West Coast Nut - November 2021 by JCS Marketing, Inc.

WEST COAST NUT Your

Connection to the Tree Nut Industry

SPECIAL SECTION:

WHAT TO DO IN A NO-RAIN NOVEMBER

NOVEMBER 2021 ISSUE IN THIS ISSUE:

PRECISION YIELD MONITORING SEE PAGE 6

SEE PAGE 32

DORMANCY: WHAT YOUR TREES DO IN THE WINTER SEE PAGE 46

BRIDGING THE AG TECH DIVIDE SEE PAGE 76

PUBLICATION

Photo by T. Chalstrom

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 Seth Hansen CCA, Contributing Writer Contributing Writer

By the Industry, For the Industry

IN THIS ISSUE 6

New Off-Ground Harvest Research Incorporates Precision Yield Monitoring for Improved Orchard Management

Five Things That Worked for Pest Control in 2021 — and a Few Things That Didn’t

16 18

California Walnuts’ First-Ever National Snacking Retail Campaign

New Kids on the Block: Almond Breeders Continue Focus on SelfFertile Releases Cal/OSHA COVID-19 Protections Edging Toward Permanent Standard

Pacific Flatheaded Borer Emerges as Significant Pest of Walnuts, Hazelnuts

American Pecan Council Contributing Writer

Julie R. Johnson Contributing Writer

Vicky Boyd Contributing Writer

Theresa Kiehn President and CEO, AgSafe

Ellen M. Bruno Asst. Cooperative Extension Specialist, Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics, UC Berkeley

Rich Kreps CCA, SSp., Contributing Writer Mitch Lies Contributing Writer

Danita Cahill Contributing Writer

Michelle Rodriguez Safety/Food Safety Specialist, Western Agricultural Processors Association

Special Section: No-Rain November

California Walnut Board Contributing Writer Taylor Chalstrom Assistant Editor Brittney Goodrich Asst. Cooperative Extension Specialist, Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics, UC Davis

Richard J. Sexton Distinguished Professor, Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics, UC Davis

UC Cooperative Extension Advisory Board Surendra K. Dara UCCE Entomology and Biologicals Advisor, San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara Counties Kevin Day County Director/UCCE Pomology Farm Advisor, Tulare/Kings Counties Elizabeth Fichtner UCCE Farm Advisor, Tulare County Katherine Jarvis-Shean UCCE Area Orchard Systems Advisor, Yolo and Solano

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

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.

Prevent Water Stress in the Central Valley and Set Trees Up for Bearing Next Year’s Crop

36 38

Enhancing Winter Chill in Tree Nut Crops Northstate Nut Growers Consider the Hard Decisions if Drought Continues

2021 Recap Report of APC’s Marketing in the Health Professional Sphere

46 50 54 58 62

Dormancy – What Your Trees Do in the Winter

68 70 76

Personal Fall Arrest Systems in Nut Hulling/Processing Facilities The Outlook for California’s Almond Market IPM’s Role in Crop Quality Understanding How Nitrogen is Utilized Improves Nitrogen-Use Efficiency for Almond Growers Monitoring and Controlling Leafrollers in Hazelnuts The Practical Wisdom of Climate-Smart Agriculture Practices Bridging the Ag Tech Divide

SPOTLIGHT ARTICLE: Precision Yield Monitoring New off-ground harvest research incorporates precision yield monitoring for improved orchard management. See page 6

November 2021

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New Off-Ground Harvest Research Incorporates Precision Yield Monitoring for Improved Orchard Management By TAYLOR CHALSTROM | Assistant Editor

New research uses off-ground harvesters as a “method” to measure individual tree yields across an orchard (all photos by T. Chalstrom.)

ff-ground harvest is continuing to advance as a viable method for harvesting almonds in California, and a new UC Davis research project is using precision agriculture technologies to further capitalize on its benefits. The project, which includes researchers with UC Davis and USDA-ARS, and in partnership with Erick Nielsen Enterprises, Inc., was envisioned by UC Davis Plant Sciences Professor Patrick Brown. It uses the off-ground harvester as a “method” to measure individual trees’ yields across an orchard, according to UC Davis Professional Researcher and project collaborator Sat Darshan S. Khalsa. The purpose of measuring individual trees instead of taking an average of an orchard block, Khalsa said, is to highlight variabilities in their orchards. Making growers aware of variabilities will assist them in making more precise management decisions throughout their orchards. “If growers are still only looking at the average yields across blocks and managing those blocks as average units, it’s really hard to start talking about more precision agriculture,” Khalsa said.

Precision Yield Monitoring

A UC Davis team led by Stavros G. Vougioukas, professor in the Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering, designed a weighing bin to precisely measure the yield coming off of each tree. As nuts are shaken from trees and collected in the harvester, they move along a conveyor belt and are captured in the weighing bin. The bin then commu-

West Coast Nut

November 2021

What we wanted to know is, ‘What is the wide range of variability of trees in the orchard and how are those trees differing in yield, but what are the drivers of those differences? – Sat Darshan S. Khalsa, UC Davis

The weighing bin, engineered by Development Engineer Dennis Sadowski, attaches to the side of the Erick Nielson Enterprises off-ground harvester and measures the yield of each individual tree after nuts are dropped.

nicates to the driver when to drop the nuts in the windrow. The weighing bin itself, engineered by Development Engineer Dennis Sadowski, attaches to the side of the Erick Nielson Enterprises off-ground harvester. Post-doctoral Researcher Chen Peng designed the yield monitoring software as well as a GPS software that maps the yield of individual trees in the orchard. The GPS mapping allows growers to see how much specific trees in an orchard block are producing,

Continued on Page 8

The project is also looking at water management data on trees in blocks as it pertains to stress levels.

November 2021

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The project uses remote sensing technology that will assist with predicting yield earlier in the season so that growers can know how to adaptively manage their water and nutrients.

Continued from Page 7 which can be helpful for diagnosing water and/or nutrition issues more

accurately within blocks. “What we wanted to know is, ‘What is the wide range of variability of trees in the orchard and how are those trees

differing in yield, but what are the drivers of those differences?’” said Khalsa. “So what we did is we used satellite imagery to show the vegetative index of the existing orchards we were working in, and then randomly selected trees of all ranges of productivity and identified them as our data trees. Within those data trees, we’re then starting to take more intensive measurements around carbohydrate status, water status and nutrient status as well as counts on flowers and fruit set to understand what those yield drivers are.” The weighing bin is still in the first version of development, and the research collaborators have plans for improvement. Khalsa said the project is primarily focused on improving the efficiency of the weighing steps so that weight can be taken in real time instead of after all the nuts have passed through the bin. “That will allow the shaking to double in speed, and right now, we’re not quite there,” he said. Additionally, the current iteration of the weighing bin requires additional labor during harvest due to how the bin piles up nuts in windrows, but Khalsa said this is only temporary. “It hasn’t quite been designed in such a way with commercial machinery to

Continued on Page 10 8

West Coast Nut

November 2021

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Continued from Page 8 optimize all operations of the harvest,” he said. “Certainly, what we want to see in the future is the ability to weigh the nuts and have some sort of broadcasting of those nuts gently onto the field so that they’re not building up in piles. So what our team was doing as a courtesy to the grower is we were following behind the harvester and raking those nuts out so that they dry effectively, but that’s not a practice we would ever propose for this type of work.” Khalsa said the project is looking for additional industry collaborators to help design different types of weighing bins for different types of harvesters, keeping in mind the goal of the operation which is to get the nuts in a windrow where they can dry and be picked up effectively. This process eliminates sweeping and marries with one of the Almond Board’s 2025 harvest goals of

"That’s ultimately what the growers are looking for. They see parts of their plots that are getting much higher yields than others and they want everything to reach whatever the maximum potential is in that area." – Andrew McElrone, USDA-ARS reducing harvest dust levels.

Remote Sensing and Satellite Imagery

Another important goal of the project is yield prediction, which requires the ground-truthing data from the precision off-ground harvester for algo-

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November 2021

rithm training and validation purpose. While the research project involves measuring yield indicators of individual trees to predict yield earlier in the season, this method is not feasible for the grower. Khalsa said that the project is using AI/machine learning technology paired with aerial imagery to get a bigger picture and make things easier. The remote sensing technology will assist with predicting yield earlier in the season so that growers can know how to adaptively manage their water and nutrients, Khalsa said. Additionally, ground-based sensor networks, much like those already being used by growers to measure soil water and tree water status, are being used in tandem with aerial remote sensing and tractor mounted imaging to further enhance the management scope. These groundbased sensor networks and tractor mounted imaging are currently being researched by UC Davis professors Isaya Kisekka and Mason Earles. Yufang Jin, professor in the Department of Air, Land and Water Resources at UC Davis, is heading the aerial remote sensing and yield prediction aspects of the project. Jin said that the remote sensing looks at bloom dynamics early in the season, including flower intensity and bloom timing overlap between rows, along with other phenological and physiological traits like canopy biomass and water stress. “We can monitor from space when the flowers start to come out and then track day-to-day dynamics as well as quantify intensity of

peak bloom,” she said. “We can ingest all of that information into a final yield prediction statistical model.” Using this model, the researchers will be able to relate the yields in the weighing bin during off-ground harvesting to yield drivers within the orchard, with the hope of influencing growers to make more tailored management decisions.

Water Management

The project is also looking at water management data on trees in blocks as it pertains to stress levels. Similar to the yield prediction data, these data are compared with the precise yield measurements from the off-ground harvester to determine a more homogenized management pattern for the orchard. Also similar to the yield prediction data, the water management data is captured

through remote sensing tools. Andrew McElrone, a research plant physiologist with USDA-ARS and adjunct faculty at UC Davis, said that water use is measured on the ground with lots of sensors, including a flux tower, which is used to ground truth remotely sensed measurements of water use. The remote sensing tools can be used to map the heterogeneity of a block, according to McElrone. “That’s ultimately what the growers are looking for,” he said. “They see parts of their plots that are getting much higher yields than others and they want everything to reach whatever the maximum potential is in that area. They’re trying to maximize uniformity because it helps improve harvest time as well.” Additionally, remote sensing makes it easier in general to survey the orchard.

“What the remote sensing can do is allow you to cover a lot more acreage more rapidly without having to send armies of people into the field to do intensive measurements,” he said, noting that the cost is coming down for these tools as well. Remote sensing tools for estimating evapotranspiration will soon be more widely available through OpenET, a web application powered by Google Earth Engine that uses cutting edge models and publicly available satellite and weather station data to estimate field-level water consumption at potentially daily, monthly and yearly intervals. Comments about this article? We want to hear from you. Feel free to email us at article@jcsmarketinginc.com

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Five Things That Worked for Pest Control in 2021 — and a Few Things That Didn’t By CECILIA PARSONS | Associate Editor

PCA Justin Nay said there really is no substitute for good orchard sanitation as it puts growers ahead of the pest numbers at the beginning of the growing season (all photos by Marni Katz.)

CAs interviewed at the 2021 Crop Consultant Conference and in the field emphasized nutrition, sanitation, tracking degree days and mating disruption as their major tools to keep crop damage low in tree nut crops this year. No surprise that navel orangeworm (NOW) and mite control were their two biggest challenges throughout a hot and dry summer, but they all had strategies that worked as well as some that worked less effectively.

What Worked

Their five most successful strategies for pest control in 2021 were:

1. Sticking with a Plan

David Vieira, PCA for Gar Bennett, said tracking degree days and pest thresholds kept the pest management plan on track.

“We had a good pest control plan,” said David Vieira, PCA for Gar Bennett who works in Tulare, Kings and Kern counties. “We took care of the things we can control.” Vieira said he kept track of degree days and pest thresholds throughout the growing season and that that maximized insecticide spray coverage. Using degree days to track NOW flights resulted in a return on investment in chemical control. There was nothing really different in insect pest control in tree nuts this year, Vieira said at the Crop Consultant Conference in September. Paying attention to trap counts and counting degree days helped keep the NOW

Continued on Page 14 12

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November 2021

Making a plan and sticking to it, despite market fluctuations, is one key to successful pest management.

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controlling this pest.

populations suppressed in his orchards, which is key to preventing crop damage. “You can’t miss a step with permanent crops and you can’t stop farming when prices are low; you have to keep production,” Vieira said.

3. Watching Nutrition

PCA Jim Pingrey said after shifting his attention to tree nutrition, he has been able to reduce chemical application for pest control. Pingrey, with Colusa County Farm Supply, said his sap analysis study over the last three years led him to fine-tune his orchard nutrition plans, aiming to balance tree needs. After recognizing that high chloride levels were triggering early mite pressure, he set about to correct that with calcium injection. By lowering the chloride levels, he was able to skip a mite spray and, as an added bonus, lowered Alternaria levels and hull rot infections in his orchards.

2. Winter Sanitation

“Obviously, sanitation is very important,” said Justin Nay, PCA with Integral Ag. “We really stuck to our guns with the growers, and after a dry winter and money spent on orchard sanitation, we saw the results.” Nay said there really is no substitute for good orchard sanitation as it puts them ahead of the pest numbers at the beginning of the growing season. Lower numbers of NOW in the orchard allow sprays to be more effective in

“You can’t miss a step with permanent crops and you can’t stop farming when prices are low; you have to keep production.” –David Vieira, PCA, Gar Bennett

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Earlier NOW flights could have led to more generations over the season and more crop damage, but PCA Robert Smith with Ultra Gro said mating disruption puffers in east side orchards worked well this year to reduce populations. Yes, he said there was lower NOW pressure on the east side, but in those pistachio orchards, he was able to get by with only a hull split spray. As for mites, he said pressure in his orchards was lighter than expected, but he did not wait until July and instead sprayed with a less expensive product in May and achieved good control.

5. Monitoring and Treatment Thresholds

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4. Mating Disruption

Good navel orangeworm control in almonds and pistachios can strain a management budget, said independent PCA Fred Strauss, but using traps and checking for thresholds can save some money. Traps are a good indicator of NOW pressure, Nay said, and they can

mitigate a less-than-optimal sanitation program.

What Didn’t Work 1. Cutting Corners

Not following the pest management plan developed by your PCA. Sometimes, growers need to trim their budget in a low-price year, but Strauss said it is frustrating when the grower isn’t following the plan. With permanent nut crops, pest control can’t be left behind due to low markets. Following the protocol for each season pays off in crop quality and yields. Getting the timing right for a spray application to prevent NOW populations from spiking at harvest is an important step, he said.

2. Supply Chain

“This was a tough hurdle this year,”

Vieira said. Shipping delays of products and higher prices for plastics and pallets cost growers time. “Growers paid the price of not having the products they needed for their orchards.”

3. Saving a Spray

Taking a chance and skipping an insecticide spray without other mitigation measures can save money, Strauss said, but it also can cost in the form of crop quality. When it comes to husk fly in walnuts, he said it is important to identify location of the infestation and be sure to treat that area the next season to avoid crop damage.

4. Spraying out NOW

Relying exclusively on insecticides to control NOW is not an effective method of control, Nay said. Late damage and late harvest equaled more

NOW infested nuts. Relying on insecticide sprays to reduce NOW populations in the orchard will not achieve a cleaner crop, he said. With earlier NOW flights, good control can’t be achieved and other control tools can’t be optimized. Not one single control method works for NOW, all PCAs interviewed said. The foundation is orchard sanitation, along with mating disruption, insecticide sprays, monitoring and traps that can all play a part in pest management. Integrating biological controls and understanding integrated pest management protocols can also increase efficacy of pest management plans. Comments about this article? We want to hear from you. Feel free to email us at article@jcsmarketinginc.com

November 2021

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A WORD FROM THE BOARD: THE CALIFORNIA WALNUT BOARD

CALIFORNIA WALNUTS’ FIRST-EVER NATIONAL SNACKING RETAIL CAMPAIGN DRIVES SUCCESS WITH AWARENESS AND SALES By CALIFORNIA WALNUT BOARD | Contributing Writer

n an ongoing effort to change the way consumers think about walnuts, the California Walnut Board conducted its largest snacking campaign in May through August to encourage additional consumption of walnuts through snacking. The campaign found success with both consumer media coverage and a first-ever snacking-focused in-store retail program in July, resulting in strong year-over-year sales growth of walnuts for participating retailers. In online content, TV segments, advertising and promotions, consumers saw messaging about “Raising Your Nutrition IQ with California Walnuts” showing nutritious and tasty snack ideas, which drove awareness and product sales. The decision to run a campaign focused solely on snacking came directly from market research that showed continued growth in snacking as the top use of walnuts. California Walnuts also conducted a survey to assess current snacking trends going into the campaign period. Among other findings, the survey concluded that more Americans are looking to eat healthier snacks than last year, and 22% of snackers (approximately 53 million people) are looking for snacks that promote cognitive health. “The Board’s market research provided valuable insights to inform development of a strategic campaign to reach consumers with a new message to drive increased walnut consumption during a time of year when walnuts are not typically top-of-mind,” said Jennifer Olmstead, senior director of U.S. marketing and communications 16

West Coast Nut

Retailers were pleased with walnut snacking campaign results (photo courtesy CWMB.)

for the California Walnut Board. “We presented the opportunity to retailers and were pleased with the interest for this inaugural campaign.” Twenty-six retailers operating 7,400 stores participated in the campaign, displaying walnuts and promotional signage. In select retailers, California Walnuts paired with the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council or Bard Valley Natural Delights Dates for in-store promotions and recipe highlights. The snacking campaign also included regional TV station segments and Facebook Live recipe demonstrations hosted by the supermarket dietitians. Throughout the summer, media outreach led to 460 news articles and garnered 1.6 billion potential views, touting walnuts as a nutritious snack option and shared recipe ideas, including placements in major consumer outlets like Men’s Health, Eat This, Not That! and Real Simple. “The earned media, nutrition

November 2021

spokespeople, influencer partnerships and national retail program worked together to build excitement across the country around purchasing walnuts,” shared Olmstead. Retailers who executed well at the store level were extremely pleased with the results, especially when compared to the pandemic-fueled walnut sales during the summer of 2020. Nielsen data collected from a portion of the retailers showed that volume gains attributed to this program were above 170% for two of the retailers and no less than 44% from the rest of the group. Olmstead added California Walnuts hopes to continue to build on the campaign success, especially as consumer demand for plant-forward and nutritious eating choices continues to rise. Comments about this article? We want to hear from you. Feel free to email us at article@jcsmarketinginc.com

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Pacific Flatheaded Borer Emerges as Significant Pest of Walnuts, Hazelnuts By MITCH LIES | Contributing Writer

ICE HIL N E

n the summer of 2018, UCCE IPM Advisor Jhalendra Rijal had his first direct encounter with Pacific flatheaded borer. “Some growers were reporting damage in walnuts,” he said. “We went out there, found larvae and later figured out it was flatheaded borer.” While not new to California agriculture, the Pacific flatheaded borer today is a significant pest of walnuts, particularly, but not exclusively, to young walnut orchards. In some cases, damage from the pest has approached 100%, Rijal said. In one case, Rijal noted, a grower ended up cutting every tree in his one-year-old orchard beneath the infestation points and re-budding them because of damage from the pest. “So, you can imagine the cost,” Rijal said. “First, there is the money for labor and material investment, but the grower also was two years late coming into production.” The pest also has emerged in recent years as a significant issue in Oregon hazelnuts. “In 2016, we started seeing a lot of damage in young hazelnut orchards from the borer,” said Oregon State University Extension Hazelnut Specialist Nik Wiman. “Before then, it was pretty much unrecognized.” Wiman said the pest appears to have come into hazelnuts from outside of orchards in 2015 when drought stress exposed young trees to the pest. A year later, the damage started showing up. “It was pretty devastating in some orchards,” he said. “We saw losses topping 30% in certain orchards, and there was even a cherry orchard that was 100% damaged. They just ripped it out and had to replant it. “It can be really destructive,” Wiman said.

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Pacific flatheaded borer is known to attack diseased or stressed walnut trees. Researchers recommend growers remove infected material in fall or winter months (all photos by J. Rijal.)

Wide Host Range

The Pacific flatheaded borer, Chrysobothris mali, affects multiple tree crops in the Western U.S., including several tree fruits and some tree nuts. The pest is known to attack diseased or stressed trees. “Drought, over-irrigation or poor soil conditions, all of those can be predisposing factors,” Rijal said. Flathead borer adults lay eggs in branches with cracks and wounds, and larvae slowly move into the wood by feeding on the cambium layer of the infested branch first, he said. The pest also likes branches exposed to sun. “They like the warmth of the branches and twigs and lay their eggs there,” Rijal said. Rijal noted that researchers don’t know why the pest has suddenly appeared as a significant problem in walnuts. He and others speculate that the dry conditions and drought that have permeated the Central Valley as of late is a contributing factor, as well as the increase in walnut acres. “Plus, I would say that growers are much more aware of this pest now and finding more because of that,” he said. Rijal added that in recent years, the pest appears to be attacking older, more mature trees, a divergence from its historical range, and another potential reason for why it has become more recognized as a pest of concern. “Not only are the young trees, first- and second-year trees infested on the trunk, but we are now seeing bigger limbs and smaller branches, even pencil-sized branches, that have flatheaded borer infestations,” he said. “And even healthy-looking trees, four, six, seven, even ten-year-old op-

timally producing trees also are getting attacked now.” The increased pressure has led to two research projects, one funded by the Walnut Board of California in 2019 and a new multi-state project started this summer that is funded by a USDA Specialty Crop Research Initiative grant and being led by Tennessee State University, where a similar flathead borer species is causing problems in nursery tree plants. Researchers from other Eastern states, including Florida, Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina are part of the grant, as well as Rijal and Wiman, who are looking at walnuts and hazelnuts in California and Oregon. In the 2019 research project, Rijal was able to identify the species of flatheaded borer causing damage in walnuts, produce photographs of symptoms so growers know what to look for when scouting for the pest and get some preliminary data on the pest’s biology and behavior. “We were able to do the preliminary work looking at the adult beetle emer-

gence timing in the summer to understand the pest biology better. This helps to ultimately develop pest monitoring and management,” he said.

Monitoring Tools

As part of the USDA’s Specialty Crop Research Initiative project titled Flatheaded Borer Management in Tree Specialty Crops, researchers are looking at different monitoring tools, or traps and attractants, attempting to pinpoint peak adult emergence and looking at different insecticides with the hope of developing control strategies. To date, preliminary research conducted in the northern San Joaquin Valley has shown peak adult emergence occurs in June. “Although emergence starts in May and can continue through July, we think that mid-June is the peak adult activity period, at least in the area where I am doing the work,” Rijal said. Knowing peak adult emergence may potentially help pinpoint the optimum window for targeting young larvae with

Continued on Page 20

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Pacific flatheaded borer feeding can increase the likelihood of branch breakage in walnuts. “Even simple, regular wind will break it,” said UCCE IPM Advisor Jhalendra Rijal.

Continued from Page 19 insecticides, he said. To date, researchers recommend growers become familiar with symptoms and remove infected tree parts in fall or winter as well as coat trunks of young trees with white paint before they are exposed to sunlight. Scouting in late summer/early fall will help growers identify damaged trees, Rijal said. “In the summer, you can see the brown frass at the infestation point on branches,” he said, “and at that point, you know that larva is inside because of that.” He added that removing infected branches may not provide 100% control of the pest in the first year. “It is more like a population-reduction method,” he said. “You probably won’t be able to remove all the infested branches depending COMPLETE PLANTS Built to Fit Your Needs

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Researchers are analyzing the effectiveness of different traps as part of a multi-state Specialty Crop Research Initiative grant studying flatheaded borer.

on the pressure, but it helps a lot, because you are essentially killing the larvae that are hiding inside the infested plant materials.” Left alone, infected branches may not die immediately, he said, but over time they will succumb to the pest, and an infestation increases the likelihood a branch will break. “Even simple, regular wind will break it,” Rijal said. Neonicotinoid insecticides, said as Imidacloprid, are effective at controlling the pest in hazelnuts, Wiman said. But those are under scrutiny by EPA and may not be available in future years. A relatively new class of insecticide, diamides, also has shown efficacy on the pest in hazelnuts, but at this point isn’t labeled for use against it, Wiman said. “Experimentally, we are showing it works,” he said. “So, if we lose the neonicotinoids, which we probably will eventually because they are already banned in Europe, at least we have some alternatives to go to.” Rijal noted that in some cases, growers may be getting some residual control of the flatheaded borer through codling moth or navel orangeworm sprays, but how much of an effect is in question. “The insecticides might have some impact on flatheaded borer, but we know that it is not enough because we are seeing infestations regardless of whether the grower had treated for codling moth or navel orangeworm,” he said. He emphasized that painting young trees with white latex paint is a must. “That is a must practice, especially with the Central Valley heat,” he said. “Get that latex paint on at least before sunburn risk.” Comments about this article? We want to hear from you. Feel free to email us at article@jcsmarketinginc.com

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New Kids on the Block:

Almond Breeders Continue Focus on Self-Fertile Releases By VICKY BOYD | Contributing Writer

Pyrenees tree showing the heavy crop load (photo courtesy Burchell Nursery.)

he trend toward self-fertile almond varieties continues as a handful of nurseries have new offerings that allow growers to reduce bees needed for pollination and manage orchards more efficiently. Following on the heels of the successful self-fertile Independence variety, Dave Wilson Nursery has introduced Liberty. Burchell Nursery has launched Pyrenees, the second release in its self-fruitful Summit Almond Series. And several businesses, including Duarte Nursery, Burchell Nursery, Sierra Gold Nurseries, Fowler Nurseries, Roos Tree Nursery, Tudor Trees Nursery and Agromillora Nursery, will offer Yorizane. From the breeding program of Dr. Craig Ledbetter with USDA-ARS, it is a public self-fertile variety without royalties.

Burchell Nursery

The second release in Burchell Nursery’s self-fruitful Summit Almond Series, Pyrenees matures about two weeks later than Nonpareil. “Pyrenees has good nut removal,” said Tom Burchell, owner and president. “The thing we like about it is it’s 10 days to

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two weeks after Nonpareil. The nuts hang well, dry down on the trees and shake well.” The later maturity should allow growers to spread out their harvests, since Nonpareil, Shasta and Independence all come off at about the same time. The Pyrenees nuts also are easy to hull, and any mummies left come off readily during winter shaking. Like Shasta, Pyrenees is self-fruitful, meaning it doesn’t need pollen from another variety to produce a crop. But Burchell still recommended using beehives, albeit at a reduced number, to maximize the yield potential of either variety. Pyrenees produces a nut with a good seal and a semi-soft shell that can be cracked by hand. Depending on the handler, it could go for the in-shell market, he said. The kernel itself is in the medium-size range and is classified as a California type. In taste tests conducted by the Almond Board, Pyrenees was one of the top U.S. varieties, coming in just behind an Australian variety. Burchell said it has a mild amaretto flavor that the taste panel found pleasing. “Pyrenees just had a unique amaretto flavor where everything else we tasted that day was a bland almond,” Burchell said. “This one was different. “Right now, almonds aren’t sold by flavor. If you put chocolate on them, it doesn’t matter what they taste like.” But the unique flavor prompted him to name the variety after the Pyrenees mountain range in Europe. After all, marzipan, a paste made from almonds and sometimes augmented with amaretto flavoring, is popular in European confections. Pyrenees produces a medium-sized, somewhat spreading tree. Burchell said they like to put it on a peach-almond hybrid rootstock to improve tree vigor, which isn’t as strong as the Nonpareil. He also continues to evaluate test number P16.022, a yet-

A Liberty tree is shaken, showing easy nut removal (photo courtesy Dave Wilson Nursery.)

to-be-released self-fertile variety that will be called Lassen. It matures from seven to 14 days later than Nonpareil. As growers begin to remove Butte-Padre orchards, Burchell said this variety

A close-up shows the Liberty crop after hull split (photo courtesy Dave Wilson Nursery.)

could be a potential replacement if it’s released. Lassen produces a smallish, plump kernel similar to Ruby in shape, according to Blue Diamond grading informa-

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tion. In addition, Burchell has a few more experimental self-fertile varieties that

Continued on Page 24

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Yorizane nuts on the ground reflect the easy detachment from the tree (photo courtesy Duarte Nursery.)

Continued from Page 23 aren’t as far along as Lassen that he continues to assess.

Dave Wilson Nursery

Through an exclusive marketing agreement, Dave Wilson Nursery has begun offering Liberty, the second self-fertile almond variety from the breeding program of Zaiger Genetics. It appears to mature about 10 days to two weeks later than Independence and Nonpareil, said Jereme Fromme, Dave Wilson Nursery vice president of sales and marketing. It also blooms about five days later than Independence. “That’s obviously helpful in years where there’s a potential frost event,” he said. “The later the bloom is, the less likely you are to have a frost event, and that’s real critical.” But Fromme cautioned the timeframes are based on just a few plantings around Stanislaus County and what has been observed by the Zaigers over the past 10 years. As more orchards are put in the ground in different parts of the state under different environmental conditions, he said they should get a better idea of bloom and harvest timing. “I think what we’re going to find, and we find this with all varieties, is until you get critical mass, it’s kind of 24

West Coast Nut

November 2021

hard to say,” Fromme said. “Any given year and the growing practices could also change harvest windows.” If the later timing holds, he said it could allow growers and custom applicators to spread out harvest, making more efficient use of their equipment. Liberty produces a large, attractive kernel with a good shell seal. How it will be categorized by the industry remains to be seen. “There are several different factors,” Fromme said. “It really isn’t until you get mass quantities from different regions that you can put them in a category.” Unlike Independence, Liberty produces a more upright tree similar to Aldrich. Liberty trees are vigorous, and Dave Wilson will offer the new variety on all its commercial rootstocks. The nuts also shake cleanly from the trees, likely due to the more upright architecture, Fromme said. Liberty is self-fertile and can produce a crop without beehives, although some growers still put a reduced number of hives in their orchards, much like they do with Independence. Zaiger Genetics hasn’t stopped at Liberty for self-fertile varieties, From-

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Yorizane: Self-Fertile and Royalty Free In 1998, USDA-ARS geneticist Craig Ledbetter made the initial Yorizane cross between the European self-fertile hardshell variety Tuono and ARS advanced almond selection 74-48. As a result, Yorizane has a pure almond genetic background without any peach material, he said.

themselves have a goldish color and are slightly lighter colored than Nonpareil. But Ledbetter said they would not be considered blonde. Yorizane harvests about the same time as Nonpareil. Ledbetter named the variety after Ban and Tac Yorizane, who sold their 120-acre farm near Parlier to USDA-ARS in 1991.

USDA-ARS released the variety, previously trialed as Y116-161-99, in 2020.

“We were previously in southeast Fresno,” he said. “Fresno grew around us and forced us to move down to Parlier.”

Based on six years of RVT trial data, Ledbetter said Yorizane tends to alternate bear slightly less than Nonpareil.

Among the varieties he has in his breeding pipeline is Y11791-03, a self-fertile almond with a Nonpareil-type kernel. Like Yorizane, this variety

The Yorizane kernel is classified as a California type, and shells have tight seals, reducing NOW damage. Kernels Continued from Page 24 me said. In the pipeline is one that harvests in early to mid-July. “With the compaction of harvest, we’re looking at how we can spread harvest out on the early side,” he said. “We can get product running through the huller a little earlier. If you can harvest by mid-July, you’re missing the next or maybe multiple NOW flights.”

Sierra Gold Nurseries

Trialed as Y-116-161-99, Yorizane is a public variety released in 2020 that has no royalties or other fees. And Sierra Gold Nurseries plans to offer it next fall, said Brent Burky, director of sales. “We’ve just been waiting to get the budwood supply built up,” he said. “We want to use the cleanest budwood possible and didn’t want to rush into it.” Nevertheless, Burky said he’s already received several inquiries about the new variety. Rootstock choice will depend on individual growing condi-

West Coast Nut

tions and grower goals. “I know with Shasta and Independence, two popular self-fertile varieties, if the rootstock doesn’t have a lot of vigor, the trees stay small and compact,” Burky said. That leads many growers to put them on a more vigorous rootstock. It appears Yorizane may also produce slightly smaller trees. “If you want to have a tree that looks more like a typical Nonpareil, then I’d plant it on more vigorous rootstock,” he said. “But I think Yorizane will perform on just about anything. If you have sites with limitations, like heavy soil and you need to plant on Krymsk 86, I think it’s still going to perform well.”

Duarte Nursery

Duarte Nursery in Hughson is promoting Yorizane as “The Gold Nut,” which calls attention to its light gold kernel color. John Duarte, president of Duarte Nursery, said he’s impressed with Yorizane’s clean harvest, a crack-out equivalent to Nonpareil,

November 2021

Yorizane trees at harvest. These trees are part of the Regional Variety Trial in Stanislaus County (photo courtesy Duarte Nursery.)

will be royalty free when it’s released, Ledbetter said. “We want to make sure that everyone who does want to sell it can,” he said. fewer doubles than Nonpareil and a hull that comes off very easily. In addition, Yorizane as a good seal compared to Nonpareil, reducing navel orange worm infestations. But the shell itself is thin, making the variety a good candidate for brining and roasting. Yorizane matures about the same time as Nonpareil. Based on Almond Board crack-out data and kernel dimensions, Yorizane is considered a California variety. What really caught Duarte’s attention is its reduced hull rot strikes compared to other commercial varieties. This will enable growers to push irrigation and fertility to maximize the variety’s yield potential. “It’s a champ when you look at all the RVTs,” said Duarte, who has followed Yorizane’s performance for several seasons. “There’s nothing that’s in second place.” Comments about this article? We want to hear from you. Feel free to email us at article@jcsmarketinginc.com

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Cal/OSHA COVID-19 Protections Edging Toward Permanent Standard By THERESA KIEHN | President and CEO, AgSafe

s 2021 rapidly comes to an end, it has become quite apparent in recent months that COVID-19 will continue to be a part of our lives as we march into 2022. Cal/OSHA also appears to agree with this assessment as they are preparing to create a permanent standard for COVID-19. This new permanent standard would most likely be adopted in spring 2022 by the Cal/ OSHA Standards Board. In this article,

West Coast Nut

we discuss elements of the proposed permanent standard and the differences between it and the current Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS). This September, the Cal/OSHA Standards Board convened a virtual advisory committee meeting to review the language of a proposed permanent standard. The public was also given an opportunity to view the meeting and submit written comments before the

November 2021

board begins the process of finalizing the standard. Although this standard is labeled as a permanent, it has built in a sunset clause which is currently set to expire after two years.

Proposed Changes

One of the biggest changes to the proposed regulation was the official incorporation of California Department of Public Heath (CDPH) guidance. This

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As currently written, the permanent standard would eliminate the option for employees to self-attest; only vaccinations records (digital or in print) would be an acceptable form of proof (photo by Hector Amezcua, UC Davis.)

had been a point of contention with the current ETS because the standard was unable stay current with actual fluctuations of COVID-19 transmission. The incorporation of CDPH guidance is intended to add flexibility to the standard because, as we have learned, a one-sizefits-all regulation does not work when you are operating during the time of a global pandemic. Under the proposed permanent standard, employers would no longer need to have a separate COVID-19 Prevention Program. Employers will need to address COVID-19 prevention methods through their existing Injury and Illness Prevention Plan and COVID-19 would be officially included as a workplace hazard. Therefore, employers would continue to follow their current practices of assessing and mitigating COVID-19 hazards in their workplace, provide training to employees, investigate cases and report to the appropriate regulatory agencies when required. Another change between the ETS and proposed permanent standard involves vaccination reporting. When verifying vaccination status, employers under the ETS could choose to have

employees self-attest or require employees to provide a vaccination record. As currently written, the permanent standard would eliminate the option for employees to self-attest and only vaccinations records (digital or in print) would be an acceptable form of proof. Across industries, we are hearing that this could create issues for employers for a couple of reasons, which may include employees that may be unable to locate the vaccination documentation and the added administrative burden of company representatives to ask employees that have already provided self-attestation to now produce a document and tracking such information, including timeframes that must now be provided along with policies to address non-compliance. Testing under the proposed permanent standard would also be altered for those who have had close contact with someone who tested positive for COVID-19. Under the current ETS, those who have had close contact but have been vaccinated would not have to test (close contact is defined as being

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Continued on Page 30 November 2021

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Continued from Page 29 within six feet of a COVID-19 case for a cumulative total of 15 minutes or greater in any 24-hour period within or overlapping with the “infectious period”, regardless of the use of face coverings.) However, the proposed permanent standards would require all people who have had close contact to be tested regardless of vaccination status. And finally, there are currently no provisions for exclusion pay in this version of the proposed permanent standard. Cal/OSHA has stated exclusion pay would be left for the Legislature to address on a permanent basis. As a reminder, the 80 hours of Supplement Paid Sick Leave expired on September 30, 2021. However, it is imperative to note that employees must still be provided with information about legally mandated sick and vaccination leave, and, if applicable, workers’ compensation law, local governmental requirements, the employer’s own

leave policies and leave guaranteed by need assistance with developing our contracts. These benefits should be dis- COVID-19 Prevention Plan, providing cussed during your employee training training tools to your employees, or and if an employee must quarantine. have specific questions regarding this These were just a few of the changes topic, please contact AgSafe at 209-526that have been proposed in the perma4400 or email safeinfo@agsafe.org. Adnent standard. To review the proposed ditionally, AgSafe, in partnership with language or to watch the advisory Western Center for Agricultural Heath committee meeting, please visit the and Safety, has several free resources Department of Industrial Relations available at agsafe.org or aghealth. website at dir.ca.gov/dosh/doshreg/ ucdavis.edu. covid-19-emergency-standards/ and AgSafe is a 501c3 nonprofit providselect the Sept. 23, 2021 Advisory Com- ing training, education, outreach and mittee Meeting. tools in the areas of safety, labor relaIn the meantime, it is imperative tions, pesticide compliance and human that businesses continue to follow the resources for the agricultural commucurrent COVID-19 ETS. Ensure you nity. Since 1991, AgSafe has educated have a COVID-19 Prevention Plan over 100,000 employers, supervisors and and your employees are continuing to workers about these critical issues. receive regular training. Additionally, it is critical that you continue to perform daily health screenings to ensure employees are free of COVID symptoms Comments about this article? We want prior to beginning their shift. If you to hear from you. Feel free to email us at article@jcsmarketinginc.com

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No-Rain November

Prevent Water Stress in the Central Valley and Set Trees Up for Bearing Next Year’s Crop By CECILIA PARSONS | Associate Editor

his year, long-range weather forecasts from the National Weather Service call for above-normal temperatures for the southern half of the state and cooler temperatures to the north. As for rainfall, much of the Central Valley looks to have less than a 50% chance of precipitation in November. If this dry forecast proves to be correct, what steps can growers and farm managers take to prevent

Keep Up with ET

“They have to continue to stay in farming mode, keep up with irrigation to meet evapotranspiration demands,” said UCCE Orchard Systems Advisor Luke Milliron. Although he works with growers in the northern counties of Butte, Glenn and Tehama, Milliron said there is no guarantee there that rainfall alone will provide enough moisture for trees going into dormancy. During the LEADING THE WAY IN NEW TECHNOLOGY sudden autumn freeze in November 2020 that PRESENTING THE MULTI-PURPOSE... severely damaged many California walnut orchards, Milliron and others noted that orchards with soil moisture from recent irrigation fared far better. Milliron said evapotranspiration rates for tree nut orchards are low during November and December, but those water needs should still be met to encourage photosynthesis and carbohydrate storage going into dormancy. Growers also should think ahead to the next irrigation season and understand they may have to start water earlier in the growing season to refill the soil profile if they do not apply water in the fall or if it does not rain a sufficient amount in November and December. Keeping trees hydrated later in the season also keeps leaves functioning - TRADITION - INTEGRITY - SERVICE - CRAFTSMANSHIP longer and helps tree roots take up nutrients. Franz Niederholzer, UCCE orchard systems advisor in Colusa, Sutter and Yuba counties, said determining the level of tree stress in NoFlory Industries, Salida, CA 95368 USA 209-545-1167 vember with a pressure chamber helps determine irrigation needs. The worst time for water stress is August to September, but adequate moisture in the late fall contributes to longterm tree health. He said a good number to aim for in No-

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November 2021

UCCE Orchard Systems Advisor Phoebe Gordon said irrigating with salty groundwater or surface water will lead to problems next spring if leaching cannot be achieved during the winter months where it is necessary.

vember is -10 to -14 bars for almonds. Readings above -20 bars signal a critical need for water.

Manage Salinity and Nutrients

Salt management is another important consideration in drought conditions. UCCE Orchard Systems Advisor Phoebe Gordon said irrigating with salty groundwater or surface water will lead to problems next spring if leaching cannot be achieved during the winter months where it is necessary. Salts need to be removed from the active root zone. If possible, a leaching fraction should be added to the amount of water applied in the fall. Historically, orchards in the Sacramento Valley area have less of an issue with salt buildup, Milliron said, and rainfall usually pushes any salt buildup down blow the root zone. However, without adequate leaching during the 2020-21 rainfall season, some Sacramento Valley orchards could be in big trouble if salts are not leached during the 2021-22 rainfall season. Leaching salts below the root zone is often a priority in the central and southern San Joaquin Valley, Gordon said. In addition to knowing soil properties, it is important to know the quality of the water being applied. Decreasing water quality and limited supply in a drought year can intensify salinity problems. Recent UC research found salt affected soil resulted in lower yields but also lower water use.

Cover crops are normally seeded in the fall to take advantage of early winter rains for germination. Lacking rainfall, these crops can be irrigated up, but that would involve an irrigation system that wets the row middles.

In a Growing the Valley podcast episode, UCCE Advisor Emeritus Allan Fulton noted that ET reports were given until mid-November in 2020, much later in the season than normal due to dry weather. Usually, Fulton said, October rains have exceeded the crop water demand in northern growing areas and

there is no need for the report. Water at that point is important as it encourages trees to photosynthesize and store food (energy) for spring bloom. Filling the soil profile in November is important as it eases the pressure on

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irrigation next year. Irrigation should be done to maintain moisture in the top foot of the soil. Fulton said that knowing the soils in your orchard will help determine how much rainfall plus irrigation will match the water holding capacity of the orchard. The goal for growers in drought conditions would be to have full soil moisture capacity at leaf-out in the spring. That is better achieved in the fall rather than spring as rain after a spring irrigation to fill the soil profile can saturate the soil when growing roots need aeration. Adequate soil moisture can affect nutrient uptake in the fall. Niederholzer said the most common fall nutrient applications are boron, zinc and potassium. Soil moisture is needed for nitrogen and potassium uptake, but research has shown that fall applied N does not achieve a return on investment. Foliar sprays of boron and zinc would be less effective if water stress caused defoliation. Potassium products need moisture to move into the root zone as they are normally banded down the microsprinkler lines.

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With water deliveries at a minimum, good orchard management will be key (photo by Marni Katz.)

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November 2021

Other concerns with dry orchard soils due to lack of fall rainfall or irrigation include poor soil uptake of pre-emergent herbicides, loss of cover crop stands and potential for freeze damage to young trees. Sac Valley Orchard Source notes that most pre-emergent herbicides require between 0.25 to 0.75 inches of rain/irrigation for proper incorporation and effectiveness. Plantings that were made in fall can take advantage of winter and spring rains. Cover crops are normally seeded in the fall to take advantage of early winter rains for germination. Lacking rainfall, these crops can be irrigated up, but that would involve an irrigation system that wets the row middles. Adequate soil moisture is one of the most important protections for young walnut trees from freeze damage. If a freeze event is forecast, it is also important to irrigate two to three days ahead of the freeze, allowing the soil to accumulate heat. Comments about this article? We want to hear from you. Feel free to email us at article@jcsmarketinginc.com

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No-Rain November

By RICH KREPS | CCA, SSp., Contributing Writer

opefully this November we get rain in the valley, rain in the mountains and the temps turn cold. Our trees need it. Heck, our state needs it. If we don’t at least get our normal rainfall rates, we may be headed for a statewide disaster with all the water our government “officials” have released this year. No matter how brilliant we may think we are when creating nutrition plans for our growers to optimize our yields and orchard’s health, Mother Nature is still the most important part of our farming repertoire. Pardon my French… without water and adequate rest, we have to get very creative in our attempt to keep this farming dream of ours alive and sustainable. What really happens when things cool off? If you’ve read any of my previous articles, you know how much I love to create human analogies to our farming experience. Think about running outside in the snow on Christmas morning, in Tahoe, naked. You can’t last very long out there in your birthday suit. You start to shiver, your skin gets pretty red as blood attempts to warm you up and then it all turns around. All your blood pools towards your vital organs to keep you alive and all metabolic processes stop. That’s a bit extreme, but you

West Coast Nut

November 2021

get the point. The body is trying to survive. Let’s compare this to trees and get a little more detailed without taking it to catastrophic hypothermia in the buff. When it gets cold, similar metabolic processes slow way down. The carbohydrates created with photosynthesis in the leaves begin to pull into the inner network of the plant for winter storage. And the trees shed their shade, creating leaves. Phloem directional flow allows much of these carbohydrates to be stored all the way back down in the roots. If we are lucky enough to have produced enough, much of it will stay higher up in the plants as well in the spurs, buds and woody tissues where it serves a couple purposes. It’ll be more easily accessible in the spring when we need a huge flux of carbon for bloom, but it also takes the place of excess water. This works like an antifreeze for our buds. Excess carbon storage in spurs and buds is crucial for winter protection.

Sunscreen for Trees

Let’s look at it from a different perspective now. Let’s say its only 36 degrees F outside and we have clothes on (hopefully this is normally the case when running out in the snow in Tahoe. Your neighbors will appreciate it.)

How many times have you seen pictures or even have personal experience skiing with ambient temps in the 30s and getting massive racoon eye sunburn marks because you forgot sunscreen? This is normally the case with both us and our trees. I have taken numerous temperature readings in orchards when ambient air temps outside are in the 40s with bark and bud temps in the 60s. The sun heats them up. Ambient temps aren’t always the best indicator. The same thing happens with the soil. Our soil is a great insulator and keeps our roots from freezing. We rarely see temps in the soil below 50 degrees F at even eight inches in the winter. And if those temps stay higher, your roots are still foraging because the metabolic processes haven’t slowed down enough to rest. Think of this analogy: You are leaving for a long trip in the car on Monday. You fill up the tank on Friday but leave the car running all weekend in the driveway. You’re not getting very far on Monday. If we apply that to our trees, their engines run all winter and when the proverbial gas pedal is stomped in the spring, there is no N and P left for the bloom push. Let’s hedge our bet. There have been many trials

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anyway, I guess no one will take offense to the reference. t’s important for us as farmers to not only watch the weather, plan for the worst and make adjustments, but also to do the research to actually promote the best possible outcomes with what God gives us. Streaking outside naked to turn off the car you left running is probably not the best idea if it’s bright

and sunny outside, but it will save your gas. Just remember to wear sunscreen. ‘Many “white wash” products can reflect sunlight much like zinc oxide would off our noses at the ski resort.’

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

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Many “white wash” products can reflect sunlight and keep the radiation effect to a minimum, decreasing the amount of carbon used throughout winter and allowing the entire tree to rest.

lately to increase our winter chill by applying “sunscreen” to our trees after thanksgiving and through winter. By keeping the radiation effect to a minimum, we feel we can decrease the amount of carbon used throughout winter and allow the entire tree to rest. Many “white wash” products can reflect sunlight much like zinc oxide would off our noses at the ski resort. I particularly prefer to use a refracting material that actually disperses light in multiple directions like a diamond to avoid even a point source of heat from a normal reflection type, flat material. There are some products that can actually be applied with a low water rate on an aerial ride and will actually cost less than running rigs through the orchard. Many times, we can’t go through the orchard anyway if it has actually rained. I prefer to apply it from above whenever possible as the sun hits from those angles. I feel it has greatly helped my growers increase their chill portions the last few winters. Of course, I am always adding nutrition whenever possible. I am a CCA for Pete’s sake! Add a little nutrition to the aerial spray if it will mix with your application material to get some love in all those nooks and crannies of the buds for the spring push. Again, running the risk of sounding like a degenerate gambler, I am always trying to hedge my bet on my own trees and those of the farmers I consult for. However, since farming is basically a legalized form of gambling

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By JULIE R. JOHNSON | Contributing Writer

UCCE Farm Advisor Franz Niederholzer said that as groundwater levels drop, even if adequate water is being pumped from ag wells, the quality of that water might need to be considered (photo by J.R. Johnson.)

here is one thing nut growers know for certain, and that is the uncertainty of Mother Nature. And uncertainty is what lays on the horizon as the west continues to navigate through a historic drought that has prompted federal and state cutbacks in

West Coast Nut

November 2021

regulated water supplies. In early August, the Water Resource Control Board adopted an emergency resolution allowing regulators to halt diversions from two of California’s largest river systems: the Sacramento River and the San Joaquin River water-

sheds. The order could apply to around 86% of land owners who have legal rights to divert water from these two systems, with a possibility of the remaining 14% being impacted if conditions get worse. While this governmental action has potentially devastating impacts on the central and southern regions of the state, growers in Northern California are a bit better off as the majority of nut growers in the Upper Sacramento Valley receive their irrigation from privately-owned agriculture wells, not districts or agencies.

Preparing for a Dry Future

According to the Water Resource Control Board, the curtailment order is a necessity to protect the state’s water supply, especially if the drought continues into this next wet season. The possibility of another dry winter and spring all too real, said Franz Niederholzer, UCCE farm advisor in Colusa, Sutter and Yuba counties. The National Weather Service Climate Prediction Center (cpc. ncep.noaa.gov/) is forecasting a dry winter in much of California. Specifically, it says the El Niño-Southern Oscillation is predicted to be neutral through early fall, with La Niña potentially emerging during late fall and lasting through the 2021-22 winter. That forecast means a winter/spring of less than normal rainfall; in other words, continuing drought conditions. What if the forecast rings true and the winter and spring of 2021-22 doles out insufficient amounts of rain to rescue the arid landscape, fill reservoirs and renew groundwater levels? What is a grower to do? How do you plan for such an unknown future while still fulfilling

Continued on Page 40

Continued from Page 38 worldwide demand for produce and keeping the financial coffers steady? Los Molinos walnut grower Bruce Lindauer of Lindauer Farms says he completely understands this quandary, especially after his many years in the industry. “Growers wake up every day having to make such calls in the face of uncertainty,” he said. “Dry north winds, drought, too much rain, scorching heat, pests, disease, it is all a part of the daily path growers have to navigate.” The old saying, “plan for the worst and hope for the best,” is probably the advice most growers should be applying as they move into this uncharted territory, Niederholzer suggested. “Looking to the future and making decisions based on two When drought is on the horizon, growers need to start evaluating their orchards to see where possible outcomes, sufficient or inpotential losses can be cut early on (photo by Marni Katz.) sufficient water supply, is important,” he added. “The hard decision of evaluating your orchards and deciding what to keep and what to walk away from has to be considered. It sounds extreme, but you have to have that conversation and assessment walk-through before the decision is right in front of you so you aren’t scrambling.”He suggests growers look to make those calls by Thanksgiving or at the latest the first of December as bee contracts are coming up, and if the decision is made to walk away from 25% of a grower’s acreage, bee contracts will need to be adjusted in line with that decision. “If it rains sufficiently, that’s great, but growers still need to consider what to do if it doesn’t,” Niederholzer adds.

Ag Wells Aren’t Surefire

Farm Manager D.C. Felciano of JJB Farms LP said the company had to plan ahead by selling off hundreds of acres in almonds in the Delta region due to water cutbacks. “Basically, it comes to this: no rain, no water, no produce and it’s a loss all around,” he said. “For our orchards in the Northstate, we are on agriculture wells and should be okay even if we have another dry winter and spring, but down south, it’s a whole different story.” For those on ag wells, the questions still needs to be asked: Where is the value in your farm going forward and where do you need to limit your losses and water use? Lindauer said as he plans for the future, his road 40

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November 2021

map for a dry winter is to make sure his trees go dormant with plenty of moisture in the root zone area. “And then I will watch the weather during the winter months and see what happens,” he added. “I want to make sure the roots wake up, not saturated, but with enough moisture in the spring. I would move from point A to point B and plan accordingly. That is really the best I can do.” Niederholzer said if the state doesn’t get enough rain and snowpack in the mountains this winter and early spring, even growers on wells will need to be cautious. “As the groundwater levels drop, even if adequate water is being pumped from ag wells, the quality of that water might need to be considered,” he said. He explained that the salinity, chloride, selenium and boron levels could go way up and cause additional problems for nut trees. “And unfortunately, the best way to leach those toxic levels is to wash them out with good-quality water,” Niederholzer said. “This buildup of minerals can make it difficult for the plant to function and thrive.”

Rationing Resources

headache, Lindauer laments the Pacific Gas and Electric Company’s (PG&E) new rate program that doesn’t allow irrigation well use between 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. “How do you deal with this, how do you or your employees go out after 8 p.m. to check your lines and prepare to turn the irrigation back on? It’s dark. This is just crazy,” he said. “The public wants us, the growers, to be as sufficient as possible with every drop of water during this drought, but how can we do that when PG&E is making things even more difficult for us? How do you plan for the future, for continued drought conditions, around something like this?” Niederholzer said this next year has the possibility of creating conditions never seen before in the Sacramento Valley for nut growers. “We have to ask ourselves, ‘What is the future going to look like if we continue to receive inadequate amounts of rain?’ We may have to make extremely hard decisions under conditions never before seen in the state,” he said. “And those decisions aren’t going to affect only nut growers and other produce growers, but the ripple effects will be wide and deep, all the way down to the consumer and everywhere in between.”

With the possibility of limited resources, Niederholzer suggests growers consider where best to use those resources, specifically water. Comments about this article? We want to hear from you. Feel “You have to look at which orchard blocks are bringing free to email us at article@jcsmarketinginc.com the best return, and then you have to make a decision on how to treat the remaining property. There are so many things to consider on the remaining orchards and their maintenance, such as age, variety, rootstock and site location,” he said. “If you’re looking at a young block, the possibility for bounce-back is likely; however, if you are looking PLANT GROWTH REGULATOR at older orchards, the probability is that cutting back on With harvest coming to an end, begin planning irrigation will most likely shorten the trees’ lifespan and for 2022’s almond bloom NOW, understand quality of future crops, and it might not be worth farming.” the benefits of a MOCKSI application and be For instance, if the drought continues and a grower has ready for a strong 2022! an old, hard-shell variety block on older Marianna rootstock, that might be a block to retain as the rootstock deals well with high-salinity water in comparison to a block on another, less tolerant rootstock. “It isn’t a blanket statement on age as much as it is the productivity and long-term quality of the orchard, rootstock and variety,” Niederholzer said. In addition, planning for the future under these circumstance isn’t just a one-year outcome, but rather a two-year outlook, at least. The decisions on water supply and use made today directly impacts the flower, set and crop two years out. Lindauer says it is constantly a “what if this” or “what if that” in planning ahead. “But even for those of us on ag wells, it isn’t a sure thing,” he said. “You have to consider that even ag wells can face inadequate water supplies. And then you have to Contact Ben Letizia at 559-284-1392 consider your electrical or power source for those wells; is or benl@kimc1.com for more information it adequate or stable and even affordable? There are a lot of © 2021 Kim-C1, LLC. All rights reserved. MOCKSI and Kim-C1, LLC aspects to deal with under these conditions.” logo are registered trademarks of Kim-C1, LLC. Always read and As if the drought isn’t causing growers enough of a follow label directions. 559-228-3311

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A WORD FROM THE BOARD: AMERICAN PECAN COUNCIL

2021 Recap Report of APC’s Marketing in the Health Professional Sphere By AMERICAN PECAN COUNCIL | Contributing Writer

eaching the eyes and minds of health professionals is crucial to gaining a competitive advantage in the health and food marketplace. American Pecan Council (APC) contracted with Eat Well Global to help boost pecans in the health and nutrition arena. The strategic goal for APC’s marketing activities through Eat Well Global was, “To increase top-of-mind awareness of pecans among target credentialed health professionals,” and throughout 2021, Eat Well Global executed against the following strategies: • Demonstrate pecans’ differentiating nutrition and flavor qualities compared to other nuts •

Showcase pecans’ culinary versatility

• Address barriers to pecan consumption In this article, we will discuss the 2021 activations that were implemented to help accomplish the strategic goal and the key success metrics that came from these programs.

Intuitive Eating Webinar

One of the first 2021 activations was the Intuitive Eating Registered Dietitian (RD) Webinar conducted in December 2020. We partnered with the Weight Inclusive Nutrition & Dietetics Practice Group (WIND) to host an engaging, 90-minute webinar

Continued on Page 44 42

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Demonstrating pecans’ differentiating nutrition and flavor qualities compared to other nuts and showcasing pecans’ culinary versatility were two strategies that American Pecan Council contracted Eat Well Global to execute throughout 2021 (photos courtesy American Pecan Council.)

IMAGINATION

INNOVATION

SCIENCE IN ACTION

Continued from Page 42 for intuitive eating RDs, a new target audience for the APC in FY2021. The webinar garnered a total reach of 183k+ across all webinar promotions, which included the WIND community, speaker social handles and the Pecan Powerhouses Network. Following the event, nearly half of all post-webinar survey respondents indicated a more positive perception of pecans after attending the event, and 21% were more likely to recommend pecans.

Strategic Influencer Partnerships

“ 44

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November 2021

“

…HEALTH MARKETING EFFORTS TO DATE HAVE SUCCESSFULLY PUT PECANS TOP-OFMIND AS A NUT TO ENJOY AND RECOMMEND, AND REVEALED PECANS’ UNIQUE TRIFECTA: SUPER TASTE, SATISFACTION AND NUTRITION.

Another strong activation was the strategic influencer partnerships carried out during winter 2020 and summer 2021. One of those influencers was acclaimed chef and culinary dietitian Sara Haas, RDN, LDN. We engaged with her for an inaugural Virtual Cooking Party, a 60-minute cooking and educational event featuring low FODMAP, gluten-free and lactose-free recipes. During the Virtual Cooking Party, Sara garnered live attendance of 117 health professionals and a collective reach of 41k+ across Sara’s social media channels and the Pecan Powerhouses Network. We also collaborated with Sara on the development of two original savory pecan recipes, including Pecan Polenta with Crispy Kale and Smashed Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Pecans. Another high-profile RD influencer we partnered with was Vanessa Rissetto, MS, RD, to develop digital recipe content shared with Vanessa’s audience of 21k Instagram followers. Vanessa garnered 4.5k impressions and 3.7k reach across two recipe content pieces (Instagram posts and accompanying Instagram stories), highlighting Vanessa’s original recipes for a Pecan BLT and Stuffed Sweet Potatoes. Both of those influencer partnerships resulted in four original pecan recipes and garnered 50k impressions across Instagram posts and influencers’ mailing lists.

Today’s Dietitian Symposium

In May 2021, APC sponsored Today’s Dietitian Virtual Spring Symposium (TDSS) 2021, the nation’s second-largest dietitian conference. The return on this activation garnered enhanced visibility and opportunity for deeper engagement with RDs through a live virtual yoga event we sponsored. From TDSS 2021, we reached Today’s Dietitian’s 77k+ social media followers via sponsored Facebook posts and saw a 20% increase in the Pecan Powerhouse Network membership, APC’s database of health professionals. We will cover more on the Pecan Powerhouse Network (PPN) in an upcoming article.

wellness. They advise people on what to eat in order to lead a healthy lifestyle or achieve a specific health-related goal. The activities listed above are just some of the activations APC has conducted for pecans to reach the minds of health professionals such as registered dietitians. We saw very successful results in only the second year. In an upcoming

article, we will continue to touch on other RD marketing activations held in the 2020-21 year that brought major results for pecans. Comments about this article? We want to hear from you. Feel free to email us at article@jcsmarketinginc.com

New Handouts and Health Professional Survey

On top of the activations listed above, Eat Well Global and APC also partnered with culinary dietitian Kristy Del Coro, co-founder of the Culinary Nutrition Collaborative, to develop two new client handouts showcasing seamless ways to include pecans in everyday meals and snacks. You can find these available for your use under the For Health Professionals>Resources tab on AmericanPecan.com. To measure and gauge marketing efforts geared towards RDs, we distributed Today’s Dietitian e-blast to 320 non-clinical RDs originally surveyed in 2020 to assess year-over-year pecan knowledge and behavior change. The survey illuminated that health marketing efforts to date have successfully put pecans top-of-mind as a nut to enjoy and recommend, and revealed pecans’ unique trifecta: super taste, satisfaction and nutrition. 15% of RDs surveyed are consuming and recommending pecans more frequently than last year, on par with walnuts and more regularly than pistachios. As previously mentioned, building top-of-mind awareness with health professionals is very important because they educate and engage with consumers as experts in health, nutrition and

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DORMANCY:

WHAT YOUR TREES DO IN THE WINTER By CECILIA PARSONS | Associate Editor

Research is looking at the role of stored carbohydrates in almond production (photos by C. Parsons.)

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rees don’t go out and buy pumpkin spice lattes when temperatures drop, but nut trees have another way of responding to cooler fall temperatures. Trees signal the visual start of their winter dormant period, dormancy, by dropping leaves as temperatures and sunlight hours decrease. During dormancy, growth is suspended even if growing conditions are ideal. Dormancy ends when growth resumes in the spring, but what happens during the ‘dormant season’ can have an effect on tree productivity. Although leafless during dormancy, deciduous trees are still functioning internally, sustained by carbohydrate reserves. Without leaves and green shoots, they are less vulnerable to damage during severe freeze events over the winter. Warmer temperatures in the spring are a signal to the trees to come out of dormancy. They use carbohydrate reserves to bloom and set a new crop.

Winter Chill

Walnut trees, pistachio trees and, to some extent, almond trees, need to experience cold temperatures during their winter dormant period, from leaf fall until growth resumes in the spring. UCCE Orchard Systems Advisor Katherine Jarvis-Shean said if orchards experience the right amount of winter chill and subsequent warmer temperatures in the spring, they come out of dormancy synchronized and prepared to bloom and set a crop. There are three ways this can go wrong in mature walnut and pistachio orchards during dormancy, she said, noting almond trees have less winter chill requirements during dormancy than walnut

Continued on Page 48

Continued from Page 46 and pistachio trees. Pistachio trees that do not experience sufficient chill during dormancy will have asynchronized bloom; the female trees will have flowers open, but male trees have yet to produce pollen. This difference in timing, Jarvis-Shean said, is one reason that the new pollinizer Randy is favored over Peters, which has more need for chill. Walnut trees overcome this lack of overlap with more varieties that produce pollen at varying times. The second result of warm temperatures during dormancy is a longer duration of bud break. A larger window from the first to last bud break becomes problematic as harvest nears. This uneven maturity of the crop will mean that multiple shakes at harvest may be required. After two shakes, Jarvis-Shean said, it can become uneconomical to bring in equipment for a third shake and 10% to 15% of the crop may be left in the orchard. Finally, looking back on the infamous low chill year of 2014-15, lower yields in pistachio were the result as female trees produced far fewer flowers to be pollinated. In a research paper, UC Davis Plant Scientist Maciej Zwieniecki reports that temperature variability during the dormant period affects bloom. It is a common perception that warmer winters shorten the dormancy period and advance bloom, but they can also delay bloom and make it asynchronous or cause trees to leaf out early, which can affect yields at harvest. Winter tem-

UCCE Orchard Systems Advisor Katherine Jarvis-Shean said if orchards experience the right amount of winter chill and subsequent warmer temperatures in the spring, they come out of dormancy synchronized and prepared to bloom and set a crop.

peratures, he noted, can either induce biological processes critical to endodormancy or activate bloom. Zwieniecki said that a tree’s nonstructural carbohydrate reserves at senescence are vital to sustaining their metabolism throughout dormancy. Trees need sufficient energy at the end of the dormant period for bud break and bloom.

Non-Structural Carbohydrates

Research being done at the UC Davis “Z Lab” is looking at what is happening in orchards during the dormant period, how trees prepare for winter and how they emerge from dormancy in the spring. This research, writes Jarvis-Shean in Sac Valley Orchard Source,

will help explain how trees may be counting winter chill and spring heat, and the information developed can be used to create bloom prediction tools. One of the avenues of study is in non-structural carbohydrates (NSC), which are used by trees for energy and as signals for multiple physiological activities. Following the amount of NSC in a plant over time helps to understand how the trees are using carbohydrates. Jarvis-Shean explained that NSC are either sugars or starch. Starch is the storage form of carbohydrates. Starch can be broken down to provide sugars. When temperatures warm, trees turn sugars into starch and in colder temperatures, trees turn starch into

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‘DORMANCY ENDS

WHEN GROWTH RESUMES IN THE SPRING, BUT WHAT HAPPENS DURING THE ‘DORMANT SEASON’ CAN HAVE AN EFFECT ON TREE PRODUCTIVITY.’ sugars. To keep sugars in the optimum range, trees adjust the concentration of enzymes that break down starches using gene expression machinery. Trees’ effort in maintaining a balance likely plays a role in how trees count winter chill and emerge from dormancy. There are still many questions about

tree physiology, carbohydrate use and effects of winter temperatures on carbohydrate storage. Zwieniecki’s ongoing research is looking at the interactions between winter temperatures, trees’ carbohydrate levels and production. He is looking for the most important elements of the interactions in order to guide management decisions. Nut trees evolved by storing NSC in the fall to use to survive winter. As temperatures warm in the spring, the carbohydrates move to locations near buds, and the trees use this energy to produce flowers. This complicated system is part of how trees adapt to climate, Zwieniecki said. Questions Zwieniecki is addressing in his research are if it is a good idea to fully load the trees with carbohydrates in the fall, if they will be wasted, and if high levels will drive high production. “There are different trade offs in these situations,” he said.

His Carbohydrate Observatory research has found that, in the case of almond, the amount of carbohydrates a tree has in February is a good indicator of yields at harvest. What happens during other periods, including winter, also influences carbohydrate levels. Higher temperatures than normal increase respiration and use of NSC by trees. Winter temperature swings, he found, can cause the tree to redistribute carbohydrates, pulling them from twigs to roots. At that location, he said they are still stored, but not available for trees to push flowers at the end of dormancy. “Once we resolve the biology of the tree’s use of carbohydrates, then we will know how to guide management,” Zwieniecki said. Comments about this article? We want to hear from you. Feel free to email us at article@jcsmarketinginc.com

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Working at Heights Personal Fall Arrest Systems in Nut Hulling/Processing Facilities By MICHELLE RODRIGUEZ | Safety/Food Safety Specialist, Western Agricultural Processors Association

s one of many post-agricultural harvest operations, the nut hulling and processing industry continues to flourish in the state of California. The demand for this commodity has been a driving force in the growth of nut farming as well as processing facilities in the past few years. The increase of nut hulling and processing operations is accompanied by the safety challenges these employers face to keep employees safe and comply with Cal/OSHA regulations. Like any other agriculture-related business, nut processing operations

are seasonal. This characteristic brings forth the exposure to non-routine safety risks. Non-routine tasks are work tasks that are not performed on a daily or routine basis throughout the calendar year and take place during the “off season”. They occur one or two times a year and usually do not take a long period of time to complete. They include facility maintenance and repair-related tasks that can expose employees to possible falls from heights. A few of these tasks include entering confined spaces like deep receiving or pre-cleaner pits, climbing

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up to baghouses located several feet above ground, and repair or adjusting of hard-to-reach parts on machinery located at above heights. In some cases, stacked bin fumigation practices may require the need for employees to climb the stacks to apply or adjust a tight-fitting tarp. Employees may access these areas through use of fixed ladders or operation of aerial lifts. These tasks may be performed infrequently (two or three times a year).

Fall Hazard Assessment

The types of safety measures or controls that will need to be implemented are determined after a fall hazard safety assessment of each area where employees are exposed to above heights. This assessment is completed for the purpose of developing a required written Fall Prevention Plan that will list the applicable Cal/OSHA requirements for use of fall protection controls, present fall prevention policies, use of required personal protective equipment and employee training. Although Cal/OSHA requires fall protection measures when employees are exposed to possible falls from 7.5 feet, regulated height triggers should not be the only factor considered while completing an assessment of fall hazards. Situations with multiple possibilities for falls to occur can call for a combination of controls that may not be required through regulation, but will have a greater effect on preventing injuries or deaths due to falls. In situations where it is not possible to implement Fall Restraint systems (physical barriers impeding the employee from working or moving in close proximity to the edge of an above heights surface, such as guardrails,

scaffolds, personal fall restraints, etc.) as control measures for fall prevention, Fall Arrest System controls must be implemented. The most common fall arrest system used in the nut hulling and processing industry is referred to as a Personal Fall Arrest System. It is comprised of a full body harness along with a lanyard, lifeline, rope grab and anchorage that can withstand a minimum weight of 5000lbs. The best way an employer can be confident that the selected parts of a personal fall arrest system will be effective in safely stopping a fall in its tracks is to fully understand each component of the system and how they work.

As Easy as A-B-C

Understanding each part and how it works can be as easy as A-B-C. Anchorage (tie off point) must be engineered to withstand at least 5,000 lbs of dead weight and assigned a safety factor of 2. The selection and position of anchor points is crucial in the suc-

cess of stopping a fall without creating additional hazards like a pendulum (swing) effect than can result in falling against adjacent structures. Another item to consider is how much time it would take for the employee to be rescued if he or she was hanging from a certain anchor point position. All anchorages must be equipped with an anchorage connector used to connect the remaining portion of the Personal Fall Arrest System. Body Wear refers to the full body harness. This harness must be engineered and designed to withstand a total of 1,800 lbs and distribute fall arrest force onto the pelvis, thighs and across the shoulders. The harness must be equipped with a D-ring located at the back of the harness to be positioned between the wearer’s shoulder blades. The D-ring itself must be engineered to withstand a minimum of 5000 lbs and will be used to connect the harness to the anchorage point. Connecting devices are used to

connect the full body harness to the anchorage point. They can be one of the following: Energy (Shock) absorbing lanyards will activate at up to six feet of free fall and are a flexible line securing a fullbody harness to an anchorage point. They minimize the energy exerted on the wearer’s body and can provide decelerating distance from the moment the fall is initiated. Self-Retracting lifelines are another efficient connection device that usually activates after two feet of free fall and allow for more movement horizontally or vertically. Connection devices are equipped with snap hooks at each end, which allow for connection to the anchorage connector point and must also be engineered to withstand a minimum of 5,000 lbs. Although manufacturers of components for Personal Fall Arrest Systems may vary, they must be

November 2021

Continued on Page 52

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Continued from Page 51 compatible to work together and arrest a fall successfully. Specifications for Personal Fall Arrest components may vary with applicability of Cal/OSHA regulations depending on industry and purpose for use. All components of Personal Fall Arrest Systems must be ANSI standard approved.

Do the Math

Additional evaluation that will determine the type of Fall Arrest System equipment that will be needed is the calculation of the Total Fall Distance to ensure that if a fall occurs, there is enough clearance between the wearer’s feet and level ground (3.5 feet or more) at completion of fall arrest. The most common formula used for this calculation is defined as: TFD=FFD+DD+HEFF+VEL+SF

Total Fall Distance (TDF)

(FFD) Free Fall Distance: the distance traveled during a fall before the

connecting devices, such as the shock absorbing lanyard or self-retracting lifeline, will activate and begin to arrest a fall. (DD) Deceleration Distance: the fall distance between the activation of the fall arrest system and fall arrest completion. Required to be 3.5 feet or less and is listed on the manufacturers label on shock absorbing capability. (HEFF) Harness Effect: harness stretch at fall arrest is usually one foot or less and obtained from manufactures label. (VEL) Vertical Elongation Capability: elongation of the chosen connective device at initiation of deceleration. (SF) Safety Factor: a chosen variable that should be at least one foot. Although the formula might seem long and complicated, knowing the definition of each variable will make it easier to understand. A competent administrator of this plan must ensure that this calculation is performed to

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assure accuracy in the criteria that will determine the chosen fall protection equipment employees will use.

Effective Employee Training

Like any other type of personal protective equipment, if a Personal Fall Arrest System is not utilized in the correct manner (based on company policies, training and manufacture instructions), it will not provide the intended protection. This training must be provided previous to allowing the employee to use the equipment. Employee training on use of a Personal Fall Arrest System must include the following: Explain the purpose for use of a Personal Fall Arrest System, how it works and how it is part of the Fall Prevention Plan in place. Provide a full description of each component of the chosen Personal Fall Arrest System. Direction and demonstration on how to put the full body harness on, adjust the straps to fit adequately and ensure that connecting devices are secured onto the anchor points. Demonstrations of how the full body harness and connection devices are used in combination with any operated aerial lifting devices. How to maintain and inspect the equipment. Requirements call for frequent inspections and specifications on maintaining or replacing harnesses and connection devices. Follow all other fall prevention practices while accessing above heights areas, such as not overloading on tools while climbing up or down a fixed ladder and only exiting an aerial lift when it is absolutely necessary and additional training has been provided. The Emergency and Rescue Plan Procedures that include use of the suspension trauma relief straps typically equipped on the full body harness.

Emergency Rescue

A well-planned Personal Fall Arrest System must include an Emergency Rescue Plan to ensure that a fallen employee is rescued as soon as possible. This can reduce the risk of suspension trauma. Suspension trauma can lead

to death from approximately 10 to 40 minutes. It occurs from prolonged constriction of blood circulation in the legs cause by the harness straps as the employee hangs. An onsite rescue plan should include training activities with information on how to avoid post-rescue death that can occur as a result of suspension trauma, and ensuring that the fallen employee receives immediate emergency medical attention.

Permit Required Confined Spaces

Use of a Fall Arrest System can be part of the safety controls established for Permit Required Confined Spaces. This is usually the case in nut hulling or processing facilities depending on the tasks that will be completed by the employee while accessing confined spaces with exposure to possible falls. Practice of all other permit required confined space controls, such as Lock Out/Tag Out or Fire Prevention measures, must also be emphasized in training activities to ensure all Cal/OSHA requirements are met and employee safety is

The types of safety measures or controls that will need to be implemented are determined after a fall hazard safety assessment of each area where employees are exposed to above heights.

effective. Western Agricultural Processors Association has been assisting with development of safety plans for its members and is continuing to explore ways that it can contribute to the ongoing success of the nut industry in

California. For additional information on these services, visit our website at www.agprocessors.org. Comments about this article? We want to hear from you. Feel free to email us at article@jcsmarketinginc.com

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The Outlook for California’s Almond Market Figure 2. Almond Imports, China and India, 2014-2019

Imports (tonnes)

By ELLEN M. BRUNO | Asst. Cooperative Extension Specialist, Department of 100,000 Agricultural and Resource Economics, UC Berkeley, BRITTNEY GOODRICH | Asst. Cooperative Extension Specialist, Department of 80,000 Agricultural and Resource Economics, UC Davis and RICHARD J. SEXTON 60,000 | Distinguished Professor, Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics, UC Davis

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November 2021

20,000

also increased over 2014-18, and now Prices dropped in 2020 to $1.83 stands at about two-thirds. per pound, an outcome we regard as 0 Such dramatic growth in the sup- an aberration due to multiple factors: 2014product 2015 2017 2018 2019 in ply of an agricultural would 2016 trade disruptions and reductions normally cause precipitous price deconsumers’ incomes caused by the creases, and, indeed, many analysts COVID-19 pandemic, trade disputes have erroneously forecasted this fate between the U.S. and key importfor the almond industry. It has not ing countries, as well as a record

Figure 1. Real California Almond Prices, 2010-2020 4 3.5 Price ($/lb)

he California almond industry has seen remarkable growth over the past couple decades. Can additional growth and high prices be sustained? We discuss expected changes in demand and supply moving forward, with implications for the success of California’s almond industry. California produces nearly all of the almonds grown in the U.S. and is also the world’s dominant almond producer. The remarkable growth of the California almond industry represents perhaps the greatest success story in California agriculture in recent decades. California’s bearing almond acreage expanded from 418,000 in 1995 to 1,250,000 in 2020. Production rose over this same period from 370 million pounds to a projected 2.8 billion pounds for the 2020-21 crop. With a farm production value of about $6.1 billion for the 2019-20 crop, almonds have vaulted to third place among California agricultural commodities, trailing only the dairy and grape industries. Both domestic and international shipments of California almonds have grown steadily from 2014-15 onward, with about two-thirds of the crop designated for export sales. The U.S. share of world export sales, which is dominated by California,

40,000

3 2.5 2 1.5 1

2016 2018 Year Source: Author’s calculations using USDA NASS data. 2010

2012

2014

2020

Figure 1. The grower price per pound fluctuated considerably from 2010-2015, ranging from a low of $1.79 per pound in 2010 to a high of $4.00 in 2014. It then settled into a very stable range in the ensuing years, with the price fluctuating in a narrow band of $2.39 to $2.53 from 2016 to 2018.

happened, however. The grower price per pound fluctuated considerably from 2010-2015, ranging from a low of $1.79 per pound in 2010 to a high of $4.00 in 2014. It then settled into a very stable range in the ensuing years, with the price fluctuating in a narrow band of $2.39 to $2.53 from 2016 to 2018 (See Figure 1).

supply of almonds in 2020 due to the highest per-acre yields since 2011. Since the release of the USDA 2021 California Almond Objective Measurement Report, which projects a smaller crop than anticipated for 2021, almond prices have rebounded to pre-2020 levels. According to Merlo Farming Group, Nonpareil

Figure 2. Almond Imports, China and India, 2014-2019

Imports (tonnes)

100,000 80,000 60,000 40,000 20,000 0

2014

2015

2017

2016

2018

2019

Figure 2. Almonds have been a primary beneficiary of changing consumption trends worldwide.

The rapid economic growth of these significant 42% over the six-year period high-population countries has had a from 2014 to 2019 based on UN Food dramatic effect on world food markets. and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Figure Realcountries Californiahave Almond Prices, Consumers in 1. both data,2010-2020 almond imports to China and sought to diversify their food conIndia (measured in shelled tonnes) exsumption and panded 106.7% and 69.6%, respectively. 4 include more proteins in their diets. Almonds have been a However, despite the dramatic in3.5 primary beneficiary of these consumpcrease in almond consumption in these tion trends as two countries, per capita consump3 illustrated in (Figure 2.) While world imports of almonds (shelled plus Continued on Page 56 2.5in-shell) expanded at a

Price ($/lb)

in-shell prices increased roughly 19% from $2.33 to $2.75 per pound between July 13, 2021 and July 18, 2021. [subhead] Growth in Demand Despite the dramatic expansion in supply, prices have been relatively stable because demand has grown as fast as or faster than supply. Both domestic and export markets have experienced significant demand growth. Domestic shipments increased from 639.4 million pounds in 2014-15 to 774.3 million in 2019-20, an increase of 21.1%. Export sales expanded over this same period from 1,173 million pounds to 1,598 million, an increase of 36.2%. Expanded sales in both China and India are key factors in international demand growth. Collectively, China and India account for about 35% of the world’s population, and each country has experienced very rapid economic growth. From 2010 to 2019, China’s annual GDP growth rate ranged from 6.1% to 9.5%. India’s GDP growth rate in 2019 was 4.2%, but from 2010 to 2018, its growth rate ranged from 6.1% to 10.3%. By comparison, GDP growth for the U.S. from 2010–2019 ranged from 1.6% to 2.9%.

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Continued from Page 55 tion in each (0.14 pounds in China and 0.16 pounds in India) is only about 6% of per capita consumption in the U.S. (2.33 pounds). The Asia-Pacific market now accounts for 27% of California almond shipments. However, these consumption comparisons show that significant growth potential remains for almonds in these major markets as well as for other emerging economies as incomes grow and people seek to diversify their consumption beyond traditional staples. Although the domestic (U.S.) and Western European markets, which have been the traditional leading markets for almond exports, are mature markets, there is also evidence of growth in these markets in recent years and potential for more growth in future years. As noted, domestic shipments of almonds expanded 21.1% over the last five years. The two leading Western European importers are Spain and Germany. Spanish almond imports expanded 32.5% in the past five years, while German demand growth has been much slower, 3.5% over the past five years. Spain has historically been a major almond producer and developed a substantial manufacturing industry for almond products. As Spain’s own production has waned, it has been necessary to import almonds to sustain these industries. Thus, growth in Spanish imports is both demand-based and also reflective of the decline in Spain’s own production. In addition, the almond industry benefits from the recent popularity of plant-based proteins as an alternative to traditional meat and dairy products. The Plant-Based Foods Association claims $7 billion in sales in the past

Domestic shipments of almonds expanded 21.1% over the last five years (photo by Cathy Merlo.)

year and 27% year-over-year growth in 2020. One market research firm, Grand View Research, predicts a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) for almond milk of 14.3% through 2025 (https://bit. ly/36QC7nt).

Changes in Supply

Given the rapid growth that we anticipate in almond demand moving forward, fueled by economic growth in high-population, emerging economies and by new product uses for almonds, the remaining piece of the puzzle is to understand how supply is likely to respond moving forward. There are three essential components to consider: 1) acres of almond production in California; 2) California almond yields; and 3) almond production and exports from competing countries. The USDA projects California bearing almond acreage to be 1,330,000 in 2021, an all-time high. However, signs indicate that the rapid growth in the California industry is abating. New plantings of almonds have decreased in magnitude each year since 2015 when 42,824 acres were planted to almonds, with only 14,808 acres planted in 2020. A common assumption in the industry is that an almond orchard has a life of 25 to 30 years, meaning orchards planted in the early to mid-1990s are nearing the end of their productive lives. The rapid expansion of the industry began during this period, with almond plantings from 1994 to 1999 averaging 25,316 annually. The rate of new plantings experienced in 2019 (22,142 acres) and 2020 (14,808 acres), if representative of future trends, would not compensate

for the acres that will be removed at the end of their productive lives, meaning that growth in California’s almond acreage may soon be ending. Many factors could explain the decline in planting despite the industry’s continued profitability, including concerns about access to irrigation water, a heavy reliance on the U.S. beekeeping industry for pollination services, and limited availability of lands suitable for planting almonds. California’s Sustainable Groundwater Management Act of 2014 augurs likely cutbacks in groundwater availability for huge swathes of California’s agricultural lands. Almonds are an especially “thirsty” crop and are likely to be impacted by these cutbacks. Almond yields in California expanded dramatically in the 1990s, fueling the supply growth along with expanded acreage. Although yields have been variable, they continued, on average, to expand through the early 2000s, reaching a maximum of 2,540 pounds per acre in 2011. Since then, however, yields have stabilized and even may have trended slightly downwards. Declining yields are likely in part a result of a higher proportion of young orchards due to rapid acreage expansion from 2012 to 2015. Other potential contributors include changes to the growing-season climate and the planting of new acreage on land less suitable for almonds. Data for 2019 and 2020 indicate yields of 2,170 and 2,490 pounds per acre, 370 and 50 pounds less, respectively, than at the 2011 peak. Exports of almonds from countries other than the U.S. have been stable over the past five years, with no apparent trend, and, in total, represent

Yields have plateaued in recent years as growers turn to more marginal land for planting new orchards (photo courtesy USDA ARS.)

moving forward. Plantings have slowed to the point where, at the present pace, they are unlikely to match removals as trees planted in the early to mid-1990s reach the end of their useful lives. The main threat for emergent competition in the export market is from Australia, but it appears that Australia’s ability to expand production is limited due to water scarcity issues. This article first appeared in ARE Update. The authors of this article can be reached at ebruno@berkeley.edu, bkgoodrich@ ucdavis.edu, and rich@primal.ucdavis.edu, respectively. Additional Information

only about half of what the U.S. exports. Traditional almond U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Agricultural producers and exporters such as Spain, Iran, Morocco, Syria, Statistics Service. 2021. 2020 California Almond Acreage Turkey and Italy have aging, low-yielding trees and show little potential for expanded production. Today, production Report. Available at: https://bit.ly/3wUXK0x . in these countries mainly serves their domestic markets. The one country where almond acreage and production Davies, Anne. 2019. “Tough Nut to Crack: The Almond is expanding is Australia. The Almond Board of Australia (ABA) reports 55,000 hectares (136,000 acres) planted to alBoom and Its Drain on the Murray-Darling.” The Guardian. monds, with 2020 production totaling 111 thousand tonnes, the largest harvest to date. The ABA forecasts that Australian Available at: https://bit.ly/3hWPdpm . almond production could reach 175 thousand tonnes (385.8 million pounds) by 2026, approximately 13% of the 2020 Comments about this article? We want to hear from you. Feel California production. free to email us at article@jcsmarketinginc.com Australia’s almonds are mainly grown in the Murray-Darling Basin region, and over half of Australia’s almond exports are to China and Hong Kong (which is a significant re-exporter). The Murray-Darling Basin is Australia’s major agricultural region, but it faces many challenges due to a lack WALNUT AND ALMOND PROCESSING EQUIPMENT of water resources. Australia’s Almond Board indicates that almond orchard expansion has slowed, and almond growers in the basin have called for a moratorium on further almond plantings in the basin due to fears of water shortages. Australia represents one of the only threats to California’s hegemony in the market, but this threat is muted by water issues in the Murray-Darling Basin.

WA L N U TS & A L M O N DS

Concluding Remarks

Although market conditions for almonds deteriorated beginning in June 2019 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, trade disputes between the U.S. and key almond-importing countries, and the exceptionally large 2020 California harvest, we do not regard any of these developments as reflecting a longterm trend. Normal yields and normal market conditions should cause prices to return to pre-pandemic levels; in fact, this seems to have occurred with recent rebounds in market prices. In summary, market conditions are likely to remain strong for almonds moving forward. We anticipate continued significant growth in export sales driven by China, India, Vietnam and other fast-growing emerging economies. The domestic market also has potential for solid growth based on the health benefits associated with eating almonds and the rapidly growing market for plant-based alternatives to meat and dairy. We expect the growth in California’s production to slow

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IPM’s Role in Crop Quality

Cost-effective pest management is the key to maximizing return per acre. By CECILIA PARSONS | Associate Editor

uality expectations are high, market competition is intense and production costs are up. “Where does that leave tree nut growers and their pest control advisors?” asks UCCE Farm Advisor Franz Niederholzer. In a Yuba-Sutter counties webinar series, Niederholzer noted that while markets are generally strong, maximizing net returns per acre is especially critical to economic sustainability in the almond industry. Cost-effective pest management, Niederholzer stressed, is the key to maximizing return per acre. Insect pests that can cause economic damage in tree nuts fall into

two categories: mobile and immobile. Leading the way on the mobile list of annual pests is, to no surprise, navel orangeworm (NOW). Codling moth (in walnuts), peach twig borer and Oriental fruit moth round out the annual list. Stink bugs are listed as occasional pests in tree nuts. The immobile list of pests includes protein ants, web spinning mites and scale.

Mobile Insect Pests

In Niederholzer’s hierarchy of tree crop insect and mite pests, NOW and codling moth are listed as difficult and challenging in terms of management. Biological control opportunities for

Pheromone traps and damaged nuts are used to track codling moth (photo by Jack Kelly Clark, UC Statewide IPM Program.)

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November 2021

Good sanitation in the fall or early winter sets the stage for reducing orchard NOW populations and gives other control measures a better chance of being effective (photo courtesy Joel Siegel, USDA-ARS.)

NOW and codling moth are limited. NOW’s ability to affect crop quality and cause market loss makes this pest’s control critical. Multiple approaches for monitoring NOW are important to accurately track pressure in an orchard. Mummy counts, egg traps, pheromone traps, evidence of damage and harvest samples are all methods of determining NOW populations. Pheromone traps and damaged nuts are used to track codling moth. Peach twig borer can be monitored by looking for emerging larvae at bloom, pheromone traps and harvest samples. Understanding the life cycle of worm pests helps with targeting management methods, Niederholzer said. NOW infests almonds at hull split. Their prime overwintering sites are mummy nuts on the tree or ground. Codling moth infests nuts early in the season, peach twig borer infests later in the season. Niederholzer notes that there are many NOW control practices used or in development. Control from each is not equal, and one practice cannot make up for deficiencies in another. Orchard sanitation, timely harvest, hull split sprays, spring sprays, mating disruption and traps and combinations of these are used to keep crop damage at low levels. Harvest samples from windrowed nuts can give growers and PCAs an idea of how well the year’s control program worked.

Orchard sanitation and timely harvest are the two NOW management practices that are vital to preventing crop damage. Good sanitation in the fall or early winter sets the stage for reducing orchard NOW populations and gives other control measures a better chance of being effective. Niederholzer said cost per acre for orchard sanitation is about $235, while timely harvest adds no additional production costs. Early harvest plays a part in reducing the amount of damage from NOW and protein ants. Hull split sprays can help reduce NOW numbers, but won’t eliminate this pest in the orchard. Sprays in June and July add $35 to $86 per acre in production costs. Due to NOW’s high mobility and the chances of NOW flying in from other orchards, reduction in populations will be 50% at best. In addition, Niederholzer said that broad-spectrum materials, which are less costly, cut down on predators for biological control of other insect pests. Softer materials are more expensive, but biological control of other pests remains an option.

‘

Hull split sprays can help reduce NOW numbers, but won’t eliminate this pest in the orchard.

’

Immobile Insect Pests

Immobile pests, such as ants, mites and scale, can be annual or occasional pests. Scale and mites are good candidates for biological control if orchards are managed without use of broad-spectrum insecticides. This allows populations of beneficial insects that prey on scale or mites to increase in the orchard. Niederholzer said the management of immobile orchard pests should focus on monitoring for population levels followed by pesticide selection and delivery. In the case of protein feeding ants, the percent of almond damage depends on the ant population and how long the nuts are on the orchard floor after shaking. In a graph, the number of ant colony entrances in a 5,000-squarefoot section of the orchard and the number of days the nuts are left on the ground can estimate crop damage. If 45 colony entrances are identified, the

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Scale and mites are good candidates for biological control if orchards are managed without use of broad-spectrum insecticides (photo by Jack Kelly Clark, UC Statewide IPM Program.)

Continued from Page 59 crop damage can go from 1.4% in four days on the ground to 7% if nuts are on the ground for 21 days. Concerning economic damage, lost crop per acre, given a 2,500-pound crop at $2.50 a pound, goes from $87 in the four-day time frame to $437 in the 21-day time frame in the 45-colony scenario. Crop damage due to ants can go undetected in the orchard unless a harvest sample is taken before nuts are picked up. Ant bait is a good IPM practice, Niederholzer said, but it must be used correctly to achieve ant control. It should be applied to dry soil, and irrigation should not be done for at least 48 hours after bait is distributed. Baits also lose their attractiveness to ants over time and should not be stored. Weed management to minimize seed production removes another food source for ants, making baits more effective in control. Hull split sprays and irrigation in the summer can take precedence over ant control, Niederholzer warned. Esteem, Clinch and Extinguish baits all

need to be applied at least four weeks pre-harvest. Beneficial insects and mites can provide biological control of spider mites. Web spinning mites are an annual concern in almond production. Management practices include monitoring to track mite populations as well as predator mite populations. Dry and dusty orchard edges are the most likely areas for mite infestations. Niederholzer said to wait until UC thresholds are reached to begin miticide sprays. A two-spray program is $80 to $100 per acre including spray costs. When it comes to decisions on spider mite control, UCCE IPM Advisor David Haviland said that predator trap cards can assist in monitoring for predator numbers. Finding three six-spotted thrips on the predator cards in a week means mite populations will remain at the current level or go down, allowing a savings on a pesticide application. Comments about this article? We want to hear from you. Feel free to email us at article@jcsmarketinginc.com

November 2021

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UNDERSTANDING HOW NITROGEN IS UTILIZED IMPROVES NITROGEN-USE EFFICIENCY FOR ALMOND GROWERS By MITCH LIES | Contributing Writer

alifornia almond growers are embracing opportunities to improve nitrogen use efficiency and should be applauded for doing so, according to Patrick H. Brown, a professor in the Department of Plant Sciences at UC Davis. But, he said, more can be done, and only through recognition of how nitrogen is utilized by the tree can growers reach 100% efficiency. The biggest key to realizing optimum performance and minimum loss, Brown said, is a recognition that nitrogen uptake in trees is directly correspondent to yield. That concept was discussed in a research paper that Brown, fellow UC Davis Plant Sciences Pulling leaf samples in April, rather than in July or August, allows a grower to adjust their nitrogen budget for the current season (all photos by Andres Olivos and Sebastian Saa.) Professor Emilio Laca and three graduate students published in 2012, and it has been widely adopted by almond spring, I can see it is a bumper crop leaf tissue analysis shows a nitrogen growers. this year, my leaf tissue suggests I have deficiency, adding nitrogen may not In the paper, the researchers docmarginal nitrogen, so I better increase always be the solution. umented that in a typical orchard, for my nitrogen a little bit to compensate every 1,000 pounds of kernel yield, 68 for that,’ or the same in reverse,” Brown Nitrogen Budget pounds of nitrogen is required. “Add said. If your leaf is short of nitrogen, you to that some allowance for tree growth When sampling in August, it typshould first look at your N budget. And and apply it efficiently and you have a ically is too late for growers to adjust if your budget shows you have given recipe for great productivity and minia nitrogen budget for the current year, the tree plenty of nitrogen, then what mum N loss,” Brown said. Brown said, as growers have already you need to do is find out where it went. The paper, which has been widely applied nearly all of the nitrogen they And if it is being lost, improve your circulated over the last decade, also are going to apply for that year’s crop. application methods, your uniformity brought forward the concept of sam“And, frankly,” Brown said, “it is too and increase your efficiency, rather pling leaf tissue in April as opposed to early to give information about the next than put on more nitrogen,” Brown the standard sampling timing of July or year, because you can’t predict next said. “Try to work out where did I go August, another change that has found year’s nutrition demand, because that is wrong? How come my trees are yellow advocates. going to depend on how many nuts get even though I followed the N budget Unlike when sampling in August, set on the tree. And you cannot know properly? April sampling enables growers to in August of 2020 how many nuts you “A grower should never look at a adjust nitrogen programs based on are going to have in the tree in August leaf-tissue analysis and say, ‘Oh, I need projected yields, Brown said. “It enables of 2021.” more nitrogen,’” Brown said. “They a grower to say, ‘I am just coming into Brown added that in cases where should first say, ‘Well, let me have a

West Coast Nut

November 2021

“

You are much better off putting on multiple applications. – Patrick H. Brown, UC Davis

”

look at my budget. Was I under budget? And if I am not underbudgeted, why are these leaves yellow? Let’s look at my efficiency.’ That is the thought process and it is the only way we are going to get around nitrate pollution of the groundwater and all of the problems that that is causing us.” Brown added that overapplying nitrogen serves no benefit. “Growers cannot enhance productivity by overapplying nitrogen,” he said. “Like chickens in an egg farm, you feed them what they need, and you aren’t going to get more eggs by feeding them more than what they need.”

Brown characterized the almond industry’s embrace of nitrogen use efficiency in recent years as a “wonderful development.” “If you go back 20 years and ask an average almond grower what they do, they would say they apply 250 to 275 pounds of nitrogen,” Brown said. “And if you said, ‘But you have a five-year-old orchard and a 15-year-old orchard, one yielding 3,000 pounds and one 1,500 pounds. Should they both get the same?’ And they would say, ‘Maybe not, but it’s not easy to know for sure and it is

Continued on Page 64

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When testing leaf samples for nitrogen, it is important for growers to follow the correct sampling strategy as outlined in the Almond Board of California publication titled ‘Nitrogen Best Management Practices’.

Continued from Page 63 easier to avoid loss by erring on the high side.’ “Now they are thinking and saying, ‘Okay, this is only the fifth leaf. It is

West Coast Nut

only 1,500 pounds, and I’m only going to give it this much nitrogen. Or it is a 19-year-old orchard and it is on its way out, so I am going to give it less,’” Brown said. “Many growers have done that.”

November 2021

When determining a nitrogen budget, Brown said growers should factor in the residual nitrogen in a system, primarily the nitrogen found in irrigation water. “Nitrogen in irrigation water is an excellent and free N fertilizer and should be included in your total annual N budget,” the researchers wrote in the 2012 paper. Proper timing of nitrogen applications is another key to achieving maximum results from your nitrogen budget, Brown said, with the first application optimally going on no earlier than 50% leaf-out. “Trees don’t start using nitrogen from the soil until their leaves are 50% expanded,” Brown said. “Prior to that, they are growing off the nitrogen they stored the prior year.” When sampling leaves, Brown said it is important for growers to pull multiple samples. The 2012 research paper recommends growers take 18 to 20 samples from trees at least 30 feet apart in any one orchard. “That gives you a statistically valid average for that portion of the orchard,” Brown said. Further information on sampling techniques can be found in the Almond Board of California publication titled ‘Nitrogen Best Management Practices’ at almonds.com/sites/default/ files/2020-12/ABC_Nitrogen_8.5x11_ vmags.pdf. Continued on Page 66

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“

Growers cannot enhance productivity by overapplying nitrogen. – Patrick H. Brown, UC Davis

Continued from Page 64

April sampling enables growers to adjust nitrogen programs based on projected yields.

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”

The 2012 UC Davis research paper also advised growers to apply nitrogen in several small doses during the season rather than in one shot, another concept that has been embraced by growers in recent years and one that Brown believes is another key to optimizing nitrogen performance. “If you’ve got an orchard that needs 200 pounds of nitrogen and you put 200 pounds on the ground in January, on paper, that might look balanced,” Brown said. “In reality, much of that 200 pounds is going to be pushed below the rootzone before the tree needs it in June or July. “You are much better off putting on multiple applications,” he said. Brown, who was awarded the Dennis R. Hoagland Award from the American Society for Plant Biology and the Leo M. Walsh Soil Fertility Distinguished Lectureship from Soil Science of America last May, said that orchard variability can make it difficult for growers to maximize nitrogen benefits in a way that minimizes losses. But, he said, “It can be done.” “It is going to take more work than just throwing it all on the ground and hoping for the best,” Brown said. “But absolutely, a grower can achieve great productivity and high efficiencies of nitrogen in drip irrigation or microsprinkler systems.” Comments about this article? We want to hear from you. Feel free to email us at article@jcsmarketinginc.com

November 2021

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Monitoring and Controlling Leafrollers in Hazelnuts By DANITA CAHILL | Contributing Writer

he European leafroller, archips rosana, is an evasive species known in Oregon as the filbert leafroller, or the hazelnut-filbert leafroller. The telltale sign of an infestation of leafrollers in a hazelnut orchard is tightly rolled leaves, but unfortunately, after the larvae have rolled the leaves, the damage has already been done. An adult leafroller is a 1/2-inch to 3/4-inch-long moth. It’s dark brown in color with darker lines across the wings. Females lay flat, irregular masses of eggs on bark or branches in July. By springtime, the egg masses turn grayish in color. The larvae hatch in early spring. The larvae, or worms, of the hazelnut-filbert leafroller begin chewing on the leaves and buds of hazelnut trees immediately after hatch. The green worms with brown heads feed on the new growth for four to six weeks. Their last feeding site is also where the worms pupate. They roll up leaves with sticky silk and pupate inside. Hazelnut-filbert leafrollers also damage fruit trees. Leaf damage isn’t so much a problem, but flower and fruit damage in apple and pear crops can cause serious commercial damage.

Monitoring for Leafrollers

According to the Pacific Northwest Pest Management Handbook compiled by Oregon State University Extension Service, Washington State University Extension and University of Idaho Extension, hazelnut growers should start monitoring for leafrollers in mid-March. Check three terminals and three leaf clusters per terminal. Consider each terminal a sampling unit. Look for feeding damage on tender new growth. Also start checking for tightly rolled leaves. Treat for larvae when infestation count shows up on 20% to 25% of sampling units. To check for adult moths, start in mid-May using one pheromone trap for each five acres of orchard. Place traps six feet up in the tree canopy. Treat for adult moths when the traps catch 40 moths per week. 68

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Biological Control

Biological control includes encouraging beneficial insects, such as parasitic wasps, spiders and brown lacewings. Lacewings, order Neuroptera, can be recognized by the complex vein pattern of spots and specks on their otherwise see-through wings, making them somewhat resemble lace. Their wings are held roof-like over their bodies. Lacewing adults and their larvae eat soft-bodied insects and mites. Lacewing larvae are 1/3 of an inch or less and look almost like tiny alligators with a long neck and bodies tapering at the tail. Lacewing larvae are cream colored or gray with two brown or reddish stripes or rows of spots running down the top of their body. Cold temperatures help control leafrollers. Winters with low temps keep the insect numbers down. Bacillus thuringiensis var. kurstaki can be used as a biological control with results ranging from poor to satisfactory. Often, biological control is enough to manage leafrollers. Chemical control may not even be necessary.

Chemical Control

If using chemical control, apply in the early spring when hazelnut leaves are 3/4 of an inch to one inch long. Pesticide is more effective if applied when the worms are still small. There are many different chemical controls to consider, but several are extremely toxic to fish and aquatic habitat. Also, several have restricted use in Oregon. Jason Whitehead and his family farm 2,300 acres in Scio and Lacomb, Ore. in the Mid-Willamette Valley. Their operation, JRW Farms, is largely grass seed, but currently includes 400 acres of hazelnuts. Whitehead also grows his own hazelnut nursery stock. “We’re harvesting something from June until November 1,” Whitehead said. He’s looking to cut back and has plans to soon cut out the grass seed completely and cut back his hazelnuts to about 130 acres.

November 2021

Begin monitoring for leafrollers in midMarch (all photos by D. Cahill.)

Young hazelnut trees suffer more damage from leafrollers than older trees.

Before buying his first 86-acre chunk of land in 2005, Whitehead worked for other farmers. A farmer that employed him when Whitehead was in high school grew hazelnuts. Whitehead enjoyed working in the hazelnut orchards. He found driving the tractor through the trees peaceful. As far as leafroller issues in hazelnuts go, “They’re more of a problem in young trees,” Whitehead said. For control, he follows chemical labels. “I don’t target them in big trees,” Whitehead said, adding that for older trees, he targets sprays more for hazelnut-Filbertworm moth and brown marmorated stink bug.

Filbert Leafroller Moth or a Filbertworm Moth?

How do you tell the difference between hazelnut-filbert leafroller moths and the hazelnut-Filbertworm moth?

Hazelnut-filbert Leafroller Lifecycle One generation of leafrollers per season. Rolled leaves show damage from the hazelnut-filbert leafroller.

Jason Whitehead, wife Rachael and their cattle dogs.

The leafroller moth is brown with darker brown strips and stripes across its wings, while the hazelnut-Filbertworm moth can range in color from reddish to gray. The biggest clue to spotting a hazelnut-Filbertworm moth is to look for the telltale metallic golden bands across each forewing. The larvae of the hazelnut-Filbertworm pupate in the spring and the adults emerge from early summer through midfall, usually mid-June through October, so the two species have some overlapping time as adult moths during summertime in the orchard. According to the Pacific Northwest Pest Management Handbook, growers

should start hanging pheromone traps for hazelnut-Filbertworm moths in midMay to catch the first of the emerging moths. Hang four traps for the first 10 acres and one trap after that for each additional four acres. Hang the traps in the upper third of the canopy. Hanging traps high is important for best results because pheromone is heavier than air, so it moves downward. Take control action when two or three moths are caught per trap, or five moths are caught in any one trap. Comments about this article? We want to hear from you. Feel free to email us at article@jcsmarketinginc.com

Larvae hatch and begin feeding on tender leaves and buds in early spring. The worms feed for four to six weeks. Worms pupate in rolled leaves at their final feeding spot. In early summer the larvae emerge as moths. Adult female moths lay eggs on bark or branches in July. Eggs overwinter to hatch in early spring.

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A WORD FROM THE BOARD: THE ALMOND BOARD OF CALIFORNIA

THE PRACTICAL WISDOM OF CLIMATESMART AGRICULTURE PRACTICES

By ALMOND BOARD OF CALIFORNIA | Contributing Writer

”C

limate-smart agriculture.” While not common parlance under the tree canopy yet, many growers are increasingly adopting practices recognized as climate-smart because they make sense for improving soil quality or efficiency. Plus, there are more economic incentives to implement them today than ever before. So, what is climate-smart agriculture? Basically, it’s any management practice that reduces greenhouse gas emissions or keeps them out of the atmosphere, also known as sequestration. This includes practices that use water and nitrogen efficiently, improvements to energy efficiency, and using renewable fuel or contributing to biofuels with co-products. However, most of the excitement is around sequestering carbon in the soil; that is, practices that build up and maintain higher levels of organic matter. “If we had this conversation 30 years ago, I think people would agree on these practices; they’re just meant to be,” said Ben King, a Colusa-based almond grower, managing principal of Pacific Gold Agriculture, LLC and a member of the Almond Board of California’s (ABC) Bee Health and Pollination Workgroup. “Sustainability and climate-smart ag is about keeping your ground fertile for future generations. I don’t think we’re that far off between what we do and what’s being discussed.”

Agriculture as Part of the Climate Solution

With nearly 900 million acres of working lands across the U.S., agriculture is uniquely positioned to assist various initiatives aimed at curbing greenhouse gas emissions. This is due partly to the ability to sequester carbon 70

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in soil. “A lot of food companies have figured out that climate change is a real risk to their business and they are stepping in, setting voluntary goals to reduce emissions from their operations,” said Gabriele Ludwig, ABC’s director of Sustainability and Environ-

ing net-zero emissions by 2050. “For food companies to meet their aggressive climate goals, they need help both upstream and downstream in their value chain,” Ludwig said. “Upstream would be from growers and downstream would be from things like food waste and recycling or reusing

Whole-orchard recycling supports two of the industry’s Almond Orchard 2025 Goals, achieving zero waste and increasing water holding capacity (photo courtesy Brent Holtz, UCCE.)

mental Affairs. In 2020, General Mills announced it would reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 30% across its value chain over the next decade, while Hershey’s recently announced it would seek a 25% reduction by 2030. Nestlé aims for a 20% emissions reduction by 2025 and a 50% reduction by 2030, followed by achiev-

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packaging.” So, what does upstream help look like when it comes to climate-smart agriculture practices? “The thinking is if there’s a focus on soil quality improvements through

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Continued from Page 70 organic matter inputs, it not only benefits the environment, but also helps the grower,” Ludwig said. “The tangible agronomic benefits may be better water infiltration and/or increased water holding capacity in soils. Companies like these practices because they often provide co-benefits such as reduced erosion or movement of nitrogen.” Examples of organic matter inputs in orchards include cover crops, composted manure or green-waste applications, chipping of prunings and whole orchard recycling. Recently completed research into whole orchard recycling from UC Davis showed an improvement in water holding capacity, the addition of nitrogen in the soil over time and a 19% cumulative nut yield increase over five years. Other UC research has been looking at the impact of composted manure and green-waste to soils. Depending on the source of the compost, growers may be able to reduce applications of synthetic nitrogen by up to 20% due to increased water holding capacity. This helps keep nitrogen where roots have a greater chance to take it up, making nitrogen less likely to leach into groundwater.

Cover Crops: Climate-Smart Practice with Multiple Benefits

In Colusa, King has been a long-time advocate for the use of cover crops in and around almond orchards. He says their strategic use adds organic material to the soil, with the

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Whole-orchard recycling offers a variety of environmental benefits (photo courtesy Almond Board of California.)

added benefit of providing much-needed habitat for wild and managed pollinators. King planted cover crops in all 350 acres of his almond orchards this past year to reap the soil and pollinator benefits offered by the practice. As the cover crops grow, King welcomes all pollinators into his orchard, noting that “what’s good for a bumble bee is good for a honey bee; there’s not a bad pollinator.” After the cover crops have done their job of feeding pollinators, and soil microbes from their roots, it is mowed in the spring, where it will breakdown to return organic matter to the soil. “We planted what’s called a soil builder, which has some mustard, legumes and some barley,” King said. “The stuff we planted earlier turned out pretty good, without much precipitation. Going into May, we had a stand that was about four feet high from just rain. I see the difference in the water holding capacity of my soils where I’ve had cover crops more regularly from year to year.” To help with the cost of planting his cover crops, King leveraged the California Department of Food and Agriculture’s (CDFA) Healthy Soils Program, which provides financial incentives to farmers to implement various practices that sequester carbon. Since 2017, more than $9 million dollars has been awarded to almond-specific projects. “The Healthy Soils Program covered my seed costs and some of the costs to plant it,” King said. “We need this kind of program at a much larger scale.”

Climate-Smart Ag: More than Organic Matter

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According to an ABC-funded lifecycle assessment of California almonds, nitrogen and water use are the top two contributors to the almond industry’s carbon footprint (all of agriculture in California accounts for 8% of greenhouse gas emissions in the state.) When synthetic nitrogen fertilizer arrives for use in an orchard, it brings with it a carbon footprint due to the fossil-fuel based energy used in its production. ABC’s Ludwig noted that growers have little control over that process;

"The thinking is if there’s a focus on soil quality improvements through organic matter inputs, it not only benefits the environment, but also helps the grower.” – Gabriele Ludwig, Almond Board of California however, some fertilizer companies are working to decarbonize the energy used to produce nitrogen fertilizer, which may allow growers to choose lower carbon footprint fertilizers in the future. Once applied, nitrogen can be converted by soil microbes to nitrous oxide, a greenhouse gas with a global warming potential nearly 300 times greater than carbon dioxide. However, practices that improve nitrogen use efficiency can also help reduce nitrous oxide emissions. For almonds, such practices include matching the amount of nitrogen applied (from both synthetic and organic sources) to projected yield, using April leaf sampling, applying nitrogen in more frequent and smaller amounts, and making sure the irrigation system is functioning as advertised to avoid over- or under-irrigation. According to the almond lifecycle assessment, greenhouse gases associated with water are from the energy it takes for pumping it. That includes moving it around the state and into the orchard, pumping groundwater and/or pressurizing the water for microirrigation systems. Thus, efforts to ensure that pumps and irrigation systems are functioning efficiently are also climate-smart practices. Another aspect is the form of energy used for pumping and pressurizing. Moving from diesel to electric motors reduces greenhouse gas emissions both by avoiding the use of fossil fuels and because the electricity used to run these pumps has a declining carbon footprint as a result of California’s implementation of its Renewables Portfolio Standard Program (SB 1078). This program mandates that 60% of the state’s electricity be generated from renewable sources by 2030. And some growers are even producing their own energy with solar panels. Furthermore, there is a link between practices that increase soil organic matter and the energy used for irrigation. Research has indicated that increasing soil organic matter by

1% can increase soil-available water holding capacity by 3.7%. That increased water holding capacity can provide more flexibility as to when a grower irrigates, such as timing irrigation to match lower electrical rate schedules or when energy is supplied onsite by solar or wind. And in heavier soils, practices that improve water infiltration can help avoid runoff or needing to irrigate more frequently for short periods of time.

Getting Credit Where Credit is Due

The California Almond Sustainability Program (Casp) enters its 11th year of helping individual growers, handlers and the broader industry track and improve practices. Dr. Dan Sonke, Director of Sustainability at Blue Diamond Growers, is deeply familiar with CASP, having worked on the development of the program’s first five modules as a consultant at the program’s inception. “CASP aligns very well with climate-smart ag practices,” said Sonke, who is also a member of the ABC Sustainability Workgroup. “There’s an interconnectedness you see in the CASP modules. When growers are asked about energy use, there are also questions about pesticide use because it takes energy to make pesticides. If you’re using integrated pest management practices to reduce pesticides, you’re reducing energy use, which has climate implications. CASP was designed to highlight the system-wide thinking that cli-

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Continued from Page 73 mate-smart agriculture requires.” Handlers such as Blue Diamond Growers report that buyers increasingly ask about, and make decisions based on, environmental and sustainability issues. An important change in recent years is the request for data, rather than anecdotal accounts, to verify sustainability claims. Sonke says this is where CASP is critically important for the almond industry to stay relevant and ahead of the curve. “To remain a nutritious ingredient or snack of choice, we want to have the data to prove the good story we have as an industry,” Sonke said. “We know we have a good story. We just need the data to document it so we can remind customers and consumers as to the goodness of almonds, not just from a nutrition and taste standpoint, but also a sustainability standpoint.” Sonke shared that since CASP is such an integral tool to communicate the progress of its growers to its customers, Blue Diamond Growers made the recent announcement that it will provide financial incentives to growers to participate in the program. More information about CASP is available at SustainableAlmondGrowing.org. Later this year, ABC will begin a pilot project with Ecosystem Services Market Consortium (ESMC), a non-profit that is developing carbon markets to link companies and growers. In addition to state and federal incentive programs, private partnerships will pay growers directly for implement-

ing climate-smart practices such as using compost, whole orchard recycling, and/or cover crops. Growers interested in participating in the ABC-ESMC pilot project should contact ABC’s Gabriele Ludwig at GLudwig@almondboard.com. Last, but not least, growing trees is climate smart! However, agricultural trees do not get credit for their greenhouse gas reductions for several reasons. One is that the inputs previously discussed (water and nitrogen) often have emissions associated with them. And for actual carbon markets, one of the key criteria is that practices must be “additional” for payment eligibility. “It comes down to if trees are grown for a business benefit, society or companies will not pay a grower for that because that’s business as usual,” Ludwig said. “Practices that are credited or rewarded monetarily must be something above and beyond what a grower would normally do.” References UC Davis Whole Orchard Recycling, Biomass recycling for sustainability and resilience of almond production: https://orchardrecycling. ucdavis.edu/ Effect of Partial Fertilizer Substitution with Organic Matter Amendments on Nutrient Cycling,” Almond Board of California 2020 Research Update: https://www.almonds.com/sites/default/files/2020-12/ ResearchUpdate_121620202.pdf#page=26

It’s been a long harvest. Your trees just ran a marathon, and so did you.

See California Pollinator Coalition article in this edition of How We Grow. “Greenhouse Gas and Energy Footprint of California Almond Production” Kendall A, et al. (2015) J. of Industrial Ecology: https://sarep. ucdavis.edu/sites/g/files/dgvnsk5751/files/inline-files/kendall-lifecycleassessment-ghgemissionsforalmondp.pdf Growers can use the free Nitrogen Calculator in the California Almond Sustainability Program (CASP): https://www.sustainablealmondgrowing.org/Home/ToolsBenefits/tabid/220/Default.aspx “Nitrogen Best Management Practices” Almond Board of California (2020): https://www.almonds.com/almond-industry/orchard-management/soil-health-and-nutrients/nutrient-management

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Infiltration, Saturated Hydraulic Conductivity (Ksat), and Runoff” Smith C, et al. (2015): https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/PA_NRCSConsumption/download?cid=nrcseprd1289235&ext=pdf

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Bridging the Ag Tech Divide Setting Business Goals to Guide Your Ag Tech Investments By SETH HANSEN | CCA, Contributing Writer

o you sometimes feel like we are living in two alternate realities when it comes to ag technology? Does it seem hard to reconcile your daily experiences with the advanced vision of farming portrayed in commercials and trade shows? On the tech-enabled farm, every employee is recording helpful observations on their smartphone for later analysis. Automated equipment is precisely applying biological pesticides, and irrigation schedules have been calculated and executed to perfectly match crop demand. Obviously, this results in ever-increasing yields and profitability. The reality you encounter each day out on the ranch, however, is much different. You step out of the pickup and walk into a chronically underperforming field. You can tell the yield is off again this season, but there is no data readily available to compare what you did this season to whatever produced your high yield three years ago. Your workforce is stretched thin and spray applications are rarely completed on time, so you increase rates and add materials or follow-up sprays to compensate for poor performance. Irrigation scheduling in your world is frantically trying to complete a round of watering fast enough to start again before the leaves begin wilting. In the end, you usually eke out a modest profit, but you aren’t setting any records and are worried about rising water costs and having enough capital to redevelop aging orchards. At this point, the three most relevant questions a grower must ask are: ▶ Do I really need to improve my operation? 76

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▶ What areas of my operation should I focus on? ▶ Which ag tech tools will get me there?

If You’re Not Moving Forward, You’re Falling Behind

As you evaluate the current state of ag tech, you will no doubt encounter a lot of hype. Each year, venture capital

The staggering number and diversity of ag tech providers can be challenging to navigate with-

Image The staggering number and diversity of agtech providers can be challenging to navigate without out a1:clear plan and set of requirements (photo courtesy A. Magenheim.) a clear plan and set of requirements. Photo courtesy of Aaron Magenheim.

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funds and investors, often with little knowledge of the agriculture industry, dump billions of dollars into ag tech startups. Some of these technologies and companies will not become commercially viable, and examples of these are abundant. But many are proving successful, and growers, even internationally in competitive markets, are leveraging technology to their advantage. Aaron Magenheim, CEO and co-founder of Growers Insight, regularly consults with tree nut growers on technology planning and implementation, and keeps a close eye on the ag tech “ecosystem” and commodity markets around the globe. He feels strongly that American growers must recognize the increasing market pressure from international competitors and continue to invest in technology and infrastructure. “In other countries, governments work a lot closer with their private sector, and that includes investing in technology and trade,” he said. As international governments and private companies cooperatively invest in ag tech, they become stronger competitors in the global market. Do not let past success or familiar practices lull you into complacency in a shifting global economy. Continuously look for opportunities to improve and the right technologies to assist in that process in order to remain competitive.

a budget for the initial and ongoing investment. This kind of long-term planning can be challenging. There may be attainable goals for your business that you don’t even realize are possible. Perhaps you need to look outside of your business to see other opportunities for change. “The big challenge is that people don’t take the time to understand the possibilities that are out there, how other people have solved similar problems, and then what their operation looks like in the future,” Magenheim said. Your goals should be specific and achievable, but avoid aiming too small when you set them. Try visiting other regions or countries with similar crops, or ask a technology consultant for help. It is alright that you don’t have all the answers. If you are committed to being in business for the long haul, then taking the time to investigate, dream and set realistic goals and implementation plans for your business is worth it.

Hitting the Mark

Finally, and only after you are convinced your operation needs to advance, after you set an ambitious but achievable goal and develop a stepwise implementation plan should you now invest in technology to help you get there. Even this stage of the process can be daunting, but use your plan to guide you to the right technology and partners. Magenheim compares the process to trying to navigate to a distant location without using a map. “If you don’t have a plan showing the two best ways to get there, you’re going to take 15 different backroads that dump you out into the middle of nowhere, run into dead ends and backtrack.” If you have a set of goals, an implementation plan with basic technology requirements and a budget, it will help you navigate the plethora of technology options. Furthermore, just because your

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Setting a Target

If you believe there is a need for improvement on your farm, before investing in any technology, you must begin with setting some goals. The key to this process is first starting with the longterm goals of your business. Where do you need to be in terms of profitability and what level of total production is required, considering the range of nut prices in recent years? What hurdles could prevent you from reaching those goals? Are your major issues rising labor and input costs? What changes would you have to make to manage those and achieve your goals? Make the goals as clear as possible so that you can develop a step-by-step implementation plan to meet that goal. If you identify the types of technology you need to find, list basic requirements and set

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Continued from Page 77 long-term business goals and technology requirements are ambitious, it does not mean that you cannot start small.

Sometimes, it is best to walk before you run, which in ag tech can prevent you from overwhelming your employees and making investments you later regret.

Take, for example, finding basic software to accurately and easily track costs on a field-by-field basis. You and each employee can quickly jot a digital note to record every spray, irrigation event, tree training or cultivation that happens. Although it may not appear to revolutionize your operation, it may actually help you identify problems you were unaware of and opportunities for improvement. Magenheim often observes that, “Few growers try to figure out budgets versus actuals. So, as long as they are relatively close at the end of the year on the whole budget, it doesn’t matter if they spent double what they thought on this field and half on that field. But what is the point of putting a budget together and how do you know where to improve?” An annual spend of a couple hundred dollars for activity and cost-tracking software could help you identify thousands being lost by equipment downtime, employee performance disparities, irrigation scheduling problems or product procurement issues.

Building on Success

This kind of technology can add further value as it guides you to and helps you evaluate the performance of subsequent ag tech investments. The newly implemented technology and practices can be measured against your previous methods because you have baseline financial data for comparison. As the management consultant Peter Drucker famously stated, “If you can’t measure it, you can’t improve it.” By setting ambitious business goals, stepwise plans to achieve them, and starting with small, manageable technology steps toward those goals, you will be able to achieve successes and build upon them. A few successful implementations under your belt will give you greater clarity and confidence that your business goals and technology roadmap are leading you in the right direction. Before long, you may find that your farm is that “farm of the future” that seemed so far from reality. Comments about this article? We want to hear from you. Feel free to email us at article@jcsmarketinginc.com

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