California Fruit and Vegetable

Category: Economics

  • Growers Refine Date Palm Irrigation with UCANR Research

    California’s $86 million date industry produces more than half of the nation’s dates. Most of the fruit is grown in the arid Coachella Valley. Despite efforts by growers to conserve water, data was lacking on date palms’ actual water use to refine the best irrigation management for the crop until a recent research project led by Ali Montazar, UC Cooperative Extension irrigation and water management advisor for Imperial and Riverside counties.

    New research provides data California date growers need to apply a more precise amount of irrigation water to meet the trees’ needs to produce a healthy crop (photo by Ali Montazar).

    “California dates are grown in the hottest and most arid climate in North America and require substantial amounts of water in order to bring a successful crop to fruition,” Albert Keck, Coachella Valley date grower and chairman of the California Date Commission, wrote in a letter of support for this project. “In addition, there is scant modern research specifically and technically focused on growing dates in North America.”

    Montazar said there is a lack of irrigation management information on date palms worldwide.

    “The information developed in this study is expected to have a worldwide impact,” he said.

    To determine the evapotranspiration rate and crop coefficients for California date palms, Montazar teamed up with scientists at UC Davis, California Department of Water Resources, USDA Agricultural Research Service, and USDA Salinity Laboratory.

    The experiment was carried out in six date orchards in the Coachella and Imperial valleys. The sites represent various soil types and conditions, irrigation management practices, canopy characteristics, and the most common date cultivars in the region.

    “The findings of the project indicate that there is considerable variability in date palm consumptive water use, both spatially and temporally,” Montazar said. In other words, the amount of water the trees use varies considerably depending on each site’s growing conditions.

    He estimated the water needs for date palms planted in different soil types in the low desert region.

    “Growers will be able to use the science-based information and tools developed by this project to determine their date palm water needs and optimize the efficiency of water and fertilizer use in their groves,” Montazar said.

    Fruit bags protect date from insect damage and dust and prevent the fruit from falling to the ground (photo by Ali Montazar).

    The peer-reviewed article “Determination of Actual Evapotranspiration and Crop Coefficients of California Date Palms Using the Residual of Energy Balance Approach” is published in the journal MDPI Waterat https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4441/12/8/2253.

    “With a large quantity of new date plantings in the region, coupled with increasingly limited water resources in the Colorado River Basin Watershed, the knowledge anticipated to be developed by this research project has the potential to yield large dividends through not only improved water use efficiency, but also best management practices and crop quality,” said Keck of the California Date Commission.

    Although the research focused on Coachella Valley dates, Montazar said the results are likely to be useful to growers who have orchards with similar varieties, irrigation practices, and canopy and soil features in other locations.

    Montazar’s co-authors are Robert Krueger of the USDA-ARS National Clonal Germplasm Repository for Citrus and Dates; Dennis Corwin of USDA-ARS U.S. Salinity Laboratory; Alireza Pourreza UC Cooperative Extension specialist based at UC Davis Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering; Cayle Little of California Department of Water Resources; Sonia Rios, UC Cooperative Extension advisor in Riverside County; and Richard L. Snyder UC Cooperative Extension specialist emeritus in the UC Davis Department of Land, Air and Water Resources.

    The date palm irrigation project was funded by the CDFA Specialty Crop Block Grant Program. — By Pamela Kan-Rice, UCANR

  • Mann Packing’s New Facility in Gonzales, CA to Now Include Fresh-Cut Fruit Products

    Mann Packing Co., Inc. (“Mann”), a subsidiary of Del Monte Fresh Produce N.A., Inc., and one of the largest suppliers of packaged vegetables in North America is excited to announce the addition of a fresh-cut fruit area to its new facility in Gonzales, California. This new section of the facility will allow Mann Packing to grow its fresh-cut fruit and organic fresh-cut fruit business and provide a new space to help the brand continue to meet consumer needs.

    Separate from the Value Added Vegetable part of the Gonzalez Plant, the Fresh-Cut Fruit area will allow for added retail convenience, as fruit will be cut to order. This will allow for the elimination of inventorying and for deliveries to be made directly from the Gonzalez plant. This new area of the plant is especially unique as it uses many vertically integrated products such as pineapples, melons and grapes.

    “As a trusted Fresh Del Monte brand, we are excited to now be processing our fresh-cut fruit in a brand new, state of the art plant,” said Parker Javid, Vice President of Sales at Mann Packing. “Our team is always working to find new and innovative solutions to meet the needs of our consumers and we are excited to offer our customers greater freshness and efficiencies by combining both fresh-cut fruit and vegetables on one truck and in a direct shipment from our plant.”

    In addition, the Gonzales facility has a state-of-the-art sanitation and cleaning protocols, allowing for a high focus on food safety for cut fruit. Beyond face masks, hair nets and constant hand sanitation, the new facility has separate processing and raw material areas. Additionally, the facility also boasts a 260-foot-tall wind turbine to help Mann Packing continue its mission of sustainable processing. Wash water from the facility will also be reclaimed into industrial waste systems for use on local golf courses and city landscaping. 

    The MANN brand has been a symbol of produce innovation during the last 80 years. Now, as a part of Del Monte Fresh Produce N.A., Inc., Mann Packing Co., Inc. will continue to delight shoppers with wholesome, innovative and delicious products.

    For more information on Mann Packing, including where to find its products, visit veggiesmadeeasy.com. For recipes and more, visit the company’s social media channels including, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

     
    ABOUT MANN PACKING CO., INC.
    Founded in 1939 and headquartered in Gonzalez, CA, Mann Packing Co., Inc. is one of the largest suppliers of western vegetables, BROCCOLINI® baby broccoli and sugar snap peas in North America. In 2018, Mann Packing was acquired by Del Monte Fresh Produce N.A., Inc. Today, operating as the Fresh Del Monte vegetable division, Mann Packing continues to lead the way in product innovation. Mann Packing is consistently vigilant in food safety, employee wellness and quality assurance, making for one of the most trusted brands in the industry.
     
    ABOUT DEL MONTE FRESH PRODUCE N.A., INC.
    Del Monte Fresh Produce N.A., Inc. is one of North America’s leading marketers and distributors of high-quality fresh and fresh-cut fruit and vegetables.  Del Monte Fresh Produce N.A., Inc. markets its products in North America under the Del Monte® brand (as well as other brands) used under license from Del Monte Foods, Inc., a symbol of product innovation, quality, freshness and reliability for over 125 years. Del Monte Fresh N.A., Inc. is not affiliated with certain other Del Monte companies around the world, including Del Monte Foods, Inc., the U.S. subsidiary of Del Monte Pacific Limited, Del Monte Canada, or Del Monte Asia Pte. Ltd.

  • Will California Remain Leader in U.S. Ag Production?

    A new book shows how California has led the nation in farm sales since 1948 and explores future challenges

    “California Agriculture: Dimensions and Issues” by the Giannini Foundation of Agricultural Economics details the past, present and future of many of California’s major agricultural commodities, including grapes, tree fruits and nuts, vegetable crops, dairy, livestock, nursery and floral production, and cannabis. The new 18-chapter book, written by agricultural economists at UC Davis, UC Berkeley and UC Riverside, addresses issues such as labor, water, climate and trade that affect all of California agriculture.

    “California agriculture overcame many obstacles to become the nation’s number one farm state. Leading agricultural economists are generally optimistic that California agriculture will continue to thrive in the 21st century, despite continuing large challenges,” said Philip Martin, UC Davis emeritus professor of agricultural and resource economics, who is co-editor of the new publication.

    For over 70 years, California has led the nation in farm sales due to its specialization in high-value commodities such as fruits, nuts, vegetables and other horticultural crops. The book uses the most recent Census of Agriculture data to show that, of the $64 billion of these crops produced in the U.S. in 2017, California produced nearly half by value ($31 billion).

    In 1879, wheat and barley occupied over 75% of the state’s cropland. The types of crops grown in California have changed considerably over the years.

    More than 44 percent of California’s $50 billion in farm sales in 2017 were fruits and nuts, with 17 percent of sales from vegetables and melons, and 14 percent from nursery and other horticultural specialties crops. Many of these high-value specialty crops are also very labor-intensive and face challenges from increased cost and decreased availability of agricultural labor. The book discusses how California growers effectively responded to these labor challenges by adopting labor-saving mechanization. California remains competitive with producers elsewhere by relying on superior plant varieties, integrated pest management, and improved irrigation methods that increase both the quantity and quality of California agricultural commodities.

    Water, climate and trade pose challenges and opportunities for California agriculture. In the last decade, water scarcity and decreased water quality, along with regulations to address these issues like the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act, have prompted farmers to use scarce water to irrigate more valuable crops, as with the switch from cotton to almonds. Increased regulations and the increasing scarcity of water affect high-value specialty crops as well as the dairy and livestock industries that accounted for 24% of California farm sales in 2017.

    Climate variability, including drought and heat stress, affects farmworker welfare, crop yields and dairy productivity. Retaliatory tariffs resulting from the 2018 trade war reduced U.S. agricultural exports to China by close to $14.4 billion per year, as exports of dairy, livestock and specialty crops fell.

    California agriculture has a rich history of overcoming challenges by pursuing innovative research, adopting new technologies, and adapting to changing conditions. Learning how California agriculture has succeeded in the past suggests that the state can maintain its dominant role as an agricultural producer in the future.

    Learn more about several of the major California agricultural commodities and the issues and opportunities they face in this new, second edition of California Agriculture: Dimensions and Issues. Read the book for free online as part of the Giannini Foundation’s Information Series (20-01) at https://giannini.ucop.edu/publications/cal-ag-book/. A paperback copy of the 414-page book can be ordered for $55 at http://bit.ly/CalAgBook2ndEd. – By Ria DeBiase, Communications Director, Giannini Foundation of Agricultural Economics

    The Giannini Foundation was founded in 1930 from a grant made by the Bancitaly Corporation (later renamed Bank of America) to the University of California. Its mission is to promote and support research and outreach activities in agricultural economics and rural development to benefit the agricultural industry, policymakers, and society at large. Giannini members include University of California faculty and Cooperative Extension Specialists in agricultural and resource economics. Learn more about the Giannini Foundation of Agricultural Economics at https://giannini.ucop.edu.

  • Protein Discovery Could Help Enable Eco-Friendly Fungicides

    New research reveals an essential step in scientists’ quest to create targeted, more eco-friendly fungicides that protect food crops.

    Scientists have known for decades that biological cells manufacture tiny, round structures called extracellular vesicles. However, their pivotal roles in communication between invading microorganisms and their hosts were recognized only recently.

    UC Riverside geneticist Hailing Jin and her team found plants use these vesicles to launch RNA molecules at fungal invaders, suppressing the genes that make the fungi dangerous.  

    ​Infection of an Arabidopsis plant by the fungus that causes white mold disease. (Anna Schroll/Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology)

    “These vesicles shuttle small RNAs between cells, like tiny Trojan horses with weapons hidden inside,” said Jin, a professor of genetics and the Cy Mouradick Chair in the Department of Plant Pathology and Microbiology. “They can silence pathogenic fungal gene expression.”

    Using extracellular vesicles and small RNAs has several advantages over conventional fungicides. They’re more eco-friendly because they are similar to naturally occurring products. Eventually, they degrade and do not leave toxic residues in the soil. Also, Jin explained, this method of fighting fungi is less likely to breed drug-resistant pathogens.

    A sticking point for scientists in creating these fungicides has been figuring out how to load their desired small RNAs into the vesicles.

    “We’ve wondered how these weaponized small RNAs get into the bubbles,” Jin said. “Now, we think we have an answer.”

    Her laboratory has identified several proteins that serve as binding agents, helping to select and load small RNAs into the vesicles. The lab’s research is detailed in a new Nature Plants journal article.

    The Jin laboratory has been working for several years on the development of gene-silencing RNA fungicides. Work toward this goal led to the team’s landmark discovery in 2013 that gene-silencing RNA messages can be sent from the fungal pathogen to the plant host to suppress host immunity. Later, the team learned small RNAs can move both ways — from plants into pathogenic invader cells as well. In 2018, the team worked out that extracellular vesicles were the major delivery system for these small RNAs. They observed that Arabidopsis plants secrete extracellular vesicles into Botrytis cinerea, a fungus that causes grey mold disease and destroys millions of crops every year.

    “This was the first example of a host using these vesicles to deliver small RNAs to another organism,” Jin said. “Previously we saw movement of RNA, but didn’t know how the small RNA are selected and transported.”

    Now, she and her colleagues have identified several RNA-binding proteins in Arabidopsis that bind to specific small RNA molecules and load them into extracellular vesicles. This suggests the proteins play an important role in loading and stabilizing small RNAs in the vesicles. The finding can help increase the payload of gene-silencing RNAs that make it into vesicles and enhance the efficiency of disease control.

    Some scientists have taken inspiration from the RNA communication in plant vesicles to design human therapies. For example, some are attempting to load anti-cancer RNAs and drugs into extracellular vesicles in fruits or vegetables, so people can eat or drink them. Jin is hopeful that her lab’s discovery can aid these efforts. — By Jules Bernstein, UC Riverside

  • CA Citrus Mutual Joins Group to Speed CA’s Shift to Safer Pest Management

    Yesterday, the California Department of Pesticide Regulation and California Department of Food and Agriculture launched a broad new work group to accelerate the systemwide adoption of safer, sustainable pest control practices.

    The 25-member Sustainable Pest Management Work Group includes farmers, community members, university researchers and representatives from commodity groups and the pesticide industry. They are charged with identifying pathways to minimize the use of toxic pesticides and expand the use of integrated pest management practices; better protect public and environmental health; and engage, educate and promote collaboration to achieve these goals.

     “Transitioning away from toxic pesticides requires us to speed up the development of effective alternatives,” said CalEPA Secretary Jared Blumenfeld. “By giving our farmers a suite of integrated pest management tools, we can better protect farmworkers and some of California’s most vulnerable communities. This dynamic task force will give us the roadmap to achieve this bold vision.”

    “California agriculture is recognized not only for its quality and quantity, but also for the sustainable, innovative, forward-thinking way it is grown,” said CDFA Secretary Karen Ross. “Our farmers have been leaders in adopting integrated pest management and partnering with universities and technical assistance providers to meet our high standards for food, environmental and worker safety. This work group represents a broad array of perspectives to inform the next decade of research and development investment and new partnerships to continue the production of nutritious, delicious food and high quality agricultural products with the least impact to our surrounding communities.” 

    Funded in last year’s budget, the group’s work will build upon the recommendations of the Alternatives to Chlorpyrifos Work Group whose 2020 report identified alternatives to the hazardous insecticide and outlined actions to further support agriculture and the health of local communities, farmworkers and the environment. A new status update details additional actions DPR has taken based on the 2020 report, and how DPR and CDFA are working together to provide additional funding to the University of California and California State University to expand integrated pest management research and education. California prohibited virtually all uses of chlorpyrifos as of Dec. 31, 2020.

    The Sustainable Pest Management Work Group is part of the State’s larger commitment to accelerating the transition away from hazardous pesticides. To support the move, Governor Newsom is proposing to fund additional support for the transition by replacing the current flat-fee mill assessment on pesticide sales with a new risk-based tiered mill assessment, where higher toxicity pesticides are assessed a higher fee.

    The members of the Sustainable Pest Management Work Group include:

     

    1. Jenny Broome, Driscoll’s
    2. Don Cameron, Terranova Ranch
    3. Casey Creamer, California Citrus Mutual
    4. Jim Farrar, UC Integrated Pest Management (IPM)
    5. Chris Geiger, City of San Francisco
    6. Kim Harley, UC Berkeley
    7. Lisa Herbert, Sutter County Agricultural Commissioner
    8. Nina Ichikawa, Berkeley Food Institute
    9. Dan Kaiser, Environmental Defense Fund
    10. Susan Kegley, Pesticide Research Institute
    11. Margaret Lloyd, UC Extension – small farm advisor
    12. Suguet Lopez, Líderes Campesinas
    13. Gabriele Ludwig, Almond Board of California
    14. Pam Marrone, Chestnut Bio Advisors, Formerly Marrone Bio Innovations
    15. Nayamin Martinez, Central California Environmental Justice Network
    16. John McKeon, Taylor Farms
    17. Cliff Ohmart, Pest Control Advisor (PCA)
    18. Scott Park, Park Farms
    19. Margaret Reeves, Pesticide Action Network
    20. Taylor Roschen, California Farm Bureau
    21. Sarah Ryan, Environmental Director Big Valley Band of Pomo Indians
    22. Daniel Sonke, Campbell Soup Company
    23. Paul Walgenbach, Bayer
    24. Ron Whitehurst, Pest Control Advisor (PCA)
    25. Houston Wilson, UC Organic Agriculture Institute

  • Valencia Orange Production Forecast At 20 Million Cartons

    The March 2020-21 Valencia orange forecast is 20.0 million cartons. This forecast was based on the results of the 2020-21 Valencia Orange Objective Measurement (O.M.) Survey, which was conducted from January 11 to February 28, 2021. Estimated fruit set per tree, fruit diameter, trees per acre, bearing acreage, and oranges per carton were used in the statistical models estimating production.

    The season had experienced scattered precipitation in some areas but mainly warm and dry conditions in January and February. Survey data indicated an average fruit set per tree of 545, a 2.7% decrease from the previous year and slightly below the five-year average. The average March 1 diameter was 2.552 inches, up 3.3% from the previous year and slightly above the five-year average of 2.529.

    SURVEY HISTORY

    A Valencia Orange Objective Measurement Survey was conducted from the 1985-86 to 1993-94 seasons before suspension due to a lack of funding. The survey has been conducted since it was reinstated for the 1999-00 season, with the exception of the 2006-07 season due to a substantial freeze. The data from the first three years after the survey was reinstated were used for research purposes in developing crop- estimating models.

    SURVEY SAMPLE

    A sample of 379 Valencia orange groves were randomly selected proportional to acreage, county, and variety representation in the state, with 334 of these groves being utilized in this survey. Once a grove was randomly chosen and grower permission was granted, two trees were randomly selected for each grove. For each randomly selected tree, its 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 it. This randomly-selected branch, called the terminal branch, was then closely inspected to count all fruit connected to it, 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 it, 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 collected on the right quadrant of four trees surrounding the two trees of every third sampled grove. These measurements were used to estimate an average fruit diameter per tree. The sampled groves were primarily in the top Valencia orange producing counties of Tulare, Kern, Fresno, Ventura, and San Diego.

  • CA Prune Board Addresses Non-Tariff Barriers for Nuts & Dried Fruit

    As the world leader in prune exports, the California Prune Board is preemptively addressing issues that affect the trade of dried fruits and nuts with a three-year project focused on preserving the use of sulfuryl fluoride. With the support of the Foreign Agriculture Services arm of USDA, the California Prune Board (CPB) has secured funding to lead a Technical Assistance for Specialty Crops (TASC) program titled “Preserving sulfuryl fluoride for dried fruit exports to the European Union.”

    “This project hits on all the major non-tariff barriers,” says Gary Obenauf, CPB Production Research Coordinator and lead on the TASC project. “Exports of nuts and dried fruits require reliable measures that ensure consumers around the world are receiving a safe product and this project is paramount in gathering the information needed, enabling California Prunes and other commodities to retain and expand export markets.”

    While the project specifically investigates the voids in residue data associated with the use of sulfuryl fluoride for treating U.S. dried fruit and tree nuts, the research ultimately addresses the stringent criteria to limit emissions for continued and optimal sulfuryl fluoride use in all export markets for a variety of commodities. The study is being conducted by top experts in their fields from Stanford, Yale, USDA’s Agricultural Research Service (ARS), University of California, and DFA of California.

    “Global trade interest in eliminating greenhouse gas emissions is growing, and we’re getting asked about sulfuryl fluoride use in several markets,” stated Spencer Walse, a research chemist for ARS. “This project provides an opportunity to continue sulfuryl fluoride use globally and preserves the quality of products while maintaining food safety and security. If we don’t protect the use of sulfuryl fluoride, the ability to export to various countries, including the EU, diminishes.”

    With new use patterns that need to be reflected globally, efficacy data is generated for market access into new export opportunities. Many countries, including India and Australia, require residue data to accompany the efficacy data to ensure consumer safety.

    “We studied methyl bromide decades ago and found the use patterns didn’t apply, so we had to adapt for sulfuryl fluoride,” added Obenauf. “This project allows us to update regulatory use patterns which have evolved since we started this work.”

    Phytosanitary techniques are vital to the export industry. The benefits of updating regulatory information through this research and gaining data on sulfuryl fluoride scrubbing extend far past the dried fruit and nut industries and will allow continued use of the gas globally.

    California is the world’s largest producer of prunes providing approximately 40 percent of the world’s supply and over 90 percent of the U.S. supply. Today, there are more than 40,000 bearing acres of California Prune orchards concentrated in the Sacramento and San Joaquin Valleys.

  • New Study Indicates High Prune Diet Prevents Bone Loss After Traumatic Injury

    As part of the California Prune industry’s long-time commitment to world-class nutrition research, a new, peer-reviewed animal study shows a diet high in California Prunes completely prevents bone loss associated with spinal cord injury (SCI), while also restoring a fraction of the bone lost after SCI.

    Individuals who suffer spinal cord injury (SCI) are prone to extremely rapid bone loss. This leads to a significant increase in the risk of fractures, osteoporosis, and overall mortality. Results of this New animal study conducted by San Francisco Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of Orthopedic Surgery show California Prunes may be able to help.

    “Healthy bones come from the right exercise and diet,” says Leslie Bonci, registered dietitian and consultant for the California Prune Board. “California Prunes are particularly rich in bone-building minerals. Not only does the fruit provide boron and manganese, but also Vitamin K — another nutrient that is fundamental for bone mineralization.”

    The study finds Prunes, in their Dried Plum version, mitigates Spinal Cord Injury-induced Bone Loss in Mice, was published in the Journal of the Orthopedic Research Society. The research was led by Halloran and Xuhui Liu, M.D., San Francisco Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of Orthopedic Surgery, UCSF. In a serving of California Prunes, you can find potassium, Vitamin K, manganese, boron, and fiber.

    The researchers conducted two separate experiments. In a prevention experiment, they looked at dietary supplementation with dried plum for mitigating the loss of bone induced by SCI. Then, in a recovery experiment, they examined if a dried plum diet could restore bone lost after SCI.

    “We are seeing an exciting ‘prune effect’ on bones,” said Bernard Halloran, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus, University of California – San Francisco (UCSF). “In a variety of unique research scenarios, prunes are consistently associated with a favorable bone response.”

    The new study findings build on a growing body of research that shows a link between positive bone health response and California Prunes in post-menopausal women, along with research that shows a similar favorable bone response among those exposed to radiation – such as astronauts in space.

    Additional nutrition research studies are now underway adding to the investment in scientifically-sound evidence about the health benefits of prunes. The research pipeline includes the largest clinical trial ever undertaken by the California Prune industry that is looking at how California Prunes influence the microbiota and inflammation reduction, as well as a first-of-its-kind study that is evaluating the impact of California Prunes on the bone health of men. More studies are examining how California Prunes effect the fracture-healing process and the fruit’s impact on the bone health of younger women who are taking oral contraceptives.

    ABOUT THE CALIFORNIA PRUNE BOARD

    Created in 1952, The California Prune Board aims to amplify the premium positioning and top-of-mind awareness of California Prunes through advertising, public relations, promotion, nutrition research, crop management and sustainability research, and issues management. The California Prune Board represents approximately 800 prune growers and 28 prune, juice, and ingredient handlers under the authority of the California Secretary of Food and Agriculture.

  • How do Radishes Work as a Cover Crop?

    Farmers love tools. The prospect of a fully stocked tool shed ranges from badge of honor to true obsession.  Plants, too, can be used as tools. Integrating cover crops into a farmer’s toolbox can offer many benefits – and it’s a tool given to us by nature!

    Getting farmers to adopt cover crops as various tools can be hard. To do that, we need to better understand these different tools and their uses. Cover crops like clover add nitrogen to the soil, while reducing erosion and runoff. And, radishes, a tasty ingredient in salad, can be used to break up soil and other hard jobs.

    Breaking up soil with radishes

    Millennia ago, Greek philosophers presented the Doctrine of Signatures, stating that a plant’s appearance may resemble its practical use. For example, walnuts were linked to brain health and beans to kidneys. In thinking about the radish as a tool, the plant root could be similarly equated to the drill, a type of natural tilling.

    Thick radish roots are an ideal choice for natural drilling into the soil to reduce compaction. When the radish crops are terminated, the radish and roots leave large, open pores in the soil. This increases soil aeration and water infiltration. Along with this comes more earthworm and microbial activity. It’s clear that a tillage radish cover crop certainly lives up to that name. As it turns out, the simple radish can be quite the complex tool when properly utilized.

    Scavenging and cleanup

    There are many varieties of radish. From ‘Daikon’ to ‘Icicle’, knowing the specific cultivar is an important part of deciding if a radish belongs in your field or on your plate! When an agronomist recommends a radish variety for use as a cover crop, they have a job in mind to make use of these unique plant features.

    Farmers turn to “scavenging” to optimize chemical inputs and yield outputs by using cover crops. The cylindrical roots of the radish grow deep and capture soil nutrients that were intended for the preceding cash crop.

    Many varieties are uniquely suited for this task, having been bred specifically for deep taproots that extend several inches or even feet deeper than their thick quintessential core. By scavenging nutrients from soil layers that are the hardest for most crop roots to access, radishes can be used to target critical areas to keep nutrients from the groundwater table. Though picky eaters may leave behind a harvested radish on their plate, the radish itself helps ensure that as little as possible goes to waste in terms of subsoil nutrients.

    A Daikon radish cover crop emerges after being seeded into standing corn. Radishes help break up soil compaction and use up extra nutrients to reduce runoff. Credit: Ivan Dozier

    Biofumigation – natural chemical combatants

    In March 1990, Former President George HW Bush personified picky eaters everywhere when he issued the proclamation: “I’m not going to eat any more broccoli!” The president succeeded in banning the brassica from Air Force One and the White House.

    The same pungent flavor that the former President didn’t like is loved by many. And its special compounds called gluconsinolates that give them their flavor. These compounds contain sulfur (like some medicines) and can also act as natural pesticides in the soil, a method known as “biofumigation.” These compounds can be a powerful deterrent to insects and even some species of fungi.

    The choice depends on the job

    When choosing a radish and/or any other cover crop, the most important consideration is to select the right tool for the job! For example, planting a radish in a poorly drained clay soil can drastically restrict the root growth necessary for several of the benefits. Selecting the wrong cover crop is like trying to tighten a bolt with a hammer instead of a wrench, which may explain why some don’t see convincing results.

    When choosing a radish for cover cropping, agronomists recommend that farmers select the right tool (specie) for the right job. Shown, a selection of cover crop radishes with roots. Credit: T&T Seeds

    Successful cover croppers often strengthen their polyculture by adding the radish into a multi-species mix. For those looking for a natural multi-tool to alleviate compaction, scavenge subsoil nutrients, and ward away pests, I can assure you that radishes will not leave you with a bitter taste! — By Ivan A. Dozier, CCA, Product Manager for Agronomy & Analytics at IntelinAir (American Society of Agronomy and Crop Science Society of America)

  • New Cherry Ember Tomato Reveals Stripey Charm, Bright Flavor

    Cherry tomatoes are a staple in home gardens, farm fields and local food markets, but growing them can be a challenging undertaking. Now, a new variety from Cornell AgriTech provides improved yield and shelf-life while enhancing both visual and culinary appeal.

    A cross between heirloom tomato varieties, Cherry Ember was developed by Phillip Griffiths, associate professor of horticulture in the School of Integrative Plant Science, part of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. The new tomato is now on sale through Fruition Seeds, an organic seed company based in Naples, New York.

    Phillip Griffiths, associate professor of horticulture in the School of Integrative Plant Science

    “One of the problems with cherry tomatoes is that they tend to have thin skins, and so half of them crack on the plant, and the half that you pick crack after a few days,” Griffiths said. “Cherry Ember is a little firmer, with more of the post-harvest characteristics of a grape tomato.”

    Its thicker skin and meatier flesh helps keep the fruit from cracking both in the field and after being harvested — even during high rainfall seasons, which pose problems for thinner skins.

    “The increased shelf-stability is a very important attribute of this variety,” Griffiths said, “especially when combined with high yield, desirable aesthetics and a smaller, single-bite size.”

    When Petra Page-Mann saw Cherry Ember at one of Griffiths’ field trials in 2019, it stood out like a “luminescent gem.” As the co-owner of Fruition Seeds, she has seen increased grower interest in unique color and flavor combinations. With its metallic gold stripes, rich taste and ease to grow, Page-Mann was eager to add the new variety to their sales portfolio, but it still needed a name.

    Last fall, she launched a naming contest on Fruition Seeds’ Instagram account with Griffiths’ support. They sorted through more than a thousand suggestions before holding the final runoff vote, where Cherry Ember emerged as a clear winner.

    Cherry Ember tomatoes dazzle growers with their metallic gold stripes and thick, crack-resistant skin. Photo by Fruition Seeds/Provided.

    “It’s a great introduction to life beyond the red tomato,” Page-Mann said. “It’s like a classic red tomato in terms of flavor, but there are brighter notes, especially if you let it sit on the vine. Then you get bright fruit flavors.”

    Cherry Ember also gives growers something to look forward to as early as mid-July since it ripens just 65 days after being planted and continues to grow until the first frost.

    “We love Griff’s creativity with visuals and flavors, as well as his focus on regional adaptation,” Page-Mann said. “We’ve trialed dozens of his tomatoes over the past few years, and they are a dream to grow and sell in New York.” — By Erin Rodger, Senior Manager of Marketing & Communications, Cornell AgriTech