California Fruit and Vegetable

Tag: California Fresh Fruit Magazine

  • Orange Peels Better Heart Health

    You’ve heard an apple a day keeps the doctor away. Now orange peels may improve your heart health.

    Yu Wang, an assistant professor of food science and human nutrition at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, has been awarded a $500,000 grant from the U.S. Agriculture and Food Research Initiative, part of the USDA. With the award, Wang plans to lead a research team to ensure extracts from orange peels improve the gut’s ability to stave off fatty linings in your arteries.

    Recent research has shown that gut bacteria help develop cardiovascular disease. When they feed on certain nutrients during digestion, gut bacteria produce trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO) as a byproduct. TMAO levels are powerful predictors of future cardiovascular disease, according to researchers at the Cleveland Clinic.

    Wang and her colleagues want to work on that gut bacteria. They will study how orange peels promote gut health and, therefore, overall human health.

    Americans generate about 5 million tons of orange peels a year, Wang said. Right now, the peels are mostly treated as waste, she said. But the Food and Drug Administration considers natural orange peel extracts safe for human consumption. So, Wang wants to put those peels to better use.

    “This research could be critical to enhancing the cardiovascular health of millions of people worldwide,” said Wang, a faculty member at the UF/IFAS Citrus Research and Education Center in Lake Alfred, Florida. “In addition to improving consumers’ health, our research results could provide additional economic returns, benefiting U.S. agriculture and food systems.”

    For the new UF/IFAS-led project, researchers hypothesize that orange peels will modify gut microbiota and help prevent atherosclerosis, a disease characterized by fatty deposits on the inner walls of arteries.

    When gut microbiota break down chemicals called choline and carnitine, the process eventually produces trimethylamine (TMA). Enzymes can then convert TMA into TMAO, Wang said.

    But orange peels contain components that interfere with TMA enzymes, Wang said. Researchers believe that action will help prevent atherosclerosis.

    To test these hypotheses, the researchers will combine animal studies with enzyme tests to assess how orange peel extract consumption can prevent cardiovascular diseases.

    In her own preliminary work, Wang experimented with three groups of mice to see if she was going in the right direction with her research proposal. One group was fed a regular diet, the second was fed a regular diet plus carnitine, which induced TMAO. The third group was fed a regular diet, carnitine and orange peels.

    They found the orange peels altered the composition of bacteria in colon in the mice fed with regular diet, carnitine and orange peels.

    “Within three years, we expect to understand more about the mechanisms associated with orange peel consumption, TMAO formation and the prevention of atherosclerosis,” Wang said. “We hope this project can not only positively impact human cardiovascular health via the promotion of gut health, but will also provide a simple and effective usage of the orange peel.”— By Brad Buck, University of Florida Institute of Food & Ag Sciences

  • Protecting Workers from Unhealthy Air Due to Wildfire Smoke

    Cal/OSHA is reminding employers that California’s protection from wildfire smoke standard is still in effect, and they must take steps to protect their workers from harmful exposure to unhealthy air due to wildfire smoke.

    “Employers are obligated to protect their outdoor workers and must evaluate the health hazards posed by wildfire smoke,” said Cal/OSHA Chief Doug Parker. “If employers cannot move operations indoors where air is adequately filtered and they do not have access to respiratory protection, they may need to halt operations until the outdoor air quality improves.”

    Smoke from wildfires contains chemicals, gases and fine particles that can harm health. The greatest hazard comes from breathing fine particles in the air (called PM2.5), which can reduce lung function, worsen asthma or other existing heart and lung conditions, and cause coughing, wheezing and difficulty breathing. These types of respiratory conditions also make the effects of COVID-19 more severe.

    If employers move operations indoors or into enclosed spaces, they should be sure to follow guidelines for prevention of COVID-19 transmission in the workplace.

    When wildfire smoke affects a worksite, employers must monitor the air quality index (AQI) for PM2.5. Employers can monitor the AQI using the following websites:

    If the AQI for PM2.5 is 151 or greater, employers must take the following steps to protect employees:

    • Communication – Inform employees of the AQI for PM2.5 and the protective measures available to them.
    • Training and Instruction – Provide effective training and instruction to all employees on the information contained in section 5141.1 Appendix B.
    • Modifications – Implement modifications to the workplace, if feasible, to reduce exposure. Examples include providing enclosed structures or vehicles for employees to work in, where the air is filtered.
    • Changes – Implement practicable changes to work procedures or schedules. Examples include changing the location where employees work or reducing the amount of time they work outdoors or exposed to unfiltered outdoor air.
    • Respiratory protection – Provide proper respiratory protection equipment, such as disposable respirators, for voluntary use.
      • To filter out fine particles, respirators must be labeled N-95, N-99, N-100, R-95, P-95, P-99, or P-100, and must be labeled as approved by the US National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH).

    “Cal/OSHA is working diligently to identify viable available temporary alternatives that would provide workers with an acceptable alternative to a compliant respirator such as an N-95 mask,” added Chief Parker.

    CalOES and the California Department of Food and Agriculture are working in partnership to provide approximately one million N-95 masks to help protect farmworkers from wildfire smoke. County Agricultural Commissioners in affected counties will distribute the masks.

    If the AQI for PM2.5 exceeds 500, respirator use is required. Employers must ensure employees uses respirators and implement a respiratory protection program as required in California’s respiratory standard. For information or help on developing a respiratory protection program, see Cal/OSHA’s Respiratory Protection Fact Sheet.

    Guidance for employers and workers on working safely in conditions with smoke caused by the wildfires is available on Cal/OSHA’s web page, including information for protecting outdoor workers, details on how to protect indoor workers from outdoor air pollution, and frequently asked questions about N95 masks.

    Information on current wildfires is available from CalFire and the Incident Information System website.

    Cal/OSHA helps protect workers from health and safety hazards on the job in almost every workplace in California. Employers and workers who have questions or need assistance with workplace health and safety programs can call Cal/OSHA’s Consultation Services Branch at 800-963-9424.

    Complaints about workplace safety and health hazards can be filed confidentially with Cal/OSHA district offices. Employees with work-related questions or complaints may contact DIR’s Call Center in English or Spanish at 844-LABOR-DIR (844-522-6734).

  • California Farmland Trust Elects & Appoints New Leadership

    With a passion for preserving California’s farmland, California Farmland Trust (CFT) is proud to share the results of those elected to serve our Board of Directors as well as new board member appointments.

    “We’re honored to have such well-known and well-respected individuals serve on the CFT board” shared Charlotte Mitchell, CFT Executive Director. “Our board members each bring professional skills and a passion for agriculture that serve in furthering our mission and protecting farmland.”

    Newly Elected Officers

    Jon Harvey, President

    Jon Harvey retired from Cisco as a Hardware Engineer Manager and is now a ski patroller at Sugar Bowl. A former board member of Brentwood Ag Land Trust (BALT), Harvey joined the CFT board in 2018, following the BALT and Central Valley Farmland Trust merger that formed California Farmland Trust. Harvey became immersed in land conservation at a young age, when he recognized the connections between his appreciation for wildlife, a family history of farming, and his love for fresh food.

    Patrick Johnston, Vice President

    Patrick Johnston lives in Brentwood where his family has farmed since 1923. He is currently a partner in Dwelley Family Farms, growing both conventional and organic fruits and vegetables. He was a board member of the Brentwood Agricultural Land Trust, until its merger with Central Valley Farmland Trust to form CFT.

    Maxwell Norton, Secretary

    Maxwell Norton is a retired Farm Advisor with the UC Cooperative Extension, and a founding member of the Merced County Farmland and Open Space Trust, which later formed the Central Valley Farmland Trust.  He is the Past President of the Merced County Chamber of Commerce, Past President of the California Association of Farm Advisors and Specialists, and Past Chairman of Merced County Economic Development Task Force.

    Ken Oneto, Treasurer

    Ken Oneto resides in Elk Grove where he grows cherries, walnuts, dry beans, tomatoes and wine grapes on the family farm.  He is a graduate of the California Ag Resources Training Program and the Ag Leadership Program.  He was a founding member of the Sacramento Valley Ag Land Conservancy which helped to form the Central Valley Farmland Trust, and currently serves as the President of the Sacramento County Farm Bureau.

    Newly Appointed Board Members

    Ryan Jacobsen

    Ryan Jacobsen resides in Fresno, where he currently serves as the CEO of the Fresno County Farm Bureau. He is the first board member to serve the organization from Fresno County.  Jacobsen currently serves as president of the Fresno Irrigation District Board of Directors, secretary/treasurer of the Kings River Water Association and president-elect of the Rotary Club of Fresno. He is also the host of the television show, Valley’s Gold.

    Theresa Kiehn

    Theresa Kiehn is the Acting President and Chief Executive Officer of AgSafe. Her career also included a tenure with the Great Valley Center, where she supported the formation of the Central Valley Farmland Trust. In addition to her current role, she serves on the Turlock Farmers Market Board of Directors, the Salas Family Foundation, is a member of Modesto Downtown Rotary and is engaged in a variety of capacities with her faith-based community.

    The California Farmland Trust is a California Non-Profit 501(c)(3). Our mission is to help farmers protect the best farmland in the world. To date, we have protected 16,708 acres of farmland on 77 family farms. To learn more visit us: www.cafarmtrust.org

  • More Eligible Commodities for USDA Coronavirus Aid

    U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced today that additional commodities are covered by the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP) in response to public comments and data. Additionally, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is extending the deadline to apply for the program to September 11th, and producers with approved applications will receive their final payment. After reviewing over 1,700 responses, even more farmers and ranchers will have the opportunity for assistance to help keep operations afloat during these tough times.

    “President Trump is standing with America’s farmers and ranchers to ensure they get through this pandemic and continue to produce enough food and fiber to feed America and the world. That is why he authorized this $16 billion of direct support in the CFAP program and today we are pleased to add additional commodities eligible to receive much needed assistance,” said Secretary Perdue. “CFAP is just one of the many ways USDA is helping producers weather the impacts of the pandemic. From deferring payments on loans to adding flexibilities to crop insurance and reporting deadlines, USDA has been leveraging many tools to help producers.”

    Background:

    USDA collected comments and supporting data for consideration of additional commodities through June 22, 2020. The following additional commodities are now eligible for CFAP:

    • Specialty Crops – aloe leaves, bananas, batatas, bok choy, carambola (star fruit), cherimoya, chervil (french parsley), citron, curry leaves, daikon, dates, dill, donqua (winter melon), dragon fruit (red pitaya), endive, escarole, filberts, frisee, horseradish, kohlrabi, kumquats, leeks, mamey sapote, maple sap (for maple syrup), mesculin mix, microgreens, nectarines, parsley, persimmons, plantains, pomegranates, pummelos, pumpkins, rutabagas, shallots, tangelos, turnips/celeriac, turmeric, upland/winter cress, water cress, yautia/malanga, and yuca/cassava.
    • Non-Specialty Crops and Livestock – liquid eggs, frozen eggs and all sheep. Only lambs and yearlings (sheep less than two years old) were previously eligible.
    • Aquaculture – catfish, crawfish, largemouth bass and carp sold live as foodfish, hybrid striped bass, red drum, salmon, sturgeon, tilapia, trout, ornamental/tropical fish, and recreational sportfish.
    • Nursery Crops and Flowers – nursery crops and cut flowers.

    Other changes to CFAP include:

    • Seven commodities – onions (green), pistachios, peppermint, spearmint, walnuts and watermelons – are now eligible for Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Stability (CARES) Act funding for sales losses. Originally, these commodities were only eligible for payments on marketing adjustments.
    • Correcting payment rates for onions (green), pistachios, peppermint, spearmint, walnuts, and watermelons.

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

    Producers Who Have Applied:

    To ensure availability of funding, producers with approved applications initially received 80 percent of their payments. The Farm Service Agency (FSA) will automatically issue the remaining 20 percent of the calculated payment to eligible producers. Going forward, producers who apply for CFAP will receive 100 percent of their total payment, not to exceed the payment limit, when their applications are approved.

    Applying for CFAP:

    Producers, especially those who have not worked with FSA previously, are recommended to call 877-508-8364 to begin the application process. An FSA staff member can help producers start their application during the phone call.

    On farmers.gov/cfap, producers can:

    • Download the AD-3114 application form and manually complete the form to submit to their local USDA Service Center by mail, electronically or by hand delivery to their local office or office drop box.
    • Complete the application form using the CFAP Application Generator and Payment Calculator. 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.
    • If producers have login credentials known as eAuthentication, they can use the online CFAP Application Portal to certify eligible commodities online, digitally sign applications and submit directly to the 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 are also required to wear a face covering during their appointment. Our program delivery staff will be in the office, and they will be working with our producers in the office, by phone and using online tools. More information can be found at farmers.gov/coronavirus.

  • Regenerative Organic Certified™ (ROC™) Standard Is Open For Business

    The Regenerative Organic Alliance (ROA), a group of experts in farming, ranching, soil health, animal welfare, and fair trade, is proud to announce that the Regenerative Organic Certified™(ROC™) certification standard for food, fiber, and personal care products has completed its pilot phase and is now open for general certification. Additionally, the ROA is thrilled to announce the availability of the first ROC products in the marketplace.

    Before being eligible for ROC, farms must first hold USDA organic certification. ROC then adds further criteria to ensure soil health, animal welfare, and social fairness, making it the highest standard for organic agriculture in the world. By choosing an ROC product, consumers can know at a glance that their purchase supports farm workers, soil health and pasture-based animal welfare. The new certification also has three levels—bronze, silver, and gold. The levels require farms and businesses to phase in more rigorous regenerative organic practices over time.

    The Regenerative Organic Alliance was formed in 2018 to promote regenerative organic farming as the highest standard for agriculture around the world. ROA exists to heal a broken system, repair a damaged planet, and empower farmers and consumers to forge a brighter future through better farming. And the time is now: COVID-19 has quickly revealed the underlying risks and inequalities in the global food system. Many farmers, doctors, and scientists agree that fixing our broken food system and adhering to regenerative organic practices is one of the tools we have to improve human health, as shown in a new white paper recently released by Rodale Institute and The Plantrician Project.

    The ROA first established the Regenerative Organic Certified standard in 2018, then conducted a pilot program the following year to test the standard on real farming operations around the world. The intent of the pilot was to gather participants’ feedback in order to improve the process and the standard’s criteria. With the initial pilot program completed, the ROA will increase the number of approved certifiers and will begin certifying new brands, effective immediately in partnership with their program manager, NSF International.

    “The journey to become Regenerative Organic Certified has been unique for each of our pilot program participants, with significant learnings along the way,” said Elizabeth Whitlow, Executive Director of the Regenerative Organic Alliance. “The success that these leading, regenerative organic businesses have achieved in only one year is proof that ROC is not only a viable and attainable certification, but that indeed we are shaping the future of agriculture supply chains and consumer demand for truly regenerative organic products. I look forward to growing the certification in the years ahead with many more brands.”

    Consumers can now find the first group of Regenerative Organic Certified products wherever organic products are sold. In addition, PatagoniaProvisions.com has shifted their website to now serve as the definitive e-commerce source for ROC products, ROC pilot products, and products “on the road” to becoming certified, from many different brands and product categories.

    Several participants from the 2019 ROC Pilot Program have earned the first ROC designations, demonstrating their commitment to the environment, soil health, animal welfare and fair labor standards. The first brands and farms to display the Regenerative Organic Certified label include:

    • Apricot Lane Farms: Avocado Oil from Moorpark, CA
    • Dr. Bronner’s: Regenerative Organic Coconut Oil from Serendipol Ltd. in Sri Lanka
    • Nature’s Path: Oats from Legend Organic farm in Saskatchewan, Canada
    • Grain Place Foods: Popcorn and Cornmeal from Marquette, NE
    • Patagonia Provisions: Regenerative Organic Chile Mango from Sol Simple, Masaya, Nicaragua
    • Lotus Foods: Brown and White Basmati Rice from Rohini, India
    • Sol Simple: Banana from Masaya, Nicaragua
    • Other farms and businesses that received certification with products forthcoming:
      • Tablas Creek Vineyards: Paso Robles CA
      • Herb Pharm: Williams OR
      • Guayaki Yerba Mate: Misiones, Argentina

  • New Targets for Huanglongbing Treatments

    Scientists are closer to gaining the upper hand on a disease that has wiped out citrus orchards across the globe. New models of the bacterium linked to the disease reveal control methods that were previously unavailable.

    Metabolic models of organisms are like road maps of cities. “They show you all the biological processes, and how they work together,” said UC Riverside microbiology professor James Borneman. “They also show you which molecular pathways, if blocked, will kill the organism.” 

    Simplified metabolic model and its striking similarity to a road map. (Metallo&Vander Heiden)

    In this case, researchers created the first models of the bacterium associated with Huanglongbing or HLB, also known as citrus greening disease. The team’s work is described in a new paper published in Nature’s npj Systems Biology and Applications.

    The research team made models for six different strains of the bacterium known as CLas and doing so enabled them to identify as many as 94 enzymes essential for the bacterium’s survival. These enzymes can now be considered targets for the creation of new antibacterial treatments.

    In addition, the team identified metabolites required for the bacteria to grow.

    “Just like when humans break down the food they eat into small components called metabolites, which feed our cells, bacterial cells also require metabolites for their growth,” Borneman said.

    Knowing the metabolites needed for CLas’ growth could enable scientists to cultivate it in a laboratory setting. It is not currently possible to grow CLas on its own, hindering scientists’ ability to study it and ultimately to manage it.

    This research project involved a collaboration between UC Riverside, UC San Diego, Texas A&M University, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. In addition to Borneman, members of the modeling team included UCR plant pathologist Georgios Vidalakis and UCSD systems biologist Karsten Zengler.

    UC Riverside is at the forefront of efforts to combat Huanglongbing. Other important areas of research include antibacterial development and delivery, immune system fortification in citrus, engineering resistant citrus via a detailed understanding of host-microbe interactions, breeding resistant citrus, and insect management, among others.

    Because microbes tend to mutate and acquire resistance mechanisms in response to drugs and other efforts to thwart them, Borneman cautions that any one solution to the problem may be short-lived.

    Transmission electron microscope image of CLas bacterium. (J.M. Bové/INRA)

    “Microbes almost always adapt to control measures, perpetuating the ‘arms race’ between pathogens and hosts,” Borneman said. “There won’t be one thing that will fix this disease. We likely will need to address all three components associated with the disease — the bacterium, the insect that transmits it, and the citrus plants — to find a long-lasting solution.”

    To that end, the research team is constructing metabolic models of citrus and the insect, the Asian citrus psyllid.

    “We expect that this multiorganism modeling endeavor will provide new insights into the mechanisms underlying this disease, which will lead to effective and sustainable Huanglongbing management strategies,” Borneman said. — By Jules Bernstein, UC Riverside

  • Apple Breeding Program Takes Root Across the Country

    Move over Johnny Appleseed! Orchards of healthier trees are taking root – and not only do these trees stay healthier when exposed to disease, but they also create the right sized tree for modern apple production across the United States.

    Apple orchards today can produce about 10 times more than they did 100 years ago, thanks to researchers at the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) Plant Genetic Resources Unit in Geneva, New York, and their partners at Cornell University. While the fruits of their labor are easy to see and taste, their most impressive work is underground.

    Roots of apple rootstock G.890

    Since 1969, researchers have been developing and improving new root systems, called rootstocks. Producers graft the apple tree of their choice to these rootstocks to create apple trees that are immune to certain diseases and insects, are the right size for their orchard, and are more productive than older rootstocks. In the lab, their rootstocks have quirky names like 75O3R5-214; commercially, it’s called G.214, where “G” stands for Geneva, a registered trademark representing a series of disease-resistant apple rootstocks.

    The right-sized tree is important when planting a modern orchard because farmers increasingly depend on robotics and other technology to operate at peak efficiency. Unlike backyard apple trees that grow tall and round, today’s production orchards looks more like a series of fruit walls. Geneva rootstocks help create these walls by dwarfing the scion – the portion of the tree that is above ground – so the trees are shorter, which makes the fruit easier to reach and safer for pickers to harvest. Growing shorter trees in neat rows also allows for easy passage of harvest machinery.

    An apple orchard has a productive life span of 12-20 years, so farmers routinely uproot and replace 5-10 percent of their trees every year. In addition, trees need to be replaced in orchards that have been devastated by fire, disease, and insects. With about 500 million trees in the industry inventory, nurseries need to produce 20-25 million trees per year just to keep pace. Besides growing new rootstock plants from layer bed cuttings, the primary method for producing new rootstocks is cloning through micropropagation. Micropropagation starts with a very small stem, sometimes about 1/10th of a millimeter, that is grown in sterile conditions and fed from a nutrient-rich culture medium. A cloned rootstock is identical to the original plant so they are more consistent in their disease resistance, dwarfing effect, cold-hardiness, and enhanced productivity. Nurseries that produce rootstocks can also make more of them faster, which means they can keep up with the high demand for Geneva apple rootstocks. These protocols are now in several other countries, including Spain, Brazil, Chile, Morocco, and South Africa, where tens of millions of Geneva rootstocks have been produced by micropropagation.

    A nursery of approximately half a million G.935 apple rootstocks that have been grafted with different kinds of apple varieties, including Honeycrisp, Golden Delicious, Gala, and Fuji, will eventually be planted in orchards throughout the United States.

    As successful as Geneva rootstocks have proven to be, there is no such thing as a one-size-fits-all rootstock because soil and other environmental conditions vary by region – and sometimes even within the same region. With this in mind, researchers at ARS and Cornell continue to root out the mysteries of plant genetics so they can further improve Geneva rootstocks or create new and even better ones. – By Scott Elliott, USDA-ARS

  • Barking Up the Right Tree: Canines Detect HLB

    In September 2019, huanglongbing—also known as HLB or citrus greening—was detected in residential citrus trees located in Ventura County, in southern California (and just recently, the first HLB carrying Asian Citrus Psyllid was detected in a commercial CA citrus grove).

    During an orchard review in California, expert detector dog, Szaboles alerts his trainer by sitting next to a citrus tree infected with Huanglongbing (HLB).

    The disease, which has no known cure, is caused by a bacterium that devastates citrus plants and is transmitted by psyllids (small plant-eating insects resembling lice) that carry the bacteria from tree to tree or by the grafting of infected plant material. Common symptoms of infection include blotchy mottling of entire leaves, premature defoliation of the tree, and fruits that are usually small, with green peel at the bottom and a bitter taste. Unfortunately, these visible signs of HLB do not manifest until months or even years after the initial infection. By then, it is too late for citrus growers to save their crop from a mass infestation.

    However, the Farm Bureau of Ventura County found a rather unconventional way around this problem.

    To contain the infected trees and prevent a citrus epidemic, the Farm Bureau decided to hire a team of detector dogs specially trained to find HLB bacteria. The dogs are a result of a unique program funded by USDA and run by Agricultural Research Service (ARS) Research Leader and Plant Pathologist Timothy Gottwald (now retired) at the U.S. Horticultural Research Laboratoryin Fort Pierce, FL.

    First, the clever canines patrolled the perimeter because the edges of a grove are where the disease would first accumulate. Then, they trotted through the grove of trees to ultimately identify over 200 infected trees from a grove of 3,500.

    According to Gottwald’s research, the canine-detection method has an accuracy rate of 99 percent. While humans need several minutes to visually examine each tree and collect samples for laboratory testing (which requires considerable lab time and supplies), the dogs can travel through groves of trees in mere minutes, sensing HLB-infected trees by smell faster and far more easily. The time saved in finding the disease earlier gives citrus growers the opportunity to remove and destroy or quarantine HLB-infected trees, controlling what could’ve been a severe outbreak and loss of crop.
     

    However, there are still some considerations to keep in mind when deploying the canines as an early detection technology. Each dog team can only work 30 minutes at a time before they must rest, and a new team takes over. Teams can work for about 6 hours a day. In addition, much like any lab equipment, dogs are periodically calibrated to the HLB “scent signature” to remain finely honed optimized detectors.

    Still, the dogs are more sensitive and accurate than any other available technology in the field. The employment of detector dogs is still a voluntary program, which means fruit growers and farmers have the choice to either use dogs to find HLB early or continue using a USDA-approved DNA test called polymerase chain reaction (PCR).

    “While PCR is an effective way to detect infections, it isn’t efficient,” Gottwald explained. “It’s difficult to pinpoint incomplete infections—or infections that are only on one part of a plant (for example, a single leaf out of an entire tree with possibly thousands of leaves)—using PCR because it requires numerous samples from all over the suspect specimen.”

    “On the other hand,” Gottwald continued, “detector dogs identify pathogens ‘holistically,’ easily locating minute infections regardless of what small part of the tree they are infecting.” With this increased scope and accuracy rate, Gottwald and his colleagues believe that the canines’ abilities will revolutionize how growers protect their crops.

    “These specially trained canines may also be used to detect diseases and infections in other fruits and vegetables, such as grapes, peaches, plums, and tomatoes,” he said. “Our research has shown that they can sense pathogens like plum pox virus or squash vein yellowing virus, which both can cause severe economic losses to agriculture industries.”

    The canine-detection method was validated in blind tests by USDA ARS in collaboration with the California Department of Food and Agriculture, with results published in 2020.— By Georgia Jiang, USDA-ARS

  • Pollinator Partnership Announces Three New Designations for Bee Friendly Farming

    Pollinator Partnership (P2) is proud to announce enhancements and improvements to its Bee Friendly Farming (BFF) program to better recognize engage and support BFF participants and pollinators everywhere. The new BFF program will have three categories that allow them to engage with all participants at a finer scale while addressing their goals: Bee Friendly Farming Certified, Bee Friendly Farming Partner and Bee Friendly Farming Garden.

    Bee Friendly Farming Certified designation will apply to large-scale commercial farms, ranches, wineries and other land-use businesses that grow food and other resources. This certification will require compliance at registration and every third year to be validated in the seven specific criteria required to qualify. “From habitat to cover crops to best management practices, the Bee Friendly Farming Certified mark will identify farms engaged in science-based Bee Friendly Farming practices,” said BFF Coordinator Miles Dakin. “This enables us to enhance grower and pollinator benefits through greater engagement in nutrition, habitat, biodiversity and other guidelines.”

    Bee Friendly Farming Partner includes sponsorship from individuals and companies, as well as apiarists, who do not actively manage their own landscapes but wish to support the BFF program. Multiple tiers of sponsorships are available to provide the resources necessary to build and maintain the BFF program.

    The third category of recognition, Bee Friendly Farming Garden, includes smaller landscapes, community gardens and homeowners who voluntarily adhere to the seven criteria of Bee Friendly Farming actions. By separating and reorganizing these distinct members, BFF can better recognize the different contributions by farmers, apiarists, home gardeners, community members and commercial sponsors to support vital pollinators.

    Photos courtesy of Geoffrey Thurner, California State University Fresno

    “After conversations with long-standing participants, environmental groups, grower associations and sponsors, we saw a clear need to further refine the BFF experience and to add a level of scrutiny and permanence to the certification aspects of Bee Friendly Farming,” said Laurie Davies Adams, President of Pollinator Partnership, parent organization of Bee Friendly Farming. “This new tri-level approach will still recognize existing affiliates as BFF Partners, while taking a great step forward for the dedicated agricultural community that seeks rigorous and validated certification of its adherence to best practices for pollinators. In all instances, BFF will provide excellent guidelines for all levels of BFF practitioners.”

    The three categories have slightly different criteria and benefits. Some currently certified historic BFF participants may fall into a different category and will be contacted about the changes.

    Visit www.beefriendlyfarming.org for more information on Bee Friendly Farming and to learn how you can participate.

    ABOUT POLLINATOR PARTNERSHIP (P2) Established in 1997, the Pollinator Partnership is the largest 501(c) 3 non-profit organization dedicated exclusively to the health, protection, and conservation of all pollinating animals. P2’s actions for pollinators include education, conservation, restoration, policy, and research. P2’s financial support comes through grants, gifts, memberships and donations from any interested party. P2’s policies are science-based, set by its board of directors, and never influenced by any donor. To make a donation or for information on events during Pollinator Week visit www.pollinator.org.

  • CLas-positive Asian Citrus Psyllid Found in Riverside Commercial Grove

    An Asian citrus psyllid (ACP) sample – confirmed positive for Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus (CLas) the bacteria that causes Huanglongbing (HLB) – was collected from a commercial citrus grove in the Woodcrest area of Riverside County. Confirmed by Citrus Research Board’s Jerry Dimitman Laboratory, this single adult psyllid is the first CLas-positive ACP found in a commercial citrus grove in California.

    While a positive ACP detection in a commercial grove is cause for serious concern, as of today, HLB has not been detected in any California commercial groves. That said, it is more crucial than ever that we stop the disease from spreading by eradicating the Asian citrus psyllid in commercial groves. The cost to manage the Asian citrus psyllid is far less than any potential costs or loss to the industry should HLB take hold throughout our state.

    An expansion of the HLB quarantine zone will not be established as a result of the CLas-positive ACP detection and CDFA staff is swiftly conducting surveys and collecting samples per the ACP/HLB Action Plan  from the perimeter of all commercial groves and all residential HLB host plants that are located within a 250-meter radius around the find.

    While treatment is not mandatory as a result of the detection, all growers within 250-meters of the find site will be notified to apply insecticides to all HLB host material within the designated area with materials recommended by the University of California (UC).

    Currently, the best way to stop the disease from spreading is to stop the ACP. To stop the ACP, we must restrict its movement and suppress existing psyllid populations. It is critical to follow best practices and review recommendations from the UC on how to protect commercial citrus groves from HLB. Regulations are in place to help prevent the spread of the pest and disease. All growers, packers and haulers must comply with all California Department of Food and Agriculture, county and federal regulations, including quarantines.

    Growers in Riverside County may contact the County Agricultural Commissioner’s office or the CDFA Pest Hotline at 800-491-1899 for additional information. If you see or suspect ACP or HLB symptoms in your grove, please notify the CDFA hotline. – By the Citrus Pest & Disease Prevention Program