West Coast Nut - November 2022

WEST COAST NUT

NOVEMBER 2022 ISSUE

SPOTLIGHT ARTICLE:

GOT ALMOND HULLS? NEW RESEARCH ON HULLS AS DAIRY FEED SEE PAGE 26

IN THIS ISSUE:

REPLANT DISEASE PREVENTION MAY INCLUDE ALTERNATIVE ROOTSTOCKS SEE PAGE 46

SOIL AMENDMENT CONSIDERATIONS FOR FALL SEE PAGE 30

PRODUCED IN THE HEART OF

WEST COAST NUT HOLDS FUNDRAISER IN WOODLAND FOR NICKELS SOIL LAB SEE PAGE 38

JANUARY 5th-6th, 2023

BY REAL CALIFORNIANS

See pages 39

JANUARY 19th, 2023

See page 25

PUBLICATION

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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 Almond Board of California Contributing Writer

Theresa Kiehn President and CEO, AgSafe

American Pecan Council Contributing Writer

Rich Kreps CCA, SSp., Contributing Writer

​​ ubrey Bettencourt A President, Almond Alliance of California

Mitch Lies Contributing Writer

Vicky Boyd Contributing Writer Taylor Chalstrom Assistant Editor Kathy Coatney Contributing Writer

Catherine Merlo Contributing Writer Alireza Pourreza Assistant Professor, UC Davis; Director, Digital Agriculture Lab; Founder, Kobin Analytics

​​ oger A. Isom R President/CEO, Western Agricultural Processors Association

UC Cooperative Extension Advisory Board Surendra K. Dara Director, North Willamette Research and Extension Center Kevin Day County Director/UCCE Pomology Farm Advisor, Tulare/Kings Counties Elizabeth Fichtner UCCE Farm Advisor, Tulare County

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

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

Award Winning Editorial By the Industry, For the Industry

IN THIS ISSUE 4 10

Self-Fertile Almonds on the Rise

14

How Specialty Crop Farmers Can Benefit from Drones and Remote Sensing

18 22 26

We are Not Done Yet: COVID-19 Employer Regulations Extended

Every Year Brings Surprises for Tree Nut Growers, But Plan Anyway

Understanding Evolving MRLs and Impacts to Pecan Growers Got Almond Hulls? Researchers Delve into Hull Use, Nutritional Suitability as Dairy Cow Feed

30 34 38 40 44 46 50

Soil Amendment Considerations for Fall

52 56

An Early Look at the 2022 Almond Harvest Shows Damage Trend

60 64 68

Plant Growth Regulator Eyed to Hasten Nut Drop in Hazelnuts West Coast Nut Magazine Holds Fundraiser for Nickels Soil Labs View from the Top: Through a Banker’s Eyes The Ridiculous California Bee-Fish Replant Disease Prevention May Include Alternative Rootstocks Planning for Rain: Preparation Will Ensure Any Moisture Received Is Used Efficiently

New Cooperative Extension Hires Expand Personnel Specializing in Tree Nuts Pesticide Activists Aiming Their Arrows at Agriculture Again Managing Bacterial Blast of Almond with Kasugamycin The Almond Conference 2022 Education to Focus on ROI

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

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.

SPOTLIGHT ARTICLE: Got Almond Hulls?

Research looks into nutritional suitability of almond hulls as dairy cow feed.

See page 26

November 2022

www.wcngg.com

3

Self-Fertile Almonds on the Rise

Growers Continue to Appreciate Reduced Overall Production Costs and Other Benefits

By MITCH LIES | Contributing Writer Shasta has a heavy crop set and can tend to weep over if the trees aren’t being pruned to strengthen limbs (photo courtesy Burchell Nursery.)

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F

ranz Niederholzer, UCCE farm advisor for Colusa and Sutter/Yuba counties, has witnessed a dramatic growth in the production of self-fertile almond varieties over the past few years. And, provided the varieties continue performing as they have, he sees no change to this growth trajectory.

“10 years ago, Roger Duncan (UCCE Stanislaus County) said he thought that self-fertile varieties had the potential to change the industry, and he was right,” Niederholzer said.

“But it has to be varieties that fit the entire industry, from the grower up to the consumer.”

Self-fertile varieties certainly have the attention of breeders, Niederholzer said. He noted that a big portion of the UC variety trials are planted to self-fertile, both public and private varieties. And growers are finding multiple benefits in the varieties.

“I think the biggest thing growers like is the reduction in the overall cost of production,” he said. “[The savings on] bees are a big part of it, because that is one big check that growers write, but all the other factors are a part of it, too.”

To get an idea of the growth curve of self-fertile almond varieties in California, in 2012, according to USDA, 2,430 acres were planted to the most popular variety Independence. A decade later, in 2021, 78,909 acres were planted to the Zaiger Genetics variety that is licensed by Dave Wilson Nursery, making it the fifth most popular almond variety in California.

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A decade after commercialization, nearly 80,000 acres have been planted to the Zaiger Genetics’ Independence variety that is licensed by Dave Wilson Nursery, making it the fifth most popular almond variety in California (photo courtesy Dave Wilson Nursery.)

Continued from Page 4 Shasta, the second-most-popular thing,” he said. in a way that reduces their workload. self-fertile variety, has increased its But the varieties are by no means “We are seeing with Shasta because it presence from 120 acres in 2015 to isolated to small blocks, nursery execdoes crop up so much, they tend to 8,732 acres last year. utive said. “A guy just planted [the new weep over if you are not pruning it to “I think more people will plant Burchell self-fertile variety] Pyrenees in strengthen the limbs, and you do need self-fertile varieties,” said Tom Burchell Chowchilla on 300 acres,” Burchell said. to tie it with a rope,” Burchell said. “A of Burchell Nursery in Oakdale, which “So, I think they are being planted on lot of growers don’t like that as it is a introduced the Shasta variety in 2015. both small acreages and large acreages little bit extra work. But we are working “I think Nonpareil is still king, so I in some places.” on pruning techniques to strengthen don’t think the self-fertile varieties will those main scaffolds so that it can hold take that over. But if growers look at Growing Familiarity the heavier crop that does come with it.” their input costs, if growers have limGrowers also are getting more Issues with sticktights, which ited amount of acres to plant, I think familiar with the trees, nursery exdogged the varieties in their early years, self-fertile has a place.” ecutives said, and more comfortable have been resolved, nursery executives Reid Robinson, CEO of Sierra Gold planting and managing the varieties. said, primarily by waiting a little longer Nurseries in Yuba City, which sells Because Independence is a smaller on harvest timing. And treating for Independence, Shasta and Yorizane, tree, for example, growers are planting bacterial diseases or other diseases gena new self-fertile variety released by them closer together than conventional erally is easier in self-fertile orchards, USDA, said the varieties are particular- varieties, Robinson said. And, he said, given that orchards are planted to one ly adaptable to small acreages that are growers are discovering Independence variety and one shot at the appropriinconvenient to farm. “They can move does better on the more vigorous rootate timing can provide the necessary in there and harvest these 10 to 15 acres stocks. Also, the tree is easier to prune control. in one shot. They can go over there and than more vigorous trees.

Also, growers typically get away spray one time, go over there and shake The Shasta variety, conversely, can with a single shake at harvest in one time. And they don’t have to bring require more aggressive pruning, self-fertile varieties, significantly rein as many bees.

Burchell said, but, here again, growers ducing harvest costs and cutting down “It is just an efficiency-of-farming are learning how to prune the tree on dust, which can be an issue in some 6

West Coast Nut

November 2022

areas.

Lessons Learned in Pollination

And then there are the savings in pollination costs. At $200 a hive and with two to three hives required per acre to pollinate the conventional varieties, hive rental costs can be substantial. And while nursery executives are not saying no hives are needed in self-fertile plantings, the number of hives needed is scaled back dramatically.

“We recommend one hive to half a hive per acre,” Burchell said regarding Burchell Nursery’s self-fertile varieties.

“The bees do help stir around or move around the pollen. We don’t recommend no bees.”

“It is all just about risk management,” Robinson said. “I would feel comfortable with half a hive an acre. I would feel more comfortable with one hive an acre. And I would want to know my bee supplier. That is something that tends to get lost in the translation here. A half a hive to one guy can be a full hive to

another guy, depending on how many frames they have and depending on what condition they are in.

“If you have a good relationship with your beekeeper and you know the hives you are going to be getting are strong, then I would probably feel more comfortable with half a hive an acre,” Robinson said.

Niederholzer noted that the industry standard for conventional orchards of two to three hives per acre is based on eight frames per hive. And, he noted, evidence has shown that two strong hives per acre are as good or better than three weak hives in moving pollen around the orchard.

“Beekeepers point out that it is not how many boxes you have out sitting in the orchard,” Niederholzer said, “it is how many bees you have out there working the flowers. And the bees are counted by bee-covered frames and not hives.”

In certain areas, weather issues can

Continued on Page 8

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Continued from Page 7 play havoc with bee pollination, regardless of the number and strength of hives in an orchard, putting an added premium on self-fertile varieties.

“In the south, they have great bloom overlap with just two pollinizers, Monterrey and Nonpareil,” Robinson said.

“They have longer blooms that match up and they have really long bee flight time where there is no rain and it is always warm enough for the bees to be

flying. Up north, it can be cold, rainy, windy and we need more pollinizers. It is a different story.

“There are kind of these little microclimates where having these self-fertile varieties makes a lot of sense in the north part of the state,” Robinson said.

One factor that could slow the rate of increase in self-fertile varieties is price. The premiums paid for Nonpareil are attractive to growers, executives

Burchell Nursery’s self-fertile almond variety Pyrenees is a medium-sized nut in a semi-hard shell. The tree has vigorous growth and is medium in size (photo courtesy Burchell Nursery.)

said. And the cost of purchasing a self-fertile variety tree, with the exception of the public variety Yorizane, is higher than purchasing a conventional tree, given the royalty attached to the self-fertile varieties.

Also, growers are finding that some self-fertile varieties require more fertility and irrigation to maximize their yield potential.

Still, the attractions are significant, and as growers become more comfortable producing self-fertile varieties, obstacles that could slow acceptance appear to be going by the wayside.

“If the industry accepts the nut, I see the production of self-fertile varieties continuing to increase,” Niederholzer said.

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Every Year Brings Surprises for Tree Nut Growers, But Plan Anyway

By CECILIA PARSONS | Associate Editor

D

etermining water and labor availability, weighing input costs against market prices and making plans for orchard sites are all vital parts of making both one-year and multi-year plans for tree nut orchards.

Plans may have to have some built-in flexibility, but they are also a way of charting a course through potentially tough financial and agronomic times.

“Every year offers surprises,” noted UC Davis agricultural economist Dan Sumner.

“When cost of production is higher than price, you have to figure out where to cut costs, but be sure long-term health of your trees is not affected,” Bill Carriere, Glenn County walnut grower and processor, said.

Sumner said that recognizing new issues will arise in 2023, and every forecast is subject to change.

There is no doubt that water availability in 2023 is foremost in most every grower’s mind. Precipitation during the coming water season is fundamental, Sumner said. A great water year will allow some space for gradual adjustments; another poor water year will leave all of California agriculture in desperate straits.

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Planning for water availability is no easy task. But plan anyway.

Growers looking for long-range guidance on water availability can look at the National Weather Service Climate Prediction model, he said, but should still plan for a range of scenarios going forward. The Sustainable Groundwater Management Act is not going away, Sumner said, nor are environmental demands for water. Agriculture, including tree nuts, will continue to make do with less.

Inflation means higher input prices for tree nut crops.

Sumner said higher prices plus higher labor costs will challenge margins in the coming season. High interest rates mean that generating net returns to planting nut crops, with very long horizons before full production is achieved, is even more challenging.

Sumner added that no one can reliably predict exchange movements, but exports cannot benefit from high value of the dollar, which means foreign customers are paying a higher price in terms of yen, won, pounds or Euros, even when exporters or growers here receive only moderate prices in U.S. dollar terms. He said this adds one more burden to generating higher prices in dollar terms. A U.S. (and global) recession may be on the horizon given the government’s response to inflation and would add to the burden, Sumner concluded.

Taking a hard look at the ground is also necessary when planning for 2023. Neiderholzer noted in Sacramento Valley Walnut News that plans are important, but they should also be flexible.

For growers with multiple blocks of orchards, a hard assessment of individual costs, yields, age of orchard, variety and rootstock helps with forming an overall management plan.

Carriere said the biggest thing in his operations’ plan for next year is looking at the historical yield of orchards and assessing what worked this year. If, given the age and variety of the block, plus the market, there is no improvement in production, a decision has to be made to pull.

As an example, he said they are taking a hard look at Hartley orchards as the market is shrinking and the trees are relatively old. These are in a phase-out plan, he said.

Continued on Page 12

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Continued from Page 10 Carriere said they start long-term planning following harvest, weighing the expense of pulling an orchard plus not realizing an income from the ground in the short term.

It is important to analyze the varieties and their markets, looking at both short- and long-term prospects.

“Do we milk it one more year or replace it?” he asked.

He said planning is done for the coming year as well as three to five years ahead. In the meantime, they may be executing plans made 10 to 15 years ago.Plans may be tentative, he said, but they are plans.

Make Tough Decisions to Manage Input Costs

Wilbur Ellis Technical Nutrition Agronomist Matt Comrey said managing input costs will require some tough decisions by growers. Starting with dry inputs, he said to look carefully at soil nutrition levels and tissue samples. Consult with your crop consultant, he said, and discuss what is necessary to maintain crop health and what might be skipped.

This also might be a year where leaching orchard soils during dormancy can be helpful, Comrey added.

“This might be a time to ‘lean on’ consultants, work on historical orchard inputs and trends and come up with a plan.”

When it comes to land use and options for orchards, Comrey said production levels, what kind of water district you are in and financing will drive decisions on pulling and redeveloping an orchard site.

Water availability and costs will be limiting factors in 12

West Coast Nut

November 2022

“When cost of production is higher than price, you have to figure out where to cut costs, but be sure longterm health of your trees is not affected.”

– Bill Carriere, walnut grower and processor pistachio production going forward, said Richard Matoian, president of American Pistachio Growers.

Location of pistachio orchard or orchard sites can determine if water will

be available. Surface water delivered from the state or federal projects may or may not be an option, particularly in the amounts needed and at the cost.

Purchasing water north of the Delta may not be possible due to pumping restrictions, Matoian said.

Plans for irrigation next year could also be impacted by SGMA if groundwater is the source of irrigation water.

“Groundwater agencies are already telling growers there will be limits on pumping as we go closer to full implementation of SGMA,” Matoian said.

“There will be fees for pumping over the limits.”

When planning for the future, he said options include paying fees, which will depend on the economics of the commodity being produced, fallowing land or purchasing land for pumping rights.

Growers who need to make longer-term decisions may have challenges,

said Almond Board of California President and CEO Richard Waycott. Many of the Central Valley almond growers are multi-generational growers and may have to look at changes in their operations depending on their water situations.

Their ability to relocate to orchard sites with more water dependability will depend on their financial capabilities and land values, Waycott said.

In their favor, tree nuts, particularly almond and pistachio, are both crops that do well agronomically in the Central Valley and have less foreign competition that many other crops.

The tipping point, Waycott said, will be cost of production and water.

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

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HOW SPECIALTY CROP FARMERS CAN BENEFIT FROM DRONES AND REMOTE SENSING

By ALIREZA POURREZA | Assistant Professor, UC Davis; Director, Digital Agriculture Lab; Founder, Kobin Analytics

Remote sensing (RS) involves collecting information from sensors deployed on satellites, aircraft, drones or on the ground and the analytics of this data to convert them to insightful knowledge that can be integrated into the farm management decision-making process.

T

here has been a considerable increase in remote sensing techniques (RS) over the last decade. Remote sensing can provide farmers with information on crop health, soil conditions and climate, and opportunities to make better management decisions. The accessibility of uncrewed aerial

systems (UAS) provides several potential benefits of using RS techniques for specialty crop production. One recent advantage is that growers can use affordable drones equipped with imaging sensors to monitor key plant attributes such as plant height, volume, photosynthesis potential, temperature, chlorophyll, nitrogen and diseases throughout the field. However, there are still uncertainties about the best way to use this technology for specialty crop production. The primary focus of this article is on remote sensing in specialty crops: How does it work? Why should growers be interested? What are the applications of RS in specialty crops? And what drawbacks or limitations should growers consider before adopting RS technology?

This article will also provide basic information on spectral analysis and discusses the output uncertainty of some common aerial image interpretation processes and how to recognize and avoid misleading outputs that would otherwise lead to risky decision-making.

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Remote sensing (RS) includes information acquired from electromagnetic energy that is reflected or emitted by the earth to provide spatial and time-integrated information. It involves collecting information from sensors deployed on satellites, aircraft, drones or on the ground and the analytics of this data to convert them to insightful knowledge that can be integrated into the farm management decision-making process.

The interaction of sunlight with vegetation (how light is absorbed or scattered) varies based on how they function in the environment. The fundamental properties of leaf spectra were defined a few decades ago. Leaves’ light absorption and scattering behavior can be affected by crop type, water content, leaf pigments, nitrogen, chlorophyll, disease, stress and age. MultispecContinued on Page 16

Continued from Page 14 tral cameras mounted on fixed wings or rotary drones are the most common means of UAS-based remote sensing available to growers. Multispectral cameras are similar to RGB cameras but usually have more than three channels covering visible and near-infrared (400 to 1000 nm) regions.

Two non-visible spectral bands commonly used for multispectral sensors are red edge (within 670 to 760 nm) and near-infrared (NIR, 800 to 900 nm). Imagery from multispectral cameras is usually used to generate vegetation indices (VI), such as normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI=(NIR-Red)/(NIR+Red)) and Normalized Difference Red Edge (NDRE=(NIR-RedEdge)/(NIR+RedEdge)) that combines two or more bands to generate a single index to indicate plant status. However, various plant health and vigor parameters often influence the index value, making it difficult to draw an inevitable conclu-

sion. Also, the calibration process for one particular camera cannot be transferred to another because of various instrumental characteristics. Therefore, spectral models based on VIs are often not generalizable and highly influenced by the specific dataset used for model calibration. Also, VI-based RS models are purely empirical that ignore the mechanism of light interactions with vegetation.

Alternatively, physical-based models use radiative transfer theory to predict plant traits mechanistically based on the amount of light energy absorbed by the plant and its photosynthetic performance. These models were developed mainly through monochromatic light absorption and reflectance measurements, which are difficult to capture by multispectral cameras individually.

Mechanistic models still face many difficulties regarding the simulated physical processes and their accuracy in predicting plant health. Still, they offer a robust interpretation that minimizes the uncertainty compared to the pure

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Transition to regenerative and sustainable crop production requires the adoption of precision agriculture (PA) practices, which requires accurate, timely and precise information about plant health, productivity and stress statuses. Farmers can supplement their existing data collection systems with RS methods to conduct frequent and large-scale crop monitoring, obtain helpful insight into their field variability, and determine strategies to manage the less productive or stressed zones differently so that they can recover and the entire field can produce more uniformly.

Remote sensing can provide farmers with objective, timely and precise information to manage crops more efficiently and optimize soil health management practices. One of the potential benefits of RS is that growers can monitor disease-stricken areas of crops and assist in deciding when to spray fungicides or nutrient sprays based on plant photosynthetic status and vigor indicators. Also, growers can gain insight into nitrogen content variability throughout the field through RS-based monitoring systems that will help them to avoid crop loss or soil contamination due to under- or over-fertilization

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The most frequent uses of remote sensing in specialty crops are classified into seven groups: water status monitoring, disease detection and control, yield mapping and prediction, nutrient management, phenotyping (breeding), soil and salinity monitoring, and other managerial practices.

Plants under water stress usually show higher temperatures compared to well-watered plants. Thermal sensing is a traditional method to monitor crop water stress, determine evapotranspiration (ET) and identify a leak or clog in the irrigation system.

Plant disease or any factor that prevents plants from reaching their maximum productivity can show signals that are detectable by spectral cameras. For example, diseases that

THE NUT YOU THOUGHT YOU KNEW, IS SO Farmers can supplement their existing data collection systems with RS methods to conduct frequent and large-scale crop monitoring, obtain helpful insight into their field variability (photo courtesy A. Pourezza.)

affect the photosynthesis rate and decrease detectable green biomass will reduce the reflectance in the Red-Edge/ infrared region that can be identified with multispectral cameras.

Yield can be forecasted by using RGB imagery to monitor flowers during the bloom time or by analyzing the plant canopy in a 3D environment to determine canopy light interception and maximum photosynthesis capacity.

Low-altitude UAS-based RGB imagery was also used to identify and count fruits and generate a yield variability map.

Retrieval of plant nitrogen content

by RS has been one of the main focuses of researchers in past decades due to the importance of precise nitrogen management for avoiding crop loss and environmental contamination. Monitoring crop N content is essential at the early vegetative stages to ensure growers can make a timely decision on the best nitrogen management practice that satisfies the nutrition need of all plants.

Most leaf nitrogen is stored in protein detectable in the shortwave infrared (SWIR) region of the electromagnetic spectrum (above 2000 nm). However, commercial multispectral cameras do not cover SWIR, so the nitrogen retrieval models are essentially based on sensing chlorophyll or other light-harvesting components.

Excessive salt concentration in the soil can reduce osmotic potential and water uptake by increasing the cost of energy required for water extraction, transpiration and photosynthetic rate, eventually leading to underproduc-

MUCH MORE THAN YOU EXPECTED.

tion. Both thermal and multispectral imaging can be used to monitor the indication of salinity indirectly.

Challenges and Limitations

Although the tools and equipment for aerial imaging are more accessible and affordable to growers, it is still challenging to interpret the spectral variability at the canopy level due to the additional impact of the canopy structure on the reflectance measured by cameras. Achieving an excellent spectral representation of the canopy at the canopy level with minimized errors is a challenge facing current RS research.

We must incorporate improved technologies and methods for data collection, analysis, processing, transmission, communication and storage to increase remote sensing capabilities for specialty crop production. Interpreting the enormous amount of RS data available using off-the-shelf software requires robust computing and data transfer infrastructure. Also, a standard radiometric calibration and image processing pipeline should be developed to ensure the quality of the interpreted knowledge extracted from raw data. Finally, we still need to establish the best practices for variable management strategies in specialty crops to increase farmers’ adoption of decision-support tools based on RS technology.

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17

We Are Not Done Yet: COVID-19 Employer Regulations Extended

By THERESA KIEHN | President/CEO, AgSafe

O

ver the past few months, the State of California has been working to lengthen COVID-19 protections for employees to the end of 2022 and beyond. In September, Governor Newsom signed AB 152 and AB 1751, which extended Supplemental Paid Sick Leave and the workers’ compensation presumption for COVID-19.

Additionally, the California’s Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board is currently working through the rule making process to establish a non-emergency COVID-19 standard.

This article will provide employers with regulatory updates and help to ensure you are in compliance.

AB 152 | COVID-19 Supplemental Paid Sick Leave

COVID-19 Supplemental Paid Sick Leave (SPSL) was officially extended to December 31, 2022 with the signing of AB 152. This regulation extends the requirement of employers with 26 or more employees to provide any unused SPSL to their employees until December 31, 2022. This regulation did not expand the amount of time allocated for employees under the parameters set earlier this year.

Just a reminder—the 2022 COVID-19 SPSL provides for two separate banks of leave, each of up to 40 hours. The first bank of COVID-19 Supplemental Paid Sick Leave, up to 40 hours, is available to covered employees unable to work or telework due to any one of the following reasons: Caring for Yourself: The covered employee is subject to a quarantine or isolation period related to COVID-19 (see note below) or has been advised by a healthcare provider to quarantine due to COVID-19, or is experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 and seeking a medical diagnosis.

Caring for a Family Member: The 18

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COVID-19 Supplemental Paid Sick Leave (SPSL) was officially extended to the end of the year with the signing of AB 152.

covered employee is caring for a family member who is either subject to a quarantine or isolation period related to COVID-19 or has been advised by a healthcare provider to quarantine due to COVID-19, or the employee is caring for a child whose school or place of care is closed or unavailable due to COVID-19 on the premises.

Vaccine-Related: The covered employee or a qualifying family member is attending a vaccine

appointment or cannot work or telework due to vaccine-related side effects.

The second bank of COVID-19 Supplemental Paid Sick Leave, up to 40 hours, is available only if an employee or a family member for whom they are providing care tested positive for COVID-19.

Continued on Page 20

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Governor Newsom signed SB 1159, which created a rebuttable presumption that COVID-19 illnesses contracted by employees on the job are work-related and eligible for workers’ compensation (photo by Vicky Boyd.)

Continued from Page 18 As a result, covered employees can receive up to 40 hours of each type of leave, for a maximum of 80 SPSL hours. However, if they have used all 80 hours, there are no additional hours provided by this legislation, and the

employee would need to utilize sick time, vacation time or choose to have unpaid time off if they are unable to work. Employees and employers should communicate to determine a course of action.

Additionally, AB 152 modified the required SPSL for employees who fail to

submit employer required COVID-19 testing which is allowed only under the second bank of time. The 2022 COVID-19 SPSL law provides that an employer may require a test after five days have passed since the employee tested positive for COVID-19. AB 152 allows the employer to require a second test after 24 hours have passed from the first required test. If the employee fails to take such a test required by the employer, the employer may deny pay for any leave taken after the time the employer provides the test. Any test required by the employer must be made available by the employer and at no cost to the employee. Making a test available means ensuring the employee has a rapid test in-hand or securing an appointment at a testing facility for the employee.

Finally, AB 152 also provides grant opportunities for employers with 26 to 49 employees. Qualifying businesses can be reimbursed for actual COVID-19 SPSL costs paid to employees in 2022. Applicants must meet the criteria set by the State of California and would be eligible to receive up to $50,000 reimbursement.

AB 1751 | Workers’ Compensation Presumption Extension

In 2020, Governor Newsom signed SB 1159, which created a rebuttable presumption that COVID-19 illnesses contracted by employees on the job are work-related and eligible for workers’ compensation, including medical treat20

West Coast Nut

November 2022

ment. Employers are required to report employee infections at a specific workplace to their workers’ compensation insurer, regardless of whether the infection appears to be work-related. However, this is a rebuttable presumption, meaning that an employer can present evidence regarding measures they have taken to reduce potential transmission of COVID-19 in the workplace. SB 1159 was scheduled to sunset in January 2023; however, AB 1751 has extended this regulation until January 2024.

Cal/OSHA Non-Emergency COVID-19 Standard

In September, the California Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board met to discuss the creation of a non-emergency COVID-19 standard. If passed, the standard would be in effect for two years and would be included in a company’s injury and illness prevention plan. The proposed standard language has evolved to allow for more flexibility in the regulation and adapt to COVID-19 changes. Below are some key points employers should know:

The requirement for exclusion pay has been eliminated in this draft version.

Employers will be responsible for adhering to California Department of Public Health and local COVID-19 orders and guidance to determine appropriate COVID-19 prevention controls.

This includes providing face coverings, reporting outbreaks and close-contact exclusions.

Employers must still exclude COVID-19 cases from the workplace and notify close contacts. Remember to think about contract employees and vendors who might have been in close proximity.

If an employee was in close contact, the employer shall make COVID-19 tests available to the employee at no cost during paid time.

Employers need to continue to provide respirators (e.g., N95 masks) to employees who request them at no cost.

The proposed regulation also still contains outbreak procedures with additional COVID-19 prevention requirements.

To review the proposed regulations, please visit dir.ca.gov/oshsb.

Please note: The current COVID-19 Prevention Emergency Temporary Standard is still in effect until December 31, 2022. Ensure you continue to implement your company’s plan. If you need assistance with your COVID policies or have questions, please contact AgSafe at 209-526-4400 or send an email to safeinfo@agsafe.org.

AgSafe is a 501c3 nonprofit providing training, education, outreach and tools in the areas of safety, labor relations, pesticide compliance and human resources for the agricultural community. Since 1991, AgSafe has educated over 100,000 employers, supervisors and workers about these critical issues.

Information on COVID-19 SPSL was generously provided by Patrick Moody, Barsamian and Moody.

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21

A WORD FROM THE BOARD: AMERICAN PECAN COUNCIL

UNDERSTANDING EVOLVING MRLS AND IMPACTS TO PECAN GROWERS

By AMERICAN PECAN COUNCIL | Contributing Writer

T

he American Pecan Council has received several questions relating to Maximum Residue Levels (MRLs) and good products to be used on pecans. With harvest season well on its way, it is an excellent time to review what consumers are demanding and what responsibilities the industry has on product quality for its customers.

Consumer preferences are changing, and as a result, there are more and more rules being handed down from both 22

West Coast Nut

regulatory agencies and buyers.

Recently, a global study from Innova, a marketing survey company, published its findings on a recent survey conducted on international consumers.

The consumers’ responses showed that protecting the planet topped the population’s health. The study continues that 63% of consumers want to purchase products that reduce food waste.

Furthermore, 20% to 25% of consumers adjusted their food choices based on

November 2022

environmental impacts. Consumer preferences are changing to an environmental approach to eating.

In addition, the European Union (EU) recently announced a change in the MRLs of crop protection products.

In order to ship products to the EU, products must be below the strict MRL EU tolerances. Additionally, the American pecan industry must also adhere to

Continued on Page 24

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U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) MRLs. This means pecans, shipping domestically and entering the U.S., must comply with the approved U.S. EPA MRL standards; otherwise, the product may be recalled. Growers and handlers are encouraged to ensure that the product they are producing, shelling, accumulating or shipping meets U.S. EPA standards. Failure to meet these standards may result in a recall of the product. Banned substances or crop protection tools not labeled for use on pecans may not be used to produce pecans. The product may be recalled if these substances/tools are used and an MRL is detected.

Furthermore, those exporting products should ensure that the product is in accordance with MRLs that meet the country of destination. Crop protection products may be legal in the U.S., but standards may be lower in other countries. Should an MRL be higher than the destination country, that product may have to be retested or shipped to a market with acceptable tolerance levels.

The bottom line for the pecan indus-

24

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THOSE EXPORTING PRODUCTS SHOULD ENSURE THAT THE PRODUCT IS IN ACCORDANCE WITH MRLS THAT MEET THECOUNTRY OF DESTINATION.

“

November 2022

try is simple: Ensure one follows the approved U.S. EPA standards and that the product entering the destination country is at the appropriate level. Also, ensure one is only using products that the U.S. EPA approves.

One excellent resource tool is the USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service MRL database.

Customers’ preferences are changing. The American Pecan Council is in the process of putting together a Quality Assurance Program (QAP) that will assist the industry in meeting the

“

Continued from Page 22

changing demands of its consumers.

Growers, accumulators and handlers will be getting credit for practices that they are already doing. Consumers want to see what the industry is doing to ensure that they are providing a quality product. It is a new era for food, and we as an industry must be prepared to respond to those demands.

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A UC survey of dairy cattle nutritionists found almond hulls were versatile and were used as a concentrate replacement as well as a forage in dairy rations (all photos by V. Boyd.)

Got Almond Hulls?

Researchers Delve into Hull Use, Nutritional Suitability as Dairy Cow Feed

By VICKY BOYD | Contributing Writer

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A

lmond hulls, once a low-value byproduct, have enjoyed renewed popularity as dairy producers look for more economical alternatives to flaked corn and corn silage as ration ingredients.

“Almond hulls have been incorporated into dairy diets for decades now,” said Jennifer Heguy, UCCE dairy farm advisor for Merced, Stanislaus and San Joaquin counties. “We know from our survey of the dairy cattle nutritionists that almond hulls are versatile and are used as a concentrate replacement as well as a forage.”

As the ongoing drought has decreased water deliveries, an increasing number of dairy nutritionists have looked to almond hulls to replace at least some corn silage. More recently, Heguy said, rail delivery delays have affected the price and availability of Midwestern corn, with steamed-flaked corn being a major concentrate ingredient in dairy diets. However, almond hulls can fill the bill as a concentrate.

How widely almond hulls are used in dairy rations and how much producers can feed to lactating cows each day without affecting milk yield were the subjects of research begun in 2019. Dr. Ed DePeters, distinguished professor of animal science; Dr. Katie Swanson postdoctoral researcher in animal science; and Heguy collaborated on this work.

Almond hulls comprise about 50% of the almond tree fruit weight, depending on the variety and the year.

With USDA forecasting a roughly 2.6-billion-pound almond crop this year, that could amount to about 5.2 billion pounds of hulls. At the same time, California had about 1.77 million head of dairy cattle as of July, according to USDA figures.

ing cows. Concentrate ingredients are low-fiber, high-energy feed ingredients that are high in sugars or starches, whereas forages are high-fiber ingredients such as silage and hay.

Respondents said they fed an average of 5 pounds of hulls per cow per day, and 41% said they had increased the amount of almond hulls in their rations during the past five years.

Their opinions were similar whether they worked with Holstein or Jersey cattle, the two most common dairy breeds in the state.

But about 62% of respondents said changes in almond hull prices affected how they used them in ration formulations. When asked what factors they prioritized when including a product in rations, they said pricing was their top consideration, followed closely by consistency.

Dairy nutritionists formulate rations based on the nutrient and energy concentrations of each feed ingredient, and several feeds are combined to make a

diet. The recipe may vary depending on commodity prices and availability.

Much like a human diet, they have to balance energy with fiber and protein.

Vitamin and mineral content of each ingredient also is factored in.

Heguy said she hasn’t conducted a follow-up survey and was waiting until possibly next year to see if current educational outreach efforts changed almond hull use.

But DePeters said he suspects their usage may be higher now for two reasons. “Almond hulls are a unique feedstuff,” he said. “Almond hulls can be used as a forage ingredient and a concentrate ingredient. The rail issues into California have impacted the availability and price of corn grain. Steam-flaked corn is a major concentrate ingredient in dairy diets. Almond hulls, because of their high sugar content, are replacing some flaked corn (high starch). I say replace, but there are other aspects involved. How the starch and the sugars

Continued on Page 28

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Almond Hull Use

Along with Jed Asmus, a dairy nutritionist with January Innovations Inc., Heguy, DePeters and Swanson surveyed the California chapter of the American Registry of Professional Animal Scientists in 2019.

Of the 42 respondents, the majority said they used almond hulls as both a concentrate and a forage for lactat-

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27

Continued from Page 27 ferment in the rumen is different based on my reading.”

The good news, DePeters said, is the sugars in almond hulls may put less stress on rumen pH than the starch in corn, and they are evaluating that in a feeding study of almond hulls and alfalfa in cubed form they just completed

Almond Hull Feeding Trials

Although dairy nutritionists surveyed reported using an average of 5 pounds of almond hulls per cow per day in their rations, the researchers wanted to determine the impacts of feeding high amounts of hulls, higher than the average 5 pounds per cow.

Their trial included 12 lactating Holsteins, and the treatments were 0, 4, 8 or 12 pounds of almond hulls per cow per day. The hulls were used as a concentrate, offsetting portions of flaked corn and soy hulls.

The state has set a limit for “almond hull products” of 15% crude fiber. Although almond hulls naturally contain some crude fiber that varies among varieties, having an excessive amount of sticks and shells can put a load over the limit.

The researchers then measured milk yield, milk composition, feed intake, rumination activity and diet digestibility. They found no significant differences in feed intake and milk yield.

Where they did find differences were in the milk composition. As the cows ate more almond hulls, the percent of milk fat increased while the percent of milk protein and pounds of milk protein decreased.

The two highest amounts of almond hulls also lengthened rumination, or cud chewing, by 60 minutes per day, which may lead to a more stable and

desirable rumen environment, Heguy said.

Sticks and Shells

About two-thirds of survey respondents also expressed concerns about feeding almond hulls to lactating cows, with the biggest concern being the quality related to the amount of sticks and shells. The vast majority of respondent (80%) tested almond hulls, but the frequency of testing varied widely from every load to only when problems arose.

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November 2022

nition of “almond hull products” in the Food and Agricultural Code.

Commercial feed law 2773.5 states that hulls “shall not contain more than 13% moisture nor more than 15% crude fiber and not more than 9% ash.”

Although almond hulls naturally contain some crude fiber that varies among varieties, having an excessive amount of sticks and shells, which are high in crude fiber, can put a load over the limit of 15% crude fiber.

From 2014 and 2018, the state analyzed 673 almond hull samples.

Of those, between 39% and 62% exceeded the crude fiber limit. Loads found in violation could still be sold as “almond hull and shell,” which California defines as “more than 15% but less than 29% crude fiber.”

About 50% of the nut is hull, depending on the variety and year.

Hull Variability

To demonstrate hull variability, the researchers obtained 12 samples of almond hulls from commercial hullers.

Five were Nonpareil hulls while seven were from pollinator varieties. They hand sorted the samples, separating the hulls from debris (stick and shell).

The Nonpareil samples averaged 4.8% debris while the pollinator samples averaged 6.8% debris.

They also analyzed the raw samples from the hullers, the hand-sorted pure hulls and the debris for chemical composition. What they found were the sticks and shells decreased sugar and energy content significantly while increasing fiber content.

Although the Nonpareil samples averaged below the state limit of 15% crude fiber on an as-is basis, which includes moisture, the pollinator samples exceeded the state limit. The chemical analysis also showed differences among varieties and even among labs used for testing.

Nevertheless, the researchers found almond hulls were an excellent source of highly digestible sugars, and Nonpareil hulls were superior in nutritional value to pollinator hulls.

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29

Soil Amendment Considerations for Fall

By CECILIA PARSONS | Associate Editor

Important factors in evaluating compost quality include carbon to nitrogen ratio, organic matter content, salts, stability, pH and maturity (photo courtesy R. Duncan, UCCE.)

T

he Soil Science Society of America defines soil quality as its capacity to function effectively in the present and in the future.

Ongoing drought conditions, compacted soils and lack of water retention are some of the reasons why tree nut growers consider applying non-mineral soil amendments in their orchards to improve and retain soil quality.

The aim with soil amendments, said UCCE Farm Advisor Franz Niederholzer, is to improve soil physical and/ or chemical properties as well as plant growth potential. Some soil amendments can help improve soil structure, which can increase water infiltration rates.

Certain soil amendments can increase or decrease soil pH, depending on the particular material. Some soil amendments have the potential to increase soil organic matter and improve both soil structure and water holding capacity.

“Choice of a soil amendment depends on your goals,” Niederholzer said.

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Amendments vs Fertilizers

Thomas Fantozzi with Synagro said even with nutrient applications made to meet tree needs, the soil still needs organic matter to maintain health. The organic matter supplied by a non-mineral soil amendment can keep water and nutrients available to the trees.

Mineral amendments are directed more at correcting soil deficiencies.

Mineral soil amendments can provide plant nutrition, but they are not considered to be fertilizers.

The Western Fertilizer Handbook (ninth edition) notes that amendments are any material worked into the soil to make it more productive. Fertilizers can fall into that category but do not always improve soil health, contribute water holding ability or improve water infiltration.

Fantozzi said that growers typically look at soil amendment applications when trees are not performing as expected. Soil tests, leaf tissue analysis and water tests can show adequate levels of nutrients, but the soil itself can

November 2022

be lacking in ability to provide an environment that fosters good tree growth.

“When trees are not performing up to par, growers will look at soil amendments to improve production,” Fantozzi said. He works with almond growers who make annual compost applications in their orchards. They report yield improvements depending on their soil starting point, he added.

Selecting an Amendment

Factors to consider when selecting a soil amendment include how long the amendment will last in the soil, soil texture, soil salinity and tree sensitivity to salt, and salt content and pH of the amendment. To be as effective as possible, a soil amendment must be incorporated into the soil.

It should be noted that soil amendments and applications are not regulated, and products can have a high salt content.

An amendment to quickly improve soil physical properties should rapidly decompose. For longer soil remediation,

the amendment should decompose slowly. A combination of the two may achieve both goals.

Fantozzi, who is also an almond grower in the Patterson area, said it is a typical practice to apply soil amendments after harvest and prior to fall or winter rain. Building a productive soil, not just for the next year but over time, is the goal.

There is less orchard equipment moving through following harvest, he said, and applying an amendment like compost or a compost blend following harvest will allow applications before fall or winter rains. This is important in orchards with drip systems as they need rain to move the amendments deep into the soil.

Broadcasting the amendment on the soil and irrigating it in is an alternative to water applications. Timing is important. Applying an amendment to improve infiltration too early in the spring reduced efficacy. Surface applications are most effective when applied

monthly during the summer months.

Compost blends with mineral amendments can also be applied in a two-footwide band along the tree row.

Compost

UC’s Solution Center for Nutrient Management defines compost as the product of controlled biological decomposition of organic material. The process involves heat generation sufficient to eliminate pathogens as well as stabilize the organic material at a stage where it can be applied to soil.

UCCE Biological Systems Engineer David Crohn reported that important factors in evaluating compost quality include carbon to nitrogen ratio, organic matter content, salts, stability, pH and maturity. A U.S. Composting Council seal is a guarantee that the compost has been sampled and tested and meets the council’s quality requirements.

The material being composted, the composting process and length of the

process all determine the quality of the final product.

While compost applications are made primarily to enhance soil structure, there is no evidence that applications in tree nut orchards of composted green waste or composted manure increased almond tree growth or yields.

UCCE pomology advisor Roger Duncan said that results of a five-year trial were not significantly different among amendments. Measurements of stem water potential found no differences between trees that received compost applications and those that did not. He also reported to West Coast Nut that cost for compost purchase, delivery and application at 10 tons per acre was about $265 annually or $1,325 per acre over the five-year trial.

Biochar

Biochar is a carbon-rich material produced via thermochemical conver-

Continued on Page 32

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Studies show that almond hulls and shells applied as organic amendments to soils release potassium into the soil.

Continued from Page 31 sion of biomass in an oxygen-limited environment. It is also an umbrella term for the many types and categories produced, Sanjai Parikh from UC Davis’ Department of Land, Air and Water Resources said. Pyrolyzed biomass has properties that are a function of production variables, including gasification, feedstock, residence time and production temperature. It can also be a fertilizer if made from manure.

Biochar use in tree nut orchards has not been studied, Parikh noted, due to length of time needed to measure results, unlike annual field crops.

Biochar is considered a soil conditioner, Parikh said, and may provide different benefits. Not every biochar, he cautioned, will provide the benefits sought.

“It must be tailored to match soils and climate to achieve the benefits,” he said.

Like compost, use of biochar in a tree nut orchard would depend on goals of the grower.

Parikh said biochar applied to soil can add organic nutrients that plants and soil microbes can use as a food source.

It also can improve soil structure, subsequently improving water movement.

Biochar is typically broadcast on soil surface and tilled in, but Parikh noted subsurface banding may be more efficient in concentrating it in the crop rhizosphere and minimizing dust. Unlike other non-mineral soil amendments, biochar is persistent in the soil and does not need to be applied annually.

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Studies conducted by UC Davis Horticulture and Agronomy Group Ph.D. candidates Ellie Andrews and Sire Kassama show that almond hulls and shells applied as organic amendments to soils release potassium into the soil. The release of potassium is driven by water application, not decomposition, but their recent work showed that this practice can increase soil exchangeable potassium with benefits to July leaf potassium values. Release of potassium sets these by-products apart from other organic soil amendments.

In the long-term, hull and shell soil applications could be used with other soil amendments to build soil organic matter and reduce dust and erosion.

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Plant Growth Regulator Eyed to Hasten Nut Drop in Hazelnuts

By MITCH LIES | Contributing Writer

R

esearch into use of a plant growth regulator to hasten nut drop in hazelnuts is showing promise, according to Oregon State University Extension Orchard Crops Specialist Nik Wiman, who provided data on the project at the Oregon Hazelnut Summer Tour, Aug. 3 in Albany, Ore. In the Jefferson variety, researchers were able to advance nut drop by about two weeks in 2019, Wiman said. They recorded even more encouraging results in Yamhill, advancing nut drop by up to three weeks in one experiment. Researchers also were able to condense nut drop in Yamhill, which typically has an extended nut drop period, often requiring multiple picks.

“The nuts were falling over a shorter period of time compared to the control,” Wiman said.

“I think Ethephon is a potentially useful tool to accelerate nut drop in hazelnuts,” he said.

Hazelnut growers began funding research into hastening nut drop of high-yielding, late-maturing varieties after a rainy fall six years ago created problems at harvest and lowered some yields.

“The winter meeting that year was all about how messy that harvest year was because of the fall rains that came early,” Wiman said. “And we were starting to see some heavy crop in some of the new varieties; it was a total mess.”

Growers were forced to leave large volumes of hazelnuts on the ground as well, especially those from the late-maturing variety Jefferson. “Even last year was pretty messy,” Wiman said. “I know my program was forced to leave quite a few nuts on the ground, and that is pretty painful to see all those nuts laying there and you can’t get them.”

As luck would have it, former OSU horticulture faculty researcher Harry Lagerstedt was in the audience during the winter meeting of 2016, and he approached Wiman with some work he had done in the 1970s with Ethephon.

“He referred me to some of his pioneering research in the 1970s on Ethephon use in filberts,” Wiman said. “At the time, they were trying to accelerate nut drop in [the variety] Barcelona. I took those papers and we started to work with this material.”

Promotes Ethylene

Ethephon, a synthetic plant growth regulator, works by promoting the ripening agent ethylene in plants. The product 34

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Ethephon-treated hazelnut trees, left, show significant nut drop in early September, 12 days after treatment, whereas adjacent untreated trees show almost no nut drop (photos courtesy N. Wiman.)

works on abscission layers, Wiman said, by promoting the expression of certain genes that promote the separation of plant parts. The product is widely used in walnut production.

At some point, the hazelnut industry lost its Ethephon label, Wiman said. “It just kind of fell off because of lack of use.” But Wiman was able to secure a 24C special local needs label for the hazelnut industry in 2020, a label that has been extended to 2026.

Wiman said he was thankful for the work Lagerstedt had done and utilized it as a starting point for determining not only rates but timing.

“We took that straight out of Harry’s playbook, where he recommends that if you are rolling nut clusters in your hand and you can easily detach nuts from the husk, then the abscission layer is starting to form, the nuts are largely mature and they don’t need to be attached to the tree anymore,” Wiman said. “Also, they say in that old spray guide that it is usually around the third week of August.”

As a point of caution, Wiman advised growers to avoid applying the product too late. And don’t apply the product to trees that are stressed.

“Our first year, we applied it too late, and we ended up with a mass of leaves in our harvest,” Wiman said. Stressed trees already are dropping leaves early, he said, so it is important

not to accelerate that with Ethephon.

Wiman also found excess leaf drop in the Yamhill variety when applying Ethephon at the top end of allowable rates. “With Yamhill, we did see a significant increase in leaf drop in the highest concentration we tested, and successive years showed similar data,” Wiman said. But, he said, when applied at the proper timing and at the mid- to lower-range of allowable rates, Ethephon did not significantly increase leaf drop.

“The risk is in waiting too long and causing too much leaf drop. If you want to try it, you want to get on the application as soon as you can roll the nuts out of the husk pretty easily,” Wiman said.

Quality Effects

Researchers have analyzed several issues surrounding use of Ethephon in experiments over the past four years, Wiman said, including how nuts responded to different rates, whether Ethephon-treated nuts required more dry-down time and whether nuts treated with Ethephon were finished ripening.

“The thing that I was worried about was if we are getting nuts to drop early, are they really finished and are there any quality effects on the nuts themselves,” he said.

Wiman found that nuts that dropped early after being treated with Ethephon were indeed finished. And he discovered the nuts required about the same dry-down time as untreated nuts.

“We didn’t see much of a moisture effect with the nuts that were coming down earlier because of these treatments,” he said. “These nuts were really not any different than the nuts that were falling naturally without any Ethephon applied in our untreated controls.

“However, when we looked at crackout… I think there is some effect here with a slight decrease in the percentage of nuts that are kernels,” Wiman said.

“As the rate of Ethephon is increased, there is a slight decrease in percentage of kernels.

“That is an important thing to know,” he said. “If you are looking to do some trials with this product, this

is one thing that I would keep track of, to see this effect, because this could be a tradeoff that maybe makes this not worth it. But it is a pretty small effect.”

He added that “there really is no difference in the percentage of good nuts. So, we are not seeing any defect on kernels that are treated with Ethephon.”

see 90 to 100 gallons per acre with these applications to get really good coverage of the husk.”

One drawback to the existing label is that it carries a 28-day preharvest interval (PHI), but Wiman said he hopes that will change in the near future. “There is potentially a flaw in some of the residue data used to construct the PHI,” he said, Rates, Coverage Critical “considering that with walnuts, they can Wiman said it is important for grow- treat within five days of harvest with ers to pay attention to dose rates. “The this product.” rate is critical, and the response can be Wiman said the industry has asked very dose dependent,” he said. “On the the IR-4 program to conduct the neclabel, we put 750 to 1000 parts per milessary research to get the PHI reduced. lion, but, for example, on Jefferson, you Oregon State University IR-4 Specialty might be able to get away with a lower Crops Pesticide Registration Leader rate and still see a good effect.”

Dani Lightle confirmed with West Coast Coverage also is critical, he said.

Nut that she is working on the issue.

“You don’t want to be applying at a low rate because you are trying to get coverage on the husk of the nut clusComments about this article? We want ters. So, that is why the label specifies to hear from you. Feel free to email us at a high rate of water. You really want to article@jcsmarketinginc.com

November 2022

www.wcngg.com

35

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View of new spacing trial looking west to the Coast Range from the seat of Nickels Soil Lab (photos courtesy F. Niederholzer.)

Variety trials, such as this Kester almonds spacing trial with triticale cover crop have, have helped advance adoption of newer varieties.

West Coast Nut Holds Fundraiser in Woodland for Nickels Soil Lab

J

CS Marketing Inc. and West Coast Nut magazine will hold a fundraiser to benefit Nickels Soil Lab, located in Arbuckle, Colusa County, to ensure the important research that has come out of this private research farm will continue long into the future.

The dinner will be held Dec. 16 at the California Agriculture Museum in Woodland. Calif. Tickets cost $250 per person or $1,500 for a table of eight. All donations go directly into the Nickels Trust account for the benefit of the research facility. Tickets can be purchased at myaglife.com/fundraiser or scan the QR code on this page to be taken directly to the site.

The evening event includes a mixer, dinner, raffle giveaways and more.

Industry partners have signed on to match donations to Nickels, allowing individual donations to go further.

Nurseries, equipment companies and other industry partners who wish to sponsor or otherwise support the event should call JCS Business Development Manager Jay Visser at (559) 352-4456.

Nickels Soil Lab is the largest almond research facility in the United States with 110 acres of almonds and 17 acres of walnuts. Established through the bequest of Leslie J. Nickels, the Nickels Soil Lab is operated by the Leslie J. Nickels Trust in cooperation with the Colusa Water District and 38

West Coast Nut

the University of California since 1983.

Projects emphasize soil and irrigation technologies, but it has also been home to replicated trials on varieties, drought impacts on production, tree spacing, pest management, pruning and other important production practices.

JCS Marketing CEO and Publisher Jason Scott said research that comes out of Nickels has been integral to the success of the California nut industry and West Coast Nut magazine saw an opportunity to help keep that alive for the benefit of the future of the industry.

“West Coast Nut has grown over the last 10 years into the leading magazine for nut growers in the West and we value our partnerships with researchers at the UC Cooperative Extension and the work they do to bring cutting edge research to growers,” Scott said.

“Nickels Soil Lab has been the seat of important innovations that have benefited the entire nut industry and it is important all of us who benefit from this industry give back to help ensure it is here for generations to come. For West Coast Nut it presents an opportunity to give back to the industry that has been so good to us.”

UCCE Farm Advisor Franz Niederholzer, who serves as Nickels Soil Lab manager in addition to his farm advisor duties in Colusa , Sutter and Yuba counites, said Nickels Soil Lab has hosted many projects that could not be

November 2022

done otherwise on private commercial orchards.

“There are a couple projects that Nickels has had over the years that would have been tough to place somewhere else,” Niederholzer said. “So, information developed at Nickels is information that we might not have otherwise. For instance, Nickels hosted a trial to answer the question, ‘What happens to an almond tree if you don’t water it.’ Most growers would not want to host such a trial in their orchard.”

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

For tickets to the Nickels Soil Lab Fundraiser scan this QR code. All donations go directly into the Nickels trust account to benefit activities at Nickels Soil Lab.

2 S DAY ary Janu d 6th n a 5th

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Or for more information call: 559-352-4456

In cooperation with:

View from the Top Through a Banker’s Eyes As a grower, banker and industry leader, Dennis Woods has unique information on California’s tree nut industry.

By CATHERINE MERLO | Contributing Writer

N

ot many pistachio growers head to work every day in a suit and tie.

But Dennis Woods is no ordinary pistachio grower.

Besides overseeing his 300 acres of pistachio orchards in west Fresno County, Woods is chairman, president and CEO of United Security Bank, a Fresno-based financial institution with 11 branches in California’s Central Valley. Moreover, since January 2022, he’s served as chairman of the board of the 800-member American Pistachio Growers organization.

Those diverse roles force Woods “to be a bit of an encyclopedia of data concerning the valley,” he says. With his financial acumen, industry experience and what he calls the “avalanche” of information that crosses his desk each day, Woods has developed unique insights into California’s tree nut industry. In September, he shared some of those with West Coast Nut.

Q. Why accept the chairmanship of American Pistachio Growers when you already have three big jobs with United Security plus your own pistachio orchards to oversee?

I have been a pistachio grower personally for just over 40 years and obviously am interested in this industry. I’ve also dabbled in grapes and almonds, but I settled on pistachios.

Through my role at the bank, we have financed pistachio farmers for more than 30 years. Half of the bank’s board 40

West Coast Nut

Dennis Woods has been a bank executive and pistachio grower for 40 years. He became chairman of American Pistachio Growers in January 2022 (photo courtesy D. Woods.)

members are also pistachio growers.

So, this is something I touch every day of my life. Plus, I like to stay busy.

That makes my day move quickly.

Q. In September, the Federal Reserve approved its third consecutive interest rate hike in 2022. Many expect more interest rate increases before year’s end.

How will these higher interest rates impact farm borrowers?

The September increase pushed us up almost 3% this year alone after being flat for nine years. Huge, huge difference. They have to raise the interest. That’s the only lever the Federal Reserve has to slow the economy.

When you go to get a farm loan, you have to give a budget. If you’re paying 3% on $1 million, that’s $30,000. If you’re paying 7%, it’s $70,000. A lot of new farmers and new expansion won’t qualify for their loans.

Then, along with that budget, if your labor that used to be $10 an hour is now $20 an hour, and all the petroleum products like fertilizers and pesticides are up 20%, 30%, 40%, all of a sudden (in once profitable farming areas of the Central Valley), it’s now going to get to be marginal. Farmers with debt and new farmers are going to have a problem going forward.

November 2022

Q. Even pistachio growers?

Even pistachio growers. Our price has been pretty stable, and even if

Dennis Woods heads United Security Bank, which does both consumer and commercial lending in the San Joaquin Valley (photo by C. Merlo.)

our volume is going up, that’s mostly because of new acreage coming into production. What you’re producing as a farmer, 200,000 pounds of pistachios, pick a number, you’re selling for $2.40 a pound. If your costs for water, labor, chemicals go up, even if you can hold the price, your margin keeps shrinking.

Your property tax, workers comp, payroll taxes, wages go up. So, essentially for people who are passing farms down from generation to generation, what was a wonderful business for the grandparents is maybe not even a break-even business for the grandkids. That will be sad.

Continued on Page 42

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Q. What are your priorities on APG’s board, especially with California’s water situation?

As a board, we know that California’s pistachio volume, which is 1 billion pounds a year, is going to grow over the next five years. Overplanting and oversupply have affected the

almond industry, which is having challenges. We are at sort of an equilibrium. Our volume three years in a row has been almost flat, and our price has been almost flat. But we have to work harder to not have the same challenges that other nut and other commodities are having. It is going to be work.

One positive is that a pistachio tree

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can last more than 100 years, unlike almonds that have to be replanted every 20 to 25 years. What’s in the ground today will be here when my grandchildren are running my farm.

Another positive is that a pistachio tree is a desert plant that takes less water and lesser-quality water than almonds or other crops. I happen to farm in the Westlands Water District, which is the largest irrigation district in the country.

There are thousands and thousands of almond trees being pushed over because there isn’t enough water and the quality of the water isn’t good enough.

So, we have a real challenge with water.

As an organization, we are focused on that.

But we also see market opportunity with the pistachio being the complete protein of the nut groups. It doesn’t require refrigeration or cooking. There are also a huge number of vegetarians globally that buy our products, such as in India. We think pistachios have a very universal appeal.

Q. Looking two to three years down the road, what’s your forecast for pistachio prices?

With everything you need to accomplish in a day, insurance protection for your farm might be the last thing on your mind.

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Whether you grow walnuts, cashews, pistachios or almonds, every nut farm has unique needs. We understand.

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For more information and to connect with a local American National agent visit: an.insure/westcoastnut.

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West Coast Nut

November 2022

You like to think they’re going to go up a few percent a year. But what we know for sure is our volume is going to go up substantially. I would say prices may not go up from here. This might be the top.

Today, prices for open-shell nuts are around $1.80, and the meats are in the $2.50 range. Then with good marketing luck the following year, you have maybe as much as a 20% bonus. So, when you put that altogether, it’s maybe $2.25 a pound all in, this year and next year.

We have had a very controlled carryover from crop to crop. But we know in the next four or five years if we can’t continue penetrating into new markets, and I’m talking international, we will have the same challenges that almonds have currently. We have to focus on how not to follow the same path.

Q. What do growers most often ask you about?

Mostly when farmers come to the bank, they want to know that either

they can get a development loan or an who are well capitalized. But what all annual crop loan. Because we have a banks are looking for now, and most responsibility to protect our bank and farmers too, are two minimum but our shareholders, we must have that probably three sources of water. discussion that’s never comfortable: As a local bank in Central Cal“Your budget is making these projecifornia, we’re able to make suggestions. And I know from looking at 30 tions they may or may not be able to other farmers’ budgets, projections and meet but that would allow us to keep tax returns, that what you’re putting on lending to them. My goal is how to paper isn’t realistic.” That’s the converturn a no into a yes. I would say over sation you hate to have. the 35 to 40 years we’ve been open, But I always feel I’m a resource for we’ve probably approved 95% of our our customers because nobody else gets applications. Often, I like to at least to look at the balance sheets and tax give them a counterproposal so it’s returns of dozens of growers. We have not us saying “no.” The customer to see those because they’re asking us may say, “I’m not willing to take that to give them millions of dollars to keep risk. That’s going to be too hard for their farms going. And so, maybe more me.” But they get to make the decithan anybody (government, industry, sion. I never want to put somebody whatever), I may have more informaout of business. tion that I can share with my customers.

And because half of my board members also grow pistachios, we’re a pretty Comments about this article? We want good information bank. to hear from you. Feel free to email us at We’re still very bullish for people article@jcsmarketinginc.com

California’s pistachio industry is keeping a close eye on the crop’s burgeoning production, water shortages and global market opportunities, Woods said (photo

by C. Merlo.)

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THE RIDICULOUS CALIFORNIA BEE-FISH By ​​AUBREY BETTENCOURT | Almond Alliance of California

A

s if comedians didn’t have enough to say about our state, the California Supreme Court just approved letting the state determine whether a bee is a fish. A California Bee-Fish The case followed a petition by Xerces Society, a Portland, Oregon based organization, that requested the California Fish and Game Commission to list four bees as endangered under a provision of the California Endangered Species Act designed for “fish species.”

As the California Fish and Game Commission voted to

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West Coast Nut

November 2022

Four species of bumblebee may now be included on the Endangered Species Act list.

begin the listing process, a concerned group of farmers and organizations sued to protect millions of dollars in working land pollinator habitat and tens of thousands of jobs tied to our agricultural communities.

At first, the Sacramento County Superior Court ruled the definition of “fish” only encompasses aquatic invertebrates, not terrestrial invertebrates such as insects. The Third District Court of Appeal later overturned this.

This past month, the California Supreme Court sided with California’s Third District Court of Appeal that the California Endangered Species Act can let bees and other insects be listed under the threatened, endangered or candidate species under the definition of “fish species.”

This decision lets the California Fish and Wildlife determine whether to list four bumblebee species, the Crotch, the Western, the Suckley Cuckoo and the Franklin, as endangered.

Listing these species violates trust and goodwill with the almond farmers who have invested in developing the nation’s largest working land pollinator habitat (160,000 acres), disincentivizing any good pollinator support practices made by anyone in the farming or conservation community.

It renders the millions of state and federal dollars for pollinator habitat and protection absolutely wasted.

It undermines the retailers, food brands and consumer efforts to purchase or support pollinator-friendly products.

The court ruling itself is ridiculous as it changes the meaning of words in our society and, in this instance, makes insects eligible for protection under the law. Now cockroaches are eligible, lice are eligible and spiders are eligible.

This requirement will extend beyond our farms, affecting every effort to develop housing, critical infrastructure and water supply systems. It will even pose a threat to the Build Back Better funding projects.

Farmers, builders, homeowners and construction workers will have to stop to identify every bee to see if it is a California Bee-Fish. Should the California Bee-Fish be listed, complying with the law may require us to violate it, harassing

every bee we see to identify it correctly.

As ridiculous as the court ruling is, this is about supporting our pollinators.

As the state enters its review period, we will work closely to ensure they remember that.

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

Listing these bee species as fish violates trust and goodwill with the almond farmers who have invested in developing the nation’s largest working land pollinator habitat.

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9/22/22 10:38 AM

45

Replant Disease Prevention May Include Alternative Rootstocks

By CECILIA PARSONS | Associate Editor

A

lternative rootstocks may be a tool to keep in your back pocket if or when fumigation of a second-generation orchard site becomes a regulatory or costly headache.

UCCE Pomology Advisor Roger Duncan said a trial he started in 2014 showed almond rootstock choices can make a much larger impact on tree performance and profitability than even fumigation with Telone C35 in replant situations.

“Fumigation of second- or third-gen-

eration almond orchard sites may not be feasible in the future,” Duncan said. “Our recommendation to growers has always been to fumigate second-generation almond orchard sites prior to replanting.”

Soil sampling will show parasitic nematode levels at the site, but Duncan said there is not a soil test to show if replant disease is present in the soil. “There is no test to predict if the orchard site has this disease complex called replant disease, or Prunus

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Replant Disease (PRD),” Duncan said.

“It is difficult to know if it will be a problem. It is always best to assume it will be a problem.

“Replant disease is really not well defined yet. It is a disease complex; not just one thing causes the disease,” Duncan said. Replant disease is associated with several species of plant-parasitic fungi and Pythium and Phytophthora oomycetes. It is more common on loam, sandy loam and sandy soil textures in California.

Implications of Replant Disease

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Alternative rootstocks may be a tool to keep in your back pocket if or when fumigation of a second-generation orchard site becomes a regulatory or costly headache (photo by R. Duncan.)

West Coast Nut

November 2022

The disease causes slight to severe growth suppression in almond and stone fruit orchards planted after an existing almond or stone fruit orchard is removed. Trees affected by this disease, particularly during the first year after planting, may never reach the same growth and productivity of unaffected trees. This affects uniformity of an orchard and, in addition to loss of potential yield from affected trees, makes management challenging.

The common sequence of events in an orchard replant begins with tree removal. After soil sampling to determine nematode levels at the site,

fumigation with Telone, chloropicrin or a combination of both is performed (Duncan recommends soil sampling before the old orchard is removed for better results and so new trees can be ordered with the best rootstock.)

Several months later, after fumigation chemicals have dissipated, the new orchard is planted.

Replant disease can occur with or without significant populations of phytopathogenic nematodes, Duncan said. Root damage from nematode feeding can persist over the economic life of orchards.

Duncan firmly advises that replanting an almond orchard without fumigation is risky. Most growers do fumigate orchard sites prior to replanting, he said, but a few do not.

Until there is a reliable test to determine if replant disease will have a serious impact on a new orchard,

Continued on Page 48

While the recommendation is to fumigate to control replant disease, regulations may severely limit their use down the road.

November 2022

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Continued from Page 47 he recommends fumigation. A few growers have tried cutting costs by substituting fumigation with postplant nematicides and even soil-applied fungicides, but Duncan thinks that is risky and may end up costing more in lost production in the long run. Even with the high cost of fumigation, it has almost always paid for itself with more uniform, productive orchards within a short time.

Duncan said there is no second chance after a decision has been made to not fumigate.

Cost May Impact Fumigant Use

The recommendation to fumigate is based on results of many UC field trials comparing fumigated and unfumigated soils of numerous types.

Looking down the road, Duncan said increased regulation and higher fumigant costs may impact its use.

There are increasingly situations where fumigant restrictions will not allow use, including orchard sites near homes or schools. Township caps on use of Telone II can also impact availability to apply in replant situations.

In Duncan’s post on the UCCE publication San Joaquin Valley Trees and Vines, he notes that chloropicrin with or without Telone II has been shown to elicit better growth responses in replanted orchards than Telone alone.

Chloropicrin is more effective against fungal or bacterial pathogens, while Telone is used for nematode control.

Telone C35 is a mixture of the two that is widely used in replant situations.

The 2014, trials began after a peach orchard on Nemaguard rootstock was removed in the fall. The plans were to plant almonds at the site. Duncan reported that parts of the future tree rows were strip fumigated with C35 at a rate of 46.5 gallons per acre. The remainder of the rows were not fumigated.

Rootstock Trials

The almond orchard was planted in 2015 to Nonpareil on five different rootstocks: Viking, Hansen 536, Empyrean 1, Rootpac R and Nemaguard in both the fumigated and unfumigated rows.

Duncan reported that through the

sixth leaf, yields were improved in trees on fumigated soils with Nemaguard, Viking and Rootpac R by a few hundred pounds per acre. Yield differences, he noted were smaller than expected at the site, but sufficient to cover fumigation cost. Similar performance in unfumigated and fumigated soils were found with trees on Hansen and Empyrean 1 rootstocks. The superior performance of Hansen and Empyrean in unfumigated soils concurs with earlier trials by Dr. Greg Browne.

The larger impact of rootstock was noted with Empyrean 1 on unfumigated soil. Those unfumigated trees outyielded trees on Nemaguard that were growing in fumigated soil by 2,084 pounds per acre through the sixth leaf.

Hansen rootstock trees in unfumigated soil also out-yielded Nemaguard trees on fumigated soil by 1,733 pounds per acre. Duncan noted that the 2019 yield was impacted by bacterial blast on all rootstocks.

“This was one of many rootstock trials that have been done by the University of California. ” Duncan said. Rootstocks can make a difference in any soil, but they are especially important in soils with particular challenges like diseases or soil chemistry problems.

The trial also showed trees on Rootpac R are substantially smaller than trees on Nemaguard, whether fumigated or not, and have yielded roughly half compared to those on Nemaguard.

Rootpac R is probably not best suited for sandy or sandy loam soils.

Duncan noted that although trees on Hansen have performed well in the trial, in unfumigated soils supporting large numbers of ring nematodes, peach/almond hybrid rootstocks may be more susceptible to bacterial canker.

It is risky, he said, to plant a peach/ almond hybrid rootstock like Hansen in soil that will support ring nematodes without preplant fumigation.

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

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West Coast Nut

October 2022

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Planning for Rain:

Preparation Will Ensure Any Moisture Received Is Used Efficiently

By RICH KREPS | CCA, SSp., Contributing Writer

Pre-wetting soil before a rain can help to solubilize detrimental ions, cleaning up soil and allowing rainwater to move nutrients more efficiently (photo by R. Kreps.)

W

e need rain; obviously for multiple reasons, but we need some love. In a state where we are storing more for a fish that doesn’t exist anymore, but not bringing surface water to our farms while “the experts” complain that our aquifers are drying up, we need rain. In September, we had more water stored behind Shasta than during September of the drought of 2015, but our deliveries were cut to nothing for our food growers. So, what do we do if it doesn’t rain? We have to have a plan.

First Consider Salts

We are always chasing the silver bullet to offset sodium uptake in our trees. When we speak of salt, growers are usually referring to sodium. We have to remember that almost all fertilizers are salts. What is more important is the salinity index of those salts. In terms those of us without chemistry-based brains can comprehend, this refers to a salt’s ability 50

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to burn our crops. What we don’t talk about is the fact that although large amounts of those fertilizers have a high probability to burn our crops, those nutrients are absorbed easily. And there are two sides to the chemical formula.

Two of the worst culprits are chloride and borate derivatives. We are seeing a high level of chloride burns in our crops this year. And I contest that it is affecting yields considerably.

As our ECs (soil’s ability to conduct electricity) go up, the soil pulls harder and harder on the water it receives.

That makes our crops work harder to get enough water for optimal yields.

The roots have a much harder time getting water to move to the feeder roots, and in turn, the beneficial nutrients have to fight with the detrimental nutrients that are more abundant in our water. If you look at your solubility section of your soil reports, you’ll see the milliequivalents per liter of cations and anions that a soil paste extract releases. Those numbers, compared to the atomic weights of each ion will tell you more about what percentage the roots are being bathed in. This to me is just as important if not more important than the base saturation of the soil after an ammonium acetate extraction. If we can affect the cleansing and adjustment of this percentage. we can make a difference to what our trees take up early in the season.

Pre-Wet the Soil

Here’s my proposal: As rain is forecasted, let’s pre-wet the soil. Rainwater is more acidic than most well water and lacks all the detrimental ions well water delivers. Many of the detrimental ions like sodium are very soluble.

Pre-wetting will solubilize these ions.

Rainwater can then leach it out. If we are amending our soils with calcium, potassium, sulfur or compost, we have a better potential to get it into the soil.

If we can, we need to lightly incorporate those amendments to keep them in the soil and not erode. Wind and volatility can greatly weather and erode the nutrients we spent good money on, taking them off your farm. If we can irrigate our fields with a low-pH treated water, it will be even better. If you have

an acid system, sulfur burners or inject acidifying treatments to your system and fertigate with that water, you can enhance the effects of cleaning up the soil even more.

Most of us won’t stop praying for rain even after it starts coming. We need some help for sure, but prior planning will help make any we get more efficient. Cleaning up our soils will allow us to fertigate the beneficial nutrients to our root zones next spring

and increase the percentages of those nutrients compared to the detrimental ions and get more of the good stuff into our trees. We can’t control how much rain we get, but we can control how much more effective it is at cleaning up our soils.

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51

An Early Look at the 2022 Almond Harvest Shows Damage Trend

By CECILIA PARSONS | Associate Editor

Growers who haven’t been adversely affected by high NOW pressure in past years may find that two hull split sprays may be needed to control NOW in their orchards (all photos by Vicky Boyd.)

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A

complete picture of this year’s almond harvest in the Sacramento and San Joaquin Valleys is still weeks away, but some crop quality trends are becoming notable.

Damage to the almond crop from navel orangeworm and stink bug feeding varies greatly from region to region and variety to variety, but the Sacramento Valley almond crop was hit hard, Mel Machado, grower relations for Blue Diamond, said.

USDA-ARS Entomology Researcher Joel Siegel noted that crop damage was not severe across all growing regions.

There may be a number of factors at play, including management.

“A lot of the damage is a reflection of management decisions that are price-driven. The challenge is going to be allocating dollars for sanitation in a year where the crop is disappointing,” Siegel added.

Siegel, who is based in Parlier, is coordinating a USDA-funded five-year areawide program to control navel orangeworm (NOW) in almonds, pistachios and walnuts.

Pollinizers Get Hit

Machado emphasized in early October that final tallies on crop damage would not be realized until all nuts have been processed.

He said in many cases the NOW flight did not coincide with hull split in Nonpareil and damage was less.

That was not the case with pollinizer varieties.

"

A lot of the damage is a reflection of management decisions that are price-driven. The challenge is going to be allocating dollars for sanitation in a year where the crop is disappointing.

– Joel Siegel, USDA-ARS “The next flight got the pollinizers at hull split,” Machado said. Damage levels are variable between areas, and it will be weeks until the damage picture is clear, he added.

Machado attributed some of the higher damage levels to the lack of insecticide treatments at hull split in the pollinizer varieties.

“It is possible growers opted not to spray even if they expected problems due to the cost,” Machado said.

Management factors in the Sacramento Valley were likely contributors to the NOW damage in almonds this year, Siegel said. Growers who haven’t been adversely affected by high NOW pressure in past years will have to understand that two hull split sprays may

be needed to control NOW in their orchards. Two sprays, Siegel said, would give them more leeway, particularly if the timing of the early NOW flights was missed.

They need to recognize NOW will be a problem and they will get hit,” Siegel said. Spraying every row is critical to control.

“If they just spray every other row, they are asking for it,” Siegel said.

Growers who lost production due to the spring freeze may have less incentive to protect their crop.

“It is hard to justify a spray application for a 200-pound crop,” Siegel said.

Continued on Page 54

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Continued from Page 53

Protecting Crop Quality

Compromised sanitation in the Sacramento Valley last year due to poor pricing led to a higher NOW population going into bloom.

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Growers in the southern San Joaquin Valley have much more experience with NOW damage, Siegel said.

They know skipping every other row or relying on just one hull split spray can result in higher reject percentages. This year, he said they were likely directing their input costs to protect their Nonpareil quality, not the pollinizers.

Almond growers in the southern San Joaquin know they will experience NOW if they don’t make appropriate treatments, but costs were likely a challenge this year.

It will be painful, Siegel said, but growers will have to bite the bullet and spend the money for orchard sanitation this winter to lower NOW populations.

According to Sudan Gyawaly, Sacramento Valley UCCE IPM advisor, and Luke Milliron, UCCE orchard systems advisor in Butte, Glenn and Tehama counties, NOW pressure in the Sacramento Valley was high. Their interviews with PCAs found the damage was attributed to cutting costs in management with insecticide applications.

Gyawaly and Milliron reported they were told by PCAs that NOW damage percentage in some blocks was in the double digits. Monitored orchards showed that NOW peak flights were earlier than previous years by a week to 10 days, resulting in hull split nuts exposed to female NOW for more than two weeks.

They concluded that compromised sanitation due to poor pricing led to a higher NOW population going into bloom. A reduced crop due to freeze coupled with reduced control efforts and low nut numbers resulted in higher infestation rates and more pressure over larger areas Navel orangeworm damage in almond orchards varies due to level of pressure in the orchard, orchard sanitation practices and harvest timing among other things. The UC IPM Guidelines note that some almond cultivars are more susceptible to damage, especially later-maturing softshell almonds with a lengthy hull split period

or poor shell seal.

High levels of NOW pose an increased risk to an almond crop because the worms bore into the nut and feed on the kernel. Not only is the nut damaged, but the feeding opens the door to Aspergillus molds, which can produce aflatoxins, a contaminant that can cause rejection in export and domestic markets.

If they just spray every other row, they are asking for it.

– Joel Siegel, USDA-ARS

"

Stink Bug Pressure

Machado said it appears the stink bugs are responsible for significant almond damage in a number of orchards again this year. This plant bug has been found in orchards for years, but not in high numbers, according to the UC IPM Guidelines. One theory that has been put forth is that reduced use of broad-spectrum insecticides may be allowing the stink bug population to increase to a level where feeding is causing noticeable damage.

Stink bug feeding causes brown spot, a mark and depression on the kernel. Machado said that damage by late stink bug feeding has increased in recent years. Plant bugs include leaffooted plant bug and several stink bug species.

Nuts damaged by stink bug feeding will exude gummy material from the puncture site. Kernels of damaged nuts either become wrinkled and misshapen, or if already hardened before bug damage, will contain a black spot at the puncture site.

Gyawaly and Milliron said plant bug damage to almonds in the Sacramento Valley in the 2022 growing season was mild to average. There were cases of elevated damage in the 8% to 10% range compared to less than 1% in previous years. They attributed the rise in numbers to management costs.

Machado’s key message to almond growers is to determine exactly what is causing the damage in individual blocks. With that information, an appropriate pest control plan can be developed.

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New Cooperative Extension Hires Expand Personnel Specializing in Tree Nuts New funding brings nut farm advisors to the Sacramento and San Joaquin Valleys Cameron Zuber is the new orchard crops advisor for Merced and Madera counties and will cover multiple permanent crops, including almonds and walnuts (photo courtesy C. Zuber.)

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he 2021-22 fiscal year has a been a busy one for UC Cooperative Extension.

This past year, UC ANR has begun recruiting 84 new UCCE advisors around the state in areas like integrated pest management, urban agriculture, 4-H and even fire science.

Funding has also been committed for 23 new specialist positions. The hirings are a high note for California ag as UCCE had previously suffered from cuts in recent decades.

“Until we got this new influx in funding, Cooperative Extension had been shrinking steadily for over 20 years,” said Glenda Humiston, vice president at UC ANR. “This new funding, which was led by Senator John Laird in conjunction with the state’s agriculture industry, provides us with enough Cooperative Extension positions to get our research footprint back to where we were 20 years ago.”

Important for the tree nut industry, multiple advisors on the list of new additions will be dealing with tree nuts up and down the Sacramento and San Joaquin Valleys. Two advisors, Cameron Zuber in Merced and Madera counties and Curt Pierce in Glenn, Tehama, Colusa and Shasta counties, have already assumed their positions and are working with tree nut growers in their respective regions to find out more about their needs.

Cameron Zuber

Cameron Zuber began work as orchard crops advisor for Merced and Madera counties on June 27. For Merced County, he covers stone fruit, walnuts and almonds, not including pistachios and figs, as well as other deciduous fruit trees like 56

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pomegranates and cherries. For Madera County, he will work with walnuts.

Zuber joined UCCE in 2016 as a staff researcher in Merced County.

Specifically with orchard crops, he has worked on fumigants and other soil pest controls, rootstocks and scion varietals, cultural practices relating to tree spacing and whole orchard recycling.

He has also studied flood irrigation for groundwater recharge, irrigation and water management and soil, water and air interactions.

Although he’s only been on the job for a few months, Zuber has had many issues thrown at him including some of the most concerning ones for growers today. Not surprisingly, many tree nut growers are coming to him for help with the current state of water in their areas.

“That might just be due to some concerns as it relates to SGMA and other drought-related items,” Zuber said, “and it’s not just the amount of water; it’s also the water quality.

“There’s areas of the counties that deal with less-than-ideal water situations as it pertains to the crops I work on,” he continued. “It’s both an amount of water that they can have and how much they can use (and how to effectively use that), but also the quality of that water and certain management that would be attributed.”

Zuber spoke generally because every grower he meets has a different water quality situation, reiterating that water is almost always the first thing they’ll ask about. One water quality issue that he has seen a pattern with from multiple growers’ accounts, however, is salinity’s effect on irrigation water.

“It’s both a function of the water having those qualities but also the soil being able to hold that and [saline water] just building up in the soil,” Zuber said.

Zuber said he’s enjoying his new position and finds the job fulfilling, noting that for him, it’s all about personalized service to each grower he encounters. “I’ve always been happy when I’m trying to find practical solutions to problems.”

I’VE ALWAYS BEEN HAPPY WHEN I’M TRYING TO FIND PRACTICAL SOLUTIONS TO PROBLEMS. –CAMERON ZUBER, UCCE

“

Continued on Page 58 November 2022

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Continued from Page 57

THIS NEW FUNDING PROVIDES US WITH ENOUGH COOPERATIVE EXTENSION POSITIONS TO GET OUR RESEARCH FOOTPRINT BACK TO WHERE WE WERE 20 YEARS AGO.” -GLENDA HUMISTON, UC ANR

“

Curt Pierce

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Designed to be applied both by foliar application and fertigation practices and is also effective when applied directly to the soil.

Curt Pierce was named irrigation and water resources advisor for Glenn, Tehama, Colusa and Shasta counties in October 2021. Pierce has been covering precision irrigation and drought mitigation strategies in tree crops in these areas. He is also interested in root dynamics under different irrigation scenarios and hope to do more research in that area.

In his region, Pierce said there’s a lot of uncertainty, more than usual, surrounding growing permanent crops.

“Crop prices are down, input prices are up and water supplies are all but assured,” he said. “This year was made even more difficult with the freeze events coming early last year and late this past spring. Many growers were set back pretty heavy from those.”

Currently, Pierce is involved in two trials with UC Davis’ Ken Shackel, UCCE’s Luke Milliron and others studying the effects of delaying start-of-irrigation in the spring for both walnut and almond. “The walnut trial in particular has shown promise for holding off on irrigations until the end of April or even early May to when the tree’s water status indicated a need for that water,” he said. “That has the potential to result in significantly lowering overall seasonal water applied for that crop.”

Speaking further on his interest in root dynamics research, Pierce said he’s looking for funding to get the necessary equipment, adding that this is an area that has been particularly difficult to study in years past. “There are a couple of projects there that I would very much like to pursue, both for tree and pasture crops, that would go a long way in helping us inform best practices when water is more limited,” he said.

“We also might want to take a fresh look at some of the regulated deficit irrigation studies that were done in years past and consider new research using plant-based sensing as a baseline from which to reduce applied water now that that technology has matured and become more accessible to producers,” he added.

Overall, Pierce is happy to be out in the field interacting with growers on a regular basis. “It’s the job I decided to go back to school for and I am beyond fortunate to be in my position. I appreciate every opportunity I have to get out and visit with folks and work with them to improve their operations; it really is a great thing to get up for every day.”

Curt Pierce was named irrigation and water resources advisor for Glenn, Tehama, Colusa and Shasta counties. He is also working with almonds and walnuts (photo courtesy C. Pierce.)

grated pest management, plant breeding, soils, water, supply chain activities and more that will make a positive difference,” she said.

Humiston emphasized awareness of the need for all Cooperative Extension advisors working with every related industry, whether it’s tree nuts, fire science, food systems, climate resilience or even community health, to be intertwined to make the growers’ jobs easier.

New Hires a Win for Ag “I personally don’t think it serves the The funding that UC ANR received farmers well, whether they’re tree nuts to expand Cooperative Extension is just or any other crop, to just help them be the start, Humiston said. She noted that better farmers; they also need functionas more challenges arise, more personing supply chains, healthy communities nel will be needed to address these. and strong economies around them to It’s important to note that it’s not thrive.” just the advisors that have “nut” or “orchard” in their titles that will be supporting the tree nut industry; new advisors like Pierce and others with broader titles will be delving into this Comments about this article? We want industry as well. to hear from you. Feel free to email us at “We have folks working with intearticle@jcsmarketinginc.com

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PESTICIDE ACTIVISTS AIMING THEIR ARROWS AT AGRICULTURE AGAIN

By ROGER ISOM | President/CEO, Western Agricultural Processors Association

I

n their ongoing, and seemingly relentless, war against agriculture, environmental justice and farmworker advocate organizations have taken aim at agriculture once again. On November 18, 2021 the United Farm Workers,

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November 2022

United Farm Workers Foundation, Earthjustice, California Rural Legal Assistance Foundation, Farmworker Association of Florida, Farmworker Justice, GreenLatinos, Labor Council for Latin American Advancement, League of United Latin American Citizens, Learning Disabilities Association of America, Pesticide Action Network North America, and Pineros y Campesinos Unidos del Noroeste (the Earthjustice Petition) filed a petition with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), requesting the Agency revoke all tolerances and cancel all associated registrations for food uses of the following organophosphate pesticides (OPs): Acephate, Densulide, Chlorethoxyfos, Chlorpyrifos-methyl, Diazinon, Dichlorvos, Dicrotophos, Dimethoate, Ethoprop, Malathion, Naled, Phorate, Phosmet, Terbufos, and Tribufos. In addition, the petitioners request that the Agency take actions to protect workers from potential risks of exposure to OPs, update its risk assessments to include a protective regulatory endpoint for children, and complete registration review on the OP class of chemicals by October 1, 2022.

Why are activists doing this? Here is their stated position.

’ In their petition, the activists claimed “organophosphates are a class of neurotoxic pesticides originally developed by the Nazis as nerve agents in World War II. OPs cause acute pesticide poisonings by suppressing acetylcholinesterase (AChE or cholinesterase), an enzyme that regulates nerve impulses throughout the body. In addition, a growing body of scientific literature establishes that Ops cause neurodevelopmental harm to children at exposures far below those that cause 10% cholinesterase inhibition, EPA’s current regulatory endpoint. Published, peer reviewed studies correlate OP exposure with impaired motor and mental development, reduced IQ, attention disorders and autism at low exposures. Some OPs are also linked to cancer and reproductive harm.”

The activists further commented that “People are exposed to OP pesticides through residues on the food they eat, contamination of the water they drink and when the pesticides drift from where they are applied to where people work, go to school or play. Children often have greater exposure than adults to OPs due to their increased hand-to-mouth activity, and relative to adults, they eat more fruits and vegetables, drink more water and breathe more air for their body weight. The farmworkers who grow our food face the highest exposures and risks from OP pesticides. In addition to exposures through food and drinking water, they are exposed when they apply the pesticides or enter fields that have been sprayed, and they and their families are more likely to be harmed by pesticide drift because they live and go to school near where OP pesticides are sprayed.

Farmworkers and their families are majority people of color and low income.”

So why dichlorvos? It is even used on the farm, so why is the UFW going after it? Why is anyone going after it?

While making all these claims and statements, nowhere in their petition did they provide validated scientific information that actual exposures are occurring. They even claim that while personal protective equipment can

‘

THESE PRODUCTS ARE WIDELY USED WITH TREE NUT HULLERS AND PROCESSORS FOR VERY EFFECTIVE CONTROL OF RED FLOUR BEETLES, CONFUSED FLOUR BEETLES, INDIAN MEAL MOTHS AND WAREHOUSE BEETLES. IT IS THE ONLY WAY TO ELIMINATE AN INFESTATION.

protect against exposure, it is often insufficient, yet there was no actual proven scientific data supplied to support the claims. Not one single shred of evidence.

For the tree nut hulling and processing industry, dichlorvos is of utmost importance. Dichlorvos is the active ingredient in Card-O-Vap 8 and/or VAP-X. These products are widely used

with tree nut hullers and processors for very effective control of red flour beetles, confused flour beetles, Indian meal moths and warehouse beetles. It is the only way to eliminate an infestation.

These products have replaced the use of methyl bromide for the control of these insects. Furthermore, they have

November 2022

Continued on Page 62

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61

’

Continued from Page 61 been used without incident and are critical to the control of these pests in our food facilities. Food safety is a very high priority for our tree nut hulling and processing facilities, and these products are an absolute necessity for maintaining a food-safe environment.

If we don’t control these insects, we can’t sell tree nuts. And if we can’t sell tree nuts, what happens to the jobs at those facilities?

The tree nut industry strongly feels the request to revoke the tolerances and cancel the registrations is without scientific basis and not warranted. These products are safely used and have even tighter use restrictions going into effect later this year. These requirements will ensure these critical tools are used safely and appropriately. We have been unable to identify an equally effective alternative and would

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‘

THE TREE NUT INDUSTRY STRONGLY FEELS THE REQUEST TO REVOKE THE TOLERANCES AND CNCEL THE REGISTRATIONS IS WITHOUT SCIENTIFIC BASIS AND NOT WARRANTED. THESE PRODUCTS ARE SAFELY USEDAND HAVE EVEN TIGHTER USE RESTRICTIONS GOING INTO EFFECT LATER THIS YEAR.

be severely impacted by the elimination of these products. Accordingly, the Western Agricultural Processors Association strongly urged U.S. EPA to not move forward with the revocation of tolerances or the cancellation of any pesticide registrations related to dichlorvos. This is just another base-

November 2022

less attack against those who feed and clothe the world, and who provide jobs to the very people the activists claim they represent.

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

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Managing Bacterial Blast of Almond with Kasugamycin

By KATHY COATNEY | Contributing Writer

Almond blast damage. Low temperatures alone won’t result in blast. It requires cold, wet and freezing conditions. (photo courtesy Dani Lightle, Oregon State University.)

B

acterial blast and canker caused by the bacterium Pseudomonas syringae can be extremely damaging to almond yields due to bloom loss and branch dieback. Significant crop loss was reported in the Sacramento

Valley in 2017 and 2018, and in the San Joaquin Valley in 2017 and 2019.

Bacterial blast also hit some varieties in the Regional Almond Variety Trials in Butte and Madera counties in 2017 and 2019, but in 2020 and 2021 excellent

bloom conditions prevailed and almond blast wasn’t a problem, according to Luke Milliron, UCCE orchard systems advisor for Butte, Glenn and Tehama counties.

Kasugamycin has been used as a preventative treatment for almond blast over the last few years. An emergency Section 18 registration was applied for and approved in select counties in 2020, 2021 and 2022, Milliron said.

“Basically, it’s in counties where we’ve documented that there’s been blast damage in the past, and certainly there was big blast damage in my area in 2017 and 2018,” Million said, adding he and other farm advisors documented crop loss of 20% to 40% with part of the damage due to almond blast.

Crop Loss to Almond Blast

In 2017, the Regional Almond Variety Trial at California State University, Chico experienced four nights below 30 degrees F coinciding with full bloom, and significant damage was observed.

Copper has been the only main control measure for this disease, but copper resistance in P. syringae is widespread, and copper sprays are believed to be mostly ineffective at controlling this pathogen, Milliron said.

The bacterium P. syringae can cause both blast (in blossoms) and canker (in wood). It is ubiquitous on surfaces in almond orchards, but it only causes infections under wet and freezing 64

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conditions, Milliron said, adding these conditions stress the tree and make them more vulnerable to infection.

In 2022, the bloom period was dry, and with expenses high and prices low, growers didn’t spray for blast, Milliron said, adding that severe freezing conditions came later in bloom, but it didn’t result in significant blast damage.

Jim Adaskaveg, professor and plant pathologist at the University of California, Riverside, agreed. “Last year (2022) was a strange year,” he said, “and there was minimal precipitation during the freezes.”

This meant a lot of the freeze did direct damage to the embryo and within the flower, Adaskaveg continued.

“It was so dry that when the cold came, bacterial populations did not increase and were not distributed to the flower parts from the tree surfaces by rain,” he said, so blast really wasn’t a major factor.

Low temperatures alone won’t result in blast; it requires cold, wet and freezing conditions. “Because we had a dry freeze, I think that’s why we only saw direct freeze damage, but not blast damage,” Milliron said.

Continued on Page 66

“IT’S AN EPIPHYTIC

ORGANISM, MEANING IT GROWS ON THE SURFACE OF PLANTS. RAIN OR HEAVY DEWS ARE NEEDED TO MOVE THE BACTERIA IN THE WATER ON THE TREE."

– JIM ADASKAVEG, UC RIVERSIDE

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Continued from Page 65

When to Spray

Pseudomonas syringae is a bacterial pathogen. “It’s an epiphytic organism, meaning it grows on the surface of plants. Rain or heavy dews are needed to move the bacteria in the water on the tree,” Adaskaveg explained.

In order for blast to occur, it requires cold, wet weather from rainfall or high moisture from dews. With heavy dews, the water carrying the bacteria drips, or rainfall splashing on the plant moves the bacteria, Adaskaveg said.

In some cases, growers applied kasugamycin in 2022 and saw results, Adaskaveg said. “In other cases, I don’t think it helped. It just got so cold that it damaged the flower, and whether you had kasugamycin there or not, it didn’t seem to help in those cases. I attribute that to the low-rainfall, low-wetness year during the time of flowering.”

Kasugamycin is an expensive material, so growers aren’t going to prophylactically apply it, Milliron said, but strongly recommends they make the application in advance of a combination of wetness and freezing temperatures during bloom.

“Just monitor the weather. If there’s warm weather and low rainfall.” Adaskaveg advises it’s not necessary to spray for blast.

If conditions are favorable for blast, mix kasugamycin into the tank with other bloom sprays and apply it, Adaskaveg said.

Kasugamycin is a protective treatment. “It’s like buying

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Cold, wet and freezing conditions can trigger bacterial blast infection (photo courtesy K. Coatney.)

an insurance policy,” Adaskaveg said. Growers only need to spray when conditions warrant it; when there’s frost, rain and wetness, he added.

Kasugamycin has a residual life of about a week. “If there’s a forecast for five or six days out for cold weather, really cold weather next week, then it is time to put it on,” Adaskaveg said.

Kasugamycin is a tool in the toolbox when it’s needed, Milliron said.

Copper vs. Kasugamycin

“Copper still works in some areas, but there’s copper resistance in a lot of areas. People have said they’ve mixed mancozeb with copper like on walnut blight. We’ve tried that, and it does help, but it’s not as good as kasugamycin.

Kasugamycin is the most effective, and it is the highest-performance treatment for bacterial blasts that we have identified,” Adaskaveg said.

Copper also causes damage. If leaves are coming out at the same time as bloom, leaf injury can occur.

“Copper has some efficacy, but there’s a lot of pushback by the industry that they don’t want to use copper because of the potential toxicity to young leaves coming out,” Adaskaveg said.

“Leaf loss causes a reduction in the carbohydrate balance in the tree, and nobody wants to lose their leaves at that time of year. So, growers are skeptical and very cautious about using copper,” Adaskaveg said, adding that kasugamycin is a better choice for combating almond blast.

Varieties

The Independence variety has problems with blast along with other varieties.

Adaskaveg hasn’t scientifically documented this, but he personally thinks increased problems with blast could be due to tree nutrition, too. “Trees that are heavily fertilized with nitrogen, or overfertilized with nitrogen, are going to be more susceptible,” he said.

Adaskaveg advises growers not to overfertilize. “A lot of

WALNUTS Wolfskill Chandler Durham Solano Howard Tulare

CHERRIES Coral Bing Brook Epick Cherry Line 1&16 Kasugamycin has been used as a preventative treatment for almond blast over the last few years (photo courtesy David Doll, The Almond Doctor.)

guys try to get ahead. They have to get their nitrogen requirements in, and they start their fertilizer program right at bloom. But that could be a dangerous thing if it’s cold and wet,” he said, adding not only could it increase problems with blast, but the nitrogen could also leach into groundwater.

Kasugamycin Approval

Kasugamycin has been available to growers through a Section 18 registration, and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was supposed to approve it with a full section 3 label in March of 2021, but it was postponed until September 2022 and now March 2023.

“We were all hoping that we don’t have to file another Section 18 for next year (2023),” Adaskaveg said, but with

another new PRIA date set by the EPA, a Section 18 will have to be submitted this fall so that Kasumin is available again in the 2023 spring season.

The EPA has all the information, and they’ve said they are going to approve it, but we’re going to have to wait, Adaskaveg said.

“The EPA has to address the Endangered Species Act for all pesticides, and this has caused delays for many new pesticides submitted to be registered,” Adaskaveg said, adding he will be working with UPL, the registrant, and The Almond Alliance to apply for a Section 18 for the 2023 season.

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A WORD FROM THE BOARD: THE ALMOND BOARD OF CALIFORNIA

The Almond Conference 2022 Education to Focus on ROI

By ALMOND BOARD OF CALIFORNIA | Contributing Writer

F

or the 50th consecutive year, almond growers and industry members will gather to learn the latest research, marketing efforts and regulatory updates at The Almond Conference (TAC) 2022. Whether the event took place in Modesto or Sacramento, at convention centers, state fairgrounds or online, The Almond Conference (TAC) has a wealth of knowledge and education for the industry and this year continues that mission.

The annual conference, back for a second year at the newly renovated SAFE Credit Union Convention Center, December 6-8, 2022, will feature three days of education with general sessions focused on grower’s return on investment (ROI) and driving global demand as well as breakout sessions that cover over 15 hours of pending continuing educational units towards three programs.

What’s New for 2022

Last year, the first day of the conference was void of any breakout sessions.

Now in 2022, there will be five breakout sessions on Tuesday, December 6, followed by the annual State of the Industry address. General sessions as well as breakout sessions continue Wednesday and Thursday, offering growers substantial educational opportunities on all three days.

TAC 2022 will also conclude earlier on than in years past. The conference will conclude at 1:00 p.m. on Thursday, December 8, which will allow for easier travel back home for attendees. And due to the earlier ending, there will only be one sit-down keynote lunch this year on Wednesday, December 7, which will feature ABC-partnering influencers. This talk show format session will discuss the popularity of sustainability topics on social media, how these influencers select 68

West Coast Nut

the companies and brands they partner with, and why they love meeting almond growers and working with the Almond Board to share growers’ stories.

A more detailed look at the 2022 agenda, including information for general sessions and breakout sessions with pending continuing education, can help growers and industry members make the most of their TAC 2022 experience.

Educational hours will be available for Certified Crop Advisors (CCA), Department of Pesticide Regulations (DPR) and CDFA’s Irrigation and Nitrogen Management Program (INMP).

Day One: Tuesday, December 6

International Horticultural and Global Tree Nut Production Insights: Tuesday @ 10:30 a.m.

Australia, Spain and Portugal are key international players in almond production. In this session, attendees will gain insights on the way almonds are grown in these regions and how growers are tackling challenges. Attendees will hear about current and future global production as well as what the future may look like for the global industry. Moderated by ABC’s Sebastian Saa, speakers include a familiar name to growers in former-UCCE advisor David Doll of Rota Unica, ABC’s Richard Waycott, Damien Houlahan of Ofi and Brian Ezell of Wonderful. This session has 1 hr. of CCA CEUs requested.

What’s New in Almond Pollination?: Tuesday @ 10:30 a.m.

Growers will hear the latest research aimed at keeping the cost and supply of bees stable, such as cold storage of bees. Talks will also provide the latest information on how growers can protect this investment and get the most out of this critical input to lay the groundwork for a good harvest. Moderated by ABC’s Josette Lewis, speakers will include

November 2022

Brandon Hopkins from Washington State University, Elina Niño from UC Davis, Rory Crowley of Project Apis m., Miles Daikin of Pollinator Partnership and Wynter Vaugn of Monarch Joint Venture. This session has 1 hr. of CCA CEUs requested.

Creative Approaches to Managing Limited Water: Tuesday @ 12:30 p.m.

As growers are aware, the western U.S. is in another muti-year drought, requiring new creative approaches to secure reliable agricultural water supplies and address business risks. In this session, attendees will hear from leaders who have developed groundbreaking approaches to managing water shortages while maintaining economic productivity. Methods include forging difficult agreements, developing regional strategies and incentivizing groundwater recharge. Moderated by ABC’s Jesse Roseman, speakers include David Guy of Northern California Water Association, Stephanie Anagnoson of Madera County, grower Mark Huston and Daniel Mountjoy of Sustainable Conservation. This session has 1 hr. of CCA CEUs requested.

Almond Food Quality and Safety Resources: Tuesday @ 12:30 p.m.

As a handler or processor, have you ever wanted a better understanding of the food safety and quality resources available to help navigate the complexities across the supply chain? This session will highlight both new and existing resources, showcase where and how to access the tools, and provide a preview of the new “Almond University.” Moderated by ABC’s Miranda Thomas, speakers include ABC’s Tim Birmingham and Guangwei Huang. This session has 1 hr. of DPR CEUs requested.

State of the Industry: Tuesday @ 2:00 p.m.

With the ongoing multi-year drought, global logistical challenges and increas-

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For the 50th consecutive year, almond growers and industry members will gather to learn the latest research, marketing efforts and regulatory updates at The Almond Conference (TAC) 2022 (all photos courtesy Almond Board of California.)

ing production from other growing regions, the California almond industry is facing unprecedented challenges. During the annual State of the Industry address, Almond Board Chair Alexi Rodriguez and CEO Richard Waycott will discuss ways the Almond Board of California is working to drive global demand, ensure a favorable trade and regulatory environment and maximize industry efficiency.

Day Two: Wednesday, December 7

Driving Global Demand: Wednesday @ 8:00 a.m.

Building long-term global demand for California almonds is the top strategic priority for the Almond Board of California. Ever wonder how they do it?

In this general session for all, attendees will hear about how the Almond Board leverages the amazing nutritional profile of almonds, what they call the “health halo,” to drive consumer demand while educating consumers about their responsible farming practices to protect that demand now and in the future. Attendees will also be introduced to the people representing California almonds around the world who are passionate about the demand-building work they lead on behalf of the industry.

Fertigation When Times Are Tight: Wednesday @ 10:30 a.m.

With skyrocketing fertilizer prices and continued regulatory pressures on nitrogen, growers might need to reevaluate their fertilization plan. This session

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will discuss practical recommendations that will equip growers with the knowledge they need to make strategic decisions to maximize profitability. Moderated by ABC’s Sebastian Saa, speakers include Patrick Brown from UC Davis and grower Tommy Bottoms.

This session has 1 hr. of CCA, 1 hr.

DPR and 1 hr. INMP CEUs requested.

Irrigation in Stressful Times: Wednesday @ 2:45 p.m.

Increasing water use efficiency is a core tenet of the industry. Drought and regulatory pressures emphasize the need for continuous improvement with irrigation. At this session, attendees will learn from irrigation experts how sensing technologies and irrigation evaluations can benefit them in getting the most out of every drop. The session will conclude with a three-industry-member panel that will share experiences and lessons learned from managing limited water supply. Moderated by ABC’s Sebastian Saa, speakers and industry members include Mallika Nocco from UC Davis, ABC’s Tom Devol, Kevin Greer of Tehama County RCD, Zac Ellis from Ofi, pomology consultant Wes Asai and Jeffrey Iniguez from Wonderful. This session has 1 hr. of CCA, 1 hr. DPR and 1 hr. INMP CEUs requested.

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Day Three: Thursday, December 8

Managing Input Costs to Increase ROI: Thursday @ 8:00 a.m.

Continued on Page 70

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Continued from Page 69 With input costs at an all-time high, decisions need to be made now in your operations to increase your return on investment. This special breakfast session will review industry experiences on how to manage labor, pesticides and other input costs in your operation. Growers will want to set their alarm so they can make it up in time to enjoy a hearty breakfast sandwich while getting tips to improve profitability. Moderated by ABC’s Michael Roots, panel members will include ABC’s Josette Lewis, Chris Gallo from YARA, Justin Nay from Integral Ag Inc., Lucas Avila from Farmland Management Trust and Brittney Goodrich of UC ANR. This session has 1 hr. of CCA and 1 hr. INMP CEUs requested.

Rootstock Selection to Mitigate Stress in the Long Run: Thursday @ 9:05 a.m.

This session is being brought back due to popular grower demand, but this time with a different angle. Appropriate rootstock selection may be one of the most efficient tools that a grower can use to mitigate soil challenges, replant complex and major pests and diseases. Recognizing the power of this tool, ABC has supported the evaluation of multiple rootstocks in different California conditions for decades. The latest research results clearly illustrate how rootstock selection impacts yields over the lifespan of an almond orchard and how chemical control can be reduced and/or made more efficient. Moderated by ABC’s Sebatian Saa, speakers include Katherine

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November 2022

Educational sessions will focus on input costs and return on investment.

Jarvis-Shean, Roger Duncan, Andreas Westphal, Greg Browne and Cameron Zuber, all of UC ANR. This session has 1 hr. of CCA and 1 hr. DPR CEUs requested.

Almond Stewardship 2.0: Thursday @ 9:05 a.m.

In this session, ABC will introduce CASP 2.0, now called the California Almond Stewardship Platform following its refresh after more than 10 years and 3,000 grower self-assessments. Attendees will learn about CASP 2.0, how the data is protected and leveraged, and additional stewardship opportunities through incentive funding as well as the role of pollinator habitat in stewardship. Moderated by ABC’s Gabriele Ludwig, speakers include ABC’s Tom Devol and Jesse Roseman, Eric Harris from SureHarvest and Miles Daikin from Pollinator Partnership. This session has 1 hr. of CCA CEUs requested.

Whither Pest Management?: Thursday @ 11:30 p.m.

Controlling pests keeps getting more complicated as new regulations, pests and techniques all seem to be on the rise. This session will explore both the ideas for “Sustainable Pest Management” with current regulatory issues and ABC research efforts to develop or assess newer technologies for managing key pests. Moderated by ABC’s Gabriele Ludwig, speakers include Julie Henderson from California DPR, ABC’s Jesse Roseman and Jim Adaskaveg and Jocelyn Millar, both of UC Riverside. This session has 1 hr. of CCA and 1 hr. of DPR CEUs requested.

Whether you are attending for the first or the 50th year, The Almond Conference 2022 will provide everything you need to make for a successful experience. On top of educational opportunities, growers will have the chance to ask one-on-one questions to researchers at the two dedicated poster sessions, and to incentive program providers at the Incentive and Grower Support Zone. Registration for TAC 2022 is open now and available at Almonds.com/Conference.

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