California Fruit and Vegetable

Category: Featured Post

  • New Traps Cut Off Citrus Greening Pests from Hiding Places

    Researchers across the nation are struggling to end the scourge of citrus greening disease, also known as huanglongbing. The disease renders citrus fruit inedible and eventually kills entire orchards. In Florida alone, from 2012-2016 the disease caused production losses of $4.4 billion and eliminated about 7,900 jobs.

    With economic impact like that, it’s no wonder that previous citrus greening research and mitigation efforts have mainly focused on commercial production. Now, researchers with the Agricultural Research Service’s (ARS) Horticultural Research Laboratory in Fort Pierce, FL, and their collaborators are bringing the citrus greening fight to the suburbs, where citrus trees are popular landscape plantings.

    The Asian citrus psyllid, an insect about the size of an aphid (roughly 1/8 of an inch), carries the bacterium Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus in its salivary glands. As it feeds on citrus leaves, the psyllid transmits the bacterium to the tree. The bacterium then prevents sugars created through photosynthesis from traveling throughout the tree. The result is yellowed leaves, bitter fruit, and eventual tree death.

    Spraying insecticides is not really an option in residential areas because many homeowners either have concerns about insecticides or find it too difficult to adequately treat backyard trees, said ARS research entomologist Joseph Patt.

    “There are virtually no control measures being taken against psyllids in citrus trees growing in residential and commercial landscapes,” he said. “This is important because the psyllid can fly from residential areas to commercial citrus groves. In other words, residential areas provide a kind of refuge for the psyllids because homeowners haven’t had a way to control them in their backyard trees.”

    Leaves of an orange tree infected with Huanglongbing, or citrus greening. The blotchy mottling pattern seen here, along with thickening, are characteristic symptoms of infected leaves.

    Patt and Texas A&M-Kingsville entomologists Andrew Chow and Mamoudou Setamou developed “attract-and-kill” traps to prevent this hide-and-seek, back-and-forth migration of psyllids. The traps, which are hung from citrus trees, are the same color as young citrus foliage and contain a fast-acting insecticide that kills the psyllid. According to Patt, the traps provide an environmentally friendly way for homeowners to help control Asian citrus psyllid and citrus greening disease. The insecticide remains in the device and does not spread to the surrounding foliage. The active ingredient is not toxic to mammals or birds and does not persist in the environment.

    Initial testing was completed last year in the Rio Grande region of Texas. “The results are promising,” Patt said. “Deployment of 20 attract-and-kill devices per test tree resulted in a 90-percent decrease in psyllid eggs compared to unprotected test trees. We are currently working on a design for use in commercial citrus. Psyllids invade citrus groves by first landing in the trees growing along the edge of the grove, so we will run tests to determine if devices placed only on border trees are effective in controlling the psyllid throughout the grove.” – by Scott Elliott, USDA-ARS Office of Communications

  • UC Riverside Discovers First Effective Treatment for Citrus-Destroying Disease

    UC Riverside scientists have found the first substance capable of controlling Citrus Greening Disease, which has devastated citrus farms in Florida and also threatens California.

    The new treatment effectively kills the bacterium causing the disease with a naturally occurring molecule found in wild citrus relatives. This molecule, an antimicrobial peptide, offers numerous advantages over the antibiotics currently used to treat the disease.

    Orange afflicted with Citrus Greening Disease. (UCR)

    UCR geneticist Hailing Jin, who discovered the cure after a five-year search, explained that unlike antibiotic sprays, the peptide is stable even when used outdoors in high heat, easy to manufacture, and safe for humans. 

    “This peptide is found in the fruit of greening-tolerant Australian finger limes, which has been consumed for hundreds of years,” Jin said. “It is much safer to use this natural plant product on agricultural crops than other synthetic chemicals.”

    Currently, some growers in Florida are spraying antibiotics and pesticides in an attempt to save trees from the CLas bacterium that causes citrus greening, also known as Huanglongbing or HLB. 

    “Most antibiotics are temperature sensitive, so their effects are largely reduced when applied in the hot weather,” Jin said. “By contrast, this peptide is stable even when used in 130-degree heat.”

    Jin found the peptide by examining plants such as the Australian finger lime known to possess natural tolerance for the bacteria that causes Citrus Greening Disease, and she isolated the genes that contribute to this innate immunity. One of these genes produces the peptide, which she then tested over the course of two years. Improvement was soon visible. 

    “You can see the bacteria drastically reduced, and the leaves appear healthy again only a few months after treatment,” Jin said.

    Because the peptide only needs to be reapplied a few times per year, it is highly cost effective for growers. This peptide can also be developed into a vaccine-like solution to protect young healthy plants from infection, as it is able to induce the plant’s innate immunity to the bacteria.

    Jin’s peptide can be applied by injection or foliage spray, and it moves systemically through plants and remains stable, which makes the effect of the treatment stronger.

    The treatment will be further enhanced with proprietary injection technology made by Invaio Sciences. UC Riverside has entered into an exclusive, worldwide license agreement with Invaio, ensuring this new treatment goes exactly where it’s needed in plants. 

    “Invaio is enthusiastic to partner with UC Riverside and advance this innovative technology for combating the disease known as Citrus Greening or Huanglongbing,” said Invaio Chief Science Officer Gerardo Ramos. “The prospect of addressing this previously incurable and devastating crop disease, helping agricultural communities and improving the environmental impact of production is exciting and rewarding,” he said. “This is crop protection in harmony with nature.”

    Hailing Jin, Geneticist, UC Riverside

    The need for an HLB cure is a global problem, but hits especially close to home as California produces 80 percent of all the fresh citrus in the United States, said Brian Suh, director of technology commercialization in UCR’s Office of Technology Partnerships, which helps bring university technology to market for the benefit of society through licenses, partnerships, and startup companies. 

    “This license to Invaio opens up the opportunity for a product to get to market faster,” Suh said. “Cutting edge research from UCR, like the peptide identified by Dr. Jin, has a tremendous amount of commercial potential and can transform the trajectory of real-world problems with these innovative solutions.”

    While the long-term effectiveness of this research has not yet been confirmed or published in a scientific journal and the project is still in its early stages, Dr. Jin’s promising findings have resulted in a commercial licensing agreement between UCR and Invaio Sciences. It is not uncommon for researchers to team with commercial licensing partners during the early phases of their studies. In this case, more work still needs to be done to confirm the robustness and viability of this treatment. Additional greenhouse trials are being initiated by Dr. Jin and her team at the citrus-specific Bio-Safety Level-3 Laboratory in Riverside, California. It also is expected that field trials will be conducted to show the effectiveness of the treatment under commercial grove conditions. — By Jules Bernstein, UC Riverside

    Regarding the announcement, Marcy Martin from the California Citrus Research Board shared, “While the release was understandably enthusiastic about potentially promising research and we are heartened by the commercial interest in this peptide, we are looking forward to reviewing complete studies on the effectiveness of this therapy in greenhouse and field studies.

    Importantly, this is not the time to let down our guard.  It continues to be critical for all citrus growers in the state to remain extremely vigilant in protecting their groves against the Asian citrus psyllid and HLB. The psyllid arrived from Mexico in 2008 and is now firmly established in southern California. The first HLB-positive tree was found in residential Los Angeles County in 2012. As of July 3, 2020, 1,926 HLB-affected trees have been identified and removed to slow the spread of the disease in residential areas of Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino counties. Unlike Florida, where HLB has decimated commercial citrus groves, California growers invested in research early through the CRB and have been diligent in applying best-management practices; therefore, the disease has not yet been detected in any commercial groves. The CRB will continue to focus intensive efforts on a variety of promising research to find a solution to HLB.

    Moving forward, we at the CRB are proud to work on behalf of the 3,300-plus California citrus growers to invest in key studies to find a solution to HLB. Citrus growers always have been resilient and resourceful. Together, we will look toward the horizon for a solution to HLB.

    Marcy Martin, President, California Citrus Research Board

    In the meantime, we continue to monitor and review progress in potential therapies, new HLB-resistant varieties, better psyllid control strategies and more. We are enthusiastic about the commercial interest in HLB therapies and look forward to being able to share a range of potential approaches for California citrus growers as research progresses and matures. If you have any questions or would like additional information about the status of this research, please contact CRB President Marcy Martin at 559.708.3791 or marcy@citrusresearch.org.”

  • Blackberries Added to Coronavirus Food Assistance Program

    Today, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced an initial list of additional commodities that have been added to the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP), and that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) made other adjustments to the program based on comments received from agricultural producers and organizations and review of market data. Producers will be able to submit applications that include these commodities on Monday, July 13, 2020.  USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) is accepting through Aug. 28, 2020, applications for CFAP, which helps offset price declines and additional marketing costs because of the coronavirus pandemic. USDA expects additional eligible commodities to be announced in the coming weeks.

    “During this time of national crisis, President Trump and USDA have stood with our farmers, ranchers, and all citizens to make sure they are taken care of,” said Secretary Perdue. “When we announced this program earlier this year, we asked for public input and received a good response. After reviewing the comments received and analyzing our USDA Market News data, we are adding new commodities, as well as making updates to the program for existing eligible commodities. This is an example of government working for the people – we asked for input and we updated the program based on the comments we received.”

    USDA collected comments and supporting data for consideration of additional commodities through June 22, 2020.

    Changes to CFAP include:

    • Adding the following commodities: alfalfa sprouts, anise, arugula, basil, bean sprouts, beets, blackberries, Brussels sprouts, celeriac (celery root), chives, cilantro, coconuts, collard greens, dandelion greens, greens (others not listed separately), guava, kale greens, lettuce – including Boston, green leaf, Lolla Rossa, oak leaf green, oak leaf red and red leaf – marjoram, mint, mustard, okra, oregano, parsnips, passion fruit, peas (green), pineapple, pistachios, radicchio, rosemary, sage, savory, sorrel, fresh sugarcane, Swiss chard, thyme and turnip top greens.
    • Expanding for seven currently eligible commodities – apples, blueberries, garlic, potatoes, raspberries, tangerines and taro – CARES Act funding for sales losses because USDA found these commodities had a 5 percent or greater price decline between mid-January and mid-April as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Originally, these commodities were only eligible for marketing adjustments.
    • Determining that peaches and rhubarb no longer qualify for payment under the CARES Act sales loss category.
    • Correcting payment rates for apples, artichokes, asparagus, blueberries, cantaloupes, cucumbers, garlic, kiwifruit, mushrooms, papaya, peaches, potatoes, raspberries, rhubarb, tangerines and taro.

    Additional details can be found in the Federal Register in the Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) and Final Rule Correction and at www.farmers.gov/cfap.

    Producers have several options for applying to the CFAP program:

    • Using an online portal, accessible at farmers.gov/cfap, allows producers with secure USDA login credentials—known as eAuthentication—to certify eligible commodities online, digitally sign applications and submit directly to the local USDA Service Center.  New commodities will be available in the system on July 13, 2020.
    • Completing the application form using our CFAP Application Generator and Payment Calculator found at farmers.gov/cfap. This Excel workbook allows customers to input information specific to their operation to determine estimated payments and populate the application form, which can be printed, then signed and submitted to their local USDA Service Center.  An updated version with the new commodities will be available on the website on July 13, 2020.
    • Downloading the AD-3114 application form from farmers.gov/cfap and manually completing the form to submit to the local USDA Service Center by mail, electronically or by hand delivery to an office drop box. In some limited cases, the office may be open for in-person business by appointment. Visit farmers.gov/coronavirus/service-center-status to check the status of your local office.

    USDA Service Centers can also work with producers to complete and securely transmit digitally signed applications through two commercially available tools: Box and OneSpan. Producers who are interested in digitally signing their applications should notify their local service centers when calling to discuss the CFAP application process. You can learn more about these solutions at farmers.gov/mydocs.

    Getting Help from FSA

    New customers seeking one-on-one support with the CFAP application process can call 877-508-8364 to speak directly with a USDA employee ready to offer general assistance. This is a recommended first step before a producer engages the team at the FSA county office at their local USDA Service Center.

    All other eligibility forms, such as those related to adjusted gross income and payment information, can be downloaded from farmers.gov/cfap. For existing FSA customers, these documents are likely already on file.

    All USDA Service Centers are open for business, including some that are open to visitors to conduct business in person by appointment only. All Service Center visitors wishing to conduct business with FSA, Natural Resources Conservation Service or any other Service Center agency should call ahead and schedule an appointment. Service Centers that are open for appointments will pre-screen visitors based on health concerns or recent travel, and visitors must adhere to social distancing guidelines. Visitors may also be required to wear a face covering during their appointment. Field work will continue with appropriate social distancing. Our program delivery staff will be in the office, and they will be working with our producers in office, by phone and using online tools. More information can be found at farmers.gov/coronavirus.  

  • Additional Commodities Eligible for Coronavirus Food Assistance Program

    Today, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced an initial list of additional commodities that have been added to the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP), and that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) made other adjustments to the program based on comments received from agricultural producers and organizations and review of market data. Producers will be able to submit applications that include these commodities on Monday, July 13, 2020.  USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) is accepting through Aug. 28, 2020, applications for CFAP, which helps offset price declines and additional marketing costs because of the coronavirus pandemic. USDA expects additional eligible commodities to be announced in the coming weeks.

    “During this time of national crisis, President Trump and USDA have stood with our farmers, ranchers, and all citizens to make sure they are taken care of,” said Secretary Perdue. “When we announced this program earlier this year, we asked for public input and received a good response. After reviewing the comments received and analyzing our USDA Market News data, we are adding new commodities, as well as making updates to the program for existing eligible commodities. This is an example of government working for the people – we asked for input and we updated the program based on the comments we received.”

    USDA collected comments and supporting data for consideration of additional commodities through June 22, 2020.

    Changes to CFAP include:

    • Adding the following commodities: alfalfa sprouts, anise, arugula, basil, bean sprouts, beets, blackberries, Brussels sprouts, celeriac (celery root), chives, cilantro, coconuts, collard greens, dandelion greens, greens (others not listed separately), guava, kale greens, lettuce – including Boston, green leaf, Lolla Rossa, oak leaf green, oak leaf red and red leaf – marjoram, mint, mustard, okra, oregano, parsnips, passion fruit, peas (green), pineapple, pistachios, radicchio, rosemary, sage, savory, sorrel, fresh sugarcane, Swiss chard, thyme and turnip top greens.
    • Expanding for seven currently eligible commodities – apples, blueberries, garlic, potatoes, raspberries, tangerines and taro – CARES Act funding for sales losses because USDA found these commodities had a 5 percent or greater price decline between mid-January and mid-April as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Originally, these commodities were only eligible for marketing adjustments.
    • Determining that peaches and rhubarb no longer qualify for payment under the CARES Act sales loss category.
    • Correcting payment rates for apples, artichokes, asparagus, blueberries, cantaloupes, cucumbers, garlic, kiwifruit, mushrooms, papaya, peaches, potatoes, raspberries, rhubarb, tangerines and taro.

    Additional details can be found in the Federal Register in the Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) and Final Rule Correction and at www.farmers.gov/cfap.

    Producers have several options for applying to the CFAP program:

    • Using an online portal, accessible at farmers.gov/cfap, allows producers with secure USDA login credentials—known as eAuthentication—to certify eligible commodities online, digitally sign applications and submit directly to the local USDA Service Center.  New commodities will be available in the system on July 13, 2020.
    • Completing the application form using our CFAP Application Generator and Payment Calculator found at farmers.gov/cfap. This Excel workbook allows customers to input information specific to their operation to determine estimated payments and populate the application form, which can be printed, then signed and submitted to their local USDA Service Center.  An updated version with the new commodities will be available on the website on July 13, 2020.
    • Downloading the AD-3114 application form from farmers.gov/cfap and manually completing the form to submit to the local USDA Service Center by mail, electronically or by hand delivery to an office drop box. In some limited cases, the office may be open for in-person business by appointment. Visit farmers.gov/coronavirus/service-center-status to check the status of your local office.

    USDA Service Centers can also work with producers to complete and securely transmit digitally signed applications through two commercially available tools: Box and OneSpan. Producers who are interested in digitally signing their applications should notify their local service centers when calling to discuss the CFAP application process. You can learn more about these solutions at farmers.gov/mydocs.

    Getting Help from FSA

    New customers seeking one-on-one support with the CFAP application process can call 877-508-8364 to speak directly with a USDA employee ready to offer general assistance. This is a recommended first step before a producer engages the team at the FSA county office at their local USDA Service Center.

    All other eligibility forms, such as those related to adjusted gross income and payment information, can be downloaded from farmers.gov/cfap. For existing FSA customers, these documents are likely already on file.

    All USDA Service Centers are open for business, including some that are open to visitors to conduct business in person by appointment only. All Service Center visitors wishing to conduct business with FSA, Natural Resources Conservation Service or any other Service Center agency should call ahead and schedule an appointment. Service Centers that are open for appointments will pre-screen visitors based on health concerns or recent travel, and visitors must adhere to social distancing guidelines. Visitors may also be required to wear a face covering during their appointment. Field work will continue with appropriate social distancing. Our program delivery staff will be in the office, and they will be working with our producers in office, by phone and using online tools. More information can be found at farmers.gov/coronavirus.  

  • NMSU Researchers Examine Robotic Harvesting, Data Gathering in Chile Pepper Fields

    Increasingly scarce irrigation resources and labor availability are key components impacting the sustainability of the New Mexico chile pepper industry.
     
    New Mexico State University’s Center of Excellence in Sustainable Food and Agricultural Systems is providing a grant for the first year of research in the use of mobile robotics to address both of these issues.

    “The purpose of the seed grant is to foster multi-departmental and inter-college collaborations and to enhance interdisciplinary research efforts in areas relevant to sustainable food and agricultural systems,” said Natalie Goldberg, director of the center. “This proposed research is a good example.”

    The College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences and the College of Engineering are joining forces to determine if green chile peppers can be harvested using a mobile robotic manipulator to replicate hand harvesting. The researchers will also use robotics to evaluate drought stress on the chile plant.

    Mechanized Harvest
    “This is exciting research,” said Stephanie Walker, NMSU vegetable specialist. “Robotic harvest could address both harvesting and pedicel removal, commonly known as destemming, at the same time.”

    Over the last 12 years, a breeding line has been developed by Walker for mechanization efficiency. The new breeding lines incorporate traits including reduced force needed to remove the pods from plants, and more complete pedicel removal from the fruit.

    “Despite these genetic advances, when these lines are harvested with a double-helix picking machine, the vast majority of marketable fruit harvested keep their stem intact,” Walker said. “Over the years we have not been able to resolve the destemming issue.”

    Hand harvest is still the best for removing the entire pedicel including the full stem and calyx from the chile pod while picking it from the plant.

    “The use of a robotic system, with controlled motion and force to replicate hand harvesting, could be a potential solution to propel mechanization of New Mexico-type green chile,” said Mahdi Haghshenas-Jaryani, assistant professor in mechanical and aerospace engineering, who has worked in robotics for many years but never in the agricultural setting.

    Haghshenas-Jaryani will be dealing with several issues while programing the mobile robot and the attached robotic arm, including mobility in a field environment, identification of the ripe chile pod and the amount of force required to pick the fruit without damaging it.

    “Robotics is being used to pick other types of produce, but usually in a greenhouse setting, not in a field,” he said. “Secondly, in other applications the fruit is of a different color than the plant, not so with green chile peppers. Third, we do not have quantitated data regarding the force required to pick the chile pepper.”

    Drought Stress on Plants
    Many chile farmers rely on past field history to determine when to water their fields. Instrumentation to gauge plant stress is seldom utilized. 

    “Advanced technologies that have benefited other crops have not yet been explored for chile pepper production,” said Manoj Shukla, professor in plant and environmental science. “This project seeks to embrace one of these technologies – sensor-equipped mobile robots – to provide real time data on actual plant and soil status in the fields.”

    The study will investigate water use efficiency of the chile plants being watered with a gravity micro irrigation system The information will allow for informed decisions regarding timing and quantity of irrigation watering.

    “Data-driven field management decisions will allow for increased water use efficiency and irrigated water saving; more efficient, higher yielding plants; and allow producers in the state to better respond to erratic climatic conditions experienced more frequently due to climate change pressures,” Shukla said.

    To investigate the impact of drought stress on chile plants, the mobile robot can be equipped with sensors to determine the soil moisture, the air temperature under the plant’s canopy and between the rows, and wind velocity. There will also be a camera to visually record the condition of the plant.

    “This labor-intensive task of vast data collection on farm can be efficiently carried out using ground robots,” Shukla said. “Robotic systems have been steadily integrated in the agriculture and farming systems to address challenges and problems, such as water scarcity, soil salinization and increasing need to monitor crop health for yield production. This is the first time this technology is being investigated for New Mexico-type green chile production.” – By Jane Moorman, New Mexico State University
    New Mexico State University’s College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences and College of Engineering are teaming up to research using robotics in green chile pepper fields to gather data regarding drought stress on plants and to harvest chile peppers. Pictured are, from left, Mahdi Haghshenas-Jaryani, assistant professor of mechanical engineering; Stephanie Walker, associate professor and Extension vegetable specialist; and Manoj Shukla, professor of plant and environmental sciences. (NMSU photo by Josh Bachman)

  • CA Prune Board Authorized to Continue for Another Five Years

    Following a successful public hearing, the California Prune Board (CPB) has been authorized by the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) to continue for another five years through July 31, 2025 – without the need for an industry referendum. At the hearing, prune growers and processors voiced unanimous support for the CPB, along with sharing numerous examples of the board’s favorable results on behalf of the California Prune industry.

    “The CPB continuation is a major win for California Prune growers, processors and handlers,” said Joe Turkovich, California Prune grower and Chairman of the California Prune Board. “The board’s work is vitally important to the success of the prune industry. It has carefully considered strategic priorities that will continue building industry momentum for the next five years and beyond.”

    California Prune Board: Delivering Leadership and Value
    The hearing comes amid industry headwinds facing California agriculture in general, such as rising labor costs and increasing regulations. Additionally, the California Prune industry has specific challenges including a global market driven by low prices and smaller, inferior quality imported fruit.

    “We have navigated through many challenges and are currently addressing others – such as tariffs that create major impediments to growing markets – all while knowing there are many challenges around the corner. Yet, we believe in the values the industry has together set forth,” said Donn Zea, Executive Director of the California Prune Board. “Our board and committee members are dedicated to the industry’s success and bring integrity and unique perspective to each discussion. The CPB team around the world is both humbled and proud to join them for the hard work that lies ahead.”

    Together, we have achieved much as a board and as an industry, added Zea, citing examples such as:

    • Securing more than $50 million in United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)/Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) purchases of California Prunes during a three-year timeframe (2017 – 2019) for school nutrition programs and food banks
    • Dedicating more than $1.25 million during the past three years to nutrition research to scientifically validate the remarkable health benefits of California Prunes for gut and bone health, as well as
      overall wellness
    • Investing more than $1.3 million during the past three years to crop production research, including important findings and advancements related to mechanical pruning, rootstock anchorage, new varietal development, and pest and disease control
    • Securing $11.4 million in federal grant funding for export programs, while partnering with the Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) each year to defend, grow and develop international markets
    • Being recognized by FAS as “highly effective” in CPB proposal quality, strategic execution, and financial and regulatory compliance
    • Developing an extensively researched, thoroughly vetted new California Prunes brand to unite the global industry under a cohesive banner to communicate the one-of-a-kind premium nature of California Prunes

    California Prune Board: Building on the Momentum, Advancing Priorities
    With input from numerous industry members and under the leadership of the CPB executive committee, the board has outlined key priority areas to rally the industry’s efforts. Focus areas include:

    • Nutrition research
    • Trade policy and market support
    • Industry unification
    • Production research
    • Global visibility expansion for California Prunes

    “We have listened intently to California Prune growers and handlers to identify these priority areas that will inform our focus, guide our decisions, and ultimately, make a positive and sustained difference for the global California Prune industry,” said Zea.

    California is the world’s largest producer of prunes providing about 40 percent of the world’s supply and more than 90% 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.

    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.

  • US Sweet Cherry Production Down 6 Percent (California Increases)

    United States sweet cherry total production for 2020 is forecast at 334,000 tons, down 6 percent from 2019. In California, growers reported sufficient chill, despite an unusually warm winter. Cool weather in March extended the fruit growing season, which led to increased expected yields compared with the previous season. In Oregon and Washington, severe cold snaps in February and mid-March had varying impacts across the region. The later blooming varieties were well behind the rest of the crop, leading to lower expected yields, especially in Washington. 

    Tart Cherry Production Down 25 Percent

    United States tart cherry total production for 2020 is forecast at 197 million pounds, down 25 percent from the 2019 production. In Michigan, the largest tart cherry producing State, an early-May frost damaged the crop throughout the State and most significantly in southwestern Michigan. In Wisconsin, growers reported some crop damage due to heavy winds and frost during blossom. In Washington, growers expressed some concern due to freezing temperatures. 

  • COMMISSION PROMOTES JUNE CALIFORNIA AVOCADO MONTH

    Summer 2020 marks the ninth year the California Avocado Commission (CAC) has celebrated California Avocado Month, showcasing the availability and versatility of the premium fruit during peak harvest in June. This year, with extended safer-at-home orders in states with the majority of California avocado distribution, the Commission placed renewed emphasis on recipes consumers can prepare at home. “Consumers are continuing to do more cooking at home and they are seeking recipes both for simple comfort foods and for ideas that break the boredom,” noted Jan DeLyser, CAC’s vice president marketing. “During California Avocado Month CAC is promoting recipes on both ends of the spectrum.”

    The Commission partnered with Chef Jordan Kahn of Vespertine in Culver City (who was named “best new chef” in 2017 by Food & Wine Magazine) to create a variety of California avocado-centric recipe concepts. When the in-person California Avocado Month media preview event was cancelled in May, the Commission quickly pivoted and delivered Chef Kahn’s culinary creations and branded California avocado items to the homes of key Los Angeles media and influencers. These personalized deliveries were designed to generate excitement for peak California avocado season and inspire the influencers to share their love for their home-state fruit on their social channels.

    To meet consumers’ penchant for healthy and creative California avocado recipes they can easily prepare at home, the Commission partnered with four award-winning chefs who developed recipes they felt would become the next hottest trend in avocados — in other words, the “next avocado toast.”

    The Commission also partnered with 11 influential California Avocado Blogger Advocates. Throughout the month of June these advocates are publishing unique recipes, blogs posts and photography on their social channels while highlighting techniques that will help consumers prepare fresh California avocado snacks and meals at home.

    CAC’s “Living Well” Brand Advocates will showcase the nutritious benefits of the fruit with recipes consumers can enjoy throughout the day. Registered dietitian nutritionist (RDN) Elizabeth Shaw is sharing California avocado recipes suited for any summer occasion — from backyard picnics to holiday celebrations — on her blog, social channels and ABC’s San Diego Connect. Culinary influencer Patty Mastracco will be a guest on Sacramento’s KTXL FOX40. During the two-part live television segment she will feature grilled California avocados as a great addition to classic summer recipes for the American summer holidays and beyond. RDN Manuel Villacorta crafted a recipe focused on a top health issue facing men today: hearth health. His California Avocado Steak Sandwich Recipe provides consumers with a grilled summer alternative that can be served as a sandwich or salad.

    Rounding out the California Avocado Month promotions are “The best avocados have California in them” advertising campaign, consumer emails, California Avocado Month posts on the Commission’s social media platforms and promotional videos. These assets will appear on streaming video, digital and social channels to reach consumers who continue to shelter at home and encourage them to seek out their favorite fruit during the peak of California avocado season.

  • NMSU Extension Offers Online Produce Safety Training June 29-30

    Harvesting of vegetables and fruits is beginning. Soon fresh produce will be available at growers’ markets.
     
    In preparation for providing for this season’s harvest and sales, a food safety practices course is available to growers to meet the regulatory requirements included in the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Food Safety Modernization Act Produce Safety Rule.

    New Mexico State University’s Cooperative Extension Service, the Southwest Border Food Protection and Emergency Preparedness Center, and the New Mexico Department of Agriculture are offering the training online from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Monday, June 29, and Tuesday, June 30. 

    “We are excited to offer New Mexico’s third remote delivery of the Produce Safety Alliance’s growers training,” said Bob Silver with the Southwest Border Food Protection and Emergency Preparedness Center. “This training is intended for New Mexico fruit and vegetable producers and importers who grow, harvest, pack or hold produce and fruit that is usually consumed raw, and who sell more than $25,000 per year.” 

    The Produce Safety Rule requires at least one supervisor or person responsible for the farm to have successfully completed food safety training in accordance with the annual monetary value of produce the farm sold during the previous three years.

    Participants who complete the course receive a certificate from the Association of Food and Drug Officials that verifies they have completed the training. The certificate is also useful for meeting buyer requirements for food safety.

    “Attendance at the training the whole eight hours is mandatory and if someone does not attend all the sessions, they will not be given a certificate or refund,” Silver said.

    NMDA is covering the cost of the manual that will be mailed directly to the participant prior to the video training. The manual is a useful reference for farm safety practices and to develop a farm safety plan.

    Registration closes at noon on June 22 to allow for postal delivery of the manuals. The link and password for the webinar will be provided upon registration. Registration fee for New Mexico residents is $45 and $90 for out of state growers. To register, visit https://aces.nmsu.edu/preparedness/psa-training.html.

    “Participants will need internet access, webcam and microphone for the session,” Silver said. 

    For details on the Zoom requirements and instructions, visit https://producesafetyalliance.cornell.edu/training/zoom/.

  • NMSU, Xerces Society Present Supporting Pollinators, Beneficial Insect Webinars

    Bees are busy pollinators. New Mexico State University and the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation are presenting a six-part weekly webinar series, “Supporting Pollinators and Beneficial Insects in Backyards and on Farms,” beginning June 23. (NMSU photo by Jane Moorman)

    New Mexico State University has partnered with the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation to host a free virtual course series to inform farmers, educators and the general public about pollinator and beneficial insect conservation in gardens and farms in northern New Mexico.

    “The six-part weekly series, “Supporting Pollinators and Beneficial Insects in Backyards and on Farms,” will consist of one to one-and-a-half hour live virtual presentations via Zoom,” said Amanda Skidmore, NMSU College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences integrated pest management small farm specialist. 

    The webinars will be at 3 p.m. Tuesdays, June 23 through July 28. Participants are welcome to attend any and all of the six sessions.

    Registration is required for attendance of each live presentation. Live captioning will be provided.

    All sessions will be uploaded to the NMSU ACES YouTube channel at a later date with no viewing restrictions.

    “The series will cover a range of topics on pollinators and beneficial insects in northern New Mexico,” Skidmore said. “From getting to know the bees and other helpful bugs in backyards and farms, to designing and planting healthy habitat to support those insects and protecting pollinators from pesticides.” 

    The topics and dates of each session, with links to individual registration pages, are as follows: 

    • June 23: “Pollinators of Northern New Mexico: How to Identify and Conserve the Bees in Your Backyard”

    • June 30: “Helpful Bugs of Northern New Mexico: How to Identify and Conserve Beneficial Insects for Pest Control” 

    • July 7: “Conserving Bees in Your Backyard: How to Create Habitat for New Mexico Pollinators in Small Spaces” 

    • July 14: “Attracting and Supporting Crop Pollinators on New Mexico Farms” 

    • July 21: “Integrating Pollinators and Pest Management in New Mexico Gardens and Farms”

    • July 28: “Ask Me Anything: New Mexico Pollinator and Beneficial Insect Expert Roundtable” 

    For more details and to register, visit the series website at http://nmsu.life/8m.  

    Contact Rachel Dunham at rachel.dunham@xerces.org with any registration questions. To submit questions about pollinators and beneficial insects for the “Ask Me Anything,” email nmsuipm@nmsu.edu. — By Jane Moorman, New Mexico State University (505-249-0527)