrient and sugar content. But our research continues to find that the fruit contains a wide range of nutrients that improve your overall health.”

    Most Americans purchase the sweet dessert watermelon species, Citrullus lanatus, at their local grocery store or farmer’s market.  This species is among the most important vegetable crops grown and consumed throughout the world, with over 100 million tons in annual global production.  The fruit also has more lycopene than a raw tomato, which is linked to healthy eyes, overall heart health and protection against certain cancers. Other nutrients, like carotenoids, flavonoids, carbohydrates and alkaloids, are also found in the flesh, seed, and rind.

    “I worked with Dr. Parnell and the team to develop a pioneering concept of using big data and computational biology to identify and catalog all of the phytochemicals that exist in edible fruit,” said ARS researcher Amnon Levi. “The research to identify the metabolic pathways and genome sequence of genes involved in the production of beneficial phytochemicals could be highly useful for plant scientists and breeders aiming to improve nutrient content in fruits and vegetables.”

    The watermelon’s phytochemicals are human-cell-protecting compounds found in fruit, vegetables, grains and beans. All of these nutrients can contribute to your overall health in numerous ways.

    Watermelon was introduced to Europe via Moorish Spain in the 10th century. Since then, watermelon has been cultivated successfully in warmer Mediterranean regions before being brought to the Americas by European colonists during the 16th century. Today, watermelon is grown in 44 U.S. states, while major production is centered in California, Florida, Georgia and Texas.

    Fruits and vegetables are a part of a healthy, balanced diet, with the recommendation being 1.5 to 2 cups of fruit and 2 to 3 cups of vegetables per day.

    The Agricultural Research Service is the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s chief scientific in-house research agency. Daily, ARS focuses on solutions to agricultural problems affecting America. Each dollar invested in agricultural research results in $17 of economic impact.

  • National Watermelon Promotion Board Partners with Disney and Pixar’s Luca

    It will be a summer of adventure for National Watermelon Promotion Board (NWPB), thanks to a month-long collaboration with Disney and Pixar’s original feature film Luca, which streams exclusively on Disney+ starting June 18.

    “Luca” is a fun and heartwarming story about friendship, stepping out of your comfort zone and an extraordinary pair of sea monsters who experience a life-changing summer. Watermelon makes a special cameo in the film as sea monsters Luca and Alberto, who look human when they’re dry, venture beyond the surface to the Italian seaside town of Portorosso to see—and taste—all this new world has to offer.

    The Joy of Watermelon Meets the Thrill of Pixar

    As part of its collaboration, NWPB has developed the “Unforgettable Summer” campaign, connecting watermelon and Luca’s inherent themes of summertime joy and happiness.

    Throughout the month of June, NWPB will encourage people nationwide to visit a special landing page (Watermelon.org/PixarLuca) to either share an unforgettable summer adventure they’ve had or would like to have in 2021.

    Individuals who share their stories and dreams are entered for the chance to win weekly prizes, such as Lucamerchandise or one grand prize of an “Unforgettable Movie Night” prize pack which includes an Outdoor Movie Projector, Projector Screen, Popcorn Maker, Watermelon Slicer and a BlendJet.

     

    “Watermelon and summertime adventures go hand-in-hand, which makes our collaboration with Disney and Pixar’s Luca a perfect pairing,” said Stephanie Barlow, Senior Director of Communications, NWPB. “While watermelon is incredibly versatile, there’s no denying most everyone associates enjoying watermelon with our best summer memories – whether it’s family picnics, weekend getaways or unforgettable vacations. That connects directly with the themes of Luca, which arrives just as we find ourselves in peak watermelon season.

    “Our members are incredibly excited about the “Unforgettable Summer” campaign, as well, and look forward to sharing with their stakeholders in the months ahead,” Barlow added.

    On the Watermelon.org landing page, visitors also will find:

    • The world of Luca brought to life.
    • The film’s trailer.
    • Watermelon recipes inspired by Italian cuisine – such as “Watermelon Pizza alla Italia” and “Watermelon Caprese alla Feta.”
    • A chance to enter the “Unforgettable Summer” Sweepstakes*.

    Promotions Online and In Social

    To draw people to the landing page, NWPB will promote the collaboration on its social channels as well as via pre-roll digital ads – all targeting watermelon lovers while drawing new fans and followers of Pixar and Luca.

    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% DV), a source of Vitamin B6 (8% DV), and a delicious way to stay hydrated (92% water), with only 80 calories per 2-cup serving. Watermelon consumption per capita in the United States was an estimated 16 pounds in 2020. Watermelon consumption in the United States was approximately 5.3 billion pounds in 2020. The United States exported an additional 359 million pounds of watermelon.

    About Disney and Pixar’s LUCA

    Set in a beautiful seaside town on the Italian Riviera, Disney and Pixar’s original feature film “Luca” is a coming-of-age story about one young boy experiencing an unforgettable summer filled with gelato, pasta and endless scooter rides. Luca (voice of Jacob Tremblay) shares these adventures with his newfound best friend, Alberto (voice of Jack Dylan Grazer), but all the fun is threatened by a deeply-held secret: they are sea monsters from another world just below the water’s surface. Directed by Academy Award® nominee Enrico Casarosa (“La Luna”) and produced by Andrea Warren (“Lava,” “Cars 3”), “Luca” debuts exclusively on Disney+ on June 18, 2021.

    *Open to legal residents of the 50 United States and D.C., age 18 or older. Void where prohibited. Sweepstakes starts June 1, 2021 and ends at 11:59 p.m. EST on July 2, 2021. For full official rules and to enter, visit www.Watermelon.org/PixarLuca. Sponsored by National Watermelon Promotion Board, 1321 Sundial Point, Winter Springs, FL 32708.

  • Effective Non-chemical Soil Fumigants for Organic Production

    The Organic Center — Soil fumigants that fight soil-borne diseases and ensure crop production continue to be banned to protect the health and safety of rural communities. Organic farmers and conventional farmers who can no longer use these chemical tools need effective alternatives to protect their yields. A recent study published in the journal Agronomy(link is external) demonstrates that a non-chemical alternative can be effective and affordable if farmers receive a high enough price for their crops. Until 2016, Methyl Bromide had been used in California for decades as a soil fumigant to disinfest soils of devastating diseases before planting high-value crops such as strawberries. Methyl Bromide was never permitted for use in organic farming, and its recent ban due to public health safety concerns also left conventional farmers without an important disease control tool. The ban has prompted much research into alternatives to chemical soil fumigants such as steam, solarization, and anaerobic soil disinfestation (ASD) using rice bran or mustard seed meal. While many studies are optimizing the effectiveness of these strategies, a missing key component is the consideration of the economic cost of these alternatives. This study took a comprehensive approach, and measured the effectiveness and affordability of two alternative management strategies to chemical soil disinfestation for strawberries produced under conventional and organic management.

    The results show that organic-approved methods of soil disinfestation (steam and steam plus mustard seed meal) resulted in better yields compared to the control for both conventional and organic systems. And when the cost of treatment is considered, along with yield and crop value, organic far out-competes conventional management. In this study, organic yields were greater than conventional, which helped better cover the high cost of soil treatment. The higher price premium earned for organic strawberries even further enhanced the affordability of the soil treatment for organic management. This study shows that a non-chemical method of managing devastating soil diseases is effective and affordable, but only if the farmer receives a high enough price to cover the added expense. This study brings up an important consideration: when we ask farmers to use practices that benefit not just their own production, but also their surrounding environment which improves public and environmental health of rural communities, it’s clear that the farmers need financial assistance to make the safer choice.

  • FDA to Implement Sampling Effort for Lettuce Grown in Salinas

    The U.S. Food and Drug Administration will be collecting and testing samples of lettuce grown in California’s Salinas Valley from local commercial coolers from May through November 2021. The agency will test the samples for Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC), including E. coli O157:H7, and Salmonella spp. as part of ongoing surveillance efforts following reoccurring outbreaks linked to this region, including most recently in the fall of 2020.

    The FDA assignment will direct sampling to be conducted at commercial cooling and cold storage facilities where field heat is removed from harvested lettuce and where product is cold-stored before processing. Sampling may include pre-cooled product (preferred) or post-cooled product. Sample collection at commercial coolers helps the FDA efficiently obtain samples from multiple farms at centralized locations and facilitates prompt traceback and follow-up if contamination is detected.

    The agency plans to collect and test a total of approximately 500 post-harvest samples of iceberg, leaf and romaine lettuce. Each sample will consist of 10 subsamples, each made up of one head of lettuce (trimmed, cored and possibly wrapped), or in the case of romaine lettuce, loose leaves or one package of hearts.  FDA laboratories will conduct all testing.

    During this sampling assignment, the FDA will take extra precautions to help ensure the safety of agency investigators and firm employees during the COVID-19 pandemic. FDA investigators will preannounce their visits to firms per the Agency’s COVID-19 safety practices. They will be outfitted with personal protective equipment (PPE) and will carry out their work while adhering to local, state and applicable CDC guidance.

    Helping to ensure the safety of leafy greens remains a high priority of the FDA. This assignment adds to other work underway in collaboration with stakeholders in the California Central Coast growing region to identify where the recurring strain of pathogenic E. coli is persisting and the likely routes of leafy green contamination with STECs.  This includes continued implementation of actions identified in the recently updated Leafy Greens Action Plan, including a multi-year longitudinal  study to assess the environmental factors impacting the presence of foodborne pathogens in this region. Consistent with the action plan, if the FDA detects a pathogen such as E. coli O157:H7, the agency will conduct a follow-up investigation to identify potential sources and routes of contamination. Such investigations are designed to inform what additional preventive measures may be needed to help prevent outbreaks of foodborne illness.

  • Ag Order 4.0 Finalized: Implications for Nitrogen Management of Central Coast Vegetables

    On April 15th, the Central Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board (CCRWQCB) finalized and approved Ag Order 4.0. The new rulings affect several aspects of agricultural production such as buffer areas and discharge of pesticides to water ways. In this article we will focus on the impacts of Ag Order 4.0 on the use of nitrogen (N) fertilizers.

    New targets and limits on the use of N fertilizer are calculated using the A minus R metric. In this scenario, “A” is N applied to the crop in the form of fertilizer (Afertilizer), N in irrigation water (Airrigation), N supplied by compost (Acompost) and N mineralized from organic fertilizer (Aorganic fertilizer). “R” is N removed from the field by the crop (Rharvest), scavenged during the winter fallow by cover crops or immobilized by high-carbon compost (Rscavenge), N removed by denitrification bioreactors (Rtreated), N sequestered in woody plant biomass (Rsequestered), or other unspecified forms of N removal from fields (Rother). Although AgOrder 4.0 outlines 3 pathways to compliance, pathway 1 is most likely the one that most ranches would use unless the wells have very high nitrate-N concentrations (> 40 ppm N).  A – R is not to exceed the targets or limits shown in Table 1 for pathway 1 compliance. The A-R is calculated over the growing season on a land acre basis. If two or more crops are grown on the same physical acre, each crop contributes to the value for the year. Below is a discussion of each component of the A-R metric.

    The “A” side of the equation:

    Afertilizer is the amount of N fertilizer added to grow the crop. The actual units of N in lbs/A are used in this calculation.

    Airrigation is the amount of N contained in the irrigation water that is taken up by the crop. For most vegetable and berry crops grown on the central coast the volume of water that must be accounted for in this calculation is equivalent to the volume used by the crop for evapotranspiration (ET).  For crops where less water is applied than ET, the volume of applied water can be used in the calculation.  To calculate Airrigation use the equation:

    Airrigation = water volume (inches) x nitrate-N concentration of water (ppm N) x 0.227

    The factor 0.227 converts the units inches x ppm N to lbs of N/acre.

    For example, if a lettuce crop uses 7.3 inches for ET, and is irrigated with water that has a 37 ppm N concentration, the Airrigation would be:

     7.3 inches x 37 ppm N x 0.227 = 61 lbs N/acre

    Acompost is the amount of N provided by compost. Given that the amount of N that is mineralized by the compost depends on the carbon to nitrogen (C:N) ratio not all the N in the compost becomes available. This fact is recognized in the Ag Order as follows:

    For compost with a C:N ratio of <11, the amount of N in the compost is multiplied by 0.10, and for composts with a C:N ratio of >11 the amount of N in the compost is multiplied by 0.05. Only this amount of N is added to the A side of the equation. These discount factors were an important change made by the Regional Board staff to reflect the actual quantity of N provided by compost and to avoid a disincentive to the use of composts, a key soil health practice.

    Aorganic fertilizer is the amount of N that is mineralized during the cropping system. The amount of N mineralized depends upon the C:N ratio of the material and the CCRWQCB is using the regression curve in a recent paper published by Lazicki et al (2020) to determine the amount of N mineralized. For instance, a material like 4-4-2 has a C:N ratio of 7.3 (29% C/4% N) and has a discount factor of 0.39 (Table MRP-3 in Attachment B). This means that if 100 units of N are applied as 4-4-2, the amount mineralized from this material and that is attributed to the A side of the equation is 39 lbs/A (100 lbs x 0.39). This discount factor acknowledges the fact that not all N in organic fertilizer mineralizes during the cropping season and was an important correction made to Ag Order 4.0.

     The “R” side of the equation:

    Rharvest is the amount of N that is removed from the field in the harvested product. The amount of N removed in the harvested product is calculated by a removal coefficient composed of the percent moisture multiplied by the percent N of the crop. This coefficient is then multiplied by the net pounds of product harvested from a field to determine lbs N/A removed. We have been working on a project developing N removal coefficients for a number of vegetable commodities. Table 2 shows data for full term romaine lettuce. Note that percent solids and nitrogen values observed in our evaluations vary significantly and that the mean value has a notable degree of variability which affects the estimate of N removed by the crop. Regardless of the variability, the important point to recognize is that the removed N is modest in relation to the amount of N applied. Figure 1 shows total fertilizer N to lettuce for a large number of vegetable operations in our area. It becomes evident that growers face some major challenges in complying with the application limits as the limits ratchet down over the next several years.

    Rscavenge is the amount of N that is captured by by cover crops or immobilized by high-carbon compost during the winter fallow period. The CCRWQCB agreed to credit non-legume winter cover crops with 97% of their N content that meet the following criteria: 1) are grown for ≥ 90 days during the winter fallow period, 2) accumulate more than 4,500 lbs/acre of dry biomass and 3) have a C:N ratio of ≥ 20 when incorporated into the ground. N scavenging credits granted for cover crops are helpful, but do not remove any of the current logistical barriers to using of cover crops in intensive vegetable systems. However, given that non-legume cover crops routinely contain 100 to 150+ lbs N/acre, as N application limits ratchet down, cover crop use may be incentivized to some degree.

    High-carbon composts were also included in the Rscavenge category. This practice is still being researched to fully understand how  much N can be immobilized.  Growers already use compost (typical C:N ratio of 10-12) but could substitute high-carbon compost (C:N ratio of >30) which can quickly facilitate its use. Currently, high-carbon compost has been granted a credit of 30 lbs N/acre in Ag Order 4.0. However, once the research on this practice is completed, this practice may be granted greater credits as warranted on the R side of the equation.

    Rtreat is the quantity of N removed from tile drainage  and irrigation runoff by denitrification bioreactors or constructed wetlands. This practice can be implemented in the northern part of Monterey County where high nitrate tile drain water impacts the surrounding sloughs and creeks.  The bioreactors vary in size and sophistication, from sunken beds filled with wood chips to highly engineered portable treatment systems.

    Rsequestered is the quantity of N that is captured in the woody plant tissue of perennial crops. This form of N removal is relevant to vineyards and orchards in our area and does not impact the vegetable industry.

    Rother is the quantity of N removed from the field in other, unspecified ways. One form of N removal not addressed in Ag Order 4.0 is the gaseous loss of N by denitrification from soil. This is a topic that needs further research. Two studies done on the Central Coast showed that in sandy soils with drip irrigation, there is little nitrous oxide or dinitrogen loss (2-4 lbs N/acre/crop). However, an earlier study of celery and lettuce production fields in the 1980s showed that on heavier soil with furrow irrigation gaseous N losses ranged from 18 to 37 lbs N/acre. Further research is needed to understand denitrification rates more fully in coastal vegetable production.

    What options does the industry have moving forward?

    Basically, a timer has been started by Ag Order 4.0. The first dates are targets of 500 lbs N/acre/year 2 years from now and 400 lbs N/acre/year in 2025 (four years). Starting in 2027 the targets become limits ratcheting down to 300 lbs N/acre/year. In scenarios that we and others have run, the 300 lbs N/acre/year limit will become very challenging for growers to comply with in typical double cropped production. There are basically three key practices that will provide the most improvements in N use efficiency: 1) measuring residual soil nitrate and adjusting fertilizer applications accordingly, 2) accounting for the nitrate in irrigation water as part of the N budget, and 3) improving irrigation efficiency to help maintain residual soil nitrate in the active rootzone of crops. A concerted focus on these three practices will require a commitment from the decision makers at each farming operation. Farming operations have differed in their approach to the pending water quality regulations. Some have taken a proactive approach and are farther along on the learning curve. It is important to make attempts to begin implementing these practices and see what is possible for your operation given the crop mix, soil types, and nitrate levels in the irrigation water. The good news is that there is still time. To begin implementing these practices, it is important to start small to gain the needed knowledge base in efficient N and water management practices. Working with knowledgeable people will be essential.

     Other options that can help fine tune fertilizer applications and reduce the risk of cutting fertilizer rates are various nitrogen technologies such as nitrification inhibitors and controlled release fertilizers. In studies that we have done, there is clearly a benefit to the use of some of these materials, but again, there is a learning curve to obtaining the benefits that they can provide. Nitrapyrin (a nitrification inhibitor commonly used in the corn belt) was registered on lettuce and brassicas in 2019 and has not been widely used yet by the industry, but it along with other materials, deserves greater evaluation.

    In summary, the finalization of Ag Order 4.0 will have a significant impact on how vegetables are grown on the Central Coast in the coming years. There is a window of opportunity to begin to experiment on how to address limits that will be applied to the use of N fertilizers. Now is the time to make the decisions needed to address this new reality.  Please do not hesitate to reach out to us for help or advice. — By Richard Smith & Michael Cahn, UC Cooperative Extension

  • Research Helps Develop High-Yielding, Drought Tolerant Lines of Chickpea

    Chickpeas are a very important crop and food in India. They are used almost every day in meals and snacks. India is the largest producer, consumer, and importer of chickpeas. And with good reason — they are high in protein, fiber, and vitamins and minerals.

    While India grows about 12 million tons of chickpeas each year, the national yield of the crop has not increased much over time. However, the need for more chickpeas to feed the increasing population continues to grow.

    This is why a group of researchers across several research institutions in India are working to develop high yielding chickpea varieties. The team recently reported their results in The Plant Genome.

    “High yielding varieties will help small-holder farmers by delivering more produce with an option to increase income,” says Rajeev Varshney, member of the Crop Science Society of America. “It is important to develop better varieties that are tolerant to drought and are able to meet the demand.”

    Rajeev Varshney, a research program director at the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics, examines a chickpea crop (Credit: ICRISAT)

    Over time, chickpea production has moved from northern India to the central and southern parts of the country, where there is less water. This is in addition to climate change impacting global agriculture.

    Varshney and his collaborators set out to breed new varieties of chickpeas with drought tolerance and higher yields. They used genetic techniques to breed several traits for drought tolerance. They focused on popular chickpea varieties already grown by farmers.

    The team used a common method called introgression, where a popular variety is crossed with a variety with the desired traits. Following a series of evaluations and repeated crossings, the breeders arrived at an improved chickpea variety with the desired traits.

    “However, this conventional process is not very precise, and in this procedure, breeders need to screen a large number of plants in field conditions,” Varshney explains. “For example, if there is a lot of rain in that season, breeders cannot select the line for drought tolerance. It ruins the whole experiment.”

    To combat this, the researchers used a technique called marker-assisted backcrossing. It uses laboratory techniques to detect a genetic marker. Genetic markers are DNA segments associated with certain plant characteristics or agronomic traits desired by farmers.

    By being able to detect certain plant characteristics in the lab using genetic markers, there is no need to do lots of testing every year in the field. It makes the breeding process precise, fast, and cost-effective.

    The work helped incorporate drought tolerance into three popular varieties of chickpeas. Overall, researchers developed six lines of chickpea with higher yields under drought conditions. One line, Pusa Chickpea 10216, has been released for use by Indian farmers.

    “We worked with already released elite varieties that are preferred by farmers,” Varshney says. “By improving these, it’s more likely they will be adopted by farmers in a faster manner.”

    “Here we have demonstrated successful use of using genetic markers to develop drought tolerant chickpea varieties,” Varshney says. “We would like to see this kind of breeding being deployed by our national partners at a large scale in India, Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, and elsewhere.”

    This research shows the public benefits of this kind of genetic research. Maintaining strong public support and funding for the research pipeline allows such work to take place.

    “The work shows how genomics research can be used to develop better high-yielding drought tolerant varieties,” Varshney says.

    Rajeev Varshney is a research program director at the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) and Adjunct Professor with Murdoch University (Australia). Support for this research was provided by the Government of India through its Department of Biotechnology in the Ministry of Science and Technology, Department of Agriculture, Cooperation & Farmers Welfare in the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

    Flowers are incredibly striking when in full bloom (Photo by L. Vidyasagar)

    American Society of Agronomy, Soil Science Society of America, Crop Science Society of America: Collectively, these Societies represent more than 12,000 individual members around the world. Members are researchers and professionals in the areas of growing our world’s food supply while protecting our environment. Together we work toward solutions to advance scientific knowledge in the areas of agronomy, crop science, and soil science.

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