California Fruit and Vegetable

Tag: Vegetables West Magazine

  • California Horticulture Sales Reach $2.63 Billion in 2019

    On Tuesday, December 8, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) released the 2019 Census of Horticultural Specialties report, the only source of detailed production and sales data for floriculture, nursery, and specialty crops for the entire United States. The data show that horticulture operations in California sold a total of $2.63 billion in floriculture, nursery and specialty crops in 2019, down 9% from the sales in 2014. California sold 19% of the total U.S. horticulture sales of $13.8 billion in 2019, more than any other state. In addition to sales, the number of horticulture operations in California decreased 22% during this time to 1,331, and the number of operations in the United States decreased 11% during this time to 20,655.

    “The horticulture census is a vital tool that highlights the contribution horticulture growers bring to our local, state, and national economies,” said Pacific Region Director Gary R. Keough. “It shows changes and trends in the industry over the past five years and beyond.”

    Horticulture production occurred primarily in 10 states, which accounted for 66% of all U.S. horticulture sales in 2019. California ($2.63 billion), Florida ($1.93 billion) and Oregon ($1.02 billion) led the nation in sales.

    The top five commodities in California horticulture sales in 2019, and compared to 2014, were:

    ·         Nursery stock, $831 million, down 13%
    ·         Potted flowering plants, $322 million, up 7%
    ·         Transplants for Commercial Vegetable and Strawberry, $266 million, up 4%
    ·         Cut flowers & cut lei flowers, $249 million, down 26%
    ·         Annual bedding/garden plants, $232 million, up 6%
     
    Other key findings for California from the 2019 Census of Horticultural Specialties report include:

    ·         Family- or individually-owned operations made up the largest number of operations, accounting for 48%, but corporately-owned operations accounted for 80% of sales ($2.11 billion).

    ·         Total industry expenses were at $2.21 billion in 2019, with hired labor being the largest cost, accounting for 36% of total expenses.

    The Census of Horticultural Specialties is part of the larger Census of Agriculture program. It provides information on the number and types of establishments engaged in horticultural production, value of sales, varieties of products, production expenses and more. All operations that reported producing and selling $10,000 or more of horticultural crops on the 2017 Census of Agriculture were included in this special study.

    For more information and to access the full report, visit www.nass.usda.gov/AgCensus.

    CA.Census_of_Hort_press_release_12092020

  • USDA Announces National Watermelon Promotion Board Appointments

    The U.S. Department of Agriculture today announced the appointment of nine members to serve on the National Watermelon Promotion Board. The appointees will serve three-year terms from Jan. 1, 2021, to Dec. 31, 2023.

    Members newly appointed or reappointed are:

    • District 1 Producer: Kyler Bishop, Punta Gorda, Florida
    • District 1 Producer: Chad Chastain, Punta Gorda, Florida
    • District 1 Handler: Stephen R. Nichols, Lakeland, Florida
    • District 1 Handler: Rob Gibson, Vero Beach, Florida
    • Importer: Matthew N. Tanner, Pompano Beach, Florida
    • Importer: Christopher M. Dyer, Mission, Texas
    • Importer: Christian Murillo, Nogales, Arizona
    • Importer: Jeff Fawcett, Edinburg, Texas
    • Public Member: Craig A. Stokes, San Antonio, Texas

    The National Watermelon Promotion Board now has 30 members composed of 10 producers, 10 handlers, nine importers and one public member. Approximately one-third of the board members are appointed each year. Members can serve up to two consecutive three-year terms.

    More information about the National Watermelon Promotion Board, including a roster of members, is available on the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) National Watermelon Promotion Board webpage and on the board’s website at www.watermelon.org.

    Since 1966, Congress has authorized industry-funded research and promotion boards to provide a framework for agricultural industries to pool their resources and combine efforts to develop new markets, strengthen existing markets and conduct important research and promotion activities. AMS provides oversight to 21 boards. The oversight ensures fiscal accountability and program integrity, and is paid for by industry assessments.

  • The Essential Pieces of Protecting Ag Workers, Preventing COVID-19 Spread

    Christopher Valadez — As president of the Grower Shipper Association of Central California (GSA), I talk to farmers, farming companies, farm labor contractors and farm workers about the challenges faced when protecting essential employees from COVID-19 exposure. These conversations and hearing the needs firsthand formed the impetus for many of the programs established by GSA over the last few months to lessen or prevent the spread of COVID-19 among the farm worker community.

    But I also speak regularly with county health officials, local hospitals and health clinics, farm labor advocates, academics, state regulators, elected officials and local community leaders about COVID-19 and its impact on farm workers. Many have become important partners and have worked with GSA and the local ag community to develop on-farm prevention training programs led by health professionals, provide daily health checks for farm workers in GSA’s quarantined housing program, acquire additional PPE and establish expedited testing programs to provide faster results for farm workers.

    As we end the harvest season in our region, we have an opportunity to reflect and learn before workers return in the spring. What can we do better to enhance efforts to prevent the spread of this virus on the job and within our communities to keep our workforce healthy? At GSA, we hope to see more emphasis on contact tracing as well as a prioritization of farm workers to receive vaccinations against this virus. But let’s start with contact tracing.

    After a positive test is confirmed, contact tracing is the process of identification of persons who may have come into contact with an infected person and subsequent collection of further information about these contacts. It is vitally important that public health officials have the resources to conduct more extensive contact tracing once a positive test is obtained so we are effectively targeting prevention strategies with a focus on where the virus is spread – work, transit to work, at home or within our community. Otherwise we may be enacting rules and regulations in one area when better information on where the virus is being spread may indicate they are actually needed in another. Or, the solution may not address the real problem.

    While public health officials are integral to effective contact tracing, employers are also required to conduct their own tracing to determine if a COVID-positive employee may have exposed others and where – work or home. Once an employer learns of an employee potentially exposed or sick, they can then provide options and information about quarantined housing. GSA’s quarantined housing program provides COVID-positive or exposed farm workers with daily meal deliveries and health checks to ensure they can isolate or recover in a safe and comfortable environment.  And, California mandates that essential workers receive two weeks paid sick leave if they test positive or are sickened by the virus.

    Farmers and farming companies are spending significant time and monetary resources to protect workers through both regulatory compliance and their own best practices. And, as we learn more about the virus, prevention practices in agriculture are continually improving. But, we are not experts in public health and we are reliant on public health guidance. Adequate testing and effective contact tracing combined with isolation alternatives through quarantined housing is the best way to yield real results and target the spread of this virus at its source.

    While GSA will work collaboratively to ensure these crucial prevention strategies are improved and ready in 2021, it is the prioritization of providing vaccines to essential workers that will ultimately protect our workforce from this persistent and relentless virus. GSA will join with industry, local elected officials, labor groups and community leaders to advocate for vaccine prioritization so farm workers are among the first groups to receive them.

    We have learned a significant amount since the early days of the pandemic when farmers and farming companies had to quickly learn and implement prevention strategies while striving to provide healthy fruits and vegetables to consumers. I look back over these last few months and ponder what was accomplished, what has changed and what we could have done better. But one thing is clear: Our work to protect farm workers at the workplace as well as educate this community about prevention practices at home must continue to evolve and improve. The 2021 harvest season will be here before we know it. We must be ready.

  • Broccoli Rotations Lower Pathogen Populations and Reduce Disease Incidence of Verticillium Wilt

    In 1999, several UC researchers published foundational research in a paper titled, “Evaluation of broccoli residue incorporation into field soil for Verticillium wilt control in cauliflower.” Since this publication more than 20 years ago, many studies have further investigated this concept and many coastal growers, especially organic producers, have adopted broccoli rotations as a strategy for Verticillium wilt control. Today, typical implementation of this strategy is two broccoli plantings back to back prior to the crop for which Verticillium wilt suppression is desired. While California coastal vegetable production has been the framework for much of this work, the adaptability of this practice to the Sacramento Valley is very promising for management of Verticillium wilt in warm and cool season crops.

    Verticillium wilt is caused by the soilborne fungal pathogen Verticillium dahliae. Microsclerotia, the fungal inoculum that causes infection, dwell in the soil until root exudates stimulate germination and direct the fungal hyphae towards the root. In susceptible plants, infection occurs when hyphae enter the roots right behind the root tip, and continue growth into the water-conducting vascular tissue, the xylem. Once in the xylem, hyphal growth and sporulation can move the fungus into the upper plant tissue. Plant death triggers the fungus to a reproductive stage, prompting microsclerotia formation. When infected crop residue is incorporated into the soil, microsclerotia in the crop residue are incorporated, too. Management is particularly challenging because the pathogen host range is over 300 crops and the inoculum survive upwards of 13 years. To establish control of the pathogen, the key is to reduce inoculum—the number of microsclerotia, below levels damaging to susceptible crops.

    BROCCOLI SUPPRESSES VERTICILLIUM WILT AND DECREASES PATHOGEN PROPAGULES

    Broccoli is one of the few non-host vegetables and member of the Brassicaceae family. Bok choy, broccoli raab, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, Chinese cabbage, and rapini are susceptible to V. dahliae, as are black mustard, Indian mustard, oilseed rape, and turnip. In broccoli, no infection to minor infection from V. dahliae has been observed. In the case of minor infections, the pathogen does not progress beyond the roots and microsclerotia formation in the roots is repressed. Apart from the importance of selecting a non-host as a rotation crop, the glucosinolate profile of broccoli, the secondary compounds responsible for the toxic effect, differs from other brassicaceous crops

    Following broccoli residue incorporation, research out of Japan demonstrated Verticillium wilt incidence of eggplant decreased by 53% compared to eggplant without broccoli rotation. In California Cauliflower production, disease incidence and severity were both reduced approximately 50% following broccoli residue treatments.

    Broccoli did not just decrease disease incidence, but decreased the amount of pathogen inoculum, showing promise for longer term management. In a California study, overall reduction in the number of propagules in V. dahliae-infested plots after two broccoli crops was approximately 94%, in contrast to the five-fold increase in the number of propagules after two cauliflower crops. These findings corroborate earlier studies showing reductions in the numbers of soilborne microsclerotia of V. dahliae and incidence of wilt on cauliflower that were comparable to reductions caused by chloropicrin and metham sodium treatments. Importantly, following broccoli rotations, microsclerotia continue to decline through-out the following cropping season and remain low during the following season. In contrast, propagules in soil fumigated with chloropicrin and metham sodium declined initially but later returned to pre-treatment levels by the end of the cropping season.

    MECHANISM OF SUPPRESSION

    Shetty et al. (2000) reported that the effects of broccoli in reducing microsclerotia and suppressing disease may be associated with the following mechanisms: production of volatile antifungal substances such as allyl-isothiocyanate (ITC) by broccoli residue, increase in antagonistic microorganisms, and degradation of microsclerotia melanin by ligninase/melaninase produced by soil microorganisms in the presence of broccoli lignin. ITCs are chemically similar to methylisothiocyanate, the active agent from the chemical fumigant metam sodium. Likely associated with the ability to generate these conditions, fresh broccoli residue was shown to be more suppressive than dry residue. During tissue decomposition, the glucosinolates in crucifer crops, the characteristic sulfur-containing constituents of the members of Brassicaceae responsible for their inherent pungent odor, break down to produce sulfides, isothiocyanates, thiocyanates, and nitriles that have either fungistatic or fungicidal properties. In addition to release of toxic compounds and microbial activity provided by broccoli residue, the plant may be serving as a ‘decoy’, ‘trap crop’ or ‘dead end host’, further driving population numbers down. As described earlier, some V. dahliae infection is observed in broccoli roots, but it does not result in microsclerotia formation. By stimulating inoculum germination and preventing fungal reproduction, the number of viable microsclerotia decrease in the soil.

    GROWER IMPLEMENTATION OF RESEARCH FINDINGS

    To facilitate greater adaptation of rotations with broccoli in other crops susceptible to V. dahliae, Bhat and Subbarao asked the question whether isolates of V. dahliae originating from different susceptible hosts could cause wilt on broccoli. They evaluated 15 different host isolates against multiple broccoli varieties. This included tomato, eggplant, bell pepper, lettuce, potato, watermelon and strawberry, and found that only isolates from cabbage and cauliflower were weakly pathogenic. Broccoli cultivars Baccus, Greenbelt, Parasol, Patriot, and Symphony showed resistance to Verticillium infection. This provides some evidence for the usefulness of this method in other cropping systems.

    Implementation of broccoli rotations for Verticillium wilt management is optimized when two successive broccoli crops are grown immediately prior to desired Verticillium wilt reduction. Higher amounts of glucosinolates, specifically glucobrassicin, are found in older plants. Research has reported a complete absence of glucobrassicin in broccoli seedlings, 50% of the total in immature heads (5-10 cm diameter) and the highest levels at fully developed Packman broccoli heads (15-20 cm diameter). These results suggest that glucobrassicin synthesis is active during later stages of broccoli development. Plants should be mowed and finely chopped in order to disrupt the plant cells as much as possible. The greatest reductions in microsclerotia occur at soil temperatures above 68°F, and most of this reduction occurs within 15-30 days of incorporation. Variation in efficacy of this method is attributed to multiple factors: fluctuation in climate and cultivation conditions, physical and chemical properties of the soil, soil microbial properties, the type of broccoli cultivar used, differences in pathogen density, and variance in the susceptibility of the following crop host. The types and amounts of glucosinolates vary with the crucifer species and determine the level of plant pathogen growth reduction.

    This practice could also have other potential benefits and drawbacks. Growers in California have observed for many years that where broccoli residues from processing plants are dumped onto a field, weed populations are reduced the following year. Thus, rotations with broccoli may have multiple pest management benefits. However, in recent years in the Sacramento Valley, crop damage from bagrada bug has been significant. Although these outbreaks have largely occurred in fall, outbreaks have occurred in the spring in this region. Members of the Brassicaceae family are the host plants for bagrada and under favorable environmental conditions would support this pest population.

    This management strategy is specific to Verticillium dahliae and is not transferrable to other soilborne pathogens such as Fusarium spp.. Because these two pathogens are common in the Sacramento Valley and above ground symptoms are similar, diagnosis is important. Contact me at any time for disease diagnostic support. All visits and sample analyses are provided free of charge.

    Thousands of microsclerotia, small, black propagules of V. dahliae, formed on susceptible crop residue and remained intact post residue incorporation (Photo by M. Lloyd).

    SUMMARY

    • Two broccoli plantings immediately prior to growing the verticillium-susceptible crop is recommended for best protection
    • Fresh broccoli residue has greater reduction in V. wilt than dry residue
    • Field tarping following fresh residue incorporation did not increase (or decrease) efficacy
    • Suppression of V. dahliae is specific to broccoli and not provided by other Brassicaceae crops.
    • V. dahliae isolates from 15 host crops, including tomato, eggplant, bell pepper, lettuce, potato, watermelon and strawberry, were effectively suppressed by 5 broccoli cultivars
    • The most significant reduction in V. dahliae occurs 15 days post-incorporation, and continues to decline over the season.
    • More mature broccoli plants have higher levels of volatile antifungal substances
    • The mechanisms of action are hypothesized to include: volatile antifungal compounds, changes in the soil microbial communities and serving as a ‘dead-end host’.
    • Broccoli has been shown to reduce pathogens causing Verticillium wilt and lettuce drop, but not other soilborne pathogens such as Fusarium spp. — By Margaret Gullette Lloyd, UCCE Small Farms Advisor

    SUGGESTED READING

    Koike S, Subbarao K. 2000. Broccoli residues can control Verticillium wilt of cauliflower. Calif Agr 54(3):30-33. https://doi.org/10.3733/ca.v054n03p30.

    http://calag.ucanr.edu/archive/?type=pdf&article=ca.v054n03p30

  • NMSU Science Centers Provide Ag Industry with Solutions

    New Mexico’s $3.17 billion agricultural industry is as diverse as the state’s environmental conditions. With four crop production regions, 11 plant hardiness zones, five defined watersheds, and 126 distinct soil types in New Mexico, agricultural production varies from the north to the south, and the east to the west.

    As the state’s land-grant university, New Mexico State University and its College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences supports fundamental and applied research to meet the agricultural and natural resource management needs of communities in every part of the state.

    The Agricultural Experimental Station is a system of scientists who work in facilities on the main campus in Las Cruces and at the 12 agricultural science and research centers located at Farmington, Mora, Clayton, Tucumcari, Clovis, Alcalde, Los Lunas, Corona, Artesia and Las Cruces.

    “These science centers are located strategically throughout the state to support research in New Mexico’s varied environmental conditions, such as soil types, elevation, growing season, and water availability,” said Leslie Edgar, NMSU’s College of ACES associate dean and director of the Agricultural Experimental Station. 

    “If agricultural research was confined to the Las Cruces area, the findings would not be applicable to producers around the state.” 

    At these facilities, scientists are able to study practices and effects at basic and applied scientific levels in a real-world setting due to the crop fields, laboratories, and livestock facilities at the centers.

    Research is focused across four broad themes – plants, animals, energy and the environment as it applies to the full spectrum of agricultural operations from the small acreage farms and ranches in north and central New Mexico, to the large acreage farms and rangeland ranches throughout New Mexico.

    Don Bustos of Santa Cruz Farms in Espanola has taken the knowledge he gained from NMSU’s Sustainable Agriculture Center at Alcalde to turn the four-and-a-half acres of land his family has farmed for 400 years into a successful organic produce farm with an annual six-figure income.

    “It was the research being done at Alcalde that got me into strawberries, blackberries and asparagus, which are our big money makers,” Bustos said, adding these were the top sellers of the 72 different types of produce grown on the farm.

    Bustos implemented season extension techniques after viewing the demonstration greenhouses at Alcalde. “We produce hundreds of pounds of greens during the winter,” he said of the results of adopting these practices.

    Improving the state’s cow/calf herd is one of the goals of NMSU research. The Tucumcari Bull Feed Efficiency Test, established in 1961 at the Rex E. Kirksey Agricultural Science Center at Tucumcari, is the longest running study in the United States.

    The Heckendorn family J-C Angus Ranch in Moriarty has been involved with the program for 40 years.

    “As a result of the bull test, we have seen over the years tremendous progress in our herd, with improved weight gain and feed efficiency,” said John Heckendorn. “I’ve learned a lot about genetic selection and performance, which has helped make herd improvements.”

    Heckendorn has also learned a lot from the science center about farming different grasses for permanent pasture.

    He regularly attends Rancher Round Table meetings at the Corona Range and Livestock Research Center at Corona.

    “I’ve learned a lot of useful industry practices, including nutrition, mineral and protein supplementation and vaccination protocol,” he said. 

    Each science center consists of numerous faculty, staff, academic students, and season assistants who dedicate their research and educational efforts to the mission of the center.

    Grassroots advisory committees of agricultural industry members and residents provide input to each center regarding the issues the producers are facing. 

    “What I like most about the science centers is being a part of the Alcalde advisory group,” Bustos said. “They really listen to what the people doing the work think and say.”

    Information from these conversations drive the science centers’ missions.

    “During strategic planning for the center, the committee’s comments help guide the specific research aimed at improving agricultural productivity and its economic value-chain in their area,” Edgar said.

    While the research projects are a major part of the centers’ activities, the faculty and staff also conduct outreach activities through field days, workshops and other information sharing such as research and Cooperative Extension Service publications.

    “The mission of a land-grant university is to provide a path for ordinary citizens to gain information to advance their work, their community and the economy,” Edgar said. “These activities provide opportunities for people of all ages and skill sets to learn from the research.”

    One area that NMSU and the College of ACES is very aware of is the aging agriculture producer population.

    “With 59.8 as the average age of agriculture producers in our state, the centers’ staff also focus on engaging youth in farming and ranching career opportunities that range from actual farming or ranching to natural resource management,” Edgar said.

    Examples are the U.S. Beef Academy at the Corona Ranch and the U.S. Dairy Education and Training Consortium in Clovis.

    NMSU AGRICULTURAL SCIENCE CENTERS
    All of the 12 centers in the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences system do research on the agricultural and natural resources needs for the area.Each one also has some project or features unique to that center, including:

    Alcalde Sustainable Agriculture Science Center
    First center that carried out research on certified organic land. Features research in fruit orchards, including AmeriZao jujubes. Housed at the hacienda once owned by Carol Bishop Stanley, who also later owned Ghost Ranch.

    Artesia Agricultural Science Center
    Unique soil conditions of Pecos Valley cannot be replicated elsewhere, so research in other parts of state not a reliable indicator for crops in the Pecos Valley.

    Chihuahuan Desert Rangeland Research Center
    Livestock grazing pastures have been observed and recorded for over 80 years to measure changes without livestock influence to study the long-term nature of grazing and climate impact. No other studies of this magnitude do not exist.

    Clayton Livestock Research Center
    The only feedlot research facility in the western United States with a focus on animal health of ranch cattle.

    Clovis: Agricultural Science Center
    Valencia peanut breeding. About 60 percent of the Valencia peanut acreage is dominated by varieties developed by NMSU. The Valencia peanut industry adds $4.5 million to the state economy annual.

    Corona Range and Livestock Research Center
    A 28,000-acre self-sustaining working ranch laboratory where research is conducted on a larger-scale.

    Farmington: Agricultural Science Center
    Only NMSU science center west of the Continental Divide and only 1862 land-grant to work directly on sovereign First Nations – Navajo – land. Unique research includes potatoes, hops and hemp.

    Las Cruces: Fabian Garcia Research Center and Leyendecker Plant Science Center
    NMSU main campus experimental farms where a wide range of plant breeding research is conducted, including New Mexico chile peppers. 

    Los Lunas: Agricultural Science Center
    Located 20 miles south of Albuquerque allows for unique urban programing from on-site faculty, including Urban Integrated Pest Management and Urban Horticulture specialists. Soil conditions, ranging from very sandy to very heavy clay, allows for broad applicability of research results on projects conducted on diverse planting media.

    Mora: John T. Harrington Forestry Research Center
    Only research program in the southwest United States that focuses on forest nursery technologies, tree improvement and ecophysiology of young forest trees to facilitate ecological restoration, especially forests. Largest producers of forest seedlings in the US Southwest with a current capacity of 300,000 per year, primarily used to restore forest after severe wildfires and mining operations.

    Tucumcari: Rex E. Kirksey Agricultural Science Center
    Infrastructure to conduct both crop and livestock research, including the Tucumcari Bull Feed Efficiency Test. Tucumcari Irrigation Project, in partnership with the City of Tucumcari and the New Mexico Water Trust Board, is permitted to reuse treated municipal wastewater for irrigation. – By Jane Moorman, New Mexico State University

  • UCCE Vegetable Crop Guru Burt Hoyle Passes

    Burton John Hoyle passed away in McKinleyville on Nov. 9, 2020, just weeks from reaching his 101st birthday.

    Burton (Burt) was born in Saranac Lake, NY, in 1919. He grew up in the Jamestown, New York, area. He graduated from high school in 1938 and spent several years pursuing odd jobs before starting college in 1941. He did not serve in WWII because of a childhood injury. In 1944, he graduated from the University of New Hampshire with a degree in horticulture.

    There was a war going on and jobs were scarce, so Burt applied to graduate schools. The University of California, Davis, wrote that classes were closed, but they did have a job opening in vegetable crops. After Burt got to Davis, classes soon resumed with the end of the war, and he graduated in 1946 with an M.S. in vegetable crops. That same year he also married True Dolson.

    As 1946 drew to a close, Burt took a job with the University of California Cooperative Extension system to pioneer the Agricultural Experimental Field Station in Tulelake, now known as the Intermountain Research and Extension Center (IREC). From 1947-1965 Burt’s research and work shaped many of the crops still grown in the Tulelake Basin today including potatoes, barley, peppermint and strawberries, according to a letter Rob Wilson, current Intermountain REC director, wrote to Burt for his 100th birthday.

    However, Burt’s big winner was the introduction of horseradish as a cash crop. In 1983, he was featured in an NBC nationally broadcast news show as the “Godfather of Horseradish.”

    Hoyle and wife True at Intermountain REC in 1947.

    In 1965, Burt relocated to Fresno where he worked as a vegetable crops specialist at the University of California’s West Side Station in Five Points. Two major publications from his many projects were A Guide to Commercial Vegetable Production (1970), Curley Top Identification Handbook (1977) [Curly top is a plant disease]. His work on “aggresizing” [a process for making the soil optimum for successful seed growth], for which he received a patent, led to widespread recognition in the agricultural research community.

    Burt and True were active in the First Presbyterian Church in Fresno. One of the ways they lived out their faith was by opening their home to many foreign students. Over a period of more than 10 years, they hosted a number of Chinese, African and Middle Eastern students. Their involvement with these students was a ministry as they helped them with practical matters, and also spent hours counseling them about their lives.

    Burt retired from UC ANR in 1983 and he and True relocated to Humboldt County. During the 1980s Burt enjoyed Rotary, his friends and taking pictures of beautiful Humboldt scenery. He traveled up and down the coast shooting pictures; then with his scanner and Adobe Photoshop, Burt explored the creative expressions of the visual, displaying some of his photos at local art shows. He and True were very involved with the Arcata Presbyterian Church and participated in many community activities. Burt and True also engaged in developing housing on land in Arcata, which True had inherited from her family.

    True Dolson Hoyle passed away in 2005, and Burt married MaryAlice Comstock in 2006. MaryAlice preceded Burt in death on Sept. 16, 2020. She was 91 years old.

    Burt was blessed by health, mental clarity and mobility throughout his life. He was known for his brilliant thinking and ever-present curiosity. During his final years, he was working on a book on statistical thinking and re-analyzing data from his field crop experiments he had collected more than 50 years ago. Even in his last days, his caretakers commented on his intellectual curiosity, his smile and sense of humor.

    He is survived by his three children, Joe and Glenn Hoyle and Pamela Lund, three grandchildren, Julie McGuffey, Karin Ballstadt and Dennis Hoyle, and 10 great-grandchildren.

    His three children remember the significant impact Burt had on their lives, but more importantly his love and concern for them, their families, and for the large number of people whom Burt influenced. — By Glenn C. Hoyle

    To read more about Hoyle’s work at IREC, see this 1964 California Agriculture article //ucanr.edu/sites/anrstaff/files/340045.pdf.

  • Western Growers’ Jason Resnick Promoted to Senior Vice President

    Western Growers’ veteran Jason Resnick has been promoted to Senior Vice President and General Counsel.

    “Over the past 17 years, Jason has demonstrated an unrivaled commitment to Western Growers and our membership and has provided indispensable counsel to the senior leadership team throughout his tenure with the organization,” said Western Growers President & CEO Dave Puglia. “In addition to his core responsibilities as General Counsel, Jason has helped shape our work on important public policy issues, especially immigration. His strategic mind and trusted counsel are of immense importance to me and our Board of Directors.”

    Resnick joined Western Growers in 2003 as a staff attorney and most recently served as Vice President and General Counsel. The promotion is in recognition of the additional duties he has assumed, such as managing the affairs of the Board of Directors as corporate secretary, establishing Western Growers H-2A Services as a premier H-2A services agency and overseeing the Legal and Trade Practices and Commodity Services Departments.

    “It’s truly an honor, and I’m humbled and grateful for this opportunity,” said Resnick. “During my time at Western Growers, I have learned so much about this wonderful industry from extraordinary colleagues, past and present, our visionary members, and the dedicated attorneys who have been zealous advocates for the industry for many years. I am inspired every day by my colleagues who continue to raise the bar for serving our members.”

    Resnick is “AV” Peer Review Rated by Martindale-Hubbell and is a frequent speaker and contributor to Western Grower & Shipper magazine on employment law and ag labor issues. He serves as vice president on the board of directors for the Agricultural Personnel Management Association (APMA), is on the board of iFoodDecisionSciences, Inc. and is a past co-chair of the Agribusiness Committee of the State Bar of California.

    Resnick received his bachelor’s degree from the University of California, Irvine and his JD from the University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law.

  • Assessing the Costs & Benefits of Winter Cover Cropping in CA

    Winter cover cropping is a promising agricultural management practice that boosts soil health. This article discusses a benefit-cost analysis of winter cover crop adoption and introduces a web-based interactive calculator for farmers to assess changes to baseline farm profits.

    Winter cover cropping is an agricultural management practice that can enhance soil health while protecting fields from soil erosion and compaction. Cover crops are typically grown on farmland that would otherwise be left fallow in the wintertime, such as fields used for annual spring-summer crops, or in between rows of trees or vines, and thus do not replace a cash crop. Despite its well-known soil health and ecological benefits, and popularity in other parts of the U.S., winter cover crop adoption rates are low across California’s specialty crops. To better understand drivers and incentives for adoption, we created a benefit-cost calculator that estimates how baseline profits change as a farmer integrates winter cover cropping.

    This tool was designed for specialty-crop farmers who are interested in growing winter cover crops and want to understand how long it will take for that investment to break even. However, the tool is useful for anyone interested in better understanding the financial implications of cover cropping. In this article, we explain the methodology behind the tool and how to use it.

    Methodology

    We developed a calculator that estimates the expected changes in expenses and revenues associated with the introduction of winter cover cropping for a given farming operation. We started by modeling the implications of winter cover crops to average farms that grow processing tomatoes and almonds, two of California’s most important agricultural commodities. The model estimates a benefit-cost ratio in present value terms, i.e., the ratio of the sum of benefits over the sum of costs accumulated over time and discounted to the present.

    In our baseline analysis, we considered cover crop seed mixes that are commonly used for winter cover cropping in California’s Central Valley. For tomato operations, this was assumed to be a small grain forage mix (e.g., bell beans, winter peas, common vetch) and for almonds, this was assumed to be a more expensive clover mix.

    Table 1 lists potential benefits and costs of winter cover cropping. Benefits and costs are not the same every year. The monetary values for each of these components are incorporated into the model at the specific time when that benefit or cost is likely to be experienced.

    Benefits include increased income from greater yields, which results from improvements in soil quality, fertility, and soil-water relations due to cover cropping. Benefits also include reductions in expenses associated with soil erosion control, nutrient cycling, weed control, mycorrhizal fungi colonization, and reduced tillage operations. Almond growers may also benefit from lower beehive prices.

    The potential for cover crops to affect the irrigation requirements of cash crops is debated in the scientific literature. Cover crops may lead to higher water infiltration (resulting from improved porosity of the top soil), which can lead to increased capture of winter and spring rainfall, increased soil-water storage, which in turn can delay irrigation start and eventually reduce spring/summer irrigation requirements slightly; however, these effects are soil-specific and difficult to quantify and generalize and, thus, are not included in the baseline model. Other potentially valuable aspects of cover cropping that were not explicitly accounted for in the analysis include reduced soil sealing and compaction, better soil oxygen concentration and diffusion rates, as well as increased effectiveness of salt-leaching practices.

    Furthermore, while cover cropping has been shown to improve ecosystem services and downstream user benefits, these are not included in the baseline benefit-cost calculations. These societal benefits, which include increased soil organic matter, the protection of downstream surface water quality via reduced runoff, and carbon sequestration through enhanced soil-carbon storage, were not included because they would not accrue as a revenue flow to the farmer choosing to adopt.

    Costs include the initial expenses associated with cover crop seeds, planting, and termination, depreciation of machinery used for this management practice, and time spent learning how to incorporate cover crops into an operation, as well as disseminating new instructions to crewmembers. The model accounts for financial losses due to potential harvest complications with cash crops. For example, a heavy rain at the end of March could delay termination of cover crops, and thus delay the planting of tomato seedlings, which can postpone the timing of tomato harvest. This poses a potential complication for farmers who contract with tomato canneries, resulting in penalties.

    To quantify these benefits and costs, we collected data from UC Ag Issues Center’s Cost and Return Studies, scientific publications, semi-structured farmer interviews, and field experiments to establish an average value of each benefit and cost component. We then aggregated these components to estimate benefit-cost ratios for tomato and almond production systems, where a value of the ratio greater than 1 indicates a net positive change in profits. The interactive calculator is seeded with the average value for each benefit and cost component, but can be adjusted by the user to reflect a specific farming operation. While our model attempts to be as comprehensive as possible, some potential benefits or costs are not included, such as interactions with pruning or other practices.

    Results

    When using average values for all the benefit and cost components, we find that almond systems have a benefit-cost ratio greater than 1 when considering a 30-year time horizon, meaning that benefits are likely to exceed costs on average. When using average values for the tomato system, we find the benefit-cost ratio to be less than 1, given their assumed 10-year time horizon. The time horizons of 10 and 30 years were chosen for tomato and almond operations, respectively, to reflect typical rotation patterns and crop life cycles. Figure 1 displays these results year-over-year. At the 10-year mark for tomatoes and the 30-year mark for almonds, the average benefit-cost ratios are 0.5 and 1.3, respectively, indicating that total benefits eventually outweigh total costs for almond operations, but not tomatoes.

    Winter cover cropping is an investment in the long-term viability of agricultural operations. The benefits and costs accrue differently over time and may vary from year to year. Harvest complications with a cash crop reduce profitability but can be avoided with flexible contractual obligations or by growing a cover crop with predictable senescence. Overall, our results show the value of this soil management practice is greatest for California farmers with a longer time horizon and willingness to manage a cover crop as carefully as their cash crop.

    Interactive Web-based Calculator

    The web-based cover crop calculator, partially shown in Figure 2 and available here, is an interactive decision-support tool that calculates the benefits and costs of winter cover cropping in almond and processing tomato operations. The tool estimates how much farmers can expect their profits to change after growing winter cover crops for a certain number of years. All values used in the calculator are flexible and can be adjusted to match the reality on any commercial farm. The calculator is seeded with the average values for each cost and benefit component that we considered, but the user can easily adjust or remove any component.

    The calculator assumes continuous cover cropping after the year of adoption (first year), and that all benefits of cover crops begin accruing within the first five years. Importantly, the tool may not capture every potential benefit and cost from introducing cover crops into a farming operation. It simply serves as a guide to when a farm can expect to experience economic returns, based on the monetized benefits and costs.

    As mentioned previously, cover crops could either increase or decrease spring-summer irrigation requirements. Although this component is not included in the baseline net present value model, the calculator is flexible in this variable. The user can specify the extent to which cover crops increase or decrease irrigation requirements in the growing season and can add irrigation costs to germinate the crop if needed, and then observe how their baseline profits shift accordingly. Users can also explore how a financial incentive, in the form of an annual subsidy payment per acre of cover-cropped farmland, will affect their outcomes. The calculator allows one to value the social benefits of cover cropping (ecosystem services, carbon sequestration, and downstream water quality) via this subsidy component. – By Ellen Bruno, Alyssa DeVincentis, Samuel Sandoval Solis, and Daniele Zaccaria, UC Giannini Foundation of Agricultural Economics, University of California

    Authors’ Bios

    Ellen Bruno is an assistant Cooperative Extension specialist in the ARE department at UC Berkeley. Alyssa DeVincentis is a Ph.D graduate from UC Davis in Hydrologic Sciences. Samuel Sandoval Solis is an associate professor and Cooperative Extension specialist and Daniele Zaccaria is an associate Cooperative Extension specialist, both in the Department of Land, Air and Water Resources at UC Davis. They can be reached at ebruno@berkeley.edu, ajdevincentis@ucdavis.edu, samsandoval@ucdavis.edu, and dzaccaria@ucdavis.edu, respectively. 

  • Purple Sweetpotatoes for Thanksgiving, Christmas & More

    Bright-orange sweetpotatoes are a staple of many American Thanksgiving dinners and are often prepared with a traditional family recipe. But this year, why not start a new tradition with purple-fleshed sweetpotatoes?

    Both colors of sweetpotato are high in dietary fiber, vitamins, and minerals, but the purple varieties are also rich in health-beneficial antioxidants called anthocyanins and phenolic acids. Anthocyanins are plant pigments that make blueberries blue and cherries cherry-red, and the antioxidant activities in purple sweetpotatoes can be at similar levels to these antioxidant-rich fruits. Various studies have indicated that anthocyanins and phenolics from purple‐fleshed sweetpotatoes may have potential health benefits.

    A team of scientists from the Agricultural Research Service’s Food Science and Market Quality and Handling Research Unit in Raleigh, NC, collaborated with researchers at North Carolina State University to find ways to preserve purple-fleshed sweetpotatoes’ anthocyanin levels during processing into products like juice or natural colorants. Typically, heat is used during processing, but heat changes the flavor and prevents isolation and use of sweetpotato starch and fiber. But if heat is not used, then the flesh quickly browns due to the same enzymes that turn sliced apples brown.

    The scientists wanted to figure out a heat-free way to extract the juice and pigments directly from the raw purple sweetpotato. After those are extracted, what’s left is raw starch and fiber (pomace), each with its own uses and benefits.

    The team successfully used water containing a small amount of citric acid, a substance naturally present in citrus fruits, to inactivate the browning enzymes and preserve an appealing reddish-purple color in the fresh juice and pomace. Preserving the high anthocyanin content makes these products desirable as functional ingredients in beverages and other food products. This research can pave the way for sweetpotato processors to produce new, value-added products. The team published the study in the Journal of Food Science in 2019.—By Sue Kendall, USDA ARS Office of Communications.

  • New Bean Defeats Both Leafhoppers & Drought

    Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists in Puerto Rico have developed a new pinto bean germplasm that may increase a farmer’s yield, reduce production expenses, and help the environment.

    The new bean, called TARS-LH1, is resistant to two types of leafhopper – Empoasca fabea, the potato leafhopper, which can reduce common bean yield by 20 percent in temperate areas, and the tropical leafhopper, E. kraemeri, which can reduce yield by almost 80 percent in tropical areas.

    Further, TARS-LH1 is resistant to the bean common mosaic virus and drought stress. It also yields well and has good seed size, said Tim Porch, research geneticist at the ARS Tropical Agriculture Research Station in Mayagüez, Puerto Rico.

    Beans are among the most important crops grown worldwide, Porch said. “They are a nutrient-dense food and an excellent source of protein and fiber,” he said. “Eating more beans can potentially reduce the chances of heart disease, diabetes, and certain types of cancer.”

    In addition, the properties of the TARS-LH1 pinto bean offer economic benefits to farmers around the world by reducing pesticide input and increasing organic dry bean production. “Beans are primarily a crop of poor farmers worldwide, so reducing the amount of pesticide could increase farmer income and food security, and decrease the environmental impact of production.”

    Pinto beans are also a favorite of U.S. bean growers, accounting for about one-third of America’s bean crop.

    The new pinto bean variety has been released publicly in the form of germplasm, intended for use by plant breeders to incorporate traits of interest – in this case, leafhopper and drought resistance – into the varieties that farmers ultimately grow.

    The Porch research team tested the bean’s resistance to leafhopper in several locations, including the Michigan State University Crop and Soil Science Research Farm, in Haiti, and in Puerto Rico.

    It’s important to improve beans, Porch said, because pests and pathogens are constantly evolving and the climate is changing. “The next step will be to incorporate this resistance into other seed classes grown in the United States and into varieties grown by farmers around the world,” he said. Other potential improvements include heat tolerance and resistance to pathogens like rust and common bacterial blight. – By Scott Elliott, USDA-ARS Office of Communications