The U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council (USHBC) recently announced the appointment of Leslie Wada, Ph.D., RD, as senior director of nutrition and health research. A longtime consultant for the council, Wada will continue to manage USHBC’s multi-million dollar pipeline of health research projects as she has for the past 12 years. In her expanded role, Wada will have increased ownership and responsibility in leading the health and nutrition pillar of the USHBC’s 2021-2025 strategic plan, integrating the research projects and results with the council’s overall strategy in marketing and promotions.
A registered dietitian with an undergraduate degree in nutrition and dietetics from the University of California, Davis, Wada earned a Ph.D. in nutritional sciences from the University of California, Berkeley. She worked as a research scientist on nutrition studies and taught classes in dietetics at UC Berkeley before leaving academia to work with companies that developed functional foods and ingredients. For the past 20+ years, she has worked as an independent consultant for companies in the food and agriculture industry.
To hear Wada tell the story of the heart-healthy properties of blueberries, check out this podcast episode of “The Business of Blueberries” from earlier in the year.
USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service — The initial 2021-22 California Navel orange forecast is 70.0 million cartons, down 14% from the previous year. Of the total Navel orange forecast, 67.0 million cartons are estimated to be in the Central Valley. Cara Cara variety Navel orange production in the Central Valley is forecast at 6.0 million cartons. These forecasts are based on the results of the 2021-22 Navel Orange Objective Measurement (O.M.) Survey, which was conducted from June 15 to September 1, 2021. Estimated fruit set per tree, fruit diameter, trees per acre, bearing acreage, and oranges per box were used in the statistical models estimating production.
This forecast includes production of conventional, organic, and specialty Navel oranges (including Cara Cara and Blood orange varieties).
Survey data indicated a fruit set per tree of 239, down 25% from the previous year and b e l o w the five-year average of 344. The average September 1 diameter was 2.145 inches, below the five-year average of 2.208 inches. The Cara Cara orange set was 211 with a diameter of 2.146 inches.
SURVEY SAMPLE
A sample of 785 Navel orange groves was randomly selectedproportional to county and variety bearing acreage, and 707 of the groves were utilized in this survey. Once a grove was randomly chosen and grower permission was granted, two trees were randomly selected. The Navel orange sample included conventional, organic, Cara Cara, and Blood orange groves.
For each randomly selected tree, the trunk was measured along with all connected branches. A random number table was then used to select a branch, and then all connected branches from the randomly-selected branch were measured.
This process was repeated until a branch was reached with no significant limbs beyond this point. This randomly-selected branch, called the terminal branch, was then closely inspected to count all fruit connected to this branch, as well as all of the fruit along the path from the trunk to the terminal branch. Since each selected path has a probability of selection associated with the path, a probability-based method was then applied to estimate a fruit count for the entire tree.
In the last week of the survey period, fruit diameter measurements were made on the right quadrant of four trees surrounding the two trees of every third grove. These measurements were used to estimate an average fruit diameter per tree. Of the 707 utilized groves, 10 were in Madera County, 119 were in Fresno County, 419 were in Tulare County, and 157 were in Kern County.
SURVEY HISTORY
A Navel Orange Objective Measurement Survey has been conducted in the Central Valley every year since the 1984-85 crop year, except for the 1991-92 season due to a lack of funding. The data from the first two years were used for research purposes in developing crop-estimating models. The Cara Cara forecast was undertaken at the request of the California Citrus Advisory Committee.
The California Avocado Commission has launched a webpage to showcase the sustainability practices of California avocado growers. The information illustrates how California avocado growers are good stewards of the land as well as contributing members of their communities. The Commission’s consumer website, CaliforniaAvocado.com, now includes a section called “California Avocado Sustainability” where website visitors can learn about the four pillars of California avocado sustainability: environmentally friendly farming, worker well-being, healthy communities and economic viability.
The website explains that California avocado growers farm under robust federal and state requirements and follow Good Agricultural Practices and the Food Safety Modernization Act. It highlights that tilling is not used in California avocado production and that California avocado farmers help to generate healthy soils. Regenerative agriculture practices that are already part of what California avocado growers do are noted as well.
In the worker well-being section several California laws and regulations that set the state apart both from other states and other countries are noted building awareness that workers in the California avocado industry are treated well. The healthy communities section showcases both the physical benefits of avocado groves in a community as well as the contributions by California growers who participate in making their communities better.
Economic viability is a key part of sustainability. Clearly, if California avocado growers can’t survive financially then the business cannot be sustained. This pillar of the sustainability initiative puts a spotlight on the economic value of the California avocado industry and encourages purchasers to support their communities and choose locally grown when available.
One of the ways of communicating this sustainability information and making it more relatable to key purchasers, is by tying it back to California avocado grower stories. If you have a story you would like to share about your environmentally friendly growing practices, the well-being of your employees or your involvement in your community, please contact Ken Melban at kmelban@avocado.org.
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced that Japan has granted market access for California plums. Eliminating the phytosanitary barriers keeping California plums out of the Japanese market required multiple rounds of technical negotiations that were somewhat hampered by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The California Fresh Fruit Association (CFFA) would like to extend its appreciation to the USDA Animal Plant Health Inspection Service and Agricultural Research Service’s negotiators and experts, as well as the Fresno County and Tulare County Agricultural Commissioner offices for their invaluable contributions to this process.
There will be strict packing and fumigation protocols in place but given the success of the existing California nectarine program for Japan, California stone fruit exporters have already demonstrated a commitment to meeting Japan’s requirements.
“Trade barriers threaten the health and viability of the industry. This represents a significant opportunity for California plums, as Japanese consumers value premium fruit and recognize California fruit’s superior quality. As the global economy rebounds from the COVID-19 pandemic, expanding market access will continue to be critical to the industry’s success,” said Ian LeMay, CFFA President.
The California Fresh Fruit Association (CFFA) is a voluntary, nonprofit agricultural trade association that represents California’s fresh fruit industry. CFFA promotes California nectarines, peaches, and plums (stone fruit) around the world by reducing trade barriers and expanding markets. The California stone fruit industry, based predominantly in the San Joaquin Valley, is dependent on opening new markets and maintaining access to approximately 50 countries around the world.
Citrus Pest & Disease Prevention Program — A significant number of Asian citrus psyllid (ACP) detections in Kern County – more than 115 since this time last year – is a stark reminder to remain vigilant against the pest and the deadly disease it can spread, Huanglongbing (HLB). Last week, an adult ACP was confirmed from a commercial citrus trap in the east Edison area. This detection, along with two recent detections in Arvin residential properties, provides more urgency for growers with citrus east and south of Bakersfield to participate in the upcoming coordinated treatment.
The preferred timing of the treatment is mid-August through mid-September to prevent ACP populations from building on the fall foliar flush. Coordinated treatments like this were done during the same time period in 2018 and 2019 with great success in significantly suppressing ACP populations in commercial citrus orchards.
Past coordinated treatments in the county have been successful in suppressing ACP populations. By participating in this late summer/early fall treatment, Kern County can greatly reduce the number of psyllids, and thus reduce the risk of HLB being transmitted to our commercial citrus.
If you suspect ACP in your orchard, please notify the California Department of Food and Agriculture Pest Hotline at 1-800-491-1899. For questions, contact Kern County Grower Liaison Judy Zaninovich at jsleslie@msn.com or 559-730-8691 or the Kern County Agricultural Commissioner’s Office at 661-868-6300.
Reliable and valid information about plant water status is a critical input variable for optimizing citrus orchard growth. Precisely managing citrus water stress during all phenological stages enables maximized production by: avoiding drought stress during flowering and fruit sets; achieving appropriate sugar levels; and maintaining fruit quality by, for example, avoiding peel creasing for example.
Controlled water status can best be precisely achieved by monitoring the Stem-Water Potential (SWP) values regularly. After five successful years of experimentation and development, Saturas’ StemSenseTM sensors were installed in mature commercial citrus orchards around the world, and at the leading research phytotron in Israel. Saturas has a full library of commercial case studies and are available by request. This brief overview cites results from two: China and Spain
China Layout
Three Saturas StemSenseTM sensors were installed in an OR (Clementine) citrus orchard in the Hongjing farm, China. The StemSenseTM sensors were installed randomly in the orchard to represent the whole orchard status. The StemsenseTM sensors measured daily mid-day SWP values.
Results and Conclusions
Figure 1 illustrates seasonal values of Saturas StemSenseTM mid-day SWP values, daily ET0 and irrigation volume. Of note, is the positive and significant response to irrigation and changes in evapotranspiration. Note, for example, the rain stoppage from Aug 23th to Aug 30th, as reflected by the gradually increasing SWP values.
Figure 1 – Seasonal values of Saturas’ StemSenseTM Mid-Day SWP values, daily ET0 and irrigation volume.
Spain Layout
Five Saturas StemSenseTM sensors were installed in a lemon orchard in the Velcarda farm, Spain.
The StemSenseTM sensors were installed randomly in the orchard to represent the whole orchard status. The StemSenseTM sensors measured daily mid-day SWP values.
Results and Conclusions
Figure 2 illustrates seasonal values of Saturas StemSenseTM mid-day SWP values, daily ET0 and irrigation volume. The Saturas StemSenseTM sensors showed a highly correlative response to irrigation and changes in evapotranspiration Note, for example, the increase in SWP values during late July- early Aug, the influence of the small irrigation on Aug 2nd, and the response of the trees to the regular irrigation started on Aug 13th.
Figure 2 – Seasonal values of Saturas’ StemSenseTM Mid-Day SWP values, daily ET0 and irrigation volume.
Saturas StemSenseTM sensors showed a very rapid response to irrigation and a positive and significant correlation to manual pressure chamber measurements.
Conclusions
The StemSenseTM sensors, in these two case studies, demonstrated high measures of correlation to environmental stimuli such as ET, precipitation and irrigation while delivering reliable and valid SWP values over time. The commercial utility of StemSenseTM sensors is mutli-layered. The specific result of these studies demonstrates that the Saturas StemSenseTM sensors contribute reliable and valid information to the grower, critical for making good decisions for scheduling irrigation.
In addition, the experimental and commerical aplications demonstrated a high correlation to manual pressure chamber measurements. Replicability of experimental outcomes has allowed Saturas to expand into the apple, avocado, cherry, almond, kiwi, vine markets.
The Citrus Research Board (CRB) has been awarded $3,438,059 in funding from the Huanglongbing Multi-Agency Coordination Group (HLB MAC) to support its California Focused Citrus Research and Field Trials (CRaFT).
The overarching goal of the CRaFT project is to demonstrate additional mitigations to improve psyllid control within commercial citrus groves across the various citrus growing regions in California. This information will inform areawide control efforts and demonstrate the benefits of control mitigation measures currently available to growers for regional, state, and national benefit. This project aims to demonstrate reduced psyllid levels (through trap, tap, and visual monitoring) within treated groves as a year-by-year measurement and relative to the regional psyllid levels.
“We are excited to develop the first CRaFT project for citrus in California, as this project will bring new energy to the fight against HLB and benefit growers across the state while investing in vital research,” said CRB President Marcy L. Martin.
A group of 10 industry members will steer the project through the CRaFT Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) in conjunction with the CRB. This combined group will work with industry personnel to recruit growers in various regions to implement innovative psyllid management strategies. Growers who apply and are selected will receive reimbursement for costs associated with participation in the program.
The project will be administered over two years by the CRB, with the intent to renew. Efforts in year one will include creating a foundation for the program while conducting trap-based monitoring. Data from these measures will be collected and summarized to demonstrate changes in psyllid populations from resulting mitigation measures. Semiannual grower meetings and quarterly CRaFT TAC meetings will be initiated to review project progress and identify any potential project issues.
Year two will expand on previous efforts to provide data demonstrating changes in psyllid populations from applied mitigation measures. Findings will be summarized and shared with industry members to promote effective treatments.
The HLB MAC group was established as an emergency response framework to better position the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to coordinate the citrus industry’s immediate and long-term needs in dealing with HLB. HLB MAC funds projects to drive innovative solution-oriented research while delivering effective and practical tools to growers.
In addition to funding for the California Focused CRaFT project, other programs awarded funding for FY2021 include:
$4,061,941 to Texas (CRaFT project)
$676,665 to USDA Agricultural Research Service (expand data management tools to support these projects)
For more information about the California Focused CRaFT Project and HLB MAC, visit www.citrusresearch.org.
The CRB administers the California Citrus Research Program, the grower-funded and grower directed program established in 1968 under the California Marketing Act as the mechanism enabling the State’s citrus producers to sponsor and support needed research. More information about the Citrus Research Board may be found at www.citrusresearch.org.
FAS New Delhi (Post) secured confirmation from the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India that prunes from plums (Prunus domestica) are a processed food product (dried fruit), and as such are not subject to the non-Genetically Modified (GM) cum GM-Free status certificate requirement. Industry’s concerns for clarification necessitated post’s outreach. U.S.-origin prune exports to India reached nearly $1 million in 2020.
DISCLAIMER: The information contained in this report was retrieved from the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India’s (FSSAI) website http://www.fssai.gov.in. The U.S. Embassy in New Delhi – Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) Office of Agricultural Affairs (OAA), USDA and/or the U.S. Government make no claim of accuracy or authenticity. The Government of India has not officially endorsed this report. Import approval for any product is subject to local rules and regulations as interpreted by Indian officials at the time of product entry.
GENERAL INFORMATION:
On April 13, 2021, FAS New Delhi\Office of Agricultural Affairs secured confirmation from the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India’s (FSSAI) Director of Imports, Dr. Amit Sharma, that prunes from plums (Prunus domestica) are a processed food product (dried fruit). As such, prunes are not subject to the non- Genetically Modified (GM) cum GM-Free status certificate requirement. Industry’s concerns for clarification prompted post’s outreach.
FSSAI, in its Clarification dated October 12, 2020 (Appendix I), referencing the Order of August 21, 2020 (Appendix II), mentions that the requirement to obtain a non-GM cum GM-Free status certificate for all food import consignments containing any of 24 specific foods (including fruits, vegetables, and grains) does not apply to processed food products in general.
In calendar year 2020 (January-December), U.S. prune exports to India reached nearly $1 million. — By Radha Mani, Agriculture Assistant and Mariano Beillard, Senior Regional Agricultural Attache, USDA Agricultural Research Service
Western Growers (WG) is spearheading a Global Harvest Automation Initiative (GHAI) to accelerate harvest automation across the fresh produce industry, with a goal of automating 50 percent of harvest within 10 years.
“For well over a decade, our members have struggled with a dwindling number of available workers. If we don’t come together as an industry to quickly and efficiently deliver automation solutions for farmers in this country, it is likely that the shift of fresh produce operations to other countries will dramatically increase,” said Western Growers President and CEO Dave Puglia. “The Global Harvest Automation Initiative is aimed directly at this challenge, and the alignment of so many industry leaders and partners in this endeavor is a strong indicator of our shared commitment to success.”
The global initiative is comprised of several key projects uniquely designed to solve the ag industry’s labor woes while simultaneously helping harvest automation start-up companies commercialize and scale at a more rapid pace:
Technology Stack: A documented set of technical interfaces that will help startups leverage industry-standard components so their robots can get into fields and markets faster.
Harvest Automation Cohort: A cohort of automation startups will be selected based on industry input to receive exclusive access to systems integration to help integrate the tech stack into their product roadmap, strategy for go-to-market support, field trials and case studies.
Impact Report: A comprehensive analysis on the impact of harvest automation on the specialty crop industry will be provided annually based on grower metrics.
Harvest Automation Traction Roadmap: A list of current harvest automation startups by crop type and in-market progress/traction will be distributed regularly.The technology stack will be built by a team of subject matter experts(SMEs) in ag and robotics:
precision ag companies (Trimble, Bosch)
original equipment manufacturers and platform companies (Ramsay Highlander, Oxbow and SPUDNIK)
AgTech engineering companies (Milano Technical Group, All-Phase Agricultural Engineering, Red Rooster Engineering and NWFM LLC)
WG members that are among the world’s largest and best farming operators at adopting new technologies (Grimmway Farms, Turlock Fruit Company, Church Brothers Farms, Superfresh Growers and Illume Agriculture)The SME group will build a set of documented interfaces so startups can connect to tractor manufacturers like John Deere, sensor manufacturers like Bosch, navigation equipment providers like Trimble, and other manufacturing partners.
The Washington Tree Fruit Research Commission (WTFRC) has been a key partner for WG in supporting the GHAI by providing recommendations for SMEs and harvest startups with traction based on WTFRC’s 52 years of experience with tree fruit innovation. In addition, WTFRC has committed $200,000 in funding over three years to support the overall GHAI initiative.
“The specialty crop industry needs to all work together to solve harvest automation by strategically accelerating the speed of innovation and adoption,” said Dr. Ines Hanrahan, executive director for WTFRC. “The platform approach Western Growers is taking is supported by both startups and industry as the best path forward to finally achieve this goal.”
WG held a hybrid in-person and virtual event on February 11, 2021, in Tulare, Calif., to announce the official launch of the Global Harvest Automation Initiative. Resources and detailed information about the GHAI can be found on the WG Center for Innovation & Technology webpage here.
About Western Growers:
Founded in 1926, Western Growers represents local and regional family farmers growing fresh produce in California, Arizona, Colorado and New Mexico. Our members and their workers provide over half of the nation’s fresh fruits, vegetables and tree nuts, including nearly half of America’s fresh organic produce. Some members also farm throughout the U.S. and in other countries so people have year-round access to nutritious food. For generations, we have provided variety and healthy choices to consumers. Connect and learn more about Western Growers on our Twitter and Facebook.
The rhizosphere, defined as the soil environment that surrounds the plant roots, is a rich and diverse habitat for microbes. Some members of the rhizosphere microbiome (or collection of microbes), are good, others bad while many are just there and don’t provide any benefits or harm to the host. One function of the good microbes in the rhizosphere is to help facilitate the availability and assimilation of nutrients and water from the rhizosphere. Just like the human gut, the plant rhizosphere conveys key nutritional functions and the analogy was made that “plants wear their gut on the outside”. One example is the symbiotic relationship between legumes (peas, beans) and rhizobia. Those bacteria help the plant fix atmospheric nitrogen in exchange for carbon supply. Another example is the symbiotic relationship between the plant and mycorrhizal fungi, whereby the mycorrhizae receive carbon from the plant in exchange for increased nutrient uptake (principally phosphorus and nitrogen). There is undeniable evidence that plants have developed a mechanism for recruiting good microbes to cope with environmental stress such as protection against opportunistic pathogens or drought. The rise of ‘omics’ technologies have helped profile entire microbial communities associated with plants and shed light in their biological functions. This research has fueled the development of novel commercial bioproducts to address the increasing consumer’s demand of environmentally-friendly products. As a result, there has been several commercial ‘probiotics’ and ‘prebiotics’ that have been marketed for agricultural use including many biocontrol agents such as fungal- (e.g., Trichoderma) and bacterial- based (e.g., Bacillus, Streptomyces, or Pseudomonas) bioproducts.
One goal of my research program is to identify beneficial microbes for tree and vines crops, promote practices that support the presence and abundance of beneficial microbes and figure out how good microbes help combat pathogens and support plant health. As part of a collaborative project (UC Riverside, University of Florida, USDA-ARS) funded by the California Citrus Research Board and the USDA-NIFA, we profiled the microbiome of citrus trees in the context of Huanglongbing disease (or HLB). HLB is a highly destructive and lethal disease to all commercial citrus cultivars making it a threat to citrus production globally. Finding strategies that do not only rely exclusively on management of the insect vector of the bacterium (the Asian Citrus Psyllid), is a priority to the citrus industry. In our research, we found that there were significant tissue-specific microbial shifts occurring within the citrus microbiome as trees get sicker, especially in the root compartment. As HLB progressed, there were depletions of beneficial species in roots, such as mycorrhizal fungi, and enrichments of parasitic microorganisms, such as Fusarium and Phytophthora (see Figure). HLB-affected trees decline because of the clogging the phloem sieve tubes, which limit movement of sap and translocation of sugar to the roots, hence leading to feeder root collapse. Once tree is weakened, it becomes more susceptible to pathogens such as Phytophthora which further weakens the trees and exacerbate above ground HLB symptoms. In addition, several studies from Florida suggested that cultural practices that supported root health and rhizosphere microbiome richness and diversity limited root collapse.
Figure: Citrus decline caused by HLB (https://apsjournals.apsnet.org/doi/10.1094/PBIOMES-04-20-0027- R – Ginnan et al. 2020. Phytobiomes); canopy thinning, wood dieback, feeder roots decline, collapse of beneficial microbes and enrichment of pathogens in roots.
Our group was recently awarded another research funding by the USDA-NIFA Emergency Citrus Disease Research and Extension program (project director, M.C. Roper, Microbiology and Plant Pathology, UC Riverside). This research effort in collaboration with UC Agricultural and Natural Resources, UC Davis, University of Florida, and the USDA-ARS aims at investigating the root collapse associated with HLB- impacted trees and finding ways to mitigate it by promoting root health. In the proposed work, we will test how different sectors of the root microbiome contribute to or lessen fibrous root loss and if soil amendments (e.g., humic acid treatment, mulching) and planting of HLB tolerant rootstocks (Poncirus trifoliata and P. trifoliata hybrids) can be used to mitigate root loss associated with HLB in Florida, and how tree respond to those practices under a HLB free environment in California. While these approaches will not cure trees from HLB, it will provide a science-based information for strategies that support root and tree health and sustain orchard longevity until remedies are discovered. — By Philippe Rolsausen, Professor in Cooperative Extension, UC Riverside
The SME group will build a set of documented interfaces so startups can connect to tractor manufacturers like John Deere, sensor manufacturers like Bosch, navigation equipment providers like Trimble, and other manufacturing partners.
