California Ag Network

Tag: Harvest

  • 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.

     

  • Drying Raisins after the Storm with Kingsburg Raisin Grower Jaswant Bal

    Central Valley raisin growers experienced two brief rainstorms during harvest of an already short crop. Time will tell the true extent of the damage and ultimate size of the crop this year. The rain also put price negotiations at a halt. Watch this brief interview with Kingsburg raisin grower Jaswant Bal as he shares his perspective, as his crop was harvested just days before the most recent rainstorm. Read more about it in American Vineyard Magazine.

    Sponsored By:

    Calagnet & YARA

  • Cooler Weather and Thunder Storms Are the Latest Additions to Sonoma County’s 2017 Wine Harvest Saga

    Santa Rosa, Calif., (October 3, 2017) – When the book is closed on the 2017 Sonoma County winegrape harvest, “weather” will need to dominate the conversation as Mother Nature continues to impact the efforts of local farmers as they harvest this year’s crop.  The year began with record winter rainfall, followed by a mild spring, a scorching summer and finally cooler weather in mid-September. That respite helped bring order to the harvest, though it did not last long as rain showers turned to thunderstorms in late September creating new concerns for farmers.

    Reports from the vineyards indicate that this year’s extreme weather, particularly the sustained heat waves, will likely impact the size of the harvest.  Early estimates were for an average size crop of excellent quality. However, in the past few weeks, farmers are reporting some significant weight loss in grape numbers due to the heat, which caused some growers and vintners to pick grapes earlier than they had planned.  Around the middle of the month, rain arrived forcing farmers to check their grapes, open up the canopy, and in some instances, use larges blowers in the vineyards to dry out certain varieties prior to harvesting. Currently, about 70% of the Sonoma County grapes have been harvested.

    The other ongoing challenge facing Sonoma County winegrape growers is the availability of labor and the logistics of moving crews and equipment around the county.  While there is not a critical shortage this season, the labor supply remains very tight to the point that some growers are not harvesting on the day they want because workers are not available. Despite all the weather fluctuations and current labor supply, most growers still anticipate harvest being completed by mid-October.

    Russian River Valley – With the Pinot Noir harvest almost complete and Zinfandel, Chardonnay, Merlot and other varieties winding down, growers in the Russian River AVA have experienced two different harvests.  For early ripening varieties that matured and were picked, nearly every grower cited excellent quality and better than average yields. For varieties ripening during or after the extreme heat wave in the beginning of September, growers experienced a noticeable drop in yields but were impressed by the outstanding quality.

    Dry Creek Valley – Zinfandel, Cabernet, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot are currently being picked or will soon begin being harvested. The growing season had it all – perfect growing conditions, a number of searing heat waves and late summer rains, while cooler weather in September helped return schedules back to normal.

    Alexander Valley – Harvest has been completed for Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir. Other varieties in the AVA, including Cabernet, Zinfandel, Merlot and Malbec, should be completed in the next two to three weeks.  Like elsewhere in Sonoma County, the 2017 harvest has been intense with conditions changing every few days while the struggle to find enough labor remains constant.

    Pine Mountain-Cloverdale Peak – Harvest should be completed in the next two weeks.  Tonnage is down slightly while quality is average to excellent depending on the variety and the vineyard.  Much of the Zinfandel and Cabernet Sauvignon is being harvested this week.  Labor is tight, optimism is high.

    Sonoma Coast – Growers are taking advantage of the cooler weather to prolong the time on the vine.  Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Syrah and Riesling are or will soon be harvested.  A common refrain has been that brix levels are steady but not quite ready for harvest.  Along with labor concerns, weather has been the greatest challenge facing growers, especially over the past two months of the season.

    Sonoma Valley – Growers throughout the AVA are racing to complete harvest within the next week to ten days.  Varieties were impacted differently by the heat throughout the AVA. One grower reported his Chardonnay was picked 30% light while his Malbec and Merlot were the same yield levels as last year.  Other growers reported both exceptional quality and yields. Growers are hoping that hand labor will be freed up to enable Sonoma Valley growers to access crews when they need it since the harvest is winding down in other parts of Sonoma County.

    Sonoma Mountain – Harvest is winding down for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, with most harvested around the heat wave over Labor Day weekend at exceptional quality. Harvest is currently beginning for Cabernet Sauvignon and Zinfandel on Sonoma Mountain with completion likely around the end of October. Sugar levels and flavors are close.  The summer’s heat waves did burn leaves and desiccated some fruit particularly among Merlot. With that said, quality looks good with overall yields slightly below normal.

    Follow the Harvest – If you want up-to-the-minute updates on Sonoma County’s harvest activities directly from our grape growers and wineries, the Sonoma County Winegrowers have created an online Harvest Tracker to help everyone stay informed on what’s happening in our vineyards and cellars.

     

  • Sonoma County Wine Harvest Off to a Fast Start

    Santa Rosa, Calif., (September 11, 2017) – Ask any winegrape grower to describe the grape harvest in Sonoma County and you typically hear “harvest time is like a marathon.”  When it comes to the 2017, harvest has taken off like a sprint and the pace shows no sign of letting up until the end of harvest.

    August delivered some of the longest, hottest periods seen in years which caused heat stress for both grapes and people.  In some AVAs, it became too hot for too long causing sugars to rapidly increase – in some cases faster than the grapes were maturing.  Some growers increased their irrigation cycles to avoid excessive sun damage to the vine leaves and fruit.  Rapid increases in brix levels resulted in some grapes being harvested as quickly as possible, while in other parts of the county later varieties were being irrigated to keep the grapes from dehydrating.

    The other primary challenge facing Sonoma County winegrape growers is the availability of labor.  While there is not a critical shortage this season, it is clear that there is a limited supply with more workers needed, especially in the coming years.  To combat the tight labor market, more growers are turning to mechanical harvesters in addition to using hand harvesting and picking fruit at a riper level.  All growers agree that it will only become more difficult to secure the necessary skilled labor force in the future. However, many growers are talking about the increased skill level of the agricultural workers this year.

    With early September bringing a much needed cool down, the sparkling wine harvest is mostly complete.  Throughout Sonoma County, harvest has begun for most varieties of grapes including Zinfandel, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc, Viognier, Muscat, Gewurztraminer and Malbec.   The harvest of Cabernet Sauvignon grapes is expected to begin in earnest in the middle of September.  Most growers anticipate harvest being complete in mid-October.

    Russian River Valley
    Excellent quality and great flavors are offsetting concerns about near normal or slightly below normal yields throughout the Russian River Valley AVA.  The frequent heat waves this summer have reduced yields in many blocks while creating a challenge to plan and coordinate the harvest.  According to Duff Bevill, a partner in Bevill Vineyard Management, he is in full harvest mode for the next five to seven weeks, and the sustained heat resulted in him having to harvest some Zinfandel blocks earlier than expected.  For other growers, the Chardonnay and Pinot Noir harvests are commencing this week, followed by the start of the Cabernet Sauvignon harvest in the middle of the month.

    Dry Creek Valley – Heat is the common concern throughout Dry Creek Valley with growers monitoring the brix levels on a frequent basis, as they anticipate it will result in a slightly earlier harvest throughout the AVA.  Patrick Taylor, co-owner of Taylor Family Vineyard reported that the early heat waves in July – followed by cooling fog and ending up with a late August heatwave – have caused brix levels to sky rocket. The Sauvignon Blanc harvest has begun, while the Zinfandel and Syrah harvest should begin shortly; Cabernet is expected to be fully ripened by the latter part of September.

    Alexander Valley – The harvest is getting underway throughout most of Alexander Valley with the overall grape quality looking excellent with an average yield.  The harvest of Zinfandel and Sauvignon Blanc grapes has been ongoing for the past ten days.  The harvest of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay are both just beginning. Merlot, Gewürztraminer, Malbec, Petite Sirah, Cabernet, Zinfandel and more are still to be harvested over the next month and a half.  Throughout Alexander Valley, a supply of skilled labor remains a top concern.

    Sonoma Valley – Harvest is ramping up throughout the Sonoma Valley AVA, as the recent heat wave spiked sugar levels and pushed all varieties to an earlier harvest.  Many growers are predicting that if the weather continues to be warm throughout September, the majority of the fruit in the AVA could be picked by the end of the month.  The continued winter rains and mild spring created some ideal growing conditions early, which should pay off with some very high-quality grapes at average yields.  Taylor Serres, COO of Serres Ranch, reports that quality is above average across the board, though the harvest has begun earlier than anticipated.  The concern looking ahead is all varieties ripening at the same time due to the August heat wave.

    Chalk Hill – Initial reports indicate an average to higher than average yields, and excellent quality throughout the Chalk Hill AVA.  Harvest is expected to begin in September and be completed by early October.  A primary concern throughout the AVA is the availability of skilled labor.  Most growers are looking to do as much work by machine as possible and anticipate more machine harvesting in the very near future.

    Follow the Harvest – If you want up-to-the-minute updates on Sonoma County’s harvest activities directly from our grape growers and wineries, the Sonoma County Winegrowers have created an online Harvest Tracker to help everyone stay informed on what’s happening in our vineyards and cellars. Visit the Sonoma County Winegrowers Harvest Page for the latest news and use the hashtag #SCHarvest on social media.

  • Another Stellar Sonoma County Wine Harvest Begins

    Santa Rosa, Calif., (August 18, 2017) – Record winter rainfall, a mild spring, a scorching summer and a serious labor shortage are just some of the challenges Sonoma County winegrowers have experienced this year.  Being tested as never before, local winegrape farmers began the 2017 harvest for sparkling wines in some parts of Sonoma County last week with early expectations calling for a high-quality vintage crop of an average tonnage size.

    “Though the year is barely half over, we have already witnessed many daunting challenges, but our farmers are amazingly resilient, they persevere and continue farming some of the world’s very best grapes,” said Karissa Kruse, president of Sonoma County Winegrowers.  She added, “There is great excitement throughout the County as activities pick up and the crush begins.”

    The first quarter of the year saw a record rainfall hit the County with nearly 58 inches of precipitation falling in Santa Rosa, more than 70 inches throughout the County and rain reported for 21 of the 28 days of February. The rainfall filled the region’s reservoirs beyond their capacity, triggering flooding and landslides which closed numerous roads, inundated hundreds of acres of vineyards and saturated vines particularly along the lower Russian River. In addition, a tight labor supply, increased operating costs, proposed ground water regulations, urban encroachment and a host of local ordinances have had the attention of local winegrape farmers this year.

    The long rainy season and mild spring resulted in above-average vegetative growth and vigor. The heavy rains left ample water deep in the soil, so vines were able to handle the subsequent heat waves.  When it came time for the bloom, conditions were ideal and most varietals set well.  With harvest still weeks away in most Sonoma County vineyards, here are some of the harvest reports from the front lines of some of our AVAs:

    Russian River Valley: The harvest of grapes for sparkling wines has begun.  Joe Dutton, co-owner of Dutton Ranch and Chairman of the Sonoma County Winegrowers reports that picking is underway for Pinot Noir for the Gloria Ferrer Sparkling program. The grape harvest each day will be hit and miss for the next ten days to two weeks, but then after that, harvesting will be all day, every day. We are looking forward to a nice harvest. At J Vineyards & Winery, traditionally one of the first wineries to harvest in Sonoma County, picking has also begun, according to Jim Collins, VP Premium Winegrowing and Grower Relations for E. & J. Gallo Winery.  The first grapes picked were Pinot Noir for J’s sparkling wine program.  Overall, the vines weathered the year’s climate extremes very well and everything is shaping up to be a high-quality vintage.

    Dry Creek Valley: Ned Neumiller, grower relations and viticulture manager at Seghesio Family Vineyards, reports that much of the current activity in the Dry Creek Valley is finishing up final canopy management and starting to ready the crop for harvest.  Vine vigor continues to be the largest issue which is made more problematic for some growers due to the lack of labor.  The start of the Zinfandel harvest in the upper Dry Creek Valley will begin during one of the first two weeks of September.  Overall, quality looks to be excellent for Zinfandel with normal yields anticipated.
    Green Valley:In the Green Valley AVA, Dutton Ranch’s J. Alfred Steele reports that the harvest is running about 6-10 days later than last year but, given the big canopies from three months of storing carbs from the epic rains, the grapes could ripen quickly and the start of harvest may move up.  Right now veraison is on everywhere and it looks to be another great vintage.  Labor remains the biggest threat in the region this harvest season.

    Alexander Valley: Bret Munselle, a partner of Munselle Vineyards, expects the Alexander Valley harvest to begin between August 24th and the 28th.  The yield looks a little above average while the fruit looks great.  Cautious optimism is the current outlook.  Jim Rickards, owner of J. Rickards Vineyards, reports that the Malbec harvest should begin in late September, Petite Sirah in early October and the harvest will wrap up with Cabernet beginning mid- to late-October.  The vines appear to be doing well throughout the Alexander Valley with the heavy rains now providing vines with additional help in combatting recent heat waves.

    Sonoma Valley: With harvest still weeks away in the Sonoma Valley AVA, all blocks are at least 50% into veraison or well on their way to finishing.  Taylor Serres, of Serres Ranch, reports there was a late start to the season in Sonoma Valley due to the long winter which did leave ample moisture in the soil and paid dividends throughout the growing season. The other primary current challenge in the vineyards this year has been successfully managing mildew issues which have been experienced throughout Sonoma County.  Overall, the quality of grapes looks really good particularly the Bordeaux varieties.  Cluster counts appear to be similar to last year though Cabernet Franc seems lighter than last year. The one concern looking ahead is how fast and heavy the fruit will come in.

    Follow the Harvest: If you want up-to-the-minute updates on Sonoma County’s harvest activities directly from our grape growers and wineries, the Sonoma County Winegrowers have created an online Harvest Tracker to help everyone stay informed on what’s happening in our vineyards and cellars. Visit the Sonoma County Winegrowers Harvest Page for the latest news and use the hashtag #SCHarvest on social media.

     

  • Late-harvest processing peaches produce more profit, new UC studies show

    Sacramento, Calif., (June 21, 2017) – Tree fruit growers can receive premiums for delivering certain extra-early varieties of peaches, but peach farmers may net roughly $800 more per acre from late-harvest processing peaches than extra-early harvest varieties, according to new cost studies released by the UC ANR Agricultural Issues Center and UC Cooperative Extension.

    To help farmers make decisions on which peach varieties to plant, UC researchers present sample costs to produce extra-early harvested cling and freestone peaches and late harvested cling and freestone peaches for processing in the Sacramento and San Joaquin Valley in these studies.

    Although processors pay more for extra-early harvested peach varieties than late-harvest peaches, the researchers found that yields are higher for late-harvest varieties while costs for hand thinning the fruit are lower.

    “Peaches harvested early in the season have less time to grow compared to peaches that get to hang on the tree another month or more,” explained Roger Duncan, UC Cooperative Extension advisor in Stanislaus County, who coauthored the studies. “Therefore, more fruit has to be removed so the remaining fruit can size. That means it costs you more to produce less.”

    The analyses are based upon hypothetical well-managed farming operations using practices common to the region. The costs, materials and practices shown in these studies will not apply to all farms. Growers, UC ANR Cooperative Extension farm advisors and other agricultural associates provided input and reviewed the methods and findings of the study.

    Both studies assume a 100-acre farmer-owned operation with 40 acres of cling peaches. The remaining acreage for both hypothetical farms is planted in other mature tree crops. The estimated economic life of the extra-early harvested cling peach orchard and the late harvested cling peach orchard is 18 years.

    Some of the major differences between the two studies are return price, yield and fruit thinning cost. The extra-early harvested varieties have a price of $545 per ton, a yield of 17 tons per acre, and a thinning cost of $1,445 per acre. The late harvested varieties have a price of $490 per ton, a yield of 20 tons per acre, and a thinning cost of $1,177 per acre.

    Asked if a small farm could save on fruit thinning expenses by doing it themselves, Duncan replied, “I guess it would be possible for a small family operation to do the thinning themselves, but not likely. It can take 20 to 40 minutes to thin a single tree. If there are 151 trees per acre, you can see that it would take one skilled person over a week to thin one acre.”

    The authors describe the assumptions used to identify current costs for production material inputs, cash and non-cash overhead. Ranging analysis tables show net profits over a range of prices and yields. Other tables show the monthly cash costs, the costs and returns per acre, hourly equipment costs, the whole farm annual equipment, investment and business overhead costs and the operations with equipment and materials.

    Free copies of “Sample Costs to Produce Processing Peaches, Cling and Freestone Extra-early Harvested Varieties, in the Sacramento and San Joaquin Valley – 2017” and “Sample Costs to Establish and Produce Processing Peaches, Cling and Freestone Late Harvested Varieties, in the Sacramento and San Joaquin Valley – 2017” are available on the UC Davis Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics website at https://coststudies.ucdavis.edu. Sample cost-of-production studies for many other commodities are also available.

    The cost study program is funded by the UC Agricultural Issues Center and UC Cooperative Extension, both part of the UC Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources, and the UC Davis Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics.

    For additional information or an explanation of the calculations used in the studies, contact Jeremy Murdock at the Agricultural Issues Center, at (530) 752-4651, Janine Hasey, UC Cooperative Extension advisor for Sutter/Yuba counties, at (530) 822-7515, or Duncan at (209) 525-6800.

  • Navel Orange Worm Update

    Sacramento, Calif., (June 19, 2017) – Navel orange worm is the key pest in almond. Nut feeding by this pest directly reduces yield and grower income. For example, 1% damage* in a 2500 kernel lb/acre crop = 25 kernel lb/acre loss (and $62.5/acre at a price of $2.50/lb). Also, NOW damage is frequently contaminated with highly toxic fungus aflatoxin, which is carried by the pest. Certain major almond markets have an extremely low tolerance for aflatoxin.

    What should growers think about when planning for NOW management at hull split and harvest, particularly when egg and/or pheromone traps are largely empty in the spring?

    • NOW adults can fly a quarter of a mile. When hull splits starts in your orchard, your nuts can become vulnerable to moths from your neighbor’s orchard, if they are a quarter of a mile away, or less.
    • Time your hull split spray(s) based on crop sensitivity (hull split), not trap counts – especially in low pressure years. When NOW pressures are low, egg traps don’t always attract females for egg laying when flights begin – especially when there are thousands of splitting real nuts as competition.

    Here are some general reminders for NOW control as harvest approaches:

    • Harvest at 100% hull split. Shake your trees once the nuts have reached 100% hull split. NOW populations build with every generation (see graph below) and NOW females lay fewer eggs on harvested nuts than those nuts still in the trees. So get the nuts on the ground as soon as they are ready. For pictures and description of 100% hull split, see: http://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/C003/m003fchullsplit.html.
    • If you spray, spray early. Newer, soft pesticides used for NOW control last a long time and work well on eggs and small worms. Research by Dr. Frank Zalom, UC Davis Entomology Department, suggests that effective pesticide residual is in this order (roughly): Intrepid® 4 weeks > Altacor® 3 weeks > pyrethroids (Brigade®, etc.) 2 weeks. Consult with your PCA and consider spraying early, so eggs are laid on treated surfaces. This may mean starting to spray as blanks are beginning to split – depending on how long it takes you to get across the orchard. Why spray early when pressure is low? The longer you can keep the NOW population low, the lower the pressure will be later in the season when pollinators (Monterey, etc.) are splitting.
      Spray carefully. Field research results from Dr. Joel Siegel (USDA) and Ken Giles (UC Davis) have repeatedly shown that slower sprayer ground speed (2 MPH) and higher spray volume (150-200 gpa vs 100 gpa) delivers the best possible NOW control. Also, spraying when the humidity is higher (roughly 10 PM to 10 AM) means less spray evaporation and better coverage. Need to move faster? Consider using an additional sprayer instead of driving too fast and getting less control (lease/borrow?). If better spray timing could reduce damage by 0.5% (0.25% on your grade sheets*) in a 2500 kernel lb/acre orchard, that’s $31.25/acre/year back in your pocket before any quality incentives.