California Ag Network

Tag: UC Davis

  • New Pima Cotton Cultivars Show Improved Resistance to Disease

    Pima cotton is the predominant variety of cotton grown in California. It’s ideal for making premium fabrics for clothing and bed sheets. But Fusarium wilt disease, caused by a soil-borne fungus, can devastate a cotton crop. It’s responsible for crop losses in several production regions in the U.S. and worldwide.

    Researchers with the University of California, Davis, the USDA Agricultural Research Service and other groups have been working for nearly 18 years to identify sources of resistance to a specific strain of Fusarium, known as race 4, by field testing plant materials with different genetic backgrounds. They have now developed three Pima cotton cultivars that show improved resistance to the disease, which is a big step toward creating commercial varieties for cotton growers and producers.

    Bob Hutmacher, Physiologist in Plant Sciences at UC Davis & Cooperative Extension Cotton Specialist

    Bob Hutmacher, a physiologist in plant sciences at UC Davis and a Cooperative Extension cotton specialist, has been working on various aspects of this research since 2003. Hutmacher says various strains of Fusarium wilt disease have been a problem in California for decades. The newest Fusarium race 4 strain was initially discovered in the San Joaquin Valley in the early 2000s and has since been detected in cotton fields in other U.S. cotton production regions, including El Paso, Texas; and Las Cruces, New Mexico. In severely infected plants, leaves wilt and drop, resulting in bare stems. Plants affected by the disease can’t produce high yields of the white, fluffy bolls that grow on the stem, which contain the raw forms of cotton.

    Disease could mean higher prices

    Crops impacted by the disease could spell trouble for consumers. Hutmacher says when production suffers, that could potentially lead to higher costs for cotton products.

    “It can be a very damaging disease in terms of greatly reducing yields, and to some extent, even making it uneconomical for production of cotton as a crop in a region,” Hutmacher said. “As it becomes more difficult to produce something economically, the only way to keep producing it is to have the cost of everything go up.”

    Hutmacher says this type of fungal disease can likely survive in soil for decades and can easily move from place to place if infected soil particles get stuck on tractor tires, boots or shovels. Planting resistant varieties can help prevent the spread.

    “It’s probably the most environmentally acceptable way of trying to figure out how to control a disease,” Hutmacher explained. “You’re basically looking for a solution that is already there and available in the plant’s genetics, and so it’s not dependent on a chemical, which may or may not have some other impact on the environment.”

    This collaborative project also included work by researchers from UC Agriculture and Natural Resources and the Center of Genomics and Bioinformatics at Uzbekistan Academy of Sciences. Together they will make genetic plant material, including seeds of the newly developed Pima cotton, available to cotton breeders, geneticists and researchers. The hope is that breeders and seed companies can create a product that can eventually make it onto farms and fields.

    “That’s the next step you wish for with all these types of materials; you make them available, demonstrate that there is improved resistance to a disease, and then the companies can pick it up from there and turn it into a variety with good yields and good fiber quality characteristics, so it has a place in the market,” Hutmacher said. — By Tiffany Dobbyn, UC Davis

  • New Research Demystifies Evolution of Defense Mechanisms in Plants

    Immobile organisms, plants have needed to evolve ingenious and highly specific defenses to threats, such as predators. These defenses come in the form of chemicals known as specialized metabolites and are responsible for the plant kingdom’s rich source of drugs, poisons, and dyes.

    The factors that influence the development of these metabolites have historically not been well understood in their complexity – until now. Researchers from the Department of Plant Sciences at UC Davis have discovered that plants evolve specialized metabolites through the combined effects of genes, geography, demography and environmental conditions.

    “We already know that environmental pressures such as the type of herbivores that prey on plants influences the specialized metabolites plants produce,” explained Ella Katz, a postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Plant Sciences and the first author on the research project. “We wanted to understand how the intersection of environmental pressure, demography and genomic complexity gives rise to the pattern of metabolic variation across a plant species.”

    To understand this intersection, the team measured the metabolic variation in specialized metabolites across a population of almost 800 seed samples of the plant species Arabidopsis thaliana, which were collected from across Europe.

    A map illustrating the different chemotypes of Arabidopsis thaliana in Europe. The large population used in this study allowed the researchers to deepen the understanding of how specialized metabolites affect evolution and determine population variation.

    The team looked at three locations in the plant genome known to influence survival fitness as well as across the entire genome to find genes linked to metabolite production. They then grouped each gene into classes representing types of specialized metabolite, called chemotypes. This allowed them to see which chemotypes were most prevalent in different regions of Europe and reveal specific geographic patterns. 

    For example, in central Europe and parts of Northern Europe, such as Germany and Poland, there was large variability in the chemotypes. But in southern Europe, including the Iberian Peninsula, Italy and the Balkan, there were two predominant chemotypes that were clearly geographically separated.

    Next, they looked at whether these geographical differences in chemotypes were linked to weather and landscape conditions. They assigned each gene an environmental value based on its location – such as distance to the coast, rainfall in the wettest and driest months, and temperature of the warmest and coldest months. They also assigned the genes to northern or southern locations, based on their position relative to the Pyrenees, Alps or Carpathian mountain ranges. 

    Using the most commonly found chemotypes, they showed that the environmental conditions had different relationships to the chemotypes that shift by geographical area. This suggests that the relationship between environmental conditions and specialized metabolites varies across different regions in Europe – so, even if wetter weather was linked to a certain chemotype in Southern Europe, this was not the same in Northern Europe.

    Finally, they looked at how these genes evolved over time. Gene traits can evolve either independently within a species, called convergent evolution, or by parallel evolution, where species respond to similar external challenges in a similar way. They found that gene evolution at the three most common genome locations was shaped by a blend of events reminiscent of either parallel or convergent evolution. Moreover, the presence of variation at each of the three locations also plays a role in further shaping the evolution of the other genes. This is most likely because the effects of different specialized metabolites may work with or against each other to help the plant survive.  

    “Our work provides a new perspective on the complexity of the forces and mechanisms that shape the generation and distribution of specialized metabolites and affect the plant’s ability to survive in a changing environment,” said senior author Daniel Kliebenstein, professor in the Department of Plant Sciences and at the DynaMo Center of Excellence, University of Copenhagen, Denmark. “Using a larger plant population from other locations around the world will enable us to deepen our understanding of the evolutionary mechanisms that determine the variation in a population.” — By Matt Marcure, Department of Plant Sciences, UC Davis

  • Whole Orchard Recycling Benefits and Incentives

    Almond Board of California — Exciting research shows that conducting Whole Orchard Recycling (WOR) in almonds can increase crop yields in subsequent orchards, provide long-term benefits to soil health (such as improved water retention and nutrient levels) and increase carbon sequestration.

    Conducted by researchers from the University of California (UC) Davis and UC Agricultural and Natural Resources, with funding in part by the Almond Board of California (ABC), this study identifies significant advantages to practicing WOR, the breadth of which are detailed in a report published in the journal PLOS ONE.

    The study spanned over a decade and compared plots within a nine-year-old orchard where WOR took place with plots where trees had been burned and their ashes tilled into the soil. At ninth leaf, researchers also tested the impact of deficit irrigation mid-growing season by reducing the amount of water applied by 20% for some of the trees.

    When the results were placed side-by-side, the plots where WOR took place consistently bested the plots where old trees’ ashes were tilled into the soil. Among other benefits, researchers discovered a:

    • 19% increase in yields at ninth leaf and 15% increase in cumulative yield over five years, 
    •  30% increase in soil water holding capacity (water retention), and 
    • 17% increase in total soil nitrogen levels. 
      • To note: Subsequent research found that additional nitrogen is needed in the first year.

    “Almond growers have long been told that implementing practices to improve soil health will provide all these benefits, but until now there had been very little data demonstrating that a focus on feeding the soil with organic matter can make a meaningful difference in yield and crop quality,” said Gabriele Ludwig, Ph.D., director of Sustainability and Environmental Affairs for the Almond Board.

    Study shows significant yield increases
    Key among the multiple positive outcomes discovered by this WOR study is the potential for increased yields. This finding not only brings good news for a grower’s bottom line, but it also has positive implications on the industry’s effort to produce “more crop per drop,” an effort it is striving to achieve as part of its Almond Orchard 2025 Goal to reduce the amount of water used to grow a pound of almonds by an additional 20%.

    “The increased water holding soil capacity that occurs as a result of Whole Orchard Recycling means that trees are subject to fewer extremes in terms of water availability, as more water is held in the upper layer of the soil where the majority of the tree’s roots are, and where tree uptake takes place,” Ludwig explained.

    Research shows that WOR increased water retention in the soil by up to 30%. While Ludwig cautioned that this data does not lend itself to a recommendation that growers can use less water if they practice WOR, it does indicate that applied water is used more efficiently by trees in orchards where WOR has occurred.

    Amélie Gaudin, Ph.D., an associate professor of agroecology in the UC Davis Department of Plant Sciences and a co-author of the WOR research report, said that by allowing more water to penetrate and the remain in the soil, WOR also reduces potential irrigation-related losses caused by runoff or evapotranspiration.

    “In plots where WOR occurred, water was more likely to reach and be used by the trees, allowing for increased yields as trees experienced less short-term stress and therefore achieved greater water use efficiency,” Ludwig said.

    A hedge against deficit-induced tree stress
    This study also demonstrates that by increasing soil organic matter, WOR helps insulate orchards from negative impacts of deficit irrigation, which involves a delicate balance between stressing one’s trees just enough to prevent too much moisture and potential for disease in the orchards with not overstressing the trees to a point where their yields and overall health are compromised. According to the research, the deficit-irrigated trees in the WOR plots maintained higher stem water potential compared to the deficit-irrigated trees in the burn plots, indicating trees in the WOR plots were less water stressed.

    “We forget that trees can get stressed enough to shut down photosynthesis, whether that’s because they can’t keep up with water demand in the hot afternoons, for a day or two before irrigation, or during harvest,” Ludwig said. “So, when the upper layers of the soil can hold more water, the trees are better buffered from those stresses.” 

    Gaudin said that by improving water holding capacity, WOR also helps orchards retain nitrogen, one of almond trees’ most necessary nutrients. This has positive implications for groundwater quality in areas where nitrogen leeching is a concern. It also may contribute to yield increases as trees in the WOR plots were shown to have greater access to nitrogen for longer periods of time.

    Another supplementary benefit, Ludwig noted, is that over time, as microorganisms in the soil break down the woody biomass, both macro- and micronutrients contained within the wood are released for reuse by the next generation of trees. This allows growers to “recycle” those nutrients so that they may be used throughout the lifetime of their newly planted orchard.

    Next steps for researchers working on this WOR research, Gaudin said, include further study of carbon sequestration and its implication for greenhouse gases, gaining a better understanding of nitrogen retention, optimizing WOR in different soil conditions and the impacts of integrating WOR with other responsible growing practices such as cover crops or anaerobic soil disinfestation.

    Support for those seeking to conduct WOR
    Growers may be eligible to receive incentive funding to conduct WOR if they apply for funds far enough in advance of conducting the practice.

    • WOR is now a practice eligible for co-funding through CDFA’s Healthy Soil Incentives Program. Payments cover about 50% of the cost of WOR, according to CDFA Senior Environmental Scientist Geetika Joshi. The next round of funding for the program begins in July 2021.
    • USDA-NRCS offers Conservation Stewardship Program funds to growers who find alternatives to burning old trees, providing $783.29 per acre for chipping (used for animal bedding or applied as mulch on another piece of ag land) and an additional $242.09 per acre for Whole Orchard Recycling. While applications are accepted year-round, funding for 2021 has already been announced. Still, growers can submit their applications now to apply for 2022 funding.  
    • For those in the San Joaquin Valley, the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District provides cost-share funds to reduce ag burning through its Alternative to Agricultural Open Burning Incentive Program. Growers participating in this program are eligible to receive $300-$600 per acre, with a maximum of $60,000 per grower. Incentive recipients are typically paid four-to-six weeks after their completion of WOR, and after an invoice has been sent to the district.

    For general questions about incentive programs, industry members may contact ABC’s Jesse Roseman at jroseman@almondboard.com.

    Those interested to learn more about how WOR may be practiced on their operation are encouraged to download or request a physical copy of the Whole Orchard Recycling Guide for California Almond Growers, created in partnership by ABC and UC ANR. Growers are also welcome to watch the     Whole Orchard Recycling Overview and Whole Orchard Recycling – A Grower’s How-To videos, which are hosted on YouTube and found on ABC’s website. Finally, UC Davis provides a robust website dedicated to Whole Orchard Recycling, which offers a deep dive into the research findings, grower testimonials, and more. 

    In addition to Gaudin, co-authors of the study include Kelsey Brewer and Emad Jahanzad of UC Davis; Brent Holtz, Sean Hogan and Cameron Zuber of UC Cooperative Extension; and David Doll, a former UC Cooperative Extension farm advisor.

  • Dan Flynn Receives the 2020 California Olive Oil Council Pioneer Award

    The 2020 recipient of the California Olive Oil Council (COOC) Pioneer Award has made a lasting impact on the California olive oil industry. Dan Flynn started the UC Davis Olive Center 13 years ago where he serves as the executive director with just $50,000 from university and industry supporters, and grew it into a world-renowned center for olive research and education. The organization has worked in concert with the California Olive Oil Council from its beginning in 2008. In partnership with the industry, UC Davis has helped millions of consumers understand the quality of supermarket olive oil, provided the analytical foundation for California’s strict olive oil standards and educated thousands to become better olive growers, processors and tasters.

    If the success of a leader can be measured by the fingerprints they leave behind, Dan’s impact on the olive oil industry should not be understated, said David Garci Aguirre, Vice President of Operations for California-based premium olive oil producer Corto. “Several of the most influential events in the industry over the last decade are the direct result of the work completed by Dan and his team at the UC Davis Olive Center.”

    Flynn’s attributes much of the center’s success to creating partnerships between dozens of academic specialists, olive growers and processors. He has worked tirelessly to nurture the network which has resulted in priceless value. Flynn focused on serving the industry while meeting the needs of UC Davis. The partnership between UC Davis and California agriculture has delivered enormous benefits for the California olive crop.

    Flynn has also built relationships with international researchers to leverage their research for the benefit of California. The international conferences with the Culinary Institute of American and the International Olive Council have elevated the California industry on the global stage. He has positioned the UC Davis Olive Center as an independent and trusted facilitator where everyone is welcome.

    “Dan Flynn deserves our recognition, praise and applause. He pioneered making the Olive Center a reality where the millers, growers, and producers have ready access to the research and learning tools needed for the Crop of The Future,” said Karen Bond, Owner of Bondolio Olive Oil.

    Flynn is preparing to retire in June. His successor, Javier Fernandez-Salavador, will inherit a strong Olive Center, guided by a 10-year strategic plan to bolster research, funding and connectivity. “I will still be active in helping the center and I will always be grateful for the support of the COOC and its members,” said Flynn.

    The Pioneer Award was established in 1999 to recognize those who have made a major contribution to the California olive oil industry and the COOC. “The COOC thanks Dan for his commitment, partnership and support over the years, and wishes him all the best in the future,” said Patricia King, Executive Director of the California Olive Oil Council.

  • Wine-Grape Residue May Serve as a Healthy Byproduct

    California produces nearly 4 million tons of world-class wine each year, but with that comes thousands of tons of residue like grape skins, seeds, stems and pulp. What if scientists could harness that viticultural waste to help promote human health?

    Maybe they can, according to new research from food scientists at the University of California, Davis. In a study published in the journal LWT – Food Science and Technology, the team discovered a wealth of potentially health-enhancing compounds and sugar molecules called oligosaccharides within chardonnay wine-grape pomace.

    Oligosaccharides are found in many plant and animal tissues, including human breast milk. Recent advances have revealed oligosaccharides’ vast potential to support intestinal health.

    “We were surprised by the diversity of the oligosaccharides in the chardonnay wine grapes, including the presence of structural elements found in mother’s milk,” said Amanda Sinrod, lead author and a master’s candidate working with Professor Daniela Barile.

    The UC Davis team analyzed the molecular composition of chardonnay residue provided by Jackson Family Wines and Sonomaceuticals, a company founded by two food industry businesswomen to develop new uses for viticulture waste. Wine-grape pomace, or marc, comprises about 30 percent of the original wine-grape material, and much of it is left to decompose in the sun.

    Potential source for food or supplements

    “It’s all about sustainable wine production and finding a second life for wine grapes,” Barile explained. “Up to this point, chardonnay marc has been regarded as a byproduct of winemaking with little or no value. Early results are encouraging that marc could be a valuable source for oligosaccharides and other compounds that support health and nutrition.”

    UC Davis researchers were among the first to decode the magic of oligosaccharides in mother’s milk. The sugar molecules don’t nourish the baby directly. Instead, they feed a strain of bacteria in the infant’s intestines that helps build immunity against illness and disease. That discovery is helping scientists develop methods and products to improve human health.

    Barile’s lab innovates technologies for recovering health-enhancing compounds from various agricultural and industrial waste streams, such as whey, legumes and chickpeas. Her team previously discovered oligosaccharides in both red and white wine residue and is pleased with preliminary findings from the chardonnay analysis.

    “There is more research to be done, but early results are promising that chardonnay marc can become a source for developing supplements and other food products to support health,” Barile said.

    Oligosaccharides appeared to be especially abundant in the wine-grape skins. In earlier research, scientists detected oligosaccharides in the finished wine product, but not in large concentrations. Researchers didn’t include bottled wine in this study.

    The chardonnay marc samples were also rich in flavonoids, healthy compounds found in many fruits and vegetables. Researchers are exploring whether the oligosaccharides work independently or synergistically with these bioactive compounds to support intestinal health. The team is studying how growing conditions, vintages and processing might affect the health potential of viticulture waste.

    “We observed significant differences in the relative abundance and type of oligosaccharides in different parts of the marc, so further research is needed to maximize their potential in food product design,” Sinrod said.

    The UC Davis team included Cooperative Extension Specialist Selina Wang and Xuequi Li with the Olive Center, and Mrittika Bhattacharya and Bruna Paviani with the Department of Food Science and Technology. — By Diane Nelson, UC Davis

  • Meatpacking Plants Increased COVID-19 Cases in US Counties

    An estimated 334,000 COVID-19 cases are attributable to meatpacking plants, resulting in $11.2 billion in economic damage, according to a new study led by a researcher at the University of California, Davis. The study was published in the journal Food Policy.

    It found that beef- and pork-processing plants more than doubled per capita infection rates in counties that had them. Chicken-processing plants increased transmission rates by 20 percent. The study looked specifically at large meatpacking plants generating more than 10 million pounds per month.

    Conservative estimate

    Researchers said both the economic impact and infection rate estimate is conservative. The study looked at infection rates within a county and did not account for cases that might have been contracted at a meatpacking plant but spread to other counties.

    “Similarly, our study likely understates true economic losses,” said lead author Tina Saitone, a livestock and rangeland economics cooperative extension specialist in the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics at UC Davis.

    The study looked at lost wages and mortality and did not include long-term health care costs, or costs for measures put in place to protect worker safety.

    “While we did see an initial ramp up in cases attributable to meatpacking facilities, over time infection rates were the same per capita as counties without them, partly because meatpacking plants implemented a lot of protocols to protect employees,” said Saitone.

    Driving factors

    A variety of factors can drive county-level COVID-19 transmission rates. Saitone said the research controlled for those potential drivers, such as the number of nursing homes or correctional facilities in a county. It also considered stay-at-home orders and other regulations, population density, demographics, economic factors and health characteristics. The study looked at infections within 150 days after the first documented COVID-19 case in each county.

    Essential industry

    Increased COVID-19 transmission rates have prompted some critics to call for a smaller, more geographically dispersed industry to make it less susceptible to a pandemic and massive disruptions in the food supply chain. Researchers caution that such a move would come at a price, adding costs to a system designed to eliminate them and ultimately increasing food prices. Economists instead suggest research and investigation into the automation and technological innovations that made the poultry segment of the industry more resilient to the COVID-19 pandemic. – By Amy Quinton, UC Davis

    Study co-authors include K. Aleks Schaefer with Michigan State University and Daniel Scheitrum with the University of Arizona.

  • Feeding Cattle Seaweed Reduces Greenhouse Gas Emissions 82 Percent

    A bit of seaweed in cattle feed could reduce methane emissions from beef cattle as much as 82 percent, according to new findings from researchers at the University of California, Davis. The results, published today (March 17) in the journal PLOS ONE, could pave the way for the sustainable production of livestock throughout the world.

    “We now have sound evidence that seaweed in cattle diet is effective at reducing greenhouse gases and that the efficacy does not diminish over time,” said Ermias Kebreab, professor and Sesnon Endowed Chair of the Department of Animal Science and director of the World Food Center. Kebreab conducted the study along with his Ph.D. graduate student Breanna Roque.

    “This could help farmers sustainably produce the beef and dairy products we need to feed the world,” Roque added.

    Over the course of five months last summer, Kebreab and Roque added scant amounts of seaweed to the diet of 21 beef cattle and tracked their weight gain and methane emissions. Cattle that consumed doses of about 80 grams (3 ounces) of seaweed gained as much weight as their herd mates while burping out 82 percent less methane into the atmosphere. Kebreab and Roque are building on their earlier work with dairy cattle, which was the world’s first experiment reported that used seaweed in cattle.

    An open-air contraption measures the methane in the cows’ breath as they eat a treat. UC Davis Professor Ermias Kebreab’s research has found a small amount of seaweed fed to dairy cows can reduce methane emissions (Photo: Gregory Urquiaga/UC Davis).

    Less Gassy, More Sustainable

    Greenhouse gases are a major cause of climate change, and methane is a potent greenhouse gas. Agriculture is responsible for 10 percent of greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S., and half of those come from cows and other ruminant animals that belch methane and other gases throughout the day as they digest forages like grass and hay.

    Since cattle are the top agricultural source of greenhouse gases, many have suggested people eat less meat to help address climate change. Kebreab looks to cattle nutrition instead.

    “Only a tiny fraction of the earth is fit for crop production,” Kebreab explained. “Much more land is suitable only for grazing, so livestock plays a vital role in feeding the 10 billion people who will soon inhabit the planet. Since much of livestock’s methane emissions come from the animal itself, nutrition plays a big role in finding solutions.”

    In 2018, Kebreab and Roque were able to reduce methane emissions from dairy cows by over 50 percent by supplementing their diet with seaweed for two weeks. The seaweed inhibits an enzyme in the cow’s digestive system that contributes to methane production.

    In the new study, Kebreab and Roque tested whether those reductions were sustainable over time by feeding cows a touch of seaweed every day for five months, from the time they were young on the range through their later days on the feed lot.

    Four times a day, the cows ate a snack from an open-air contraption that measured the methane in their breath. The results were clear. Cattle that consumed seaweed emitted much less methane, and there was no drop-off in efficacy over time.

    This red seaweed, asparagopsis taxiformis, was mixed with the steer’s normal feed in order to reduce methane emissions from the cattle (Timothy McConville/UC Davis).

    Next Steps

    Results from a taste-test panel found no differences in the flavor of the beef from seaweed-fed steers compared with a control group. Similar tests with dairy cattle showed that seaweed had no impact on the taste of milk.

    Also, scientists are studying ways to farm the type of seaweed — Asparagopsis taxiformis — that Kebreab’s team used in the tests. There is not enough of it in the wild for broad application.

    This steer at the UC Davis beef barn was fed a small amount of seaweed with his feed to reduce methane emissions (Breanna Roque/UC Davis).

    Another challenge: How do ranchers provide seaweed supplements to grazing cattle on the open range? That’s the subject of Kebreab’s next study.

    Kebreab and Roque collaborated with a federal scientific agency in Australia called the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization, James Cook University in Australia, Meat and Livestock Australia, and Blue Ocean Barns, a startup company that sources, processes, markets and certifies seaweed-based additives to cattle feed. Kebreab is a scientific adviser to Blue Ocean Barns.

    “There is more work to be done, but we are very encouraged by these results,” Roque said. “We now have a clear answer to the question of whether seaweed supplements can sustainably reduce livestock methane emissions and its long term effectiveness.”

    Support for the research comes from Blue Ocean Barns, the David and Lucile Packard Foundation and the Grantham Foundation. — By Diane Nelson, College of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences, UC Davis

  • Will California Remain Leader in U.S. Ag Production?

    A new book shows how California has led the nation in farm sales since 1948 and explores future challenges

    “California Agriculture: Dimensions and Issues” by the Giannini Foundation of Agricultural Economics details the past, present and future of many of California’s major agricultural commodities, including grapes, tree fruits and nuts, vegetable crops, dairy, livestock, nursery and floral production, and cannabis. The new 18-chapter book, written by agricultural economists at UC Davis, UC Berkeley and UC Riverside, addresses issues such as labor, water, climate and trade that affect all of California agriculture.

    “California agriculture overcame many obstacles to become the nation’s number one farm state. Leading agricultural economists are generally optimistic that California agriculture will continue to thrive in the 21st century, despite continuing large challenges,” said Philip Martin, UC Davis emeritus professor of agricultural and resource economics, who is co-editor of the new publication.

    For over 70 years, California has led the nation in farm sales due to its specialization in high-value commodities such as fruits, nuts, vegetables and other horticultural crops. The book uses the most recent Census of Agriculture data to show that, of the $64 billion of these crops produced in the U.S. in 2017, California produced nearly half by value ($31 billion).

    In 1879, wheat and barley occupied over 75% of the state’s cropland. The types of crops grown in California have changed considerably over the years.

    More than 44 percent of California’s $50 billion in farm sales in 2017 were fruits and nuts, with 17 percent of sales from vegetables and melons, and 14 percent from nursery and other horticultural specialties crops. Many of these high-value specialty crops are also very labor-intensive and face challenges from increased cost and decreased availability of agricultural labor. The book discusses how California growers effectively responded to these labor challenges by adopting labor-saving mechanization. California remains competitive with producers elsewhere by relying on superior plant varieties, integrated pest management, and improved irrigation methods that increase both the quantity and quality of California agricultural commodities.

    Water, climate and trade pose challenges and opportunities for California agriculture. In the last decade, water scarcity and decreased water quality, along with regulations to address these issues like the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act, have prompted farmers to use scarce water to irrigate more valuable crops, as with the switch from cotton to almonds. Increased regulations and the increasing scarcity of water affect high-value specialty crops as well as the dairy and livestock industries that accounted for 24% of California farm sales in 2017.

    Climate variability, including drought and heat stress, affects farmworker welfare, crop yields and dairy productivity. Retaliatory tariffs resulting from the 2018 trade war reduced U.S. agricultural exports to China by close to $14.4 billion per year, as exports of dairy, livestock and specialty crops fell.

    California agriculture has a rich history of overcoming challenges by pursuing innovative research, adopting new technologies, and adapting to changing conditions. Learning how California agriculture has succeeded in the past suggests that the state can maintain its dominant role as an agricultural producer in the future.

    Learn more about several of the major California agricultural commodities and the issues and opportunities they face in this new, second edition of California Agriculture: Dimensions and Issues. Read the book for free online as part of the Giannini Foundation’s Information Series (20-01) at https://giannini.ucop.edu/publications/cal-ag-book/. A paperback copy of the 414-page book can be ordered for $55 at http://bit.ly/CalAgBook2ndEd. – By Ria DeBiase, Communications Director, Giannini Foundation of Agricultural Economics

    The Giannini Foundation was founded in 1930 from a grant made by the Bancitaly Corporation (later renamed Bank of America) to the University of California. Its mission is to promote and support research and outreach activities in agricultural economics and rural development to benefit the agricultural industry, policymakers, and society at large. Giannini members include University of California faculty and Cooperative Extension Specialists in agricultural and resource economics. Learn more about the Giannini Foundation of Agricultural Economics at https://giannini.ucop.edu.

  • UC Partners with Gotham Greens to Advance Indoor Ag

    Gotham Greens, a pioneer in indoor agriculture operating high-tech greenhouses across the United States, is placing its latest state-of-the-art greenhouse near UC Davis.

    “We are building a Controlled Environment Agriculture Consortium to support and advance the indoor farming industry, grow more fresh produce on less land and create new jobs for Californians,” said Gabriel Youtsey, UC ANR chief innovation officer. “Gotham Greens is an anchoring partner of this research and industry collaboration that we hope will spur innovation, create a new indoor farming workforce and support industry growth.”

    University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources and the UC Davis College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences have entered into a partnership with Gotham Greens to advance research and innovation in the areas of indoor agriculture, advanced greenhouse technology and urban agriculture. The new greenhouse facility enables opportunities for Gotham Greens and the University of California system to collaborate on research and innovation focused on advancing the science, workforce, technology and profitability of indoor agriculture globally.

    “We are proud to bring Gotham Greens to the West Coast and partner with one of the highest ranked agricultural research centers in the world to advance the entire agriculture system,” said Viraj Puri, Gotham Greens co-founder and CEO. “California is responsible for growing one-third of the country’s vegetables and two-thirds of the nation’s fruits, yet in recent years, issues surrounding drought, food safety and worker welfare have demonstrated the need for continued innovation. Gotham Greens offers consumers clean, safe and sustainably grown leafy greens, herbs and versatile, time-saving plant-based dressings, dips and cooking sauces.”

    Located in Solano County, the first phase of Gotham Greens’ 10-acre greenhouse facility is expected to open in 2021 and will enable the company to deliver fresh, greenhouse-grown leafy greens to more retailers, foodservice operators and consumers on the West Coast. The company operates one of the largest and most advanced networks of hydroponic greenhouses in North America, where the demand for indoor-grown produce continues to surge. Nearly a decade after launching the nation’s first commercial-scale rooftop greenhouse, Gotham Greens continues to reimagine how and where fresh produce is grown across America.

    “We’re excited about collaborating with Gotham Greens, which is a coveted employer for tomorrow’s leaders in agriculture and engineering,” said Helene Dillard, UCD CAES dean. “This partnership will offer our students the chance to learn best practices from leading experts in indoor farming.”

    The greenhouse will generate 60 full-time jobs and provide students in the University of California system with an opportunity to learn firsthand from the industry leader. Gotham Greens recently raised $87 million in new equity and debt capital, bringing the fast-growing company’s total financing to $130 million and fueling its next phase of growth.

    “We are delighted for Gotham Greens to join Solano County’s thriving agricultural economy and help to usher in a new era in farming innovation, job creation and economic growth for the region,” said Solano County Supervisor John Vasquez.

    Gotham Greens owns and operates greenhouses in New York, Illinois, Rhode Island, Maryland and Colorado. Its products are currently available in more than 40 U.S. states and 2,000 retail stores. — By Pamela Kan-Rice, UCANR, and Jodi Genshaft, Gotham Greens

  • Vineyards Serve as Ideal Groundwater Recharging Sites

    As Californians are concerned about heading into another drought, grape growers may be able to assist in replenishing our depleting groundwater supplies during these stormy months.  Watch this brief interview with William Horwath from UC Davis and read more about it in American Vineyard Magazine.
     
    Please thank this video’s sponsor Suterra for their industry support.