West Coast Nut - July 2022

WEST COAST NUT

JULY 2022 ISSUE

SPOTLIGHT ARTICLE:

CHOOSING THE RIGHT WALNUT ROOTSTOCK SEE PAGE 28

IN THIS ISSUE:

MAKE A POSTHARVEST PLAN NOW SEE PAGE 08

IMPROVING YIELD AND EFFICIENCY THROUGH INTERNET OF THINGS SEE PAGE 12

PRODUCED IN THE HEART OF

PROCESSORS DISCUSS ONGOING LABOR, SUPPLY ISSUES SEE PAGE 62

September 28th - 29th

See page 39

BY REAL CALIFORNIANS

PUBLICATION

Photo by Vicky Boyd

We know how to feed your soil!

IMAGINATION INNOVATION

Capturing Maximum Genetic Potential info@agroplantae.com (559) 498-0388 www.agroplantae.com

Publisher: Jason Scott Email: jason@jcsmarketinginc.com Editor: Marni Katz Email: marni@jcsmarketinginc.com Associate Editor: Cecilia Parsons Email: cecilia@jcsmarketinginc.com Production: design@jcsmarketinginc.com Tel: 559.352.4456 Fax: 559.472.3113 Web: www.wcngg.com

Contributing Writers & Industry Support American Pecan Council Contributing Writer

Theresa Kiehn President and CEO, AgSafe

Vicky Boyd Contributing Writer

Rich Kreps CCA, SSp., Contributing Writer

California Walnut Board Contributing Writer

Mitch Lies Contributing Writer

Taylor Chalstrom Digital Content Editor

David Magaña Ph.D., Senior Tree Nut and Produce Analyst, Rabo AgriFinance

Kathy Coatney Contributing Writer Rory Crowley Director of Habitat Programs, Project Apis m.

Catherine Merlo Contributing Writer

Catherine Keske IoT4Ag Site Director, Agricultural Economist, UC Merced

UC Cooperative Extension Advisory Board

Kevin Day County Director/UCCE Pomology Farm Advisor, Tulare/Kings Counties Elizabeth Fichtner UCCE Farm Advisor, Tulare County

IN THIS ISSUE 4 8 12 18 24 28 30 34 38 42 46

Julie R. Johnson Contributing Writer

Surendra K. Dara Director, North Willamette Research and Extension Center

Award Winning Editorial By the Industry, For the Industry

Steven Koike Tri-Cal Diagnostics Jhalendra Rijal UCCE Integrated Pest Management Advisor, Stanislaus County Mohammad Yaghmour UCCE Area Orchard Systems Advisor, Kern County

Preharvest Considerations for Almonds Make a Postharvest Plan Now to Increase the Bottom Line UC Merced Research Center Aims to Improve Yields, Production Efficiency through Internet of Things Could U.S. and Chilean Walnuts Be Complements?

Nickels Field Day Recap Choosing the Right Rootstock in Walnuts Rootstock Trials Providing Data for Disease Tolerance, Production State of the Walnut Industry Five Things to Check On Your Machinery Before Harvest View From the Top: ‘There’ll Be Winners and Losers’ This Year What’s the Tie-Up? Field Crop Following Walnut Whole-Orchard Recycling Benefited from Extra Nitrogen

50

North Valley Nut Conference Offers Valuable Insights on Growing in the North State

52 56 60

New Research Project Looks at Biochar in Almonds Walnuts Not Getting Enough ‘Brrrrrr’ Hours?

Time is Running Out: Implementation of Ag Employment Regulations

Katherine Jarvis-Shean UCCE Area Orchard Systems Advisor, Yolo and Solano

62 66

View our ePublication on the web at www.wcngg.com

70

Pecan Grower Karlene Hanf Will Lead the California Pecan Growers Association

72

What’s Crackin’ in the Evolving U.S. Pecan Industry

The articles, research, industry updates, company profiles, and advertisements in this publication are the professional opinions of writers and advertisers.

West Coast Nut does not assume any responsibility for the opinions given in the publication.

Processors Continue to Deal with Evolving Labor, Supply Issues Seeds for Bees Annual Survey Results: Observations & Implications for Researchers and Growers

SPOTLIGHT ARTICLE: Choosing the Right Rootstock in Walnuts With so many choices, the best rootstock is the one that is most adaptable to a specific site.

See page 28

July 2022

www.wcngg.com

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Almond sweeper sweeps the almonds after they’ve been shaken from the tree in Gerber, Calif. (all photos by K. Coatney.)

Preharvest Considerations for Almonds Equipment, Rodent Control and Orchard Floor Management Among Things to Keep in Mind

By KATHY COATNEY | Contributing Writer

P

reharvest preparation is important to achieving an efficient harvest. Equipment preparation to rodent control to orchard floor management is all part of preparing for an efficient harvest, according to Sebastian Saa, associate director of agricultural research with the Almond Board of California.

Harvest Equipment

Gordon Heinrich, owner of Heinrich Farms Inc. in Modesto, Calif., said equipment preparation and orchard floor management go hand-in-hand.

Checklist for harvest equipment: Shakers Change filters, not just at start of harvest, but throughout the season.

Check pads to ensure they are in good shape with the right amount of pad fill.

Check silicone injection system in the pads to ensure they are in good working order and put out the right amount of silicone each time the head opens and closes to prevent tree damage.

Sweepers Replace tines and sweeping paddles on the sweepers before harvest and adjust level with the orchard floor to prevent dirt or sand from being blown 4

West Coast Nut

July 2022

or sweep into the windrow.

Lubricate sweeper and make sure the engine is properly serviced. Change air and oil filters on a regular basis.

Pick-Up Machines Make sure pick-up belt is in good condition, starting with a new belt is a good idea.

Properly adjust pick-up machine head height so it doesn’t dig into the ground and pick up excessive dirt that has to run through the fans.

“Our goal is to try to harvest with the least amount of dust as possible, but you can’t eliminate it 100%, so we do the best we can. And the main thing is to have your orchard floor level and free of debris and weeds so that we’re putting very little weeds and dirt through the pickup machine,” Heinrich said.

If the equipment is set correctly, conceivably, there could be fewer passes through the orchard. That would not only result in dust reduction, but in labor and fuel savings, too, Saa said.

“If your trees are primed for harvest, with a controlled deficit irrigation, and you shake the trees when they are ready to drop their fruit (not too early and not too late), then harvest efficiency should be very high, meaning that you should be able to shake about 100% of the crop in one pass,” according to Franz Niederholzer, UCCE orchard

systems advisor for Colusa, Sutter and Yuba counties.

“Self-compatible varieties allow growers to plant in solid blocks, which can reduce the number of sweeper passes and pick-up traffic to about half in comparison with a non-self-compatible orchard configuration,” Niederholzer said.

Training employees is also part of our preharvest checklist, Heinrich said. “We have training sessions with our employees throughout the year, but we have a special one that’s preharvest,” Heinrich said.

A few weeks before harvest, Heinrich holds a refresher training for all employees with safety as a top priority and to show them how to keep equipment properly adjusted to reduce dust.

Part of Heinrich’s ground floor management includes keeping the strips clean with herbicides, then about a month before harvest, the centers are mowed, followed by a solid spray.

Niederholzer agreed preparing a clean orchard floor is important, leading to harvest. Recent concerns from the European Union (EU) about glyphosate have some growers looking at other alternative treatments, including burning the weeds followed by close mow, he said.

Continued on Page 6

Continued from Page 4

Rodent Control

Rodent control is an important factor in ground floor management. “If you have gophers out there making mounds, your sweeper is going to end up putting more sand and dirt into the windrow. Rodent control is definitely a part of our preharvest prep,” Heinrich said, adding ants can also be problematic because they loosen up the ground and can create problems with dust.

Rodents are ongoing maintenance throughout the season, but Heinrich feels they have fewer problems with them and attributes it to doing a little better job of controlling them.

Heinrich invested in a carbon monoxide smoke system to control the rodents. “It’s the least invasive way of controlling them, so we’re not using any kind of toxic materials or pesticides,” he said.

Almonds being harvested. Harvest should be properly timed to reduce the force with which to shake the tree, thus preventing barking of the tree.

Deficit Irrigation

Deficit irrigation is used to bring on hull split and to control hull rot. It also primes trees for harvest and reduces barking, Saa said.

Hull split starts at the top of the tree and moves to the bottom. A 100% hull split at the bottom of the trees means the fruit is ready for harvest.

“Deficit irrigation helps for an easier harvest,” Saa said, but with a controlled deficit irrigation where the trees are stressed, not for long periods of time.

Niederholzer agreed careful irrigation from hull split to shake are critical to the outcome and economics of the season.

Best practices for deficit irrigation (in orchards with good water supply) are: • Moderate water stress at hull split to manage hull rot.

• Full ET after 90% hull split as nuts dry.

• Irrigation cutoff just before harvest to allow harvester access.

• Full ET ASAP after shaking; when possible, move nuts to allow irrigation.

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Almonds ready for harvest. Deficit irrigation helps to prime trees for harvest.

• Adequate postharvest irrigation is critical to good bloom for next year’s crop.

Reduced irrigation other than at hull split will most likely affect kernel size early in the season, and after harvest, reduced irrigation can negatively affect the quality of bloom the following season, Saa said.

Preventing Barking

Niederholzer suggests doing whatever possible to prevent “barking” the tree (damaging the trunk bark while shaking) as it can allow canker disease an entry point. Also, dust can cause issues with aerial phytophthora, he said.

He shared The Almond Doctor’s guide to reducing trunk shaker damage: • Properly time harvest to reduce the force needed for nut removal.

• Avoid over-irrigating areas of the orchard; wet (more vigorous) trees equal slow-to-mature nuts, making it harder to remove nuts, which equals damage.

• Train and manage shaker operators to correctly shake trees.

•

Save younger blocks for last as bark strength increases with time.

“Bottom line: trunk damage is not just about water cutoff timing. The harder and longer the trees are shaken, the greater the risk of trunk damage,” Niederholzer said.

Where feasible, Niederholzer suggests using catch frame harvesting to reduce dust, particularly in young blocks,

those with less vigorous trees and along roads and property edges where dust is a safety concern and/or nuisance.

Dust Reduction

Dust reduction is another important preharvest step. Niederholzer had these recommendations for reducing dust: •

Plan sweeper route and blow dust back into the orchard, not out onto roads (on- or off-farm).

•

Set sweeper heads to optimal level to reduce dust.

Almonds that have been swept into a windrow after being shaken from the tree in Gerber, Calif. Windrows should be clear of rodent mounds to reduce dust when sweeping.

• Make fewer blower passes when possible. One pass versus three reduces dust by half and cuts fuel costs.

• Use wire tines instead of rubber flaps as flaps kick up more dust.

Set the sweeper tines so they are a half-inch above the ground. By doing this, the sweeper is actually sweeping the nuts and not the soil, Saa said.

Water Availability

Henrich uses surface and well water on his orchards. “We are in Modesto Irrigation District on most of our ranches, so we’re in pretty good shape. The allotment has been cut back a little bit; I believe that we are at 30 or 32 inches,” Heinrich said, adding he doesn’t foresee any of their orchards suffering from lack of water this year, but he’s hoping and praying for good snowpack this winter.

With commodity prices low and input costs on the rise, Heinrich is always looking for opportunities to increase efficiency, but there are certain things that can be changed and certain things that can’t.

“You can’t skip too many things if you want the best quality and good production,” Heinrich said.

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Crops need recovery after harvest much like professional athletes need recovery after a big game or race (all photos by T. Chalstrom.)

Make a Postharvest Plan Now to Increase the Bottom Line

By RICH KREPS | CCA, SSp., Contributing Writer

F

ertilizer costs are up. Water prices, if you can get it, are up. Fuel costs are up. Labor is up. And prices to the grower are down. All information we as farmers are acutely aware of. So, let’s turn our recession depression into a production cost reduction! Postharvest will be here before we know it. Let’s make a plan to optimize those results while decreasing its hit to the bottom line.

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West Coast Nut

July 2022

Our crops need recovery after harvest. That costs money and effort, but the good news is it can be done for less if we plan ahead. Typically, it has been my experience that most of the clients I consult for understand the importance of postharvest nutrition recovery. However, with the stress of harvest on both our trees and ourselves, that recovery is often much later than it should be. If we rode a bike like a guy in the Tour de France, we wouldn’t pull off our yellow jersey (of course I’m assuming we would win!) and go to bed. We’d drink a bunch of electrolytes, (i.e., calcium, magnesium and potassium) with generous amounts of water and then eat.

We have to do the same thing with our trees. Without much water, that becomes difficult at best. Here’s a solution.

Hit your trees with whatever water you can as close to the timing of picking up the last nut as possible. Get them rehydrated as soon as possible, even if it’s only to 18 inches deep. There’s no need to go totally anaerobic for a week after harvest just to try to get water deep in the profile. We may be

Continued on Page 10

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Continued from Page 8 able to deal with that later.

Three days to a week after that initial rehydration, we plan a foliar application. This will do two things: 1) we will clean off the solar panels; those leaves will be dirty with the dust of harvest and can’t photosynthesize covered in dirt; and 2) we can apply some much-needed nutrition in the form of electrolytes and energy, (i.e., phosphorus, potassium and magnesium).

We need to be cognizant of the pH of the tank to make this happen.

The waxy cuticle buildup will need some hydrogen to help penetration.

Wax is just a fatty acid. Get your pH right to reduce its hydrophobic power and thickness. Fulvic acid won’t hurt either. It’s a weak acid and a huge carbon source. It’ll help penetrate the cuticle and take nutrients with it.

Think of its chelation process of being the crescent wrench locking onto a

Dirty leaves and low transpiration postharvest may severely limit uptake of nutrients.

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‘Hit your trees with whatever water you can as close to the timing of picking up the last nut as possible.’ nut. As soon as it’s loose, it releases that cation.

Magnesium at this time will replenish the ability to produce more chlorophyll. That will greatly enhance photosynthesis. Phosphorus will be needed to make the energy required in ATP production. Remember the Krebs cycle? That’s the fuel. Potassium will be needed to move nutrients and fuel the opening and closing of stomata under those leaves to get water and CO2 moving properly. And K will help fight off the stress for the rest of summer.

Refresh, replenish, recharge.

Potential Savings

Now let’s look at the potential savings. Let’s say you are planning to add that P and K fertilizer with some minors to your postharvest plan. If it costs you $15 to $20 per gallon for the perfect blend, and a good soil fertigation shot is five to six gallons, you’re looking at potentially $75 to $120 dollars per acre for proper postharvest nutrition. But with dirty leaves and low transpiration, the uptake may be severely limited. By planning a two-gallon foliar shot with a ground rig spray, now you are looking at $40 dollars on the high end for the

nutrition. Add in your cost of $15 per acre for labor and diesel and you’ve potentially saved $20 to $65 per acre for your postharvest plan! Now with clean leaves and nutrition closer to the spurs for next year’s bloom, nutrition on the leaves for photosynthesis and extra carbon upstairs for rapid carbohydrate production, we may be in a better place for next year even if we didn’t save money.

Plan to put it into practice now so you are ready for postharvest. It’ll be here before you know it. Don’t put your orchard to bed hungry and malnourished. Clean it up a bit and let those trees do what they are designed to do.

Let’s keep from shooting ourselves in the foot with lower yields next year. It may keep us in the black with a much better bloom and keep us from walking with a limp. Save a little now to make more next year.

Comments about this article? We want to hear from you. Feel free to email us at article@jcsmarketinginc.com

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uC Merced Research Center Aims to Improve Yields, Production Efficiency through Internet of Things

By CATHERINE KESKE | IoT4Ag Site Director, Agricultural Economist, UC Merced

U

C Merced is one of four universities co-leading an ambitious project to create a system of Internet of Things (IoT) precision agriculture technologies to improve food, energy and water security for decades to come.

The UC Merced project is part of the Internet of Things for Precision Agriculture (https://iot4ag.us/) Engineering Research Center (ERC), funded through a prestigious National Science Foundation program. ERCs are designed to produce systems of commercially available products to address societal grand challenges like food security. In addition to facilitating cutting-edge research, ERCs like IoT4Ag offer workforce development, education and outreach programs.

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What is IoT?

IoT systems can be programmed to connect, collect and share data without direct human to computer interaction.

In the ag tech space, plant-specific information can be communicated to growers in real time through hand-held devices like phones or tablets. A system of interconnected precision agriculture devices is projected to provide cost savings for growers because nutrients and water are applied where and when they’re most needed.

Experiments are being conducted in a vineyard where the navigation software that autonomously moves the robot through preassigned GPS waypoints is being tested. Figure 1 shows a mobile robot from UC Merced Computer Science Engineering Professor

Figure 1. Mobile robot from UC Merced Computer Science Engineering Professor Stefano Carpin’s lab.

Continued on Page 14

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‘WE’RE

DEVELOPING SYSTEMS AND TECHNOLOGIES TO RAPIDLY ALERT GROWERS ABOUT NUTRIENT AND WATER DEFICIENCIES.’ Continued from Page 13 Stefano Carpin’s lab. The two yellow boxes mounted on the red and yellow posts are GPS receivers. The computer is controlled by the laptop mounted on the back. Note that in this case, the robot does not have the soil moisture sensor.

Figure 2 shows a mobile robot from Carpin’s lab equipped with a system to measure soil moisture. The sensor is placed at the bottom of the linear actuator visible between the two wheels.

When the robot reaches an assigned GPS waypoint, it stops, lowers the actuator and sticks the soil moisture probe in the soil. The data is read and stored in a data logger (to log when and where the sample was taken and the value.)

Then the robot lifts the sensor and moves to the next waypoint. The photo was taken in an experimental vineyard located in central California.

Sensors, robots, computers and other technologies can be deployed to detect plant stress. Figure 3

Figure 2. This mobile robot from Carpin’s lab is equipped with a system to measure soil moisture (photo courtesy UC Merced Robotics Lab.)

Continued on Page 16

Figure 3. This photo shows an unmanned aerial vehicle collecting a hyperspectral aerial image in a pistachio orchard (photo courtesy Reza Ehsani, UC Merced.)

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July 2022

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Continued from Page 14 shows an unmanned aerial vehicle collecting a hyperspectral aerial image in a pistachio orchard. The aerial hyperspectral image along with the data from the newly developed water stress sensor and an algorithm can predict water stress for the entire orchard.

Testing IoT Technology on Tree Crops

Almonds, pistachios and pomegranates are among the first crops in the Central California test bed located near the UC Merced campus. The test bed will eventually expand to include row crops, such as corn, already being evaluated at the Purdue University test site.

Technology developed through IoT4Ag will be made commercially available over the project’s 10-year period. By 2030, it’s anticipated that

Figure 4. A prototype of a newly developed low-cost sensor for monitoring water stress in trees (photo courtesy Reza Ehsani, UC Merced.)

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IoT systems will be deployed across four states, including California.

Reza Ehsani, UC-Merced Professor of Mechanical Engineering, recently developed a new low-cost, wireless sensor that can monitor water content and sap flow in tree trunks. This sensor can be used to predict tree water stress. The sensor was used to collect data during the entire growing season in a pistachio orchard (Figure 4, see page 16.)

In addition to researching sensors and robotics, IoT4Ag investigators are advancing sensor fusion, data imaging, communication networks and battery recharge stations for unmanned aircraft. Technology advancement for all these components is necessary to deploy fleets at large agricultural scales.

the benefits from data collected through digital platforms. Think of the hidden benefits of a “free” platform like Facebook that facilitates communication between many users who voluntarily offer personal information. Eventually, IoT technologies may become less expensive and available to others because a few individuals are willing to share their yield and nutrient information. Industry may be able to offer products or subscriptions at a reduced cost to growers. Analogously, some technologies like high-speed internet become widely available in rural areas because a few subscribers’ demands are willing and able to pay for the internet service.

Is providing information Grower Adoption: Opportunities through a digital platform worth and Challenges the loss in privacy? I think it Growers face several tradeoffs depends how that information is between cost and information when used. Research shows that three or deciding whether to adopt IoT technol- four years of field data can really ogy. Nearly every decision that growhelp growers manage their crops. ers make comes down to whether the But what happens to that data over technology pays for itself by increasing the span of years? Where does that yield and reducing costs. Most growers information go? What are the imappreciate additional information, but plications of this? It’s important to what do they do with it? Is this addiunderstand the lifecycle of the data tional informational information worth being collected. the added expense?

We are also conducting focus IoT4Ag is striving to develop reliable, group research and interviewing cutting-edge technology and to make California growers to gain firstsystems cost-effective at every step of hand perspectives on data privacy implementation. Expenses may include and security and other barriers to sensors and robotics that collect and adopting precision ag and IoT techtransmit data as well as licenses and nology. Growers in the few pubsubscription fees to support infralished studies have included row structure. Infrastructure includes data crop growers rather than those of storage, internet and hand-held devices. tree crops. Results from my barrier We’re developing systems and techto adoption study are expected in nologies to rapidly alert growers about late summer or early fall. nutrient and water deficiencies. GrowThere is still opportunity for ers can make specific management interested growers to participate decisions on the spot. Intervention at in the barrier to adoption focus critical points in plant development groups. Interested growers can can save plants and increase yield. But contact me directly at ckeske@ does the technology pay for itself? ucmerced.edu.

Implementing the IoT4Ag system in a cost-effective way is essential.

Comments about this article? We want In addition to conducting cost anal- to hear from you. Feel free to email us at ysis, my colleagues and I are evaluating article@jcsmarketinginc.com

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Could U.S. and Chilean Walnuts Be Complements?

By DAVID MAGAÑA | Ph.D., Senior Tree Nut and Produce Analyst, Rabo AgriFinance

Walnut acreage and production are projected to grow at modest rates in five years.

T

he global walnut market is shifting. Exports continue to grow. The U.S. remains as the largest exporter, but new players such as China and Chile are becoming increasingly relevant. The five-year outlook RaboResearch generates based on its proprietary analytical tool expects that U.S. walnut production will stay relatively flat over the next few years. Current prices are unlikely to provide enough incentive for further acreage expansion or reduction, while regulations and cost increases will continue to pressure margins.

Increased International Trade in the Global Market

After a record of 2.34 million metric tons (inshell basis) during the 2020-21 marketing year, global walnut production will decline about 3% in 2021-22 to about 2.27 million metric tons. The world walnut output has increased at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of roughly 5% during the recent decade, fueled by crop growth in each of the three largest producing countries: China (5% CAGR), the U.S. (4% CAGR) and Chile (14% CAGR).

On the export side of the walnut market, we will likely see a new record in 2021-22 of about one million metric tons as exports from China, Chile and Moldova are forecast to grow at double-digit rates. Ukraine was already the fourth largest exporter of walnuts, but the current conflict has impacted export capacity. Global walnut exports have expanded at a CAGR of roughly 7% during the last decade, outpacing production growth. The U.S. remains the largest

Continued on Page 20 18

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Figure 1: Global walnut exports by country

walnut exporter globally, accounting for almost half of total exports, but U.S. exports in 2021-22 will likely be more in line with recent historical levels, below the record exports of 2020-21 (Figure 1).

As for imports, the European Union (EU) accounts for about 33% of global walnut imports, followed by Turkey with a 10% share and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) with a 7% share. The fastest-growing import markets over the past 10 years are India and the UAE with double-digit CAGRs. India has the potential to become a significantly large market in the future. Walnut imports into the EU and Turkey have grown at a CAGR of 8% and 7%, respectively, over the recent decade, while imports into Japan, Canada and South Korea have expanded at a CAGR of 5%, 5% and 4%, respectively, over 1: Globthe al same walnuperiod. t exports by country Looking at international trade, 000 China accounts for about 40% of global walnut consumption, with a 800 flat-to-declining trend in the last few years. In the U.S., consumption has 600 increased only modestly. The main source of growth in global walnut con400 sumption comes from the UAE and India (Figure 2). Going forward, total 200 international walnut trade, relative to global walnut consumption, will likely 0 continue to expand, offering business opportunities in emerging markets.

California Walnut Production Chile to Ukraine Moldova EU Turkey Likely Slow Down

120 100

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thousand inshell eq. metric tons

thounsand inshell eq. metric tons

800 600 400 200

US

2,000 1,500

1,000 500 0

0

Chin a

Chile

Ukraine

Moldova

EU

Turkey

China India

ROW

Source: USDA/FAS, ChileNut, Rabobank 2022

Source: USDA

Figure 2: Global walnut consumption by country thousand inshell eq. metric tons

2,500 2,000

Figure 3: Walnut exports from Chile, 2002-2026f

ROW

RaboResearch expects bearing acree: USDA/FAS, ChileNut, Rabobank 2022 age in California, on average, to grow at modest rates during the next five crop years as plantings slowed down in the previous few years. Moreover, current prices may not provide enough incentive to either increase plantings or to aggressively reduce acreage. In the coming years, the transition to higher-value cultivars and to regions with relatively better access to water 3: Walnwill ut egradually xports frcontinue. om Chile, 2002-2026f According to RaboResearch’s 180 five-year outlook, annual U.S. walnut 160 production is likely to remain at higher 140

2,500

1,000

1,500

180

1,000 160 500

thousand metric tons

Chin a

Figure 2: Glo

140 120

0 100 80 60

China 40 India 20

EU Japan

US S. Korea

Turkey Canada

UAE ROW

Source: USDA/FAS, Rabobank 2022

2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 201

Inshell

Source: ODEPA, ChileNut, Rabobank 2022

levels than the 2019-20 crop’s. On the other hand, there’s a 10% chance that annual production in any given year will exceed the record crop of 2020-21.

RaboResearch pegs its average production estimate for 2022-23 at 1.44 billion pounds with a 50% probability that

production will be between 1.38 billion pounds and 1.51 billion pounds.

Keep in mind that the outlook’s expected production levels show ‘average’ yields going forward. However, having average yields in every year is highly unlikely. Higher percentiles included

Chile’s walnut industry has improved its quality, which could create counter-seasonal opportunities for the global walnut industry (photo courtesy Cecilia Parsons.)

in our production estimates show the likely ranges should higher yields be achieved. Hence, it is possible that we can observe a new record crop in the next few years.

There Is Demand Out There, But…

U.S. domestic demand will likely grow at a modest pace in the next few years. Fortunately, U.S. walnut exports have a diversified portfolio of destinations, including Europe, the Asia/ Pacific and Middle Eastern countries.

In Europe, demand for walnuts is stable, but challenging logistics will impact the total U.S. volume exported this season. U.S. exports to China have been under pressure as retaliatory tariffs are still in place and regulations increase.

Food safety and quality will continue driving demand for U.S. walnuts in international markets.

Possibly Better Prices Ahead

RaboResearch estimates the average blended price to the grower to be around 83 cents per inshell pound over the next five years. There’s a one-in-four

Continued on Page 22 July 2022

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21

Figure 3: Walnut exports from Chile, 2002-2026f 180 160 thousand metric tons

140 120 100 80 60 40 20 -

2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022f2023f 2024f 2025f 2026f

Inshell

Shelled

Source: ODEPA, ChileNut, Rabobank 2022

Figure 4: Total Chilean walnut exports by destination, 2019-2021 60

thousand metric tons, inshell eq.

50 40

30 20 10 -

EU

India

Turkey 2019

Asia 2020

UAE

Latin America

Other

2021

ICE HIL N E

L

V

Source: ODEPA, Rabobank 2022

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Continued from Page 21 chance that prices will be north of $1.00 per pound for the 2023-24 marketing year and beyond.

If the industry experiences higher demand and/or lower production (i.e., yield shocks), prices could sit at the higher estimate range. Also, it is worth noting that these are average annual blend price estimates. Prices for specific varieties, handlers and regions differ.

Expansion Expected for Chilean Exports

For the last decade, Chilean walnut production and exports have been on the rise. Spurred by lower labor requirements and high prices from 2008 to 2014, the industry planted an average 5,190 acres per year. This planting trend

continued at the same pace until at top position since 2009. Promotional least 2019. Currently, walnuts are the campaigns and a good-quality countsecond most planted fruit in Chile, just er-seasonal supply helped to increase after sweet cherries, with an estimate of the demand from India, which looks 117,130 acres. to be a promising destination for the According to the grower and excoming seasons. In general, the EU porter association of Chilean walnuts, remains the main market for Chilean total production in Chile has reached walnuts with 34% of the total (Figure 4, 150,000 metric tons. The upward trend see page 22). Chilean walnut exporters is expected to continue in the mid-term, will continue to diversify their destinaexceeding 200,000 metric tons by 2024. tion markets. Alternatives include Asia Exports out of Chile have also (India, Japan and South Korea), Latin grown at incredible rates, with a CAGR America (Ecuador, Peru and Uruguay) of 19% for the last 10 years (Figure 3, and other countries. see page 22). In 2021 exports of Chilean walnuts in 2021 reached record fig- Where the U.S. Stands ures in terms of volume and value, with Alongside Chile 114,812 metric tons (81,964 inshell) and In the coming season, the Chil$468 million FOB. ean walnut industry will face several One of the highlights of the 2021 challenges. Although walnuts are not season was that India became the main affected in the same way as fresh fruit, destination country for Chilean walthe container shortage and higher nuts, replacing Turkey, which held the transport costs have reduced the mar-

gins for local producers and exporters.

According to ChileNut, over the last three years, average returns to the grower have remained stable, but they are at their lowest point in 20 years.

2021’s average unit value of exports was 0.7% higher than in 2020, but logistics, labor and material costs have been on the rise and are putting further pressure on margins.

Competition from increasingly good-quality Chilean walnut exports is primarily indirect for the U.S. industry. In fact, Chile’s industry has the potential to develop counter-seasonal demand in key markets, which could be beneficial for the global walnut industry.

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Nickels Field Day Recap Sacramento Valley Soil Lab Continues to Contribute Valuable Tree Nut Research Data

By TAYLOR CHALSTROM | Digital Content Editor

A

fter a couple years of pandemic absence, the popular Nickels Soil Lab Annual Field Day again showcased trial results and test sites related to pests, plantings and more. Nickels is the country’s largest almond research facility. It hosts multiple research projects and provides California tree nut and olive growers with valuable management information year after year.

The Nickels Soil Lab, located in Arbuckle, Calif. and headed by UCCE Orchard Systems Farm Advisor Franz Niederholzer, was created in the 1970s

by UCCE Farm Advisor Tom Aldrich, with the support of the Colusa County Board of Supervisors and the Directors of the Colusa Irrigation District on land provided by The Leslie J. Nickels Trust to establish a research farm emphasizing soil and irrigation technologies. Primary funding for the operation comes from crop sales with additional support from the Almond Board of California and various agricultural businesses.

Walnut Rootstock Trials

Four of the eight presenting researchers at the field day spoke about pest management.

First was an update on current walnut rootstock trials for nematodes from UC Riverside Nematologist Andreas Westphal. Root-knot nematodes Currently, he said, the solution is pre-plant fumigation, and long-term, the solution is nematode-resistant rootstocks.

Testing for existing walnut root24

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July 2022

stocks bred to resist root-knot nematodes is done in-field, not in pots. The process involves planting clonal hybrids, inoculating each plant, monitoring growth and then sampling roots.

According to Westphal, between 2 and 10 tested genotypes have shown levels of resistance so far. Tested genotypes range from “tolerant” to nematode presence or resistant to the pest. Calling a rootstock tolerant or resistant depends on the number of nematodes found.

Rootstocks will also resist differently in different parts of the state, so more tests are needed to determine whether the genotypes are truly resistant, Westphal said.

Nickels Soil Lab is the country’s largest almond research facility and hosted its Annual Field Day on May 10 (all photos by T. Chalstrom.)

Between 2 and 10 tested genotypes have shown levels of resistance so far to rootknot nematode, according to research from UCCE Nematologist Andreas Westphal presented at the field day.

True Bugs

Another pest focus of the field day looked at ‘true’ bugs in almond, specifically leaffooted bugs and stinkbugs.

These bugs fall into the Hemiptera (“half-wing”) order of insects.

UCCE Associate Research Specialist Sudan Gyawaly noted the brown marmorated stinkbug, Uhler’s stinkbug, green stinkbug and leaffooted bug to be the most common true bugs found in almond orchards in the state.

A common true bug feeding symptom is gumming, which can be seen at least seven days after feeding occurs.

Late-season feeding causes kernel damage. Gyawaly said damage by specific insects can be distinguished by the time of the season. If it is observed

Cover crop plots at Nickels show benefits in taking up more winter rain, especially on plots with high elevation differences, according to UC Davis’ Vivian Wauters.

Continued on Page 26

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from ever existing, stopping damage before it breeds. Reducing NOW population density with mating disruption maximizes the impacts of other in-season inputs like insecticides simply because there are fewer larvae to kill.

With an average material cost under $30 per acre per application, CheckMate® NOW-F offers an affordable and flexible option to reduce NOW damage. It is uniquely designed to be tank mix compatible with many common agrochemicals and is an easy addition to spray programs.

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CheckMate® NOW-F, the first and only sprayable pheromone specific to navel orangeworm, offers exactly that. Instead of requiring up-front investments before the season’s pest pressure is known, sprayable pheromone provides PCAs and growers the flexibility to apply precisely when and where needed.

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• Species-specific active ingredient is safe for all non-target species like bees.

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25

‘Accurate prediction of crop water stress is key to maximizing water use efficiency for growers facing drought and strict groundwater regulations.’

Continued from Page 24 in March through May, gumming can be attributed to leaffooted bugs. If it is observed in June and/or July, gumming can be attributed to stinkbugs.

Brown marmorated stinkbug is not present (yet) in Sacramento Valley almond orchards, according to Gyawaly.

But He discussed recent research showing that brown marmorated stink bug is expanding into more almond orchards each growing season.

Monitoring is best accomplished with a clear panel trap and lure. Management involves broad-spectrum applications similar to those used for leaffooted bugs. Additionally, watch for predatory stinkbugs that look like brown marmorated stinkbugs for additional biological control.

Codling Moth

UCCE IPM Advisor Jhalendra Rijal also discussed insect pests at the

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Walnut Mold

The last pest-related topic at the field day came from UCCE Plant Pathologist Themis Michailides discussing updated walnut mold research and management strategies. Walnut mold, which causes decomposition and decay of the kernel, is becoming much more common, Michailides said, being seen at around 30% to 40% infestation in orchards in recent years as opposed to the 2% average.

Protecting walnut hulls from infection is the best way to prevent walnut mold incidence, he said, noting that there is a strong correlation between fungi found in hulls and in kernels infected by walnut mold. Additional research has shown that Botryosphaeria sprays have very little effect on walnut mold.

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field day, notably codling moth, which has become more relevant in walnut.

Recent advancements have allowed for the creation of a pheromone lure, much like those used for navel orangeworm, to disrupt codling moth populations in the early part of the season before a first flight. Combining the pheromone lure with an insecticide, Rijal said, is part of a successful integrated pest management program.

Rijal pointed to research showing that choosing a specific insecticide for spraying early codling moth flights is important as certain chemistries can cause mite flareups. Some chemistries can kill off mite predators, causing invasive mite populations to soar.

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Nickels Soil Lab research on plantings has fueled innovation for and expansion of the tree nut industry since its inception. At the field day, Niederholzer gave updates on the facility’s largest plantings project, which has been comparing self-fertile vs Nonpareil/pollinizer production and gross income in the Sacramento Valley since 2013.

In 2021, average ninth-leaf Nonpareil kernel yield (1,468 kernel pounds per acre) showed insignificant differences compared to that of ninth-leaf self-fertiles Independence (1,422 kernel

pounds per acre) and Aldrich (1,424 kernel pounds per acre.) Percent light interception (PAR), the amount of light that intercepts the tree canopy at high noon, had self-fertile Sonora on top; however, Sonora had the lowest yield per unit light interception (10 kernel lbs/%PAR) of the four varieties by a significant margin (25, 31 and 38 kernel lbs/%PAR for Nonpareil, Aldrich and Independence, respectively.)

All trees in the project are irrigated on double-lined drip with 15’ by 20’ spacing and planted on Viking rootstock.

vary widely by orchard age. Since the nutrient is immobile and only moves by fusion instead of mass flow like nitrogen, roots need to grow to it. In general, though, trees just don’t respond to phosphorus, Gordon said.

Phosphorus deficiencies are also extremely uncommon, she added.

There is some evidence, Gordon said, that newly planted walnut trees in

recycled orchards need an application.

If they appear deficient, fertigation of phosphorus is the best option. There is no evidence to support mature walnut trees needing added phosphorus.

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Water

Stem water potential and cover crops’ effect on winter water capture were among the water-related topics covered at the field day.

UC Davis Irrigation Professor Isaya Kisekka and UC Davis Masters student Peter Savchik presented information on predicting stem water potential to optimize irrigation in orchards using satellite and drone technology. Accurate prediction of crop water stress is key to maximizing water use efficiency for growers facing drought and strict groundwater regulations.

Kisekka’s and Savchik’s research at Nickels found that canopy reflectance of specific wavelengths in the 400- to 900-nm range have been demonstrated to correlate with stem water potential and vegetative growth.

UC Davis’ Vivian Wauters also offered information on a Nickels cover crop trial and how they can aid in winter water capture. Research on the test plots have proven cover crops to be beneficial in taking up more winter rain, especially on plots with high elevation differences. Cover crop roots provide additional channels for infiltration.

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CHOOSING THE RIGHT ROOTSTOCK IN WALNUTS

By MITCH LIES | Contributing Writer

U

Researchers are looking at a suite of benefits in the ideal walnut rootstock, including good vigor, crown gall resistance, tolerance to lesion nematode and resistance to Phytophthora (photo by Vicky Boyd.)

nlike for most of its history, rootstock doesn’t do well on marginal California walnut production soils, which today make up a significant today offers growers a relative portion of the ground on which Caliabundance of rootstock choices, putting fornia walnuts are being grown. a premium on selecting the right rootThe third rootstock, Paradox hybrid stock for an orchard environment. seedlings, a cross between English and “It is an explosion in rootstock choic- California Black, was the go-to rootes just in the last 20 years,” said Luke stock for most of the past two decades.

Milliron, UCCE orchard crops farm “It has been the cornerstone of the advisor for Butte, Glenn and Tehama industry and has allowed it to expand counties. “Now you kind of have to pick into marginal soils,” Milliron said. and choose for your situation.”

Paradox is highly vigorous, but because Ideally, Milliron said, a walnut root- it is not a clone, every tree is technicalstock would have good vigor, crown ly genetically different than the trees gall resistance, tolerance to lesion nem- around it, Milliron said, a fact that has atode and resistance to Phytophthora. led to some unwanted variability.

The fact is, however, that no rootstock “This happened before my time,” provides that suite of benefits, forcing said Milliron, who started with UCCE growers to select traits most important in 2017, “but UC folks were noticing for their conditions. that there seemed to be a lot of diversity “We are seeing UC and USDA within those Paradox seedlings, even researchers working together to get us within the same orchard from the same that rootstock,” Milliron said, “but we nursery. Then you have an industry don’t have it yet.” with a bunch of different nurseries As recently as 20 years ago, walnut using different mother trees, and all of growers had just three options, Milthis genetic variability was out there.” liron said, one of which, English on Also, he said, Paradox hybrid seedEnglish, or planting English walnuts on lings are highly susceptible to all three its own roots, is not widely embraced of the most prominent pest issues in today. walnuts, namely Phytophthora, lesion “That is only done commercially now nematode and crown gall. in the middle of the growing region, These issues led to what Milliron so the Northern San Joaquin Valley or described as “a massive effort to docuanywhere there are walnuts near the ment what diversity was out there” and Bay Area,” he said. The English-on-En- “put some of the best of that material up glish option’s primary use today is in against Phytophthora and put some of areas of high blackline disease because the best material up against nematodes of its ability to withstand the disease. and see which ones did well.”

Northern California Black rootstock, a second historical option, does New Rootstocks well where walnuts are grown on deep Vlach, developed by a private nursalluvium soils. But, Milliron said, the ery, was the first widely distributed 28

West Coast Nut

July 2022

commercial clone rootstock to come out of that massive breeding effort. “It has low resistance to crown gall, but it gets a lot less crown gall than Paradox seedling,” Milliron said. The rootstock, however, is intolerant of lesion nematode, and its resistance to Phytophthora is low as well, he said.

“We do have the advantage of more uniformity [than the Paradox seedling], and it definitely has an advantage with less crown gall,” he said.

The second rootstock to emerge from the breeding effort, VX211, a UCand USDA-developed rootstock, also is highly vigorous, has better crown gall resistance than Vlach, low to moderate resistance to Phytophthora and has a big advantage in its tolerance to lesion nematode.

“Not only it is a popular rootstock choice for planting a new orchard, but it is a go-to choice for walnut growers when they replant a tree because that is a situation where you need the tree to grow as fast as possible to capture light, and generally, there are going to be nematodes in the soil,” Milliron said.

RX1, another UC- and USDA-developed rootstock, is slightly less vigorous than VX211 and Vlach, Milliron said, but still exhibits good vigor and has low to moderate resistance to crown gall, an improvement over Paradox, Vlach or VX211.

“Just walking through a UC walnut rootstock trial, you will clearly see that RX1 is the one with the least crown gall, although you will find some crown gall on occasion,” Milliron said.

“With any of these rootstocks, if in the process of grafting a tree, you nick

the tree with a knife, for instance, you can still introduce crown gall, especially to the highly susceptible English scion that is on top of the rootstock,” he said. “But when it comes to natural incidence without injury, you will have a lot less crown gall with all of these clonal options.”

The big advantage with RX1, Milliron said, is it has moderate to high resistance to Phytophthora. “That is a big positive.”

A fourth rootstock, Grizzly, developed by a nursery and a grower, also shows good tolerance to crown gall and hopes are it will be tolerant to lesion nematodes.

“From the few trees that we have in a couple of UC trials, we so far haven’t seen any crown gall in it, and the mother tree that this was cloned from was in a replant situation with very sandy soil and lesion nematodes and was very productive,” Milliron said.

“So, it is hoped that this Grizzly rootstock will be a good rootstock for really tough soils and replant situations.”

The rootstock is commercially available, but can be hard to come by, Milliron said, because it is hard to propagate.

and VX211,” he said. “In my humble opinion, I would say those are the most advantageous because they have the advantage of Vlach in being vigorous and being a clonal rootstock and having less variability [than Paradox], but they also give you another big plus either on the nematode front or the Phytophthora front.”

As for compatibility issues between

commercially grown walnut varieties and any of these rootstocks, Milliron said there have been none to date.

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Soil Test

When selecting a rootstock, Milliron said it is important to test soils for nematodes prior to planting and optimally before ripping out the old orchard.

“Before you rip out the old orchard, go in there and take your nematode soils down to a foot or two. And get that taken in the fall or the spring and not in the heat of summer, when you know counts will be very low,” he said.

Growers generally know if they have low spots in an orchard and issues with Phytophthora, he said, but testing for the fungus can still be advantageous. “If Phytophthora has been an issue, I would not depend on a soil test alone. You should have both soil and tissue from the diseased wood confirmed as Phytophthora.

“Do your due diligence to help you make that smart decision when choosing, for example, between RX1

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Rootstock Trials Providing Data for Disease Tolerance, Production

By CECILIA PARSONS | Associate Editor

E

fforts to reduce incidence of crown gall and Phytophthora in commercial walnut production and to improve nut yields and quality are being made in statewide

Rootstock trials continue in Tulare, Sutter, Glenn and Lake counties, providing different environmental conditions to test the rootstocks in as many settings as possible to determine their adaptability (all photos by C. Parsons.)

walnut rootstock trials. In June, walnut growers, researchers and farm advisors gathered at trial sites to learn the status of the trials in Tulare, Sutter, Glenn and Lake counties.

At the Tulare County trial site, the UC Lindcove Research and Education Center, Janine Hasey, UCCE tree crop advisor emeritus in Sutter, Yuba and Colusa counties, provided an overall perspective on the four walnut rootstock trials initiated in 2016. Tulare County UCCE Farm Advisor Elizabeth Fichtner supplied the local findings from the Lindcove site orchard.

The trials are also underway in Glenn and Lake counties, providing different environmental conditions to test the rootstocks in as many environmental conditions as possible to determine their adaptability.

Data on tree growth and vigor, crown gall incidence, suckering, nut yield and quality are being collected in this trial.

With long-term trials to solidify the performance of the new rootstocks, UC advisors can be confident in recommending them to growers, Hasey said.

Long-Term Goal

Development of walnut rootstocks with genetic tolerance to crown gall, Phytophthora and parasitic nematodes is the long-term goal of the UC walnut rootstock breeding program. Four of the new genotypes from the breeding program are included in the statewide trial and are being compared to seedling Paradox rootstock and the three commercially available clones.

The Walnut Scion and Rootstock Improvement Program reports that most cultivated walnut trees grown for nut production have been grafted on rootstocks susceptible to root diseases that cause an estimated 18% annual yield loss.

Availability of pathogen-tolerant rootstocks is a critical need

Continued on Page 32 30

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Continued from Page 30 ranked by the walnut industry as its top research priority.

Resistance or tolerance to crown gall, Phytophthora and nematodes, along with vigor and growth, are being measured in the trials, which are also part of a statewide Specialty Crops Research Initiative. Prior to planting the former citrus ground at Lindcove, soil was sampled for presence of Phytophthora and nematodes. The ground was not fumigated prior to planting to challenge the rootstock, Hasey said.

Fichtner explained that seedling ‘Paradox’ rootstock has long been a walnut industry standard; however, it has historically been associated with crown gall, a disease caused by a bacterial plant pathogen, Agrobacterium tumefaciens. ‘Paradox’ is an interspecies hybrid between the female Northern California black walnut (Juglans hindsii) and the male English walnut (Juglans regia).

The incidence of crown gall on seedling ‘Paradox’ rootstock has greatly reduced over the past decade as nurserymen have been implementing new practices for the harvest of the ‘Paradox’ seed to prevent infestation of the seed with the bacterial pathogen.

In addition to ‘Paradox’ seedlings, three other commercially available clones are included in the trial plots.

‘Vlach’ was selected and cloned by the nursery industry based on its vigor.

‘VX211’ is another vigorous ‘Paradox’ clone that exhibits some tolerance to nematode pressure in the soil. Both ‘Vlach’ and ‘VX211’ have the same parentage as ‘Paradox’ seedlings. RX1 is another clone that is commercially available; however, it has different parentage than ‘Paradox’. RX1 is a cross between Juglans microcarpa (female) and Juglans regia (male).

In the Lindcove research plot, Fichtner said, there are several rootstocks that are not commercially available

Janine Hasey, right, UCCE tree crop advisor emeritus in Sutter, Yuba and Colusa counties, provided an overall perspective on the four walnut rootstock trials. Tulare County UCCE Farm Advisor Elizabeth Fichtner supplied the local findings from the Lindcove orchard site.

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Seedling ‘Paradox’ rootstock has long been a walnut industry standard; however, it has historically been associated with crown gall, a disease caused by bacterial plant pathogen Agrobacterium tumefaciens.

but are under investigation. A non-hybrid Juglans microcarpa in the plot is one of the parents of ‘RX1’. Fichtner said this is of interest for potential resistance to crown gall. She added that at Lindcove, more suckering has been observed on this rootstock than the others and data is being taken on the annual potential for suckering.

The two other rootstock genotypes in the Lindcove block also have J. microcarpa in the parentage, and researchers are interested in these genotypes for disease resistance.

A secondary benefit of the cloned rootstocks, she added, is that they are produced without the presence of pathogens. The Paradox clones included in the trial, Vlach, VX211 and RX1, are propagated in a laboratory and

sold as either potted rootstock that is fall-budded or spring-grafted in the field or as a June-budded or nursery-grafted bareroot tree.

The seedling Paradox rooted trees in the block showed the issue with crown gall in walnuts. Statewide, Hasey said, about 62% of the seedling Paradox are affected by crown gall.

2021 yield data showed that among the eight phenotypes in the trial, there were no significant differences in yield or nut quality.

The first year, all four blocks were harvested. The Sutter County trial block was harvested in third leaf. Lake County trial suffered frost damage and the Glenn County trial, a replant, is contending with Phytophthora and deer damage.

Comments about this article? We want to hear from you. Feel free to email us at article@jcsmarketinginc.com

New Rootstock Genotypes

The Lindcove walnut rootstock research plot has new rootstock genotypes produced by the Walnut Improvement Program at UC Davis: K3, JM8, 11-99, and JM4 as well as the three major Paradox clonal rootstocks Vlach, RX1 and VW211, and Paradox seedling rootstocks for evaluation of performance in the southern San Joaquin Valley. All are grafted on Chandler.

Hasey noted that trees on Vlach rootstock account for only 9.2% of crown gall infections statewide while RX1 is at 4%. This commercially available rootstock is unique compared to Vlach, Fichtner said, as it has J. microcarpa as a parent, which seems to instill resistance to Phytophthora and possibly crown gall. Hasey noted that RX1 was the highest-yielding rootstock in the Sutter trial.

July 2022

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33

A WORD FROM THE BOARD: THE CALIFORNIA WALNUT BOARD

State of the Walnut Industry Recap of the California Walnut Conference Session

By CALIFORNIA WALNUT BOARD | Contributing Writer

A

t the California Walnut Conference in April, a panel of industry members met to discuss the state of the industry. The session featured Bill Crain of Crain Ranch, Bill Carriere of Carriere Family Farms, and John Aguiar of Mariani Nut Company. Moderated

by Jennifer Williams, CWB/CWC Mar-

keting Director for U.S. Branding and Food Innovation, the session covered the factors that are affecting the industry currently as well as the outlook for the coming months.

Industry Challenges

Our industry is facing more chal-

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lenges than ever, and most are outside of our control. As the world takes different approaches to COVID-19 recovery, there’s also inflation, currency devaluations and extreme supply chain disruptions which have had and will continue to have a negative impact our export markets.

Supply chain issues are complex and include container shortages, ship availability and the return of empty containers to China. More details about the supply chain issues have been covered in the Walnut Industry Insider newsletter. Both the federal and state governments are working on shortterm and long-term solutions; however, experts anticipate supply chain disruptions will continue off and on through the balance of 2022 and into 2023,

Continued on Page 36 34

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Applying nutrients during hull split/mid-season not only ensures the continued development of this year’s crop, but also positively impacts the building blocks for next season’s crop. Mid-season applications of nutrients that are in demand early in the spring, like zinc, phosphorus, and boron, build bud strength and provide critical nutrients that will be stored in and available to developing buds when the tree breaks dormancy, without waiting for the soil to warm up. Building nutrient levels this year sends trees and buds into winter with larger carbohydrate and nutrient reserves, two critical components for a well-timed budbreak and synchronized bloom.

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creases in the cost of energy, fertilizer and other inputs and our industry is feeling the strain on top of unfavorable tariff and non-tariff issues.

California Crop

While this year’s crop, the second largest in the history of the industry, is 8% smaller, larger crops are expected as 36,000 new acres will be coming into production in the next three years, setting new tonnage records (photo courtesy California Walnut Board.)

Continued from Page 34 affecting the remainder of this year’s and next year’s crops.

Increased global production as well as our own significant increase in production and acreage continues to put pressure on prices. And with growth comes increased competition. But we also face competition from other nuts

36

West Coast Nut

July 2022

both here and overseas that are seeing similar production, and demand challenges that have created additional downward price pressure. All of these nuts are vying for a consumers’ shrinking pocketbook. Add into the mix increased regulations here in California and overseas as well as dramatic in-

Over the past 20 years, production in California has almost tripled due to year-upon-year increases in plantings, from 230,000 acres in 2008 to current bearing acres of 390,000.

During the past 10 years alone, the California crop has grown 70% from 460,000 tons to last year’s record-setting 785,000 tons. While this year’s crop, the second largest in the history of the industry, is 8% smaller, larger crops are expected as 36,000 new acres will be coming into production in the next three years, setting new tonnage records.

World Production

California is not the only walnut producer increasing its crop size. China, now the world’s largest walnut producer, has increased production to 1.2 million tons as of the 2021-22 crop season.

Chile, the third-largest walnut producer, has increased its production to just under 171,000 tons. Other producing nations have also increased production, and new orchards in places like Argentina have also been developed. Five years ago, California was 29% of world production with China at 42% followed

by Ukraine at 7%. Today, California is 27% of world production with China at 49% followed by Chile at 7%.

As a result of increased global production, there is increased competition in many key markets, which has shifted the dynamics of world trade. China, which was a major importer, has become a significant exporter with huge gains in three short years.

China historically shipped between 2% to 3% of its production of a much, much smaller crop. China has continued to increase plantings and improve quality and has been very aggressive with pricing. While walnuts are grown in more than 20 provinces, the China Tree Nut Association has shown that 50% of China’s walnut production is in the autonomous region of Xinjiang.

According to export data from Trade

Data Monitor, exports from China have increased 959% in just 10 short years from 19,100 tons to just over 200,000 tons. Last crop year, this was almost 17% of China’s total crop, and to put it into perspective, that amount is greater than the estimated total production of Chile. For the upcoming 2022-23 season, China is projecting a 27% increase to 1.5 million tons providing there are no weather issues.

The Chileans have also increased their exports by 327% over the same 10-year period from just over 40,000 tons to 170,000 last season. Historically, Chile ships between 85% to 90% of its total crop, so as the crop size increases, so will its exports. For the upcoming 2022-23 season, Chile is also projecting a 10% increase to 187,000 tons.

So, looking forward, not only do we have our own increased production, we have a projected 317,000 short tons of competitive crop to deal with in export markets.

While we face heavy competition, it is important to remember the U.S. remains the top destination for walnuts and is our largest market overall, followed by Germany, Turkey, and Japan.

The U.S. market, however, faces some unique challenges right now.

collection suspension, the CWB credit-back program, which provides the opportunity for assessment reimbursement to handlers against qualified marketing expenditures incurred in the same year, is suspended as well.

The domestic marketing program has been significantly scaled back to a budget not seen since the 2009 crop of 437,000 tons. Even with this significantly smaller domestic marketing budget, staff is maximizing available resourc-

es to maintain and build awareness through public relations and digital programs. In-store retail programs can no longer be conducted; however, key retailers are being supported through their online shopping platforms to drive sales of California walnuts.

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37

Five Things to Check On Your Machinery Before Harvest

By CECILIA PARSONS | Associate Editor

I

f, on the last day of harvest in 2021, you parked your equipment in the shed and walked away congratulating yourself on making it through another harvest, you aren’t alone, but you weren’t quite done.

Salvador Ledesma, shop repairman at Weldcraft, works on a spreader at the Terra Bella plant. Weldcraft shop foreman Jesse Qualseth said in late May they were already gearing up for almond harvest (all photos by C. Parsons.)

Shop foremen at Orchard Machinery Corp and Jack Rabbit are hoping you thoroughly cleaned out the machines and noted needed repairs before putting away your harvest equipment for the winter. Weldcraft shop foreman

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Jesse Qualseth said, in reality, most harvest equipment will sit for at least a few weeks before inspections and repairs begin.

Regardless of when in the off-season machinery inspections and maintenance are performed, failing to carry out that critical work before harvest begins may result in machine breakdowns and safety issues when downtime becomes costly.

To prepare for a safe and efficient harvest in the coming months, OMC’s Brian Anderson, Dusty Boothe of Jack Rabbit and Qualseth offered the following list to help with 2022 harvest equipment preparedness. The objective is to ensure harvest machinery is in sound and safe working condition, to minimize downtime and increase efficiency during harvest and to maintain a clean and tidy harvesting operation.

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Time isn’t part of the list, but giving yourself ample time to get your machinery ready for this year’s harvest is important. Don’t wait until the day before you plan to roll into the orchard to pull machines out of the shed and begin repairs. Schedule a comprehensive timetable that will help with machine preparation prior to harvest.

Go back to notes from last year’s harvest, advises Anderson, and check all the things on each machine that gave

Continued on Page 40

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Continued from Page 38 you trouble during harvest. Do visual inspections using a checklist to make sure the machine is in a useable state.

Considering supply chain issues, Qualseth said it is a good idea to secure replacement parts, filters and safety gear for workers well in advance.

In case you didn’t take notes of needed repairs, Anderson, Boothe and Qualseth provided the remaining list to help make sure your harvest equipment and drivers won’t have costly downtime for repairs during harvest.

These are their top five places to focus on when making sure harvest equipment is ready for action:

1. The Engine

Make sure the engines have been completely serviced. Oil, fuel, water, air and belts are important components of engine operation. Fuel filters and oil filters should be checked along with oil levels. Air filters should be replaced and the air intake system inspected. The

40

West Coast Nut

July 2022

cooling system should be checked for coolant levels and the fan and belts inspected for wear.

2. The Hydraulic System

First, do a basic visual inspection of the system for leaks and loose fittings or clamps. Hoses need to be checked for cracks or splits. The hydraulic filter should be serviced as recommended. Make sure the hydraulic tank is filled. The DEF system should also be checked and the tank filled. It is also a good idea to look at equipment batteries and inspect the wiring harnesses and connectors for damage, corrosion or possible rodent damage and loose connections.

Nuts, bolts and hydraulic fittings can all come loose on harvest equipment. It is necessary, Anderson said, to regularly inspect all those points to make sure they are tight.

3. Safety Checks

This is where you make sure your equipment poses no risks to drivers

(employees, family members and yourself). Start with the steering system and make sure it is adjusted and lubricated and not in need of service. Check manufacturers recommendations for safety.

This includes a visual inspection of all moving parts. They should be lubricated as recommended. Worn items

noted that safety guards or covers on equipment are often not replaced during the busy harvest season. They are there for operator safety and need to be replaced as soon as possible. Are the braking systems in working order?

Qualseth said this is important if work is being done on hilly ground or during loading or unloading.

4. Structural Integrity

Eric Garcia, shop repairman at Weldcraft, pressure washes equipment prior to inspection and repairs at the Terra Bella fabrication and machine shop.

should be replaced. Lights and signals should be operating properly, particularly if they will be moving on roads.

All equipment decals, in English and Spanish, should be readable and clear about where not to place hands and when to turn the engine off. Qualseth

Machinery should be inspected for cracked welds and damaged or missing pieces of metal. Basic visual inspection of high-stress areas should be done. Anderson recommended listening to unusual noises, or vibration.

“Use your senses when doing inspections, even your sense of smell,” Anderson added.

Qualseth added crop protection, making sure the machinery is working properly and will not damage trees during shaking. If there are preset pressure settings on shakers, he said they should be checked to make sure

they are accurate. This is an important consideration for custom operators, he said, as it means repeat business.

5. Train the Operator

Finding experienced equipment drivers is a bonus for a grower or custom harvest operation, Qualseth said.

While many equipment repair or manufacturing companies have experienced employees who return each harvest season, chances are about half the work crew will need training in machine operation.

Make sure you have a training session before harvest starts,” Boothe advised. All machine operators, whether they have been driving for years or it is their first time in the field, need to review safety measures in machine operation and be trained in proper machine operation.

Comments about this article? We want to hear from you. Feel free to email us at article@jcsmarketinginc.com

July 2022

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41

View from the Top ‘There’ll Be Winners and Losers’ This Year Huller-sheller leader Michael Kelley of Central California Almond Growers Association discusses the good, the bad and the unknown of the coming season.

President and CEO Michael Kelley says CCAGA’s hulling fee increase was needed (all photos by C. Merlo.)

By CATHERINE MERLO | Contributing Writer

J

ust weeks ahead of the 2022 almond harvest, changes are underway at the world’s largest almond huller-sheller.

Some of what’s unfolding at Central California Almond Growers Association (CCAGA) is part of a deliberate plan to improve operations as the 59-year-old cooperative continues to handle California’s enormous almond crops. Further ahead are likely more changes brought on by outside forces harder for CCAGA to control.

Figuring out how to tackle those challenges is Michael Kelley, CCAGA’s president and CEO since 2005. Today, he oversees four shelling facilities, three in Kerman and one in Sanger.

Last season, those plants handled 144 million pounds of almond kernels, down from 155 million the year before.

Though smaller, that’s still a big volume to handle during the harvest crunch. The challenges of hulling and shelling such massive crops are why CCAGA has closed its membership for the past four years. The co-op now counts 347 active members who deliver almonds from 62,000 acres stretching

42

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from Tulare County to Merced County.

Kelley recently shared his thoughts on grappling with big almond crops, the statewide drought, the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) and supply chain shortages.

Q. One big change for CCAGA this season is increasing your hulling fee. Why the change?

We’d been talking about it for five years. We’ve been getting more and more foreign material coming into the association. After processing and as a byproduct, we just don’t have room to store it. It takes away from our needed stockpile space. The other thing is it really damages the equipment. It ruins the ducting. We’ve been spending an exorbitant amount on ducting. So, for those reasons, its time had come. Having said that, we’re one of the last to do it. Other huller-shellers had switched last year or even before. I commend them for doing so. We as an industry really needed to make the change.

Q. How much of an increase is it?

It’s basically 25% of what our hulling fee was last year on a meat-equivalent basis. Instead, this season, we’re going to charge on a delivered basis.

So, when a truck comes across the scale, we’ll charge a hulling fee at 1.25 cents, whereas last year it was 5 cents.

In doing so on a delivered basis, people who bring in excess dirt and sticks are going to get charged an increased cost if there’s excess foreign material with the hull, shell and kernels.

CCAGA plans to modernize its Sanger plant in the next three to four years.

THE BEST WAY TO MANAGE PATHOGENS BEFORE THEY BECOME AN ISSUE.

Q. What’s behind the increase in foreign material?

One reason I think is because the industry has grown so fast and has become so large that people are having to get across the fields quicker. We’ve seen more equipment, more product coming in more rapidly into our hulling-shelling operations, so I think people are just going too fast in the field. There’s a lot they can do out in the field to mitigate the quantity of foreign material. They can buy conditioners. They can slow down their sweepers. They can have their sweepers not so tight on the

Continued on Page 44

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Like other huller-shellers, CCAGA expects a bin shortage during this fall’s almond harvest.

Continued from Page 43 ground so that they’re picking up everything. They can go to field elevators that can take out dirt and sticks before loading it into trailers.

As you can imagine, if you’re putting less dirt and sticks in a truck, you’ll have fewer trucks that have to be delivered in, so you’re going to save on freight. Freight costs are going to be a big deal in the future, especially with these high diesel prices.

Q. How will CCAGA handle the bin shortage this season?

We had a taste of what a bin shortage could look like last year. This was caused by the pandemic’s government-mandated shutdowns. The somewhat smooth-running gears of the supply chain lost their grease and became terribly inefficient. This year, we hear it could be worse. The lack of bins will potentially cause intermittent shutdowns at shellers across the state in the late fall. We fortunately have a few packers that allow us to ship in bulk hoppers. This will allow us some flexibility, but we’ll be working closely with our packers to know if they will be running short.

Q. What modernization and equipment upgrades have you recently made?

In 2020, we modernized our oldest plant, Kerman Plant #1. And it worked out very well. We’re adding another stockpile belt-loader at our Sanger location to help with additional acreage we’ve rented. We’re also making plans to modernize our Sanger facility. It was built in 1985, and it’s getting a bit tired. We’ve been having electrical issues over there. We’ll

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probably be doing that modernization within the next three to four years unless SGMA takes the gas out of growth due to the availability of water.

Q. What’s your labor situation been like?

Labor is a big issue. During the off-season, when we’re doing repairs, we have about 34 fine individuals working for us. During the season, we increase to 150 people, including regular full-time and seasonal help. This past season, we would have seasonal people just not show up for work. It predominantly happened on the weekends. We were short on staff all season long to run our operation. And that hurt our efficiency. While those labor issues are common among huller-shellers, it’s worse for us because we’ve got four shellers.

Most shelling operations only have one sheller, so it’s maybe a bit more manageable.

Q. What are some of the other big challenges CCAGA faces?

One is the ability to order parts. We’re having to order them way, way in advance. We started ordering parts for the 2022 season last October. We’ve already ordered parts for 2023 because we’re just afraid of not being able to get them.

It’s just going to take a while for the supply chain to get back to normal.

The other thing we’re really watching is how SGMA will play out in our area of operation. We already have growers on the Westside who have pulled trees. This situation presents a real unknown. When a grower pulls trees, there are three options. One is to maintain the trees he has and kind

CCAGA’s Michael Kelley (right) and his chief operations officer Bob Donnelly check off-season repairs and maintenance at the co-op’s Sanger plant.

of capitulate to what the underlying water quality and availability situation will be in the season and years ahead.

The other is to buy ground in a more advantageous area for access to water on the Eastside and then offset that acreage. A third option we’re seeing is selling out and moving while land prices are at good levels. It just remains to be seen what’s going to happen.

Q. What’s been a bright spot for CCAGA this year?

Because of the high prices of feed for dairies, our hull prices are at record levels. Ninety percent of our revenue comes from the sale of our byproducts to the dairy industry. Last year, we closed the 2020 pool at about $92 a ton.

This year, we had budgeted for $105, which would have been OK. We’re probably going to finish the sales period with an average of $130. The new crop is vacillating at $300 right now.

Fortunately, dairies are experiencing record-high prices for milk at $24 to $25 per hundredweight. So, we’re both enjoying very good times.

Q. Looking ahead, what kind of year do you expect 2022 to be for your members?

From a production and volume standpoint, I think we’re going to be slightly off from the last two years.

That’s directly related to the February 2022 freeze. However, it could also be related to the effects of this third year of drought. And we know that to some extent the water curtailments taking place will leave the crop with less po-

tential to reach the production it could have reached, because late in the season there just aren’t going to be normal deliveries of water. So, there’ll be some winners and losers out there. Some winners will be in areas where there might be a marginal amount of water they can use. There’ll be others who

just won’t have the quantity of water they need to bring the crop to fruition and attain the potential they could have achieved.

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45

What’s the Tie-Up?

Field Crop Following Walnut Whole-Orchard Recycling Benefited from Extra Nitrogen

By VICKY BOYD | Contributing Writer

W

hole-orchard recycling (WOR) of walnuts is still in its infancy compared to almonds, with growers and researchers navigating a relatively new path that includes addressing tree nitrogen needs and the significant leftover biomass.

With scant information on nitrogen requirements for row crops following walnut WOR, UCCE San Joaquin County Delta Crops Resource Management Advisor Michelle Leinfelder-Miles conducted a two-year experiment beginning in 2020. The project in a former Linden walnut orchard examined kidney bean yields with two different nitrogen regimes across plots where chips were incorporated and control plots without chips. Joining her were UCCE Pomology Farm Advisor Brent Holtz and UCCE Orchard Systems Advisor Mohamed Nouri, both based in San Joaquin County.

Similar to the results Holtz found with his almond research, Leinfelder-Miles saw benefits from additional nitrogen fertilizer the first year after recycling to offset a yield penalty from nitrogen tie-up. But she said a number of questions linger, including fertilizer rates.

“I think we’ve accumulated evidence that in the first year after whole-orchard recycling, there’s likely a nitrogen availability problem that can probably be overcome with increasing the amount of fertilizer,” she said. “I think doubling the rates improved the yields over the grower standard, but was that the optimum rate? We have more to 46

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July 2022

The grower removed the walnut orchard, and the trees were chipped and incorporated into the soil in 2019. About 70 tons of organic matter per acre was generated (all photos by M. Leinfelder-Miles, UCCE.)

learn when it comes to the rate in that The second site, a replicated walnut first year after whole-orchard recycling.” trial in Sutter County, is now in the second leaf following WOR. Mid-July leaf Refining Nitrogen tissue analysis in 2021 found no statisRecommendations tical difference between the chipped Recommendations to double nitroand unchipped treatments. The grower gen rates the first year of a new almond essentially doubled UC’s recommenorchard following WOR came from dation of 0.2 to 0.3 pounds per tree per Holtz’s early work that involved large year, applying 0.5 pounds N per tree wood chips. Since then, machinery has in the form of calcium nitrate to the evolved to produce much smaller chips chipped plots. that begin to decompose faster when Milliron admitted research into incorporated into the soil. the nitrogen needs of walnuts followWithout WOR, Extension recoming WOR are behind those involving mends 3 ounces of nitrogen per almond almonds, and more work is needed to tree per year, with no more than 1 fine-tune recommendations. ounce applied at a time. Recent field “Maybe it’s a little less of a big deal trials have shown a rate of 4 to 5 ounces for walnuts because they just require per tree for the first year following a lot less N than almonds,” he said. almond WOR produced similar results “With some of these clonal rootstocks, to the unchipped control. But those keeping the tree under 10 feet tall results were obtained by beginning during that first summer is something nitrogen applications in the WOR plots growers worry about. Managing vigor very early in the season. can be a worry, so backing off on N Luke Milliron, UCCE orchard is necessary for some walnut growers systems advisor for Butte, Glenn and under normal circumstances.”

Tehama counties, has two walnut WOR sites he’s monitoring: a demonstration A Grower’s Considerations and a replicated field trial. He found no As a long-time supporter of Extendifference in tree growth in the demon- sion research, Linden walnut producer stration planted near Yuba County in Mike Machado said he offered his 2019 after WOR. Leaf tissue samples orchard ground to Leinfelder-Miles to in 2020 found no statistical difference help answer questions about the relain nitrogen levels between chipped and tively new practice of walnut WOR. unchipped treatments. But Milliron “We were one of the first to do it,” pointed out that chip application was said Machado, owner of Machado uneven and scattered, prompting him Family Farms. “We were stimulated to jokingly refer to the demonstration primarily because of the program availas “chip-ocalypse.“ The grower applied able from the Air Board that provided a standard nitrogen rate to all plots. twice the incentives for whole orchard

Bean growth was visibly better in the control during August 2020.

Kidney beans are one of the many field crops grown in San Joaquin County.

recycling compared to just moving the material off-site.

“In doing so, we also realized there were going to be some challenges from the four to six inches of residue we had to deal with. The soil microbes were going to tie up the N; then the question became, what do we do then?”

Although Leinfelder-Miles’ research looked only at fertility requirements after WOR, as a grower, Machado said he also considers other factors. He received a $600-per-acre incentive from the California Air Resources Board for WOR but spent significantly more preparing the field after the chips were spread.

“Whole orchard recycling has a lot going for it, like carbon sequestration,” he said. “But you get a delay because of the decomposition of the residue.

When we were looking at it with Michelle, it was strictly the N disruption.”

Based on what he saw during the field trial, Machado said he did not use WOR for a subsequent walnut orchard he removed in 2021. Instead, he had the trees pushed and chipped and the material hauled away. He has since planted an almond orchard on the site.

Although Machado received no Air Board incentive, he said his per-acre costs were significantly less because of reduced land preparation and quicker ground turn-around.

The trees yielded about 70 tons of biomass per acre, Leinfelder-Miles said. Depending on the tree size and the number per acre, Milliron said tonnage could be 90 tons dry per acre or more.

In a recycled orchard, the large amount of organic matter increases the carbon-to-nitrogen ratio in the soil to well over

Continued on Page 48

Nitrogen Tie-Up

Leinfelder-Miles’ trial was conducted on ground where Machado had a walnut orchard pulled in 2019. The trees were subsequently chipped and incorporated. He followed with a Brassica cover crop both winters to address soilborne disease and nematode issues.

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The challenges observed in 2020 were generally not observed in the 2021 trial, pictured here.

Continued from Page 47 160:1. The metabolism of soil microbes is balanced when soil amendments have a C:N ratio of 24:1, according to USDA-NRCS. When the C:N ratio is higher, the microbes use the N for mostly energy and maintenance. Basically, the N is tied up by the microbes and not available for plant use. But the deficit is only temporary as the microbes begin to decompose the organic matter, narrowing the C:N ratio and releasing nitrogen.

pounds per acre.

In the unchipped control, the grower standard and the 2x N rates performed statistically similar, meaning there was no benefit to doubling the sidedress rate in the absence of chips.

At the same time, the grower rate in the control performed statistically similar to the 2x rate in the WOR treatment.

More N Needed the First Year

Leinfelder-Miles is still reviewing the 2021 data, but she said preliminary results show no statistical differences among the treatments.

“However, we did have a lot more yield variability overall in the second year,” she said. “It’s a little bit harder to tease out statistical differences when you have more variability.

Both in the control and WOR, we had a bigger spread in our yield numbers.”

In hindsight, Leinfelder-Miles said she would have liked to have added a treatment that was 2.5 to three times the nitrogen to see whether it might have improved yield even more in the WOR plots.

“Was [the 2x] enough? Maybe we need a little bit more,” she said. “But certainly, the standard N rate in a recycled orchard is not going to cut it for you. It’s not going to provide you the same yield you would have obtained.”

Before automatically increasing the nitrogen rate for row crops following WOR, Leinfelder-Miles recommended growers pull soil and irrigation water samples to determine nitrate contributions. In addition, they should consider soil type to ensure added nitrogen doesn’t leach below the root zone and potentially into groundwater.

According to the UC dry bean production manual, kidney beans require 80 to 120 pounds of nitrogen per acre to produce a 2,000-pound-per-acre crop. Although they fix 20% to 40% of nitrogen needs, beans require additional N to maximize yield potential.

Based on soil tests, each plot had soil residual nitrogen of 18 pounds per acre, and each received at-plant N of 10 pounds per acre.

In 2020, the grower standard sidedress N application was 88 pounds per acre compared to the 2x or double rate of 176 pounds per acre.

The treatments involved the two rates applied to three strips that had received the WOR treatment as well as three control strips without chips.

“We saw lower plant available nitrate, but there was higher total N, which includes organic forms of N that can mineralize and be available over time,” Leinfelder-Miles said of the WOR plots. “Yield was lower in the WOR plots, but the yield penalty was overcome by doubling the N rate.

The take-home message in recycling an orchard and a subsequent crop is you’re going to need additional N compared to without WOR.” During the first year of the trial, yields were statistically higher in the control plots, averaging 2,652 pounds per acre compared to the WOR plots, where they averaged 1,820

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July 2022

Second Year Isn’t as Clear-Cut

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NORTH VALLEY NUT CONFERENCE OFFERS VALUABLE INSIGHTS ON GROWING IN THE NORTH STATE

By TAYLOR CHALSTROM | Digital Content Editor The North Valley Nut Conference took place in Orland, Calif. on June 8 (all photos by T. Chalstrom.)

W

est Coast Nut magazine and University of California Cooperative Extension combined forces on June 8 in Orland, Calif. to bring education and networking opportunities to growers and consultants of almonds, walnuts and pistachios in the North State.

Following an early morning opportunity to mingle on the tradeshow floor, attendees listened to the first continuing education seminar of the day from UCCE Orchard Systems Advisor for Butte, Glenn and Tehama counties Luke Milliron, who spoke about almond rootstock and variety selection in the Northern Sacramento Valley. The presentation included pros and cons of planting almond trees on Krymsk-86, Viking or peach-almond hybrid rootstocks.

Next up for continuing education was a commissioner update from Glenn County Ag Commissioner Marcie Skelton. Glenn County is one of the highest-producing tree nut areas of the Northern Sacramento Valley, and almond and walnuts fall into the top three highest-grossing commodities.

Skelton educated growers on relevant laws and regulations, including California Department of Pesticide Regulation’s proposed statewide pesticide notification system and common violations found during on-farm in-

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The conference provided attendees with an opportunity to interact with vendors on the tradeshow floor.

Luke Milliron, UCCE Orchard Systems Advisor for Butte, Glenn and Tehama counties, spoke about almond rootstock and variety selection in the Northern Sacramento Valley.

Glenn County Ag Commissioner Marcie Skelton educated growers on relevant laws and regulations.

spections. Additionally, Skelton lauded a recent event put on ramento Valley is dwarfed in comparison to the SJV, acreage by the county that gave growers an opportunity to dispose is growing for several reasons, including more chill in warm of any unwanted or outdated pesticides in their possession. winters and the fact that the area is higher in boron, which, The event took back around 10,000 pounds of pesticides for according to Jarvis-Shean, pistachios “eat for breakfast.” disposal.

The last seminar before the second and final tradeshow Comments about this article? We want to hear from you. Feel break came from UC Davis Irrigation Specialist Dr. Ken free to email us at article@jcsmarketinginc.com Shackel, who discussed the most current information on drought and irrigation management for nut crops. At the basis of his presentation was evapotranspiration and how using this value for trees helps with irrigation scheduling and management. Research into deficit irrigation for almond trees has WALNUT AND ALMOND PROCESSING EQUIPMENT shown not only water savings during hull split but benefits to the tree as well, noting that it is basically “impossible” to kill an almond tree by water stressing it.

Attendees returned from the tradeshow break to hear from UC Riverside Plant Pathologist Dr. Jim Adaskaveg about foliage, blossom and nut diseases in almond. Adaskaveg noted that bacterial spot is a disease continuing to be seen across the state’s almond acreage and that growers in the North State should be aware of it. He also gave an update on a few new fungicides for almond diseases that are curWalnut Almond rently being tested in research, including Cevya, Regev and CONTACT US Equipment Equipment Miravis Top. TODAY • Receiving Receiving • TO GET A QUOTE Continuing the topic of diseases for the conference’s sem• Precleaning Precleaning • FOR THE BEST • Hulling Hulling • inars was UC Davis Plant Pathologist Themis Michailides, PRICES • Drying In-Shell • who noted the differences of managing bot canker and blight • In-Shell Shelling • of walnut from band canker of almond. Walnut canker/ • Shelling Almond Drying • blight is not tree-killing while band canker in almond is, and • Eletronic Sorting Eletronic Sorting • many of the same fungal species cause both diseases.

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New Research Project Looks at Biochar in Almonds

By MITCH LIES | Contributing Writer

A

project funded through CDFA’s Healthy Soils Program is providing California almond growers a snapshot of the economic and environmental benefits of incorporating biochar from almond trees into soils.

The demonstration project, which involves multiple partners, is an initial foray into understanding whether biochar presents a viable regenerative option for almond production systems, according to Tom Stein, California Regional Director of American Farmland Trust, which is administering the project. It is designed to inform producers of the economic and environmental benefits of using biochar as well as inform the CDFA of those benefits with the intent of potentially adding biochar to the agency’s Healthy Soils Incentives Program.

“It is an exciting, hands-on, technically robust and timely research demonstration project that will hopefully generate a better understanding that could support better scalable dissemination of the work,” Stein said.

Stein noted that biochar cost-share programs are available through some Natural Resources Conservation Service programs, including the service’s 52

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July 2022

Environmental Quality Incentives Program and through certain Regional Conservation Partnership Program-funded programs. He added that growers can obtain more information on these programs through their local NRCS field office, their local Resource Conservation District, UCCE office or American Farmland Trust.

To date, however, Stein said use of biochar is an under-researched option for regenerative agriculture and one not included in mainstream technical and financial assistance programs in California.

“Another primary goal of this project is to inform the state agencies, the CDFA and the California Air Resources Board to consider including [use of biochar] into the state conservation incentive programs, which is a structural change that can make these practices more adopted at a large scale,” Stein said. “They have to do these analyses before the practice is added to the Healthy Soils Incentive Program, where there is technical and financial assistance to farmers on certain practices.”

In the demonstration project being conducted at Pacific Farming Company in Madera, biochar is being produced

from dead almond trees, almond pruning materials and almond shells. The biochar is being produced at the farm with a mobile pyrolizer unit supplied

by Sierra Resource Conservation District. The pyrolizer unit burns material in a controlled environment that produces char without letting in oxygen.

Replicated Blocks

The project will include 15 field plots in a spatially balanced design of three replicated blocks of four treatments, including a control, a low application rate of tree pruning biochar and a high application rate of tree pruning biochar as well as a low application rate of almond shell biochar and a high application rate of almond shell biochar.

Stein noted that research has shown that biochar is fairly dynamic depending on its source, thus the different treatment blocks, two from woody materials and two from almond shells.

Pre-treatment and annual soil samples will assess soil organic carbon and health, and UC Merced researchers will take soil greenhouse gas flux measurements monthly and during management events with a multi-gas laser-based analyzer. In addition, the

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FIGHT WITH BIOLOGICAL BITE American Farmland Trust is administering a CDFA grant through its Healthy Soils Program that is supporting regenerative agriculture through use of biochar from almond trees (photos courtesy American Farmland Trust.)

researchers will measure soil moisture, plant available nitrogen and fall and spring soil water infiltration. American Farmland Trust will analyze the economic benefits and the partners will present three demonstrations.

“We will involve farmers in different aspects of the process,” Stein said, “so holding demonstration events on producing biochar, how to apply it and the aftereffects, where people will be able to look at the plots, walk the orchard, and the researchers will share results of what were the effects of using biochar, analyzing the different biochar materials and the different rates.

“We will invite growers out to view the different steps,” he said, “and we will be doing a variety of different analyses that we can share with farmers. It is a holistic approach as to what the impacts are and what it means for farmers who are interesting in implementing this practice.”

Part of what will need to occur before commercial adoption of biochar in almond orchards includes a better infrastructure to support the production and distribution of biochar in

Continued on Page 54

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“You can get commercial volumes of biochar in the Pacific Northwest, but there isn’t much available in the valley,” he said. “And that is something that this project won’t directly touch on, but it could help.”

Biochar Production

Part of the project’s goals also include understanding the economic viability of producing chars on farms, Stein said. He added that it probably isn’t viable for a farm to have its own mobile pyrolizer unit, but it could be viable on a regional level involving multiple farms.

“If there was interest in a larger, regional cooperative-type model, Sheep graze cover crops on Burroughs Family Farms in Denair, Calif., an example of regenthere could be something there,” he erative agriculture. The farm was the 2020 California Leopold Conservation Award winner. said.

Also, he said, there are smaller, kiln-like models that can be used Continued from Page 53 on farms. “There are low-cost ways to produce chars using pretty basic kilns,” he said. “That is California, Stein said. something we are hoping to flesh out more in the project as “Right now, there are pretty huge supply-chain gaps with well as understanding the supply chain of biochar in the San biochar in the [San Joaquin] Valley,” Stein said.

Joaquin Valley.”

Ultimately, he said, growers could purchase biochar from an outside source and apply it like they would a compost.

Often, he added, farmers will mix biochar and compost.

That the CDFA chose to fund this project as one of seven demonstration projects in its latest round of Healthy Soils Program grants is indicative that the agency is looking at biochar as a viable option for regenerative agriculture, Stein said.

“Biochar is one of the newer practices that CDFA wants closer examination on,” he said. “And in this project, we are taking a deeper look at what the economic and environmental impacts are from this practice.

“This is a practice that can take the carbon from these materials and put it back in the ground as a soil amendment,” Stein said. “It is a way to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions in a way that allows farmers to have an active role in combatting climate change.”

Stein added that CDFA has been a leader in generating support for regenerative farming practices. “CDFA has done a galvanizing effort in scaling up the adoption of regenerative farming practices, and this is an example of that,” Stein said. “They are very supportive and I think leading the way on a lot of this work.”

CDFA awarded the project just under $250,000. In all, The Next Generation of Plant Health! the agency is providing the seven projects approximately $1.12 million in grants from its Healthy Soils Program in Microbial Bio-Available Foliar Nutrients this latest round of awards.

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Additional Project

In addition to the almond project, a project looking at biochar’s ecosystem impact in an olive orchard also was

Biochar is a newer practice gaining more attention from CDFA and other funding and regulatory agencies.

An orchard belonging to Paul Lum, American Farmland Trust's California agricultural specialist, blooms with cover crops growing between the trees. Lum helps AFT promote healthy soils farming practices through training and outreach.

awarded in the recent round. The applicant, Center for Land-Based Learning, is looking to increase knowledge of the carbon sequestration and GHG (greenhouse gas) reduction potential of biochar in a new five-acre olive orchard as well as address knowledge gaps on biochar’s ecosystem impacts and assist in streamlining methodology for its wide-scale adoption.

“Recent research demonstrates that biochar offers a multitude of agronomic and environmental benefits, especially in combination with compost application,” the applicant stated. “However, on-farm use of biochar remains low because of uncertainty of the costs and benefits for different cropping systems.”

The Center for Land-Based Learning is collaborating on the project with UC Davis and Boundary Bend Olives to investigate the ecosystem benefits of biochar applications as well as look at its effects on yield and soil health. Treatments will include biochar, compost, biochar plus compost and a grower standard control. The project’s location, an educational farm in Woodland, will facilitate outreach to growers in Yolo County and statewide, the applicant wrote.

Comments about this article? We want to hear from you. Feel free to email us at article@jcsmarketinginc.com

July 2022

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55

WALNUTS NOT GETTING ENOUGH ‘BRRRRRR’ HOURS?

By JULIE R. JOHNSON | Contributing Writer

Walnuts are one of the many deciduous nut trees that require a certain number of chilling hours during the winter rest period to enable their buds to sprout evenly in the spring (all photos by J.R. Johnson.)

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e it man-made climate change or the natural evolution of the earth, wherever you want to place the blame, one thing is for sure: the earth’s climate is getting warm-

One of the results of this phenomenon is a lack of consistency in the number of chill hours being provided by Mother Nature as required by many nut crops.

Katherine Jarvis-Shean, UCCE orchard systems advisor, talked about this rising issue and how farmers can plan for an unknown future at West Coast Nut Magazine’s California Walnut Conference in April.

There is a period during the winter when trees will not grow. During this period, growth is inhibited by internal factors when the plant is said to be in “rest”. All deciduous fruit plants require a certain amount of chilling during the winter rest period to enable their buds to sprout evenly and for good flowering and fruit set to occur in spring. The winter chilling requirement to break this rest period varies with plant species and even with particular varieties within the same species. For example, early leafing walnut varieties require less chilling than later-leafing varieties.

Insufficient winter chilling prolongs rest and results in delayed and uneven bloom and leafing the following spring.

Bud drop and reduced set may also occur, and consequent production and quality of fruits and nuts may be poor.

Jarvis-Shean has worked for the past 15 years on winter chill and researching ways to combat warmer winters and the consequences of that occurrence.

“We need to know what to do about it,” she said. “It has been especially pronounced in the pistachio industry; however, we can see it in walnut trees as well.”

She hopes ongoing studies and research will provide growers with the necessary tools to help them in dealing with this issue and production.

“We know when trees don’t get enough chill, we have crops with buds that don’t break at all, fewer female flowers and fewer nuts,” Jarvis-Shean added. “The other problem we see with marginal chill, just enough to get by, is extended bloom window, and when that happens, you end up with a big variety of nut sizes on the tree. Then, when you get into harvest, you end up with a two-shake scenario and some nuts that don’t even come off in the second shake. This results in lost crop that ends up left in the field.”

She explained the differences

between chill hours and chill portions and the growing evidence that the newer chill portions model, also sometimes called the Dynamic Model, may be the more accurate model to use for tree crops in California.

different temperatures. No more wondering about the value of ‘warm’ chill hours. Temperatures between 43 to 47 degrees F have the most chill value. The chill values on either side of that range are lower, dropping to no value at 32 degrees F and 54 degrees F. Chill hours only count up to 45 degrees F. Chill portions count up to 54 degrees F. This makes chill portions better able to approximate effective chilling for the trees we grow, most of which evolved in fairly mild climates.

Chill hours do not subtract for warm hours. With the chill portions model, warm hours that closely follow cold periods can subtract from the running total of chill accumulation.

Because chill portions are much newer than the chill hours model, researchers don’t have exact estimates for the chilling requirements of all Califor-

Chill Portions Model

How does the chill portions model work, and what makes it different from other chill models? The math behind chill portions is more complex than chill hours, which just counts each hour between 32 to 45 degrees F as one chill hour, or even more simply, each hour under 45 degrees F. But, while the model has some complex equations, it’s based on some fairly simple components. There are three basic things that make chill portions different from chill hours.

Chill hours count any hour between 32 to 45 degrees F as the same. Chill portions give different chill values to

Continued on Page 58

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Continued from Page 57 nia’s important tree crops and cultivars.

Whichever model a grower uses, it is evident there is a reduction in minimum winter temperatures, and that is one of the big things that is driving winter chill accumulation problems.

“We don’t have tools yet for predicting whether winters will be low, medium or high chill before they start,” Jarvis-Shean said. “We do know that historically, low-chill winters occur every 10 to 15 years, but those statistics are changing.”

Historically, an increase of two degrees C/four degrees F might not seem like a lot to us physically. A 46-degree day compared to a 50-degree day might not seem like a big deal, but over the course of a full winter, as that accumulation of that experience happens in the tree, it adds up to a big difference for the tree.

“People who study climate believe things will continue to get warmer; however, we are also starting to see lower-chill winters, and researchers say they expect to see this happening more often,” Jarvis-Shean said. “What they expect be the middle of the century, around 30 years from now, winter chill will be 15% to 20% lower than what we have historically experienced in California. By the end of the century, a possibility of 30% to 35% lower chill.”

That plays out to show in about 20 years, growers will see one in every 10 years’ winters will have enough chill hours to meet the requirements for

walnuts, and the farther south you go in the state, the worse the scenario develops, she explained.

In response, researchers are looking at new walnut varieties that can deal with this outlook, but what do growers do right now?

“We need to trick the trees into thinking the winters are cooler than they actually are as they aren’t going to get enough winter chill to sustain their production year in and year out,” Jarvis-Shean said.

In some ways, dormancy is a very complicated process that has a lot of components feeding into whether trees stay asleep or wake up normally in the spring.

“Dormancy is maintained by a lot of plant hormones, transporters that influence whether the cells get the juices they need to wake up,” she added. “Also, oxidative stress and whether the trees are getting a healthy stress, metabolism and the sugars they need to start working in the spring.”

These things are all influenced by winter chill accumulation.

“This paints a complicated picture, but it also means that scientists and growers, the receivers of the science, can utilize a lot of buttons to push and knobs we can turn to try and trick or influence the tree into thinking things have actually been colder than it was,” Jarvis-Shean said. “We call these dormancy-breaking treatments, which can be synthetic plant hormones that stimulate the tree into thinking it got the necessary winter chill and oxidative

Cycles of low-chill winters are becoming less and less predictable.

stressors. These are all things we have at our disposal as potential tools; however, we need to test whether these tools actually work.”

More Tools to Come

With the help of walnut growers and the California Walnut Board, researchers have been looking at what is available in the marketplace and how well these products work in tricking walnuts to believe they have received the necessary chill portions.

“The first thing we have been doing is a trial at UC Davis in which researchers are treating heated trees and unheated trees,” Jarvis-Shean said. “We want

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to know the impact of putting specific sprays on trees that have received enough chill and what is the impact on trees that have not got enough chill.”

Part of the trial was to heat up walnut trees and then treat different scaffolds within the trees with different treatments and rates about a month before budbreak. Treatments used included water, Mocksi, Erger and Dormex.

“We are looking at the three big things that are influenced by winter chill: the window of budbreak, the timing of 50% budbreak and how many buds open at all,” Jarvis-Shean said.

“We did see a difference in total budbreak and the timing of 50% budbreak.”

They found the heat significantly influenced starch and sugar in the bark and wood at budbreak; however, among chemical treatments, there was no significant difference found in carbohydrate levels at budbreak.

“The takeaway is that with Dor-

“We know when trees don’t get enough chill,

we have crops with buds that don’t break at all, fewer female flowers and fewer nuts.

– Katherine Jarvis-Shean, UCCE

mex and Erger, we saw earlier catkin emergence in the heated trees,” she said.

“In the control trees, the ones that got enough winter chill, there was no difference. We found hydrogen cyanamide and Erger changed timing, while hydrogen cyanamide changes the number of buds that break.”

In the future, Jarvis-Shean said, researchers are hoping to provide a better indicator of when growers can test to know when a good time is to apply treatment.

There is a second field trial underway using hydrogen cyanamide at a

FARMER PROVEN SINCE 1938.

”

lower rate, CPPU at a higher rate, and the use of CAN-17, and a third season is anticipated for 2022-23.

“This is still a work in progress, and there are a lot of lessons yet to be learned from other products and countries as we develop essential tools for growers,” Jarvis-Shean said.

Comments about this article? We want to hear from you. Feel free to email us at article@jcsmarketinginc.com

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59

Time is Running Out: Implementation of Ag Employment Regulations

By THERESA KIEHN | President and CEO, AgSafe

Several new employee rules are scheduled for phase-in in 2022.

O

ver the past several years, the Employer Responsibilities State of California has been phasing in several new employment ▶ Employer registration will require law regulations. Large employers were the submission of the following subject to these regulations almost iminformation: mediately, while smaller businesses with 25 or less employees have had some ▶ Federal Employer Identification or time to prepare. However, time is runTax Identification Number (EIN/ ning out for these phased-in regulations, TIN) and employers who are out of compliance could be subject to penalties and ▶ California Employer Payroll Tax fines. In this article, we will provide you Account Number with a review of the CalSavers retirement program, wage increases and ag ▶ CalSavers access code from your overtime regulations while also providemployer notification ing guidance on implementation.

In addition to registering, employers CalSavers will need to provide information on all In 2016, the legislature passed, and employees at the time of registration the governor signed into law Senate Bill and then on an on-going basis moving 1234, which established the CalSavers forward. The employer is responsiprogram. Employers with five or more ble for sharing with CalSavers their employees who do not offer a comemployees’ names, Social Security or pany-sponsored retirement program Tax Identification Number and their are required to enroll in the CalSavers applicable contact information. It is program. The program is also available important to note that an employer to self-employed individuals seeking a must provide the information for all retirement savings vehicle. Participants workers (full-time, part-time, regular will then have an Individual Retirement and seasonal) regardless of the length Account (IRA) set-up and managed by of time they have worked for the the CalSavers team. The enrollment business. Once the initial registration deadlines for larger employers with 50 is complete, employers must report or more employees has already passed. new eligible employees within 30 days The final enrollment deadline for small of their date of hire to CalSavers. The employers (5 to 49 employees) is June program has developed templates to 30, 2022. assist employers in organizing and submitting this information.

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Senate Bill 1234 included monetary penalties for employers that fail to allow eligible employees to participate in CalSavers. If an employer does not register or fully engage in the program 90 days after service of notice from the state, the state can levy a penalty of $250 per eligible employee. Should non-compliance extend beyond the initial 90 days and the employer is found to still not be complying 180 days after the notice, an additional penalty of $500 per employee will be issued.

Ultimately, the failure to register and provide the needed support to participating employees can become quite costly. To learn more about CalSavers, visit www.calsavers.com.

California Wage Increase Update

California’s minimum wage reached the $15-per-hour threshold for large employers (those who employ 26 or more employees) and $14 an hour for small employers in January 2022 (those with less than 25 or less employees.)

Large employers were on track to add a 3% cost-of-living increase to minimum wage and small employers would reach the $15 per hour in 2023.

However, within the minimum wage increase legislation, the Governor has the authority to adjust the cost-ofliving increase to account for inflation. In May 2022, Governor Newsom announced the new minimum wage rate beginning in 2023 would be $15.50

Schedule for Changes to Daily and Weekly Hours After Which Agricultural Workers Receive Overtime Pay Effective date for employers Effective date for employers with 26 or more employees: with 25 or fewer employees:

Overtime (1.5x regular rate of pay) required after the following hours per day/hours per workweek:

Jan. 1, 2019

Jan. 1, 2022

9.5/55

Jan. 1, 2020

Jan. 1, 2023

9/50

Jan. 1, 2021

Jan. 1, 2024

8.5/45

Jan. 1, 2022*

Jan. 1, 2025*

8/40

This grid depicts the scheduled changes to daily and weekly hours for agricultural workers’ overtime pay (photo courtesy California Department of Industrial Relations, Labor Commissioner’s Office, Overtime for Agricultural Workers.)

regardless of business size. This means that small employers will bypass the $15.00 rate and go directly to $15.50.

This increase also applies to exempt employees who are required to make twice the minimum wage calculated at a 40-hour work week. For example, in January 2023, exempt employees will need to make at least $31 per hour and $64,480 annually.

Overtime for Agricultural Workers

In 2016, the California legislature also passed Assembly Bill 1066, which created a gradual timetable for agricultural workers as defined by Wage Order 14 to receive overtime pay like

those in other industries. In January 2022, large employers (those with more than 26 employees), and in January 2025, small employers (those with 25 or less employees), will be required to pay overtime to workers once they work more than an eight-hour day or more than 40 hours in a work week. AB 1066, now in its fourth year of implementation, requires large employers to pay overtime at 1.5x the regular rate of pay if an employee works more than eight hours in a day or more than 40 hours in a work week. Beginning this year, small employers will need to begin complying with this regulation and pay overtime wages once a worker reaches more

than 9.5 hours in a day or 55 hours in a workweek.

Recently, the AgSafe team has received several questions regarding this regulation and how to properly calculate hours. Keep in mind, overtime is calculated when an employee exceeds the daily or weekly maximum.

Exceeding the daily hours does not automatically mean an employee will also exceed the weekly threshold. An employee who exceeds the daily maximum would receive 1.5 times their rate of pay for up to 12 hours (12 hours requires double time and an additional meal period.) However, if an employee does not exceed the weekly limit, overtime is only applicable for the days the employee worked longer than 8 or 9.5 hours. It is also possible for an employee to work six days in a week and exceed the weekly maximum without going over the daily limit. Apply overtime only to the hours that exceed the daily or weekly maximums.

As you are gearing up for your 2022 season and find yourself in need of assistance implementing these regulations, please feel free to contact the AgSafe team.

For more information about worker safety, human resources, labor relations and pesticide safety, please visit www. agsafe.org, call (209) 526-4400 or email safeinfo@agsafe.org.

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61

Processors Continue to Deal with Evolving Labor, Supply Issues

By CECILIA PARSONS | Associate Editor

Last year, processors were bracing for a tight labor market and learning to adjust to state mandates regarding employee health. This year, the concern is securing replacement parts for machinery (photo courtesy M. Kelley.)

T

ree nut processors weathered a second tough harand learning to adjust to state mandates regarding employvest season in 2021. An evolving workplace environment ee health. This year, while labor, particularly skilled labor, saw large crops roll in hand-in-hand with labor shortages, remains an issue, there is the added challenge of securing state mandates, workplace rules and transportation issues. replacement parts and other supplies to keep the machinery As the 2022 harvest season approaches, CEOs of processin operation. ing plants report that lessons learned over the past two years “We are planning ahead this year,” Jeff Gibbons, managwill keep their operations moving this year even with the er at the Setton Farms processing plant in Terra Bella, said. new challenges that have emerged.

Vendor performance is a concern for him as spare parts and Last year, processors were bracing for a tight labor market supplies needed for plant operation are often on backorder.

“We are ordering parts and supplies ahead of when they will be needed, just to make sure we have them on-hand,” NEW! 240 KX-Sorter Gibbons added. “We have preferred vendors, but we may NIR+RGB+Shape & X-ray have to go with other brands if what we need isn’t available.”

Equally important with having all the needed replacement parts, machinery and supplies on-hand for pistachio harvest is a stable workforce. Gibbons reported that the plant CI-Sorter has managed to operate throughout the pandemic, but there NIR+RGB+Shape have been some key changes aimed at employee retention and training.

FIRST CLASS SERVICE YOU CAN Finding Skilled Labor RELY ON Experienced personnel leaving for higher pay is a current issue, Gibbons said. Unskilled positions can be filled, he Since 2009 AMVT has specialized in the sales, support and service of optical sorting equipment widely used in said, but workers with skills are finding more employment agriculture, food processing and the plastics recycling opportunities. To counter that, Gibbons said that pay has industries. We go above and beyond to give you the been increased and they are working hard to “keep employvery best product options, prices, advice and service. If you would like to learn more or set up an on-site ees happy.” It is the tech positions that are critical to plant demonstration of our current or new models, feel free to operation, and those are hardest to fill, he said. contact us.

Setton is now working on hiring from within, he said, and training current employees to fill those higher skilled positions. This has proven to be more successful, Gibbons said.

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When pistachio nuts begin rolling into the plant later this summer, Gibbons said they want to be sure the replacement parts for machinery and supplies are on hand (photo by C. Parsons.).

ant to keep hulling operations moving compared to some of the other non-essential operations.

“We will pull them to hulling if necessary,” Gibbons said.

Harvest is Fast-Paced

Mike Kelley, president and CEO of Central California Almond Growers Association, said the 2021 almond harvest presented a tenuous situation

Continued on Page 64

Not knowing about employee absences can put plant operations in jeopardy and may cause the unthinkable situation of a plant having to be shut down (photo by C. Parsons.)

July 2022

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63

Setton Pistachio plant manager Jeff Gibbons said they have been planning ahead to be sure they have the supplies and machine parts needed for this processing season (photo by C. Parsons.)

Continued from Page 63 with labor availability. Farm labor contractors helped by adding workers, but Kelley said it was a difficult situation for supervisors who had to deal with absenteeism due to Covid mandates.

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CCAGA is the largest huller and sheller of almonds in the world and operates two daily 12-hour shifts during the season. Labor presents the largest operating cost at CCAGA with about 129 seasonal employees. Labor accounted for about 50% of operating costs, and that figure is expected to rise as state-mandated pay increases are implemented as well as other pay augmentation just to try and to retain employees.

“A lot of talent is required of our workers. Harvest is fastpaced, and we can’t just put anyone on a machine. If an operator doesn’t show up, we can’t put just anyone in their place,” Kelley said in a 2021 interview with West Coast Nut. Ashley Castro, CCAGA human resources manager, said last year the plant relayed phone messages from employees calling in sick and on supervisors to report employee absences, many required by state mandated quarantine rules. This year, Castro said they will be using an app that lets employees notify them and a ‘dashboard’ that lets them quickly see workforce shortages.

Kelley said that not knowing about employee absences can put plant operations in jeopardy and may cause the unthinkable situation of a plant having to be shut down. Alerts to workforce vulnerabilities will help them adjust to labor shortages, he said.

Hiring practices are also changing. In the past, the CCAGA plants have had about a 60% return rate each year. Kelley said that rate dropped to 53% last year. Even with the lower return rate, he said hiring this season will be on a case-bycase basis with emphasis on past attendance.

He noted that state COVID-19 provisions are expected to remain in place until September 30, well after harvest is underway.

Higher Pay Necessary

Bill Carriere, walnut processor and grower in Glenn

County, said higher pay rates are necessary to hire and keep good employees.

“We are going to be aggressive in keeping seasonal help as long as possible, and we are enhancing benefits and pay to try and be as competitive as possible,” he said. The walnut processor operates in a rural setting and pulls employees from surrounding towns.

Carriere acknowledged that higher fuel prices may make them seek employment closer to home.

On the farming side for Carriere, he said ordering fertilizers and chemicals well ahead of need has become standard practice even as it affects cash flow.

Planning ahead for infrastructure

needs did serve them well this year, Carriere said. Ordering a new metal building six months ago locked in a price that was 73% lower than the current price.

While nut processing plant managers are dealing with day-to-day challenges, Western Agricultural Processors Association President Roger Isom is concerned with the bigger picture of moving product to market.

“The biggest challenge I hear is the port crisis and all of the issues related to it. First and foremost are the delays in getting export shipments out and missing market opportunities and possibly even affecting long-term customer

relationships and losing market share to foreign competitors,” he said.

Isom added that because the shipments haven’t gone out, there is a big stockpile of product, and building and handlers are running out of storage bins. He said there are concerns about major bin shortages this coming season.

Along with that is the possibility of extra fumigations because product is not moving and needs to be re-fumigated. Some companies are bumping up against their limits, he said.

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65

Seeds for Bees Annual Survey Results: Observations & Implications for Researchers and Growers

By RORY CROWLEY | Director of Habitat Programs, Project Apis m.

P

roject Apis m. (PAm) has four core values that guide everything we do. We are science-based, collaborative, practical and accountable as well as efficient and flexible. These values served as the basis for launching our Seeds for Bees Annual Survey some years ago, which is conducted every year and is a requirement for awardees.

This year, our survey consisted of 25 questions, including standard questions such as “What do you produce?” and “At what time of the year did you plant your bee-forage cover crop?” Beyond the standard information, many of our questions are grounded in our four core values and help us understand grower challenges and successes, informing changes and improvements to the Seeds for Bees program.

A nice stand of PAm Brassica Mix during almond bloom (all photos courtesy Project Apis m.)

Survey Contents and Results

Let’s start with some basics about what kind of grower participates in the Seeds for Bee Program. Roughly 71% of respondents grew almonds and planted Seeds for Bees cover crop in this context. Walnuts and wine grapes were distant second and third, accounting

Seeds for Bees encourages the use of cover crops to increase the density, diversity and duration of bee forage in California orchards, farms and vineyards while improving soil health.

for 19% and 12%, respectively.

Beyond this, we decided to ask about a few main topic areas. We asked growers what their goals were for planting.

We also asked growers some questions 66

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July 2022

about frost and water and how these interacted with their cover crop. These last two were new for this year.

Continued on Page 68

What are your primary objectives for participating in Seeds for Bees?

Check all that apply and if "other" please specify)

Survey results showed clearly that growers care about bees, not just their soil.

Continued from Page 66

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Reduced fertilizer efficiency can be expected when the soil acidity is not adequately managed. The routine addition of quality aglime products will help maintain a near neutral soil pH and increase the effectiveness of fertilizers while reducing the amount of money wasted.

Check with your certified crop advisor for more information on fertilizer efficiency.

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West Coast Nut

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In terms of a producer’s goals, we asked, “What are your primary objectives for participating in Seeds for Bees?” The results were fascinating. 93% responded “Support honeybee health, beekeepers and pollination security” and 85% responded “Soil Health.” This was surprising to me. I thought that our growers would have had soil health top the list. Not so. Edging out a slight majority was supporting honeybees, beekeepers and pollination security! Obviously, a very close second was soil health. Bottom line: our growers care about bees, not just their soil.

Next, a cover crop’s influence on frost and water use are huge considerations for growers. Therefore, it became necessary to ask sets of questions that drilled into how growers feel about these areas. More importantly, we wanted to know what growers were seeing and experiencing, not just feeling.

Though this is anecdotal, growers are smart, innovative and adaptive. What they are seeing in practice goes a long way in my book. Let’s start with frost.

We asked three questions that were not categorized as ‘required,’ meaning not everyone who took the survey answered the frost questions. We asked, “Did you experience a frost event?” and “If you experienced a frost event, how did you manage your bee forage cover crop prior?” and finally, “What was the result of your management decision about bee forage cover crop and frost?”

65% of all respondents answered that they experienced a frost event of some kind, and the remainder said they did not or did not answer. 51% of all respondents answered they left their cover crop “As-is.” And 14% said they “Mowed to

prevent frost damage.”

To the question, “What resulted from your management decision?”, 33% of respondents who experienced a frost event said that they “Did not mow, and cover crop appeared to prevent frost damage;” 13% said “Mowing cover crop appeared to prevent frost damage;” and 12% said that they “Did not mow, and cover crop appeared to exacerbate frost damage.”

These results are telling, but let’s look at our water use efficiency question first.

Perhaps most intriguing was what our growers told us about water use efficiency. We asked a simple question: “Do you feel that bee forage cover crop improves water use efficiency or hinders it as related to your water budget for your commercial cash crop?” Just over a quarter of respondents believe that cover crops improved their water use efficiency for their cash crop, while 61%, marked that no observable difference could be seen, and only five respondents marked “hindered” their water use efficiency as it related to their cash crop (10% of respondents put comments in the “other” category to explain some combination of the first three options.)

What does all this tell us?

you are finished with our free seed program?”

In the years we have been collecting answers, 90% to 96% of respondents have answered “Yes” to this question. Seeds for Bees works. Cover crops work. Growers are noticing that cover crops help bees and their soil, and consequently, their yield and income. Frost and water issues notwithstanding, growers plant cover crops for bee and soil health and productivity, and they are getting results in their crop, so much so that they plan to invest in cover crops every year on their own time and dime.

One last note on the momentum cover crop is gaining: after only a few weeks of the Seeds for Bees Open Enrollment, we have almost enough applications and acres to fulfill 50% of our goal, which is 15,000 acres of planted cover crops this year. Growers are getting it, and we might have a hard time keeping up. Our encouragement to all growers this year is don’t wait, get your application in now because we must close the doors when funding is exhausted. To apply, go to projectapism.org/apply-to-enroll.html.

Analyzing the Data

Comments about this article? We want to hear from you. Feel free to email us at article@jcsmarketinginc.com

First, for the research community, the data mean a few things. Most fundamentally, we need more researchers to tackle producers’ questions about cover crop’s unique interplay with frost and water in California’s working lands.

Growers are seeing much more unique and nuanced interactions than past research has argued, and they are taking note.

To take this survey data on frost to its logical conclusion, we are forced to say that our frost research is dated, ostensibly subjective and limited, and perhaps has a one size-fits-all/ cookie-cutter approach that demands much more careful distinction over multiple microenvironments, management styles, soil types, crops and cover crop species used, just to name a few. Bottom line: the majority of growers are not experiencing what past research purports, and indeed, they are experiencing the opposite in many cases.

With water use efficiency, sound scholarship in cover crops needs to continue, much like the Sandoval-Solis Lab’s work with Alyssa DeVincentis, Jeff Mitchell and others (watermanagement.ucdavis.edu/files/5816/4091/8313/Devincentis_et_al._2021._Cover_Crop_Water_Use.pdf), which gave almond growers the confidence to plant winter annuals in their systems without changing irrigation practices.

Second, this data should tell us that for growers on the fence about implementing cover crops, we need to challenge standard conventions and old misnomers, dare I say myths, about what we think we know about cover crops, frost and water. Even though the proof is in the pudding, we must eat it to be convinced. For those who have not planted cover crops, there is one more survey result that should be considered, because growers listen to growers.

Perhaps one of the strongest indicators of our progress and a grower’s confidence in cover crops, even with water and frost considerations, is the answer growers give to one simple question, “Will you keep planting cover crops after

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69

Pecan Grower Karlene Hanf Will Lead the California Pecan Growers Association

By CECILIA PARSONS | Associate Editor

C

alifornia Pecan Growers Association’s new president, Karlene Hanf, believes the pecan industry in the state will continue to grow and thrive.

With research and education, she adds, the association will play an active role in the growth of this native tree nut.

“There are some challenges for growers, but they have found pecan trees can adapt to different conditions and be productive here,” Hanf said. “We also have some environmental advantages in California.

“The industry here has a lot of room for growth,” she added. “Domestic and international sales are getting stronger.”

Between stronger domestic prices for pecans and a Federal Marketing Order to improve pecan quality, production practices and marketing, Hanf said pecan production has a future in California. The state currently supplies about 2% of the nation’s pecan production.

A pecan grower and field representative for Linwood Nursery, Hanf said there has been sustained pecan acreage growth in California with a recent estimate of about 5,000 acres throughout the Central Valley. About 100 to 200 acres of pecan trees are planted annually in California.

Room for Growth

Many pecan growers include those who already grow other tree nuts and

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Karlene Hanf was chosen to lead the California Pecan Growers Association at the Pecan Day held in Yuba City in April (photo courtesy K. Hanf.)

are looking to diversify. These growers are looking to capitalize on spreading their hard costs of farming and harvest equipment over a longer harvest season.

Other prospective growers want to invest in a permanent crop but have class #2 soil or ground that periodically floods from river overflow or underground seepage.

Hanf concedes that pecan production in California pales in comparison to the behemoth almond, pistachio and walnut crops, but growers are finding that pecan trees have some unique capabilities that allow them to be grown and produce where other tree nuts may not be a good fit.

“The belief has been that pecan trees need a lot of water, and that is not necessarily true,” Hanf said. “The trees can handle different environments. They don’t need as much water as we once thought.” Different irrigation practices, such as drip and microirrigation, help in this area. Implementing moisture monitoring equipment helps determine the right amount of water for the trees and avoids underwatering as well as overwatering, which in today’s environment is extremely important.

Pecans are Tough

Hanf cited a long Texas drought in a pecan growing area where trees received zero measurable rainfall or irrigation for 465 days. Almost all the trees

did not die, she said, and they recovered from the water stress much faster than expected. Production rebounded by the second and third years.

Hanf said pecan trees can tolerate heavier soils and areas with higher water tables, but they can also adapt to drier conditions. Pecans represent a chance to use poorer ground for a long-term investment crop. She said the recommendation is a minimum of four to five feet of well-drained soil to grow pecans.

One area where California pecan growers are at a disadvantage is the limited processing facilities. HNH Nut in Visalia does an excellent job; however, currently they are the only largescale processor in the state.

Hanf was chosen to lead the California Pecan Growers Association at the Pecan Day held in Yuba City in April.

Hanf has been with Green Tree Nursery for 31 years, first as the Controller and then in 2002 transitioning to a field representative when Jason Hall, owner of Green Tree Nursery purchased Linwood Nursery. Most deciduous fruit and nut trees are grown

by Green Tree Nursery and Linwood Nursery has continued to grow the pecans.

She said the nursery owners saw the potential for pecan production in California fitting in on ground less suitable for almonds and walnuts. She has spent

Pecans represent a chance to use poorer ground for a long-term investment crop (photo courtesy American Pecan Council.)

time touring pecan orchards in other pecan-growing states to determine their needs for pecan trees.

Hanf is also a pecan grower. She and her husband, Mike, planted their first block of pecans in April of 2019, establishing Mid-Valley Pecan Company.

They are anticipating their first harvest this year at the end of fourth leaf.

CPGA Board Plans

Hanf said she and the Board of Directors of the California Pecan Growers Association have been meeting and discussing new activities and education for the association including the goal of having annual meetings. The association, formed in the late 1970s and presently has about 75 members. The association is also starting a membership sign-up promotion. Hanf said she and the Board would like to provide more educational opportunities and work to further more research in the pecan industry.

Serving on the CPGA Board are Vice President Blake Houston of HNH Nut in Visalia, Secretary Seth Lawrence of Golden State Pecans in Red Bluff, Treasurers Ammy Reyes of Bypass Farms in West Sacramento, and Brody Blain of Blain Farms in Visalia, Mark Hendrixson of Curtis Mountain Farming in Exeter, Keith Larrabee of Larrabee Farms in Butte City, Stan Schmidt of S&S Farms in Butte City and Steve Burgess of Burgess Ag in Arbuckle.

“We want to get the association on track engaging members, holding field days and sending out quarterly newsletters,” Hanf said.

“We really want to make the association stronger and responsive to grower needs.” Another goal the board has set is to get social media platforms up and running. They are targeted to have the California Pecan Growers Association website up and running within the next two months.

Hanf cited the new Federal Marketing Order approved by USDA to help pecan growers make gains in the market. The order allows collection of an assessment on inshell and shelled nut weight that will be used to fund marketing efforts and research.

When asked about the Voluntary Quality Assurance Program, Hanf stated that the program is a voluntary program developed by the American Pecan Council to put in place a set of verifiable quality assurance standards.

This will bring transparency to the pecan consumer. Good agricultural practices developed for pecan production nationwide are designed to instill consumer faith in the quality of pecans.

“Many of our growers have already been following most of these guidelines to ensure crop safety and quality,” Hanf said.

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71

A WORD FROM THE BOARD: AMERICAN PECAN COUNCIL

WHAT’S CRACKIN’ IN THE EVOLVING U.S. PECAN INDUSTRY

By AMERICAN PECAN COUNCIL | Contributing Writer

W

e are halfway through 2022, and it has already been such a busy year for the pecan industry. Some recent developments have included the finalizing of the drafted voluntary Quality Assurance Program (QAP) and opening the comment period for the revised U.S. pecan industry inshell and shelled meat standards. On top of that, voting for the American Pecan Council’s (APC) 2022-26 Council member and alternate elections wrapped up on June 6. Read on for the latest updates of what’s crackin’ in the rapidly evolving and progressing U.S. pecan industry.

Voluntary Quality Assurance Program Comments

As mentioned in one of our previous articles, APC held a public comment period for the draft of the industry’s first-ever voluntary Quality Assurance Program from April 28 through May 31, 2022. The voluntary Quality Assurance Program is aimed at providing transparency to pecan buyers by demonstrating the industry’s efforts to meet consumer needs while showcasing the growing and processing practices performed across the country to produce an exceptional product.

The American Pecan Council began development of the voluntary Quality Assurance Program in response to the U.S. pecan industry’s commitment to improving transparency across its supply chain by acknowledging and enhancing current industry practices

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and initiatives. The voluntary QAP provides the industry with an avenue to communicate to consumers the high quality of the U.S. pecan product. In its final form, the voluntary Quality Assurance Program will be accompanied by resources and templates for industry members to facilitate program participation and onboarding.

Throughout the first four phases of the project, APC, with the assistance of KCoe, has worked to gather as much feedback from as many folks internal and external to the U.S. pecan industry to set a solid foundation for the vol-

untary Program. Industry’s feedback continues to be vital to ensure the voluntary QAP is relevant, achievable and valuable across the entire U.S. pecan industry. Thank you to everyone who provided comments for the drafted Quality Assurance Program thus far!

KCoe Isom, who has been helping APC develop the voluntary program, has been diligently gathering all input anonymously to be able to incorporate it into the drafted voluntary program.

The Quality Assurance Program working group as well as the Grades & Standards Committee will evaluate any

changes before presenting it before the Council for final approval.

We encourage you to contact your regional Council representative or the APC office to learn more about your program!

APC Member & Alternate Elections

The American Pecan Council (APC), with United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) oversight, provides authority for data collection, research and promotion activities, and regulation of grade, size, quality, pack and containers for pecans. Nominations took place from February 16, 2022 to March 31, 2022 for Council member & alternate seats whose terms are ending in 2022. APC concluded the grower and sheller elections for the 2022-26 Council member and alternate slate on June 6. All ballots then went directly to USDA for verification and counting.

Once the results are finalized by USDA, APC will send out an announcement to industry.

Revised Inshell & Shelled Meats Standards

The Proposed Rule to revise the U.S. Standards for Grades of Pecans in the Shell and the U.S. Standards for Grades of Shelled Pecans was published on June 1, 2022 and is open for public comment through August 1, 2022.

The 60-day comment period is provided for interested persons to submit comments on the proposed revised Grade Standards. Individuals can submit written comments to the USDA, Specialty Crops Inspection Division, 100 Riverside Parkway, Suite 101, Fredericksburg, VA 22406; via fax to (540) 361–1199; or, at regulations.gov. Comments should reference the date and page number of this issue of the Federal Register. Comments will be posted without change, including any personal information provided. All comments received within the comment period will become part of the public record maintained by the Agency and will be made available to the public via regulations.gov.

The American Pecan Council began development of the voluntary Quality Assurance Program in response to the U.S. pecan industry’s commitment to improving transparency across its supply chain by acknowledging and enhancing current industry practices and initiatives (all photos courtesy American Pecan Council.)

On June 12, 2020, the APC unanimously voted and petitioned AMS to revise the U.S. Standards for Grades of Pecans in the Shell and the U.S. Standards for Grades of Shelled Pecans (Standards or Grade Standards). The effort to update the Standards was initiated by the National Pecan Shellers Association (NPSA) to be carried out through the U.S. pecan industry’s Federal Marketing Order, APC. The purpose of the update to the Standards was to modernize language and ensure effectiveness within the industry. APC noted that the pecan Standards have not been substan-

tially updated since 1969, the year they were issued, and the terminology of the Standards no longer reflects current industry descriptions and practices. Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) amended the U.S. Standards for Grades of Shelled Pecans and the U.S. Standards for Grades of Pecans in the Shell in December 2018. The revisions included replacing the term “midget” with “extra small” in the Shelled Pecan standards and removing references to plastic models of pecan kernels and information on where the color standards may be examined from both standards. Apart from this adjustment, there have been no updates since the original publishing of the Standards in 1969. Over the last two years, APC Grades & Standards committee has been working with USDA to ensure the standards aligned with USDA guidelines. The Standards remain voluntary.

APC on the Road

This year, travel has been back in full swing. It has truly been a breath of fresh air to be back in the field and seeing everyone face to face. In February, APC representatives met growers in El Paso and the North Carolina Pecan Growers Association. March and April held meetings with the Western Pecan

Continued on Page 74

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APC has recently proposed to revise the U.S. Standards for Grades of Pecans in the Shell and the U.S. Standards for Grades of Shelled Pecans.

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West Coast Nut

July 2022

Continued from Page 73 Growers Association, Georgia Pecan Growers Association and the Ag Commodity Round Table. In May, APC representatives embarked on a tour in Georgia to meet with more than 125 Georgia pecan growers and rounded it out with stops in Oklahoma and Texas.

On top of that, APC also attended Today’s Dietitian Spring Symposium in Florida. There was no slowing down in June when APC representatives attended the Oklahoma Pecan Growers Association conference and the TriState Pecan conference. APC also met with growers in New Mexico. APPB and APC committee meetings, also took place at the end of June. In the month of July, APC will be attending the Texas Pecan Growers Association meeting as well as a meeting with the California Pecan Growers Association. APPB and APC will be hosting their Board/Council meetings at the end of July. Keep an eye out for more information on the Industry Events page of the APC website.

All committee and Council meetings are open for public and are posted on the American Pecan Council’s Industry Events page.

With so much going on, the best way to stay in the know is to sign up for APC’s industry updates delivered directly to your inbox. Visit americanpecan.com/ for-industry/industry-registration/ to register today or contact info@americanpecan.com if you have any questions about your registration status.

Comments about this article? We want to hear from you. Feel free to email us at article@jcsmarketinginc.com

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