California Ag Network

Tag: Almonds

  • Keeping Bees Safe During Bloom

    Modesto, Calif., (February 12, 2018) – As bloom season arrives, growers, pesticide applicators and beekeepers are reminded to utilize spray application best practices for the protection of bees. Below are important reminders.

    Tips for beekeepers, growers and applicators:

    • Constant communication between the beekeeper, grower and applicator is crucial in ensuring the safety of bees during pesticide applications. Regardless of routine applications, hives may be repositioned without notice to nearby growers.
    • Prior to positioning hives for pollination, brokers/beekeepers are required to register their hive location(s) with the Fresno County Department of Agriculture. Optionally, a beekeeper may elect to receive notification that allows local growers and applicators to check for beehives within a one-mile radius of the orchard. Forms can be downloadedhere.
    • Before spraying pesticides that may be harmful to bees, growers/applicators must file a “Bee Clearance” request with the Fresno County Agricultural Commissioner’s office. The “Bee Clearance” request will be considered binding after the requested party receives a complete bee clearance response. Growers/applicators will be made aware of nearby hive locations and be provided with corresponding beekeeper contact information. Growers/applicators must notify beekeepers prior to pesticide applications. The “Bee Clearance” request form can be downloadedhere. Growers/applicators may also contact the Ag Commissioner’s office at 559-600-7510 for immediate assistance.
    • To be safe, growers/applicators should spay pesticides at night and as the label states to ensure chemical drying time prior to daylight/temperature when bees begin to forage. If this is not plausible, consider tarping the hives (with beekeeper’s permission) to keep bees inside until the chemical has dried.
    • If there is not enough bloom in your orchard or clean water to feed the number of bees present, make sure that the beekeeper feeds them so that they remain close to their hives. Bees will travel up to two miles if forced to find food. Nearby orchards, regardless of specie, will attract foraging bees.
    • Additionally, blooming weeds near or on the orchard floor will attract bees to forage. Growers/applicators should consider this prior to pesticide applications.
    • Lastly, growers/applicators should verify the contracted number of frames provided by beekeepers for a baseline strength of the hives upon arrival. This information is crucial to growers/applicators if contamination occurs.

    For additional resources, visit the Almond Board of California’s “Honey Bee Best Management Practices for California Almonds” guidelines at www.almonds.com/pollination.

  • UC Launches Drought Video Series Feb. 2

    Oakland, Calif., (February 8, 2018) – Because periodic droughts will always be a part of life in California, the UC California Institute for Water Resources (CIWR) produced a series of videos to maintain drought awareness and planning, even in years when water is more abundant.

    The first of the three videos premieres Feb. 2 on the UCTV Sustainable California channel. Subsequent videos will be launched March 2 and April 6. View the trailer here.

    The videos are inspired by a collection of 19 drought tips produced by CIWR in collaboration with UC Agriculture and Natural Resources researchers during the drought of 2010-16. The tips cover a broad spectrum of California crops, from alfalfa to walnuts. Topics also include salt management, use of graywater in urban landscapes, and the use of shallow groundwater for crop production. Three topics – alfalfa, almonds and citrus – are featured in the three-episode CIWR video series.

    The drought tips collection and the drought tip videos were sponsored by the California Department of Water Resources. Following is the schedule for the video releases:

    Friday, Feb. 2: Drought strategies for alfalfa

    UC Cooperative Extension alfalfa specialist Dan Putnam wrote the drought tip ‘Drought Strategies for Alfalfa,’ on which the first video in the series is based. The video is on the UCTV Sustainable California channel, http://www.uctv.tv/sustainable-cal/.

    The CIWR drought tip series opens with Cannon Michael of Bowles Farming in Los Banos. The alfalfa grower works with UCCE specialist Dan Putnam. “There’s a lot of misunderstanding about alfalfa as a crop,” Michael said. “It does take water to grow it, as with anything, but you get multiple harvests of it every year.”

    Friday, March 2: Drought management for California almonds

    The second episode features almond producer Raj of Meena farms. He works with David Doll, UCCE advisor in Merced County. “One positive of this drought,” Meena said, “is that it has forced us all to be more efficient in how we use our water.”

    Friday, April 6: Irrigating citrus with limited water

    The series finale features Lisa Brenneis of Churchill-Brenneis Orchard in the Ojai Valley of Ventura County. She worked with UCCE advisor Ben Faber to install a new water-efficient irrigation system. “Irrigation is the only job we really have to do,” Brenneis said, “and we have to get it as right as we can.”

    For a complete list of drought tips, see http://ucanr.edu/drought-tips.

  • State of the California Almond Industry Report

    If you missed the State of the State of the Industry presentation at the annual Almond Conference, watch this brief interview with Richard Waycott and Mike Mason from the Almond Board who shared their outlook of the future of the California almond industry. Read more in Pacific Nut Producer Magazine. Don’t currently receive it? Subscribe for free today!

  • Tony Campos, 2017 Almond Achievement Award Winner

    Modesto, Calif., (January 11, 2018) – Tony Campos, Campos Brothers Farms, accepted the 2017 Almond Achievement Award winner at the Almond Conference in Sacramento. Tony has been involved with Almond Board of California (ABC) for almost three decades, serving on multiple committees, including eight years as an ABC Board Member.

    From left: Kent Stenderup (vice chair, ABC),
    Tony Campos (award recipient), Mike Mason (chairman, ABC)
    and Richard Waycott (president and CEO, ABC)

    “Tony is someone in our industry that has dedicated his life to promoting, processing and developing markets for almonds,” said Lori Coburn, Hughson Nut, Inc., who nominated Campos. “He has been involved in the industry in different capacities for decades as a grower and processor.”

    Campos began growing almonds in 1971 with his brothers, Esteban and Fermin. In 1981, the brothers built the first Campos Brothers Farms almond huller, promising premium-quality processing.

    Campos has served volunteer positions with organizations such as ABC, Raisin Bargaining Association, Raisin Administrative Committee, National Farmers Organization, California Bean Advisory Board and Fresno County Farm Bureau.

    Tony and his family also support philanthropic organizations such as Valley Children’s Hospital, Catholic Charities Diocese of Fresno, Basque Cultural Center and Caruthers High School.

    Throughout Campos’ nearly 30 years serving the almond industry, he has participated in the following committees:

    • International Committee, ten years
    • ABC Board of Directors, eight years
    • Administration and Finance Committee, seven years
    • Public Relations and Advertising Committee, two years
    • Strategic Planning Committee, two years

    In addition to his service to the almond community, Campos has been involved in advancing the industry’s technologies and innovations. He has worked on plant engineering research and processing design research that utilizes the newest technology to improve capacities and qualities in processing.

    “The Campos Brothers have shared industry processing information back and forth openly over the years,” said Coburn. “He is a leader in the industry and it is great to see him being recognized for his contributions.”

    Since 2011, the Almond Achievement Award has been awarded to an industry or allied-industry member who has been an integral part of the California Almond industry through long-term service, contributions or innovations.

    Past Almond Achievement Award recipients include Dave Phippen, Ned Ryan, Martin Pohl, Joe McIlvaine, Dave Baker and Jim Jasper. Nominations are accepted between August and October each year.

  • Almond and Walnut Pest Management Guidelines Revised Just in Time for the Holidays

    Davis, Calif., (December 27, 2017) – ‘Tis the season for baking lots of tasty treats. Breads, cookies, cakes, and candy are just a few that come to mind. What makes many of these treats so tasty is the addition of almonds or walnuts to the list of ingredients.

    California is the top almond producer in the world, accounting for about 80% of all almonds grown. (Photo: Jack Kelly Clark)

    In California, we are lucky to be at the center of almond and walnut production. According to the California Department of Food and Agriculture’s (CDFA’s) latest Agricultural Statistics Review, more than 99 percent of the almonds and walnuts produced in the United States are grown in California.

    Almond and walnut growers work tirelessly to supply enough nuts to not only satisfy domestic demand, but also for export. Worldwide, almonds rank as the largest specialty crop export. California is the top almond producer in the world, accounting for about 80 percent of all almonds grown. For walnuts, California ranks as the second largest producer in the world. To keep up with this demand, almond and walnut growers must be constantly aware of pests, diseases, and abiotic problems that can affect the tree and growing nuts.

    The University of California Statewide Integrated Pest Management Program (UC IPM) has recently published revised Pest Management Guidelines for almonds and walnuts, helping growers prevent and manage pest problems with the most up-to-date information.

    Bacterial spot on almond, a new disease of almond in California. (Photo: Brent A. Holtz)

    Revisions in the Almond Pest Management Guidelines include:

    • A new section on bacterial spot, a new disease of almond in California found in the Sacramento and northern San Joaquin valleys
    • A renamed section on fruit russeting, revised from the old powdery mildew section
    • Significant revisions made to the management section of navel orangeworm, one of the major pests attacking California almonds
    • Improvements on how to do dormant spur sampling section with easier-to-understand information on monitoring and thresholds
    • Revisions in the Walnut Pest Management Guidelines include:
    • Updated information on the association between walnut twig beetle and thousand cankers disease
    • New sections for Botryosphaeria and Phomopsis cankers, branch wilt, and paradox canker
    • Significant changes to the walnut husk fly management section
    Male (left) and female walnut twig beetles. (Photo: Larry L. Strand)

    Both the almond and walnut revised Pest Management Guidelines also include updated information on fungicide efficacy, weed management, and vertebrate management.

    Authored by University of California specialists and advisors, the Pest Management Guidelines are UC’s official guidelines for monitoring and managing pests in California crops. For more information on pest management in these or other crops, visit the UC IPM website.

  • Almond Board Celebrates Breakthroughs in Almond Quality & Food Safety

    MODESTO, Calif. – (Nov. 15, 2017) – A groundbreaking mandatory pasteurization program created by Almond Board of California (ABC) and its strategic partners has supported an enviable industry-wide food safety record over the last decade. Since the program’s launch, there have been zero outbreaks of foodborne illness attributed to California Almonds. Today, more than 200 treatment processes have been validated for use on almonds following specific guidelines and review by ABC’s Technical Expert Review panel.
     
    The almond industry initiated these efforts in the early 2000s, when Salmonella concerns were intensifying across the food industry. At the time, conventional wisdom suggested that low moisture foods, such as nuts and seeds, did not pose a threat, since the microorganisms of concern could not grow in these products. ABC engaged food safety experts, USDA and research partners to holistically identify potential risks and develop strategies for control. This collaboration ultimately resulted in the mandatory pasteurization program for Salmonella reduction and implementation of best practices, including Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) for growers and Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs) for processors, as well as updated HACCP guidelines and Pathogen Environmental Monitoring (PEM) resources.
     
    “The health and wellbeing of almond consumers matters deeply to everyone in the California Almond industry. We’re not afraid to tackle food safety challenges head-on, aided by the expertise of our partners, and we’re proud of our pioneering best practices,” said Tim Birmingham, director, Quality Assurance and Industry Services, Almond Board of California. “In response to concerns about Salmonella, we conducted research and led extensive discussions with industry, university and government experts before adopting mandatory pasteurization. After 10 years with zero outbreaks, we’re grateful that we took action.”
     
    From 2007 to 2017, ABC invested more than $5 million in food quality and safety research. It remains firmly committed to educating industry members on how to produce the safest and highest quality almonds possible. All findings are translated into clear, practical guidance for growers and processors.
     
    “I find it especially gratifying to see research results put into action. Almond Board of California transforms their food safety and quality research into practical resources that growers and processors actually use,” said Dr. Linda Harris, chair and specialist in Cooperative Extension in the Department of Food Science and Technology at the University of California, Davis. Harris conducts laboratory research and provides extension education and practicable advice to growers and the almond processing and affiliated industry organizations.
     
    “I’m proud of the industry-wide steps we’ve taken to improve food safety. Those investments protect almond consumers and allow us to focus on delivering the quality, freshness and great taste they enjoy,” said Martin Pohl, a Central Valley almond grower and president of Hughson Nut. “As a result, we’ve seen tremendous industry growth over the last decade.”
     
    The California Almond industry will continue evolving its best practices as new scientific discoveries unfold. The industry also is well positioned to comply with FDA’s Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) because it has proactively, voluntarily created and implemented so many programs that are already in line with FSMA requirements.
     
    The Produce Safety rule under FSMA goes into effect in January 2018 for large-scale orchards or huller/shellers considered farms. Preventive Controls compliance for larger businesses began September 2016 and mid-sized compliance started September of this year. To date, more than 100 industry members have completed the FDA recognized Preventive Controls Qualified Individual (PCQI) training, hosted by ABC.
     
    As FSMA compliance periods take effect, ABC continues to help growers, processors and other stakeholders understand which FSMA rules apply, what actions to take to ensure compliance and when specific requirements come into effect for different operations.
     
     

  • Side-By-Side Demonstrations Of Low-Dust Harvesting Equipment Draw Much Interest

    Modesto, Calif., (October 24, 2017) – Two side-by-side demonstrations of low-dust harvesting equipment from four almond equipment manufacturers were hailed as successful as scores of almond growers took time during harvest to attend.

    Manufacturers Exact Harvesting Systems of Modesto, Flory Industries of Salida, Weiss McNair of Chico and Jackrabbit of Ripon participated in the events, the first of their kind. Van Duyn Family Farms, Escalon, and Holtermann Farms, Wasco, hosted the demonstrations.

    “These demonstrations were a great opportunity to view the performance of harvesting equipment in the orchard and allowed growers to get a first-hand view of each machine’s effectiveness,” explained Dr. Gabriele Ludwig, director for sustainability and environmental affairs at Almond Board of California.

    The almond industry’s growth, along with increased attention from air quality regulatory agencies, sparked a heightened effort by Almond Board of California (ABC) to address harvest dust concerns.

    “As the industry has grown and there is so much more acreage, the dust that is there is becoming much more noticeable to the residents of the Central Valley,” said Ludwig. “These demonstrations are another example of the commitment Almond Board has made to working with the industry to reduce dust at harvest.”

    The dust generated by harvest activities includes significant PM10 emissions and some PM2.5 emissions, both regulated and connected to air quality issues, particularly in the San Joaquin Valley. While the Valley is in compliance with PM10, it is not in compliance with PM2.5.

    “Because all the low hanging fruit with 2.5 has already been taken care of or regulated, the air board is going after the things that are harder, and in that process, ag dust has come up, including that from almond harvesting,” Ludwig explained.

    A decade of dust research funded by ABC and its partnerships with equipment manufacturers and the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) has resulted in methods, resources and incentives to help reduce dust generated at harvest and to keep dust created in the orchard away from neighbors.

    Ludwig pointed out, “As a result of our greater understanding about how dust is generated at almond harvest, many equipment manufacturers have made changes to sweepers and pickup machines to reduce dust emissions.”

    Almond Board offers some practical tips to lower dust at harvest, including reducing the harvester’s ground speed. Cutting ground speeds by half will reduce dust by 50%. ABC recommends growers and harvesters gauge the speed reduction to match orchard conditions. In orchards with loose soils, slower ground speed allows gravity to drop dirt, reducing the reliance on fans. Growers and harvesters are also advised to reduce the separator fan speed to the lowest setting possible.

    NRCS representatives attended the events to discuss funding incentives available through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) for almond growers wishing to use clean harvest technology. NRCS more than tripled reimbursements – up to $37.50 per acre – for a maximum of three years for almond growers who use harvest equipment shown to reduce particulate matter. The incentive payments apply to growers who use equipment they purchased or who hire custom harvesters with approved lower-emission equipment. Growers interested in incentive funds should visit their county NRCS office. The San Joaquin Valley Air District is working on an incentive program, as well – stay tuned.

    Almond Board offers practical guides and videos for growers and workers to encourage the adoption of good management practices for reducing dust at harvest. Visit www.almonds.com/harvestdust.

     

  • Update on Yellow Monterey Almond Trees

    Sacramento, Calif., (October 18, 2017) – Farm Advisors and PCAs have fielded calls this season concerning Monterey on Krymsk 86 or Rootpac-R showing unique foliar symptoms – yellowing, rolling leaves with marginal necrosis and poor growth. Occasionally Nonpareil or Butte trees may be affected, but based on planting preferences and symptoms, Monterey generates the most concern. Most of the trees show these symptoms in the second leaf, but in some situations, first and third leaf trees are also affected.

    Both Krymsk 86 (K86) and Rootpac-R are Myrobalan plum (Prunus cerasifera) hybrids – peach x Myrobalan plum (Krymsk 86) and almond x Myrobalan plum (Rootpac-R). The foliar symptoms are very similar to the condition called Union Mild Etch on some almond varieties (Butte, Monterey, etc.) grafted on Marianna 2624 plum (Myrobalan plum x wild goose plum) rootstock. Research on Union Mild Etch found symptoms occurred more often when soils were too wet either due to excessive rainfall or over-irrigation. Trees may look water stressed, but that does not mean more irrigation will help the problem. While there is no etching reported at the bud union on Monterey on K86 or Rootpac-R, the symptoms and recommended treatment have been the same: don’t over irrigate, limit fertilizer, and let the trees recover naturally. While the most seriously affected trees may not recover – a few die – the majority appear to recover.

    For years, Butte and Monterey were listed in tables as partially incompatible on Marianna 2624 plum rootstock. Research by Jerry Uyemoto (USDA, retired) and Joe Connell (UCCE Butte Co, emeritus) conducted over 15 years, found the problem was more related to excess soil moisture than genetic incompatibility. When soils were too wet during the warmer part of the growing season, weak pathogens (Fusarium, Cylindrocarpon) in the soil would attack the fine feeder roots usually without harming the larger more permanent root structure. The problem occurred when wet winter/late spring rain kept the soil too wet or when growers over-irrigated young trees. These researchers produced the problem (yellowing, curled leaves with reduced growth) by over-irrigating previously healthy Butte/M2624. The problem is not a nitrogen deficiency; and, since the larger more permanent roots were healthy, when excessive soil moisture was corrected the trees would normally recover. By the time the orchard is 4-5 years old the problem seldom occurs since growers are less likely to over-irrigate at that age.

    Bottom-line, the yellowing of Monterey on K86 or Rootpac R looks to be related to excess soil moisture, not incompatibility. The good news is that water can be managed, incompatibility can’t be. True graft incompatibility usually manifests as gumming at the graft union, weak growth of the scion, and suckering from the rootstock.

  • Entomologist Frank Zalom Delivers 2017 ARS B. Y. Morrison Memorial Lecture at ASHS Conference

    Waikoloa, Hawaii, (September 26, 2017) – “Significance of Integrated Pest Management to Sustainable Horticultural Production—Observations and Experiences” is the title of entomologist Frank G. Zalom’s 2017 ARS Benjamin Y. Morrison Memorial Lecture, which he delivered today at the American Society for Horticultural Science annual conference in Waikoloa, Hawaii.

    2017 ARS B. Y. Morrison Memorial Lecturer Frank G. Zalom

    Zalom is nationally and internationally renowned for his leadership developing research-based integrated pest management (IPM) programs. He is also recognized for his adeptness in mobilizing and coordinating different and often divergent scientific, stakeholder and governmental groups to achieve a common goal of industrywide improvements in pest and pesticide management for individual crops such as almonds, tomatoes, strawberries, grapes and olives.

    IPM benefits most from a transdisciplinary approach to developing a control program, especially one that places the plant at the center as the “unifier of knowledge,” so that the plant’s own particular biology and its special defenses can be brought into play, Zalom explained.

    Under Zalom’s guidance, the University of California Integrated Pest Management Program became recognized as the premier program of its type as he reinforced the need for sustainability in the pursuit of managing pests. Today, he serves as distinguished professor and extension specialist in the Department of Entomology and Nematology at UC Davis.

    For example, Zalom first helped develop and then implemented a pest management program for the navel orangeworm—a key almond pest—that has been widely adopted by California growers. As a result, damage from this pest dropped from 8.8 percent annually to less than 1.5 percent while industrywide insecticide use for navel orangeworm control decreased by more than 40 percent.

    He also led a multidisciplinary research and extension effort in the 1990s that reduced organophosphate dormant spray use in almonds by more than 50 percent and ultimately by 90 percent across California orchard crops. Organophosphates had been running off into the Sacramento River after winter rainfalls, and cuts in their use helped bring the river back into compliance with the Clean Water Act.

    The Agricultural Research Service (ARS) established this memorial lectureship in 1968 to honor the memory of Benjamin Y. Morrison (1891-1966) and to recognize scientists who have made outstanding contributions to horticulture and other environmental sciences and to encourage the use of these sciences. Morrison was a pioneer in horticulture and the first director of ARS’s U.S. National Arboretum in Washington, D.C. A scientist, landscape architect, plant explorer and breeder, author and lecturer, Morrison advanced the science of botany in the United States and fostered broad international exchange of ornamental plants.

    For more information about the B.Y. Morrison Memorial Lecture, see https://www.ars.usda.gov/oc/lectures/morrison/

    For more information contact Kim Kaplan, ARS Office of Communications.

  • Biochar as an Alternative Use for Almond Biomass

    With record acreage of almonds coming into production in California, hullers and processors are going to need to find new/alternative uses for hulls & shells. The Almond Alliance is working with the Almond Board of California to come up with sustainable alternatives including almond biochar to increase the water holding capacity and bring nutrients back into the soil. Watch this video interview of Karen Lapsley from the Almond Board with California Ag Network as she talks about biochar and its potential for the industry.

    Sponsored By:

    Calagnet & YARA