2022 Crop Consultant Conference Agenda

SEPTEMBER 28, 2022

Breakfast and Trade Show: 7:00AM — 8:00AM

Sessions: 8:00AM — 10:00AM

Break and Trade Show: 10:00AM — 11:00AM

Sessions: 11:00AM — 12:00PM

Lunch AND SPECIAL GUEST: 12:00PM — 1:00PM

Sessions: 1:00PM — 3:00PM

Sessions: 1:00PM — 2:30PM AGENDA

Break and Trade Show: 3:00PM — 4:00PM

Sessions: 4:00PM — 5:00PM

Mixer: 5:00PM — 6:00PM

SEPTEMBER 29, 2022

Breakfast and Trade Show: 7:00AM — 8:00AM

Sessions: 8:00AM — 10:00AM

Break and Trade Show: 10:00AM — 11:00AM

Sessions: 11:00AM — 12:00PM

Lunch and CCA of the year: 12:00PM — 1:00PM

Welcome to the conference

Progressive Crop Consultant Magazine is excited to again collaborate with the Western Region Certified Crop Advisers’ Association on this year’s Crop Consultant Conference. We have significantly expanded our educational offerings for this two-day conference with two concurrent CEU tracks, one for PCAs and one for CCAs, as well as a sales and development track for crop consultants and professionals.

My vision for this event five years ago was for it to become the key event for the crop consultant industry and to create a space where the industry would come together to learn from experts and from each other and access information and technology. We continue to grow and expand to achieve that goal.

We thank WRCCA for working with us to develop an agen da that features the latest in crop production practices and technology, address common concerns about water, fertilizer and other inputs, and focuses on emerging pest issues for specialty crop consultants in the Western U.S. WRCCA will also announce its CCA of the Year award, scholarships

and honorariums at lunch on Thursday.

Please remember to download the MyAgLife app, your key to the conference, where you will find push notifications and agenda details and also be able to interact with speakers during the Q and A sessions following each presentation.

Also take advantage of some of the food, fun and entertainment at this year’s conference, including comedian Dennis Gaxiola during Wednesday lunch, the mixer Wednesday evening, and our raffle giveaway.

Thank you to our sponsors and exhibitors for helping to make this conference a success. My staff and I look forward to spending these two days with you and are here to help answer any questions.

Sincerely, Jason Scott CEO and Publisher Crop Consultant Magazine, JCS Marketing, Inc. Sponsors!

Wednesday, September 28

7:00 AM BREAKFAST Sponsored by SQM Specialty Plant Nutrition

7:30 AM TRADESHOW

DPR TRACK Drought and Climate Change Impacts on Tree Nut Pests Jhalendra Rijal, UCCE Area IPM Advisor

8:00 AM 8:30 AM

CCA TRACK IoT4Ag and what Farmers Think About When Adopting New Technology

Catherine Keske, UC Merced

MRLs: Why They Matter to You and the Future of Crop Protection Caroline Stringer, Director of Trade, California Fresh Fruit Association

9:00 AM

Common Pesticide Use Violations: A Cautionary Tale Angelina Ceja, Vice President and Chief Education Officer, Ag Safe

9:30 AM

Industry Sponsored Talk: SQM Choosing the Right Potassium and Nitrogen Sources for Your Crops Doug Snyder, National Marketing Agronomist SQM Specialty Plant Nutrition North America

10:00 AM BREAK AND TRADESHOW

11:00 AM

Industry Sponsored Talk: ISCA, Inc. ISCA Pheromone Trials and Results Agenor Mafra Neto and Charlene Bedal, ISCA, Inc.

11:30 AM

Adjuvants: Get What You Deserve from Pesticides Joseph Vaillancourt, Product Manager, Verdesian Life Sciences

12:00 PM LUNCH Sponsored by AGRO K

Evaluation of mechanical and automated in-row cultivators for weed control in conventional processing tomatoes

Amber Vinchesi-Vahl, UCCE Area Vegetables Crop Advisor

Challenge of Coverage: Improving NOW applications with Adjuvants and Lower Spray Volume Joel Siegel, Research Entomologist, USDA-ARS

Grape Pests: Diagnosing Vineyard Pest Problems Steve Vasquez, Technical Viticulturist, Sun-Maid Growers of California, WRCCA

Responding to a Viral Epidemic in Lettuce in the Salinas Valley of California Daniel Hasegawa, Research Entomologist, USDA-ARS

Grapevine Disease Management during the Changing Environment

George Zhuang, UCCE Viticulture Farm Advisor

Special Guest: Comedian Dennis Gaxiola Sponsored

Agriculture Resiliency and the Soil Microbiome Eryn Wingate, Lead Agronomist Tri-Tech, WRCCA Board of Directors

Potassium Management Under Challenging Soil and Supply Conditions

Jerome Pier, Senior Agronomist, Quali-Tech, WRCCA

WRCCA Panel: 2023 Fertilizer and Water Supply Outlook WRCCA Moderated by Karl Wyant, WRCCA Chair

Panel Continued

CEU AGENDA

THURsday, September 29

7:00 AM BREAKFAST Sponsored by ISCA, Inc.

7:30 AM TRADESHOW

Late Season Canopy Management to Improve Winegrapes and Wine in a Changing Climate

Luca Brillant, Bronco Viticulture Chair, CSU Fresno

7:00 AM Exhibit Hall BREAKFAST AND TRADE SHOW

8:00 AM Charter Oak DPR Room

0.5hr DPR Other Drought and Climate Change Impacts on Tree Nut Pests

Jhalendra Rijal, UCCE Area IPM Advisor

This talk will explore the relationship between drought-stressed trees and how that potentially increases plant susceptibility to multiple pests in tree fruit systems, such as spider mites, some borers and beetles, such as flatheaded borer, along with IPM practices that include multiple pest control methods, including insecticides.

8:00 AM Charter Oak CCA Room

0.5hr CCA Precision Ag. IoT4Ag and What Farmers Think About When Adopting New Technol ogy

Catherine Keske, UC Merced

Results from the 2021-2022 Internet of Things for Precision Agriculture (IoT4Ag) projects on farmer perceptions on barriers to adopting precision ag technology, as well as the value of precision ag data to industry, including trade-offs between privacy and value (expansion of services) to farmers.

8:30 AM Charter Oak DPR/CCA Rooms

0.5hr DPR Other, 0.5hr CCA IPM MRLs: Why They Matter to You and the Future of Crop Protection

Caroline Stringer, Director of Trade, California Fresh Fruit Association

A look at how inconsistent MRLs worldwide impacts growers and the decisions made in the orchard/vineyard/field on crop protec tion tools for important crops in key export markets.

9:00 AM Charter Oak DPR/CCA Rooms

0.5hr DPR Laws Regs , 0.5hr CCA IPM Common Pesticide Use Violations: A Cautionary Tale Angelina Ceja, Vice President and Chief Education Officer, Ag Safe DPR’s list of top 10 violations. Topics will include FAC and 3CCR requirements for pesticide compliance and worker safety, in cluding a discussion around practical imple mentation in the field. Main Points include Handler Training, Application Information, Hazard Communications, Labeling at Use

Site, Decontamination Facilities, Service Container Labeling, County Registration, Emergency Medical Care, PPE, Labeling/ Permit Conditions.

9:30 AM Charter Oak DPR/CCA Rooms 0.5hr CCA Nutrition, 0.5hr INMP Nitrogen Choosing the Right Potassium and Nitrogen Sources for Your Crops

Doug Snyder, National Marketing Agron omist, SQM Specialty Plant Nutrition North America

This discussion will be an overview of the main potassium sources, their companion ions, and how these sources affect soils and plant uptake of nutrients.

10:00 AM Exhibit Hall BREAK AND TRADE SHOW

11:00 AM Charter Oak DPR/CCA Rooms

0.5hr DPR Other, 0.5hr CCA IPM ISCA Pheromone Trials and Results Agenor Mafra Neto and Charlene Bedal, ISCA Inc. Introduction to ISCA pheromone products and application techniques. Trial and Results of multiple studies by USDA and others for SPLAT Verb, SPLAT GM and APIS Bloom plus pipeline products for pest management.

11:30 AM Charter Oak DPR/CCA Rooms

0.5hr DPR Other, 0.5hr CCA IPM Adjuvants: Get What You Deserve from Pesticides Joseph Vaillancourt, Product Manager, Verdesian Life Sciences

Different types of spray adjuvant systems and recommendations for their use, in cluding: spreaders, stickers, drift reduction agents, soil wetting agents, water conditioners, utility adjuvants, and adjuvants for organic operations.

12:00 PM Exhibit Hall

LUNCH WITH COMEDIAN DENNIS GAXIOLA

1:00 PM Charter Oak DPR Room

0.5hr DPR Other Evaluation of Mechanical and Automated In-row Cultivators for Weed Control in Conventional Processing Tomatoes

Amber Vinchesi-Vahl, UCCE Area Vegeta bles Crop Advisor

This presentation will cover a 2-year research trial using mechanical and robotic cultivators for weed management in processing tomatoes. Results include weed control efficacy of each cultivator compared to the grower standard, speed of machinery, and a cost-benefit analysis of hand-weeding costs and time savings later in the season.

1:00 PM Charter Oak CCA Room

0.5hr CCA Soil Water

0.5hr INMP Nitrogen Agriculture Resiliency and the Soil Microbiome

Eryn Wingate, Lead Agronomist Tri-Tech, WRCCA

Although microbial activity is difficult to measure, growers can nevertheless take ad vantage of beneficial bacteria and fungi by learning about their interactions with plants and managing the soil in ways likely to support microbial growth. Eryn will review foundational soil microbiology concepts and present several types of organisms that can improve agricultural resiliency by increasing crop growth and yield, or by facilitating fertilizer and chemical application reduc tions. Eryn will give practical suggestions on how to navigate the biological amendments market and how to promote soil health and beneficial microbial activity.

1:30 PM Charter Oak DPR Room

0.5hr DPR Other Challenge of Coverage: Improving NOW applications with Adjuvants and Lower Spray Volume

Joel Siegel, Research Entomologist, US DA-ARS

This presentation will focus on the most re cent research on adjuvants in NOW sprays, reducing spray volume by ground and by air, and increasing duration of control. Particular emphasis will be on the use of organosilicon adjuvants to reduce spray volume.

1:30 PM Charter Oak CCA Room 0.5hr CCA Nutrition, 0.5hr INMP Nitrogen Potassium Management Under Challenging Soil and Supply Conditions

Jerome Pier, Senior Agronomist, Quali-Tech, WRCCA

Potassium is a critical, essential plant macronutrient that is required in substantial quantities to obtain profitable production,

especially in fruiting crops. The presentation will cover the challenges of both the soil environment and its role in providing adequate potassium to crops as well as the rising costs and limited world supply of this important nutrient.

2:00 PM Charter Oak DPR Room 0.5hr DPR Other Grape Pests: Diagnosing Vineyard Pest Problems

Steve Vasquez, Technical Viticulturist, SunMaid Growers of California, WRCCA Diagnosing vineyard pest and disease problems as soon as possible is important for minimizing yield and quality losses, especially when caused by pests that can be managed before moving into neighboring vineyards. However, when a quick diagnosis cannot be made, it is important to survey the vineyard and collect as much information as possible so damage can be mitigated.

2:00 PM Charter Oak CCA Room 0.5hr CCA Soil Water, 0.5hr CCA Nutrition, 1.0hr INMP Irrigation WRCCA Panel: 2023 Fertilizer and Water Supply Outlook

Moderated by Karl Wyant, WRCCA Chair Wyant will lead an expert panel to help growers and their advisors better under stand the upcoming 2023 fertilizer and water supply outlook. Planned panelists will share their recap of their experience in

2022 and provide some future casting of what 2023 might bring to help the audience begin organizing their input plans. Audience Q & A will provide for a lively discussion in two important subject areas to the ag industry.

2:30 PM Charter Oak DPR Room 0.5hr DPR Other Responding to a Viral Epidemic in Lettuce in the Salinas Valley of California Daniel Hasegawa, Research Entomologist, USDA-ARS

Learn about the biology and management of INSV in lettuce and how managing vec tors in other crops can help reduce trans mission. Topics include thrips biology, INSV biology, host range, strategies for monitor ing and management.

3:00 PM Exhibit Hall BREAK AND TRADE SHOW

4:00 PM Charter Oak DPR Room Grapevine Disease Management in a Changing Environments

George Zhuang, UCCE Viticulture Farm Advisor

Viticulture in the San Joaquin Valley is facing challenges from changing environ mental and regulatory conditions. This talk will cover general guidelines for controlling grapevine powdery mildew and trunk disease and focus on the change of disease

pressure and updated managing tips due to the changing weather conditions in the SJV.

4:00 PM Charter Oak CCA Room 0.5hr CCA Crop Mgt. Late Season Canopy Management to Improve Winegrapes and Wine in a Changing Climate Luca Brillante, Bronco Viticulture Chair, CSU Fresno

This talk will provide a look at how a chang ing climate impacts grapevine management decisions in San Joaquin Valley winegrapes and how growers and consultants can adapt canopy management practices as a result.

4:30 PM Charter Oak DPR/CCA Rooms 0.5hr CCA Nutrition, 0.5hr INMP Nitrogen Properly Timed Foliar-applied Fertil izers Increase Citrus Yield and Fruit Size

Carol Lovatt, Professor of Plant Physiology, UC Riverside UC Professor Carol Lovatt discusses the timings for foliar-applied fertilizers on citrus, including a phosphite technology that she discovered at UC Riverside, and their impact on yield and quality.

5:00 PM Exhibit Hall MIXER 6:00 PM Adjourn

THURSday, September 29

7:00 AM Exhibit Hall BREAKFAST AND TRADE SHOW

8:00 AM Charter Oak DPR Room

0.5hr DPR Other Weed and Disease Control in Lettuce with Band-Steam

Mark Siemens, Associate Specialist U of A Cooperative Extension

Soil disinfection using steam is a highly ef fective technique for controlling plant pathogens and weeds, but is cost prohibitive since conventionally steam is applied to the entire soil profile. To address this, a novel proto type band-steam was developed where only narrow strips of soil centered on the seed

line are treated. The system’s design and operation, as well as field trials results of the effectiveness of using steam heat to control weeds and soilborne diseases in lettuce will be presented and discussed.

8:00 AM Charter Oak CCA Room

0.5hr CCA Nutrition Relationship between Non-structural Carbohydrates and Potassium

Matt Comrey, Wilbur-Ellis, WRCCA

The presentation will focus on the roles that Potassium play in various plant functions (emphasis on permanent crops), particularly as they relate to Carbohydrate (NSC) me tabolism. Through the rest of the presenta-

tion carbohydrate concentration trends will be reviewed as well as seasonal trends and changes to those concentrations.  We will end with a review of some research outlining the strong relationship that potassium has with soluble sugar concentrations.

8:30 AM Charter Oak DPR Room

0.5hr DPR Other Is Citrus Mealybug an emerging pest in San Joaquin Valley Citrus? Sandipa Gautum, UCCE Area Citrus IPM Advisor

The presentation will cover the life stages of citrus mealybug and its biology; what we know until now about the seasonal phenol-

ogy of citrus mealybug in the San Joaquin Valley. Information on how to monitor for citrus mealybugs, and management options.

8:30 AM Charter Oak CCA Room 0.5hr CCA Soil Water, 0.5hr INMP Irriga tion

Improve Input Efficiency: Irrigation Strategy with a Short Supply Cory Broad, Territory Manager, Jain Irriga tion, WRCCA

As Western U.S. Agriculture struggles in the midst of drought and increasing regulatory pressure, limited water supplies and allocations have become an all to common challenge for our producers. Using technol ogy to leverage maximum efficiency from our irrigation systems while maintaining sustainable agricultural production is a must for producers of the future and today. We will discuss tools and practices that help pro ducers sustainably budget crop water-use, efficiently schedule irrigation events, and manage crop nutrients.

9:00 AM Charter Oak DPR Room 0.5hr DPR Other Disease Management in Nut Crops Jim Adaskaveg, Plant Pathologist, UC Riverside

An overview of monitoring and manage ment for various foliar diseases in nut crops, including distinguishing between key diseases and spray rotations for resistance management.

9:00 AM Charter Oak CCA Room 0.5hr CCA Nutrition, 0.5hr INMP Nitrogen

Improve Input Efficiency: Nutrient Use Efficiency as it Pertains to Nitrogen Management JW Lemons, Verdesian Life Sciences, WRCCA

Identify various tools and methods to en hance nitrogen efficiency. Reduce leaching, denitrification, and volatilization of applied nitrogen.

9:30 AM Charter Oak DPR/CCA Rooms 0.5hr CCA Nutrition, 0.5hr INMP Nitrogen Presentation: Sap Analysis as an Improved Test for Crop Nutrient Status Sean Jacobs, Technical Sales and Market ing Representative, AGRO-K

A discussion of leaf sap analysis as a complimentary analytical tool to assess the

current and future nutrient status of the crop and a road map to improvement .Leaf sap results provide a forward looking view into the next two to three weeks of the crop cycle and give the grower actionable information to correct and/or prevent nutrient excesses and deficiencies that can directly impact the current year’s crop quality and yield.

10:00 AM Exhibit Hall

BREAK AND TRADE SHOW

11:00 AM Charter Oak DPR/CCA Rooms

0.5hr DPR Other, 0.5hr CCA IPM

Improve Input Efficiency: Review of Sprayer Calibration

Matt Comrey, Technical Nutrition Agrono mist, Wilbur-Ellis, WRCCA

This presentation will center around calibrat ing various spray equipment (air blast, strip sprayer, etc.) to ensure proper application of various pesticides.  The presentation will start with a wide scale view of improving efficiency in agriculture and will conclude with sample calibration methods for both herbicide application equipment as well as air blast equipment.

11:30 AM Charter Oak DPR/CCA Rooms

0.5hr DPR Other, 0.5hr CCA IPM Managing Disease Using the Power of Biologicals Combined with the Per formance of Chemistry

Melissa O’Neal, Sr. Product Development Manager – Western Region, The ProFarm Group

A look at ProFarm’s BioUnite approach combining biologicals and synthetic chem istry for disease management. Overview of Regalia and Stargus BioFungicides and their role in an IPM approach for managing diseases in California crops.

12:00 PM Exhibit Hall

LUNCH: SCHOLARSHIPS AND GIVE AWAY, CCA OF YEAR AND HONORARIUMS

1:00 PM Charter Oak DPR/CCA Rooms

0.5hr DPR Other, 0.5hr CCA IPM Walnut Scale Management

Elizabeth Fichtner, UCCE Farm Advisor, Tulare County

If left unmanaged, walnut scale can impact orchards directly by the feeding of the insect, and indirectly by enhancing diseases

caused by canker fungi. This talk will provide an overview of the lifecycle of the in sect, highlighting differences in the lifecycle between the Southern San Joaquin Valley and the Sacramento Valley. Additionally, the talk will provide an overview of the pest management options available for reduc ing walnut scale populations, with heavy emphasis on the timing of insect growth regulator application.

1:30 PM Charter Oak DPR/CCA Rooms

0.5hr DPR Other, 0.5hr CCA Soil Water, 0.5hr INMP Irrigation

Impact of Water Quality on Pesticide Performance

Karl Wyant, Director of Agronomy, Nutrien, Chair, WRCCA

Crop protection products are often mixed with water to help “carry” them into the field and through the applicator rig. However, carrier spray water quality can have a profound impact on the active ingredients contained in a pesticide, fungicide, or herbi cide product. In this talk, Dr. Wyant will walk through how several components of the solid portion of the spray water can potentially impact the active ingredient of popular crop protection products. He will go through a water quality report and detail how the information can be used to predict the impact on performance so that steps can be taken to mitigate negative interactions between water quality and ag chem efficacy.

2:00 PM Charter Oak DPR/CCA Rooms

0.5hr DPR Laws Regs, 0.5hr CCA IPM Personal Protective Equipment Required by Labels for Employees and Owners

Marianna Gentert, Deputy Ag Commission er, Tulare County

This talk will go over types of Personal Pro tective equipment with examples of accept able and not acceptable ones; also what is required to be allowed to wear PPE like respirators and then review example labels and decide what an employee versus owner would need to wear.

2:30 PM Adjourn