California Fruit and Vegetable

Tag: Vegetables West Magazine

  • Weed Management Critical Needs for CA Processing Tomatoes

    Amber Vinchesi-Vahl, UCCE — The Pest Management Strategic Plan for Processing Tomatoes in California (see attachment) was published in May 2021 and encompasses a wealth of information on pest issues and farming practices for processing tomatoes in California.

    Myself, Cooperative Extension Specialist Cassandra Swett, and UC IPM collaborated on creating this document directly from stakeholder input and funding from the Western IPM Center. Below I have highlighted the documented critical needs for managing weeds in processing tomato production in California (more detail on each can be found in the PMSP, cited below). These needs were prioritized by growers, PCAs, academics and industry for the state, the northern growing region and the southern growing region and include research, regulatory and education priorities.

    “Statewide Critical Needs for Weeds

    Research

    1. Develop and identify management methods (including, but not limited to, herbicides) that work for difficult-to-control and perennial weeds, particularly nutsedge and field bindweed.
      1. Better understand weed biology and how to influence weed biology for the purposes of weed management, especially methods to break the dormancy of belowground structures (especially field bindweed and nutsedge).
    2. Develop effective, affordable methods to eradicate branched broomrape from processing tomato fields, prevent its spread, and manage infestations if it becomes well established in California (see Northern Region Critical Needs for Weeds for more information).
      1. Identify effective and practical sanitation methods, especially for eliminating broomrape seed on harvesting equipment (See Statewide General Critical Needs #3).
      2. Develop methods to detect branched broomrape and Egyptian broomrape in tomato fields more easily.” (p. 12).

    “Northern Region Critical Needs for Weeds

    Research

    1. Develop integrated weed management methods (including herbicides) for difficult weeds such as fleabane, horseweed, groundcherries, velvetleaf, nightshades, and glyphosate-resistant ryegrass and sunflowers.
    2. Conduct necessary efficacy research to register herbicides as described in the Northern Region Critical Needs for Weeds, Regulatory Needs.
    3. Identify environmental conditions and production practices that produce different weed problems, including soil quality and water management, and the efficacy of cultural practices to manage such weeds.
    4. Determine effective management practices for broomrape infestations.Research management practices (including herbicides) that control nightshades and reduce reliance on the costly practice of hand weeding.Research management practices (including herbicides) that control nightshades and reduce reliance on the costly practice of hand weeding.
      1. Determine the efficacy of methyl bromide alternatives (e.g., metam sodium/metam potassium, solarization, conventional herbicides).
      2. Identify biological control agents that may attack broomrape and test potential options.
      3. Determine or confirm how broomrape spreads from field to field, and ways to prevent its spread.
    6. Test efficacy of more postemergence herbicides (particularly those that can be sprayed over the top of the crop) and herbicides available for fallow bed weed control.

    Regulatory

    1. Add or expand herbicide registrations.
      1. Register more fallow bed and preplant herbicides and increase application options (especially aerial and helicopter applications) to give growers weed control options to use in wet preplant conditions.
      2. Explicitly register herbicides for fallow bed management, not just preplant use.
      3. Identify and register herbicides that can be used near almond orchards.
      4. Register herbicides for difficult weeds such as fleabane, groundcherries, horseweed, nightshades, velvetleaf, and glyphosate-resistant ryegrass and sunflowers.
      5. Pursue 24(c) labels or Section 18 exemptions where necessary and possible.
      6. Register postemergence herbicides that are safe to apply over the top of the tomato crop to kill late-season weeds.

    Education

    1. Educate growers and pest control advisers on how to reduce herbicide drift. Many of the herbicides registered in processing tomato (e.g., carfentrazone) have drift issues.
    2. Conduct outreach to growers and pest control advisers about impacts of soil quality, water management, and other conditions that produce specific weed problems and how to avoid them via cultural practices.
    3. Educate growers and pest control advisers on how to reduce and manage glyphosate-resistant weeds (especially ryegrass, fleabane, and sunflower).” (p. 17).

    “Southern Region Critical Needs for Weeds

    Research

    1. Develop effective alternatives to glyphosate, especially those that are systemically translocated.
    2. Enhance cultivation methods for removing weeds, such as via finger and torsion weeders or robotic technology.
    3. Increase efforts to find effective biological control agents for weeds (e.g., research the effectiveness of the herbivorous mite that attacks Russian thistle).

    Regulatory

    1. Register any effective and viable alternatives to glyphosate, especially systemically translocated herbicides.

    Education

    1. Educate growers on whether or how natural enemies can be used to manage Russian thistle and other relevant weeds.” (p. 17).

    Weeds come up frequently in other areas of the PMSP, especially in relation to insect pest management.

    You can also find descriptions of common weed problems on page 45 and weed management practices are included in the Farming and IPM Practices section starting on page 58. There is a weed occurrence table on page 75 in Appendix I, and efficacy tables for herbicides and nonchemical management starting on page 93 in Appendix II.

    Martin, T., C. Swett, A. Vinchesi-Vahl, and S. Parreira. 2021. Pest Management Strategic Plan for California Processing Tomato Production. https://ipmdata.ipmcenters.org/documents/pmsps/2021_07_22_Processing_Tomato_PMSP_final.pdf

  • Potato Breeding Research Grant Opportunity

    The USDA Potato Breeding Research grant program supports potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) research and Extension programs that focus on varietal development and testing to create improved potato varieties for commercial production using conventional breeding and/or biotechnological genetics. Application deadline is May 18. For more information, read the Potato Breeding Research program funding opportunity.

  • Bringing Japanese Melon Varieties to the US

    The experimental fields of the Mount Vernon Northwestern Research & Extension Center are adorned this summer with Japanese melons that could one day fill the displays of grocery stores across the western United States.

    Eight varieties of Higo Green melon — a variation traditionally unique to Japan — are being evaluated at the Washington State University facility for their ability to grow in the Northwest as well as for their sweetness and texture compared to the market-standard variety of cantaloupe. This year’s melon trials follow up on experiments done last summer in which eight melon varieties were compared by size, texture, color and taste.

    After its flagship Higo Green melons came out on top in the eyes of tasters last summer, the Matsui Seed Co. Ltd. opted to further understand how long it would take for fruit of the new varieties to reach maturity in the northwest region of the U.S. and how they compare to other melons commonly found in grocery stores along the West Coast.

    The Matsui Seed Co. didn’t just stumble upon WSU as a partner for these trials. Its president, Kunihiko Matsui, is a WSU graduate who was passionate about working with his alma mater to help introduce new varieties to the U.S.

    “I really appreciate my time at Washington State University, as well as the experiences I had in Washington State and the United States,” Matsui said. “Without those experiences, I wouldn’t be here today.”

    From banker to melon breeder

    Matsui was born into a family with nine generations of agriculture experience in Japan’s Nara Prefecture. His grandfather, Kiichi Matsui, started the Matsui Seed Co. in 1952, driven by a passion for helping his country rebuild after World War II.

    While growing up, Matsui was often asked to review different varieties of melon being grown by his family, an experience that continues to pay dividends now as the president of the company, he said. It’s now Matsui’s children delivering their assessments of his company’s newest melon varieties.

    Prior to coming to the Palouse, Matsui graduated from Japan’s Chuo University with a degree in business. But after four years working at a major bank, he knew he wanted to do something different with his life.

    “When I was at the bank, some of my customers were fresh food delivery companies who distributed, watermelons and melons created by my father,” Matsui said. “I realized that this was my father’s product and our family’s business was producing the seeds for new varieties of melon. Just as my father transferred these new varieties through selling seeds to distributors, my father’s thoughts and philosophies were transferred to me, and I understand just what an amazing job this could be.”

    Matsui first traveled to Washington after joining an international program during his time as a university student, staying for one month with a host family in Snohomish County. Impressed by the weather and the people he encountered as well as WSU’s reputation as an agriculture school, Matsui left his job and traveled to the U.S.

    In the fall of 2002, Matsui enrolled at WSU’s Intensive American Language Center. He opted to study crop sciences and graduated with his bachelor’s degree in 2005. Steve Ullrich, an emeritus Crop and Soil Sciences faculty member, was instrumental in Matsui’s studies and path forward after graduation.

    “Just before I left the U.S., he told me that I should study from my father because even though I have the basic breeding knowledge, there is more to learn from my father,” Matsui said.

    The path back to Washington

    Upon returning to Japan, Matsui began working closely with his father as part of the seed company. The next several years were spent gaining insight on the complex and lengthy breeding process for different melon varieties. In Japan, melons are grown twice a year. Initially, Matsui said his knowledge of breeding better melons was lacking, and amounted to little more than growing and harvesting melons before cutting them up and tasting them.

    Eventually, Matsui’s father introduced him to a product development expert, who gave him clues on the key components to breeding better melons. Once he understood the balance of genetic and environmental factors, his eyes were opened to the possibilities.

    While in the United States, Matsui would often visit local farmer’s markets across the Palouse. The local farmer’s penchant for growing different kinds of crops not as commonly available in big grocery stores demonstrated that there was a wiliness among growers to try new things. Additionally, Matsui came to believe that American consumers are quite eager to try new things if they are available to them.

    These factors brought Matsui to pursue a path to bringing Japanese melon varieties to the United States. When it came to finding a partner to find out which types of melons grew best, he turned to his alma mater.

    “Washington is very close to the climate of northern japan, a similar climate,” Matsui said. “I know that there are places that are warmer and therefore better to grow, but I didn’t have connections in those places like I did in Washington and I wanted to use the connections I had to WSU.”

    Carol Miles, director of the WSU Mount Vernon Northwestern Washington Research and Extension Center (WSU NWREC), recalls telling Matsui about the challenges posed by doing melon trials at the Mount Vernon site.

    “The soil is quite a bit heavier here than eastern Washington, spring rains can cause planting delays, and soil and air temperatures are cooler, leading to melons taking much longer to reach maturity,” Miles said.

    Despite these challenges, Matsui wanted to press ahead, impressing Miles with his affinity toward the university.

    Srijana Shrestha is a Ph.D. gradate research assistant with Miles at WSU NWREC and leads the trials involving Matsui melons. On approximately a tenth of an acre, melon trials are conducted during the summer months, with last year being the first to include seeds provided by Matsui’s company.

    While Matsui’s melons took roughly 20% longer to reach maturity than Athena cantaloupe, a market standard, when they did, the resulting fruit were the highest rated by taste testers for their firmness and sweetness. To generate greater reliability in the results and drill down further into which type of melon is best for the western U.S., Shrestha is repeating the trials again this year with eight varieties of Higo Green melons, testing them against a new market standard variety, Infinite Gold.

    “Matsui  wants to test their best varieties for the U.S. because the plants perform very differently in Japan, and so it’s a matter of understanding how they grow here and how are they compare to varieties standard to American consumers,” Shrestha said.

    Once Americans taste the unique melon varieties of Japan, Matsui is confident they’ll come back for more.

    “Even though our varieties aren’t common commercially in the U.S., I believe the taste will be accepted in the U.S.,” Matsui said, “The taste will break through the market.” — By RJ Wolcott, Washington State University

  • Western Growers to Honor John D’Arrigo at the 2023 Annual Meeting

    During its quarterly Board Meeting, the Western Growers Executive Committee announced it will bestow D’Arrigo Bros. Co. of California CEO/President and Chairman of the Board John D’Arrigo with the 2023 Award of Honor. The Award of Honor is Western Growers’ highest recognition of achievement and is given to individuals who have contributed extensively to the agricultural community.

    D’Arrigo Bros. Co. of California is a vertically integrated grower, packer and shipper of fresh fruits and vegetables in California, Arizona and Mexico. John D’Arrigo, a third-generation farmer, began his farming career cutting and packing lettuce, loading celery and planting fields in the Salinas Valley during the 1970s.

    Under his leadership, D’Arrigo Bros. became pioneers in developing automated robotic harvesting equipment and drip irrigation systems.  In addition, the company is the largest, privately owned, net energy metered solar powered operator in Monterey County and recipient of the prestigious Clean Air Leader Climate Change Advocate Award from the Monterey Bay Air Resources District.

    “Some say that maintaining a family legacy is both a blessing and a curse, but in his years at the helm of D’Arrigo Bros., John D’Arrigo has opted not only to count his blessings but to also build upon them,” said Western Growers President and CEO Dave Puglia. “His pioneering innovations as a grower, packer and shipper are only matched by his dedication to lifting up those around him through his extensive charitable endeavors and advocacy to improve the lives and business opportunities for everyone in agriculture. John is widely admired for decades of support of his family, his company and his community. No less important to him and to our industry is John’s long and deeply engaged service on both the Western Growers Board of Directors and Western Growers Assurance Trust Board of Trustees. John D’Arrigo is among the most impactful leaders in our industry and is a natural selection to receive Western Growers’ highest honor at our annual meeting in November.”

    John served on the Western Growers Board of Directors for 28 years and as Chair in 2004. In addition, he served on the Western Growers Assurance Trust Board of Directors from 1997 – 2022.

    D’Arrigo was an inaugural appointee by the California Secretary of Agriculture to the board of the Leafy Greens Marketing Agreement (LGMA). He is a founding member and on the advisory council of the Yuma Center of Excellence for Desert Agriculture (YCEDA), an innovative public-private partnership with The University of Arizona to improve all aspects of desert crop production.

    He has been a supporter of the Breast Cancer Research Foundation; D’Arrigo California has donated over $2 million dollars to fund over 42,000 hours of breast cancer research. In 2010, John founded The Agricultural Leadership Council, known as TALC, which is dedicated to changing and saving lives of agricultural workers and their families at Natividad Medical Center.

    “Given my family’s three generations of involvement in Western Growers, this award is particularly meaningful for me,” D’Arrigo said. “I am humbled and honored to be joining my father, Andy, and the many legendary award recipients who have come before me. Together, we have built an industry we can be proud to leave to the next generation.”

    John and his wife Sandy have been married for 32 years; they have three sons: Christopher, Michael and Matthew.

    D’Arrigo’s achievements will be celebrated at the Award of Honor Dinner Gala at the Western Growers 2023 Annual Meeting at the Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort & Spa. The 2023 Annual Meeting will be held from Nov. 12-15, 2023. For more information about registration or to take advantage of sponsorship opportunities, please contact Assistant Vice President, Membership Kim Stuart at kstuart@wga.com.

    About Western Growers:

    Founded in 1926, Western Growers represents local and regional family farmers growing fresh produce in California, Arizona, Colorado and New Mexico. Western Growers’ members and their workers provide over half the nation’s fresh fruits, vegetables and tree nuts, including half of America’s fresh organic produce. Connect and learn more about Western Growers on Twitter and Facebook.

  • Registration Now Open for Salinas Biological Summit, June 20-21

    Registration is now open to attend the first-ever Salinas Biological Summit, which will be held June 20-21, 2023 at CSU Monterey Bay’s Salinas City Center.

    Co-presented by Western Growers and New Zealand-based agrifood tech consultancy Wharf42, the 2023 Salinas Biological Summit will provide an opportunity for growers to increase their awareness of available biological solutions to address their soil and plant needs, as well as a chance for agricultural businesses to learn about the disruptive science and start-up activity lead by innovators in the crop protection space.

    “This is an incredibly important and timely Summit that focuses on an area that needs much more attention, planning and coordination of next-gen tools so we can ensure bountiful production of horticultural crops so critical to health and nutrition,” said California Department of Food and Agriculture Secretary Karen Ross, who will deliver welcoming remarks at the event.

    “For Western Growers members, biologicals have become a significant issue,” said Dennis Donohue, Director of the Western Growers Center for Innovation and Technology. “The 2023 Salinas Biological Summit will provide the platform to share knowledge, insights and best practices to address the opportunity.”

    Confirmed speakers at the event include Dave Puglia, President & CEO of Western Growers; Julie Henderson, Director, California Department of Pesticide Regulation; Don Cameron, Vice President and General Manager of Terranova Ranch; Pam Marrone, CEO and Founder, Chestnut Bio Advisors; and Scott Kumar, SVP of Global R&D at Driscoll’s.

    Registration, hotel accommodations and the agenda for the Salinas Biological Summit can be found here.

    About Western Growers:

    Founded in 1926, Western Growers represents local and regional family farmers growing fresh produce in California, Arizona, Colorado and New Mexico. Western Growers’ members and their workers provide over half the nation’s fresh fruits, vegetables and tree nuts, including half of America’s fresh organic produce. Connect and learn more about Western Growers on Twitter and Facebook.

  • Celebrating National Celery Month With Dandy® Celery “Stalk Up For Spring” Sweepstakes

    Duda Farm Fresh Foods, a leading grower of fresh vegetables and citrus, launches its annual National Celery Month consumer sweepstakes with a new theme – “Stalk Up for Spring.” Throughout the month of March, Duda Farm Fresh Foods will share ways consumers can incorporate celery into their spring routines, along with the chance to win the ultimate prize pack valued at $1,200.

    “Each year, we celebrate National Celery Month in March and are excited to roll out this new promotion theme to further engage with our shoppers,” said Nichole Towell, senior director of marketing and packaging procurement at Duda Farm Fresh Foods. “Spring is the perfect time to refresh your kitchen and clean out your fridge. Through this promotion, we’ll share unique ideas on how to do just that while also adding fresh vegetables, particularly Dandy celery, to consumers’ shopping list.”

    Now through March 31, shoppers are encouraged to enter the “Stalk Up for Spring” Sweepstakes for a chance to win spring-focused prizes that include a $1,000 Visa gift card, a rolling cooler backpack, a bocce ball lawn game set, and a name-brand waterproof speaker. Additionally, Duda Farm Fresh Foods will choose one winner each week to receive a shipment of fresh-cut celery and coupons to enjoy throughout National Celery Month.

    Duda Farm Fresh Foods will employ a comprehensive marketing strategy to promote the sweepstakes that includes regional TV segments, public relations efforts, influencer support, celery use and application inspiration, online advertising, as well as email and social media campaigns to increase sweepstakes entries and drive demand for the product in stores.

    Dandy® celery is available in whole stalk, one and two count hearts, and a variety of fresh-cut options to meet each shopper’s needs. For additional information, please visit www.dudafresh.com or follow Dandy Fresh Produce social media platforms for daily inspiration at Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

    About Dandy® Celery

    For nearly 100 years, Duda Farm Fresh Foods has been a leading grower, shipper, processor and marketer of fresh vegetables and citrus. Known for their superior celery, the company has expanded their facilities over the years to accommodate recent developments such as celery juicing and other health and wellness trends in order to provide consumers with the freshest celery possible. With primary locations in Florida, California, Arizona, Georgia and Michigan, Duda Farm Fresh Foods carries a commitment to innovation and sustainability and believes in growing a healthy future for generations to come. The company is a wholly owned subsidiary of A. Duda & Sons, Inc., a family-owned, diversified land company headquartered in Oviedo, Fla. For more information, please visit www.dudafresh.com.

  • The Importance of Yuma’s Agricultural Water in the Colorado River Basin

    A prolonged drought in the West is making the fate of the Colorado River less certain. As a result, agriculture is at risk. Agricultural water is extremely important to the Yuma growing region, the Winter Lettuce capital of North America. Between the months of November and April, 90% of the U.S. and Canada’s leafy greens and other vegetables come from Yuma area.

    Yuma’s agricultural industry recently put together a webpage and video to illustrate what could happen if the Yuma area does not get its water allocations from the Colorado River. Yuma enjoys resources – water, soil, climate, labor, and infrastructure – that allow for the efficient production of the Nation’s food supply. Reduced water supplies for Yuma will mean less healthy foods available for consumers.  Approximately 170 million servings of lettuce are produced in the Yuma area each day from November to April.

    Generations of farmers have built the most efficient and productive agricultural ecosystem in Yuma, Arizona. Crop per drop (how much food is produced per acre foot of water): Yuma is about 75% more efficient than the rest of the Colorado River Basin. Yuma farmers conserve water by leveling fields, using the precise amount of water needed for each crop and tracking every gallon of water used. Yuma area growers are feeding more people with less resources and continually look for ways to become more efficient.

    “Yuma is about 75% more efficient than the rest of the Colorado Basin.  If you cut water from Yuma, society will be giving up more than if you make cuts elsewhere. . . .” says Dr. George Frisvold, an agricultural economist with the University of Arizona.

    About Yuma County Agricultural Water Coalition:

    A coalition of five irrigation districts and one water users association operating and delivering water in Yuma County, Arizona and one water district operating and delivering water in Bard, California. All members have entitlements to the Colorado River. Learn more at https://agwateryuma.com/.


    About Yuma Fresh:

    Yuma Fresh Vegetable Association protects, connects, and promotes the Yuma farming community. Yuma fresh works to solve issues for farming community, connects people through networking and education events and promotes the contributions of Yuma agriculture. Learn more at https://yumafreshveg.com/.

  • Improving Soil Health in Potato Cropping Systems

    Minimizing soil disturbance is one of the key tenets promoted to build soil health in agricultural systems. Many farmers across the county have adopted reduced and no-till systems to build soil carbon, a central component to healthy soils. But what if you grow a crop where the part you sell is underground – like potatoes? What are some options to build soil health in those systems?

    In the US, overall, the potato industry was a $4 billion industry in 2020. Americans will eat their potatoes fresh, frozen, fried, chipped, canned, dehydrated. Potato products are also used as food ingredients, like potato starch.

    Potato plants blooming in a field in northwestern Washington. Researchers are looking at ways to grow potatoes with less soil disturbance, which can improve soil health. Credit: Deirdre Griffin LaHue

    Potatoes are a valuable crop in Washington state and are the second leading producer of potatoes in the United States (after neighboring Idaho.) Central Washington grows Russet potatoes primarily for French fries and other processed potato products. Northwestern Washington is known for colorful, fresh-market potatoes.

    The potato industry in Washington recognizes the importance of healthy soils for long-term, sustainable production of the crop. One issue with growing potatoes: they are a tuber crop, growing belowground. Thus, planting and harvesting them disturbs the soil more than a crop like wheat or barley, which are harvested aboveground. Growers and researchers are working on strategies to promote soil health in this typically high disturbance system.

    Aerial image of the long-term agricultural experiment to improve soil health in northwestern Washington’s potato-based cropping systems. The research team is looking at the feasibility and benefits of using cover crops to improve soil health. Credit: Kwabena Sarpong

    Through Washington’s new Soil Health Initiative, my team and collaborators recently set up a long-term rotational experiment to explore some of these strategies in potato-based systems. The strategies represent the typical rotations and soils of the area. The trial is designed with methods that use changing levels of:

    • soil disturbance (i.e., tillage),
    • organic matter inputs,
    • internal (cover crops and residues) and,
    • external (compost).

    This allows us to study multiple soil health principles and how they interact with one another.

    Potatoes in northwestern Washington are typically grown in a particular field every 3-5 years. Soil improvement strategies are really focused on what happens before and after the potato crop.

    A three-year cover crop of a grass-clover mixture will be mowed periodically with no other disturbance. Farmers in Washington state typically grow potatoes every 3 to 5 years. Credit: Deirdre Griffin LaHue

    One practice many growers are experimenting with is cover cropping. Cover crops are grown between cash crops to provide agroecosystem benefits related to 3 of the 4 main soil health principles: cover the soil, increase diversity, and maximize continuous living roots, which help feed microorganisms in the soil.

    Farmers in the area are using two methods. One is winter cover crops, planted in fall and terminated in spring. The other is multi-year cover crops that are mowed and continuously provide organic carbon inputs to the soil.

    Our cold, wet fall and spring seasons can be a challenge to establishing winter cover crops. This is due to harvesting potatoes through October. But having cover crops between all other rotational crops may still benefit the soil.

    The multi-year cover crop likely provides more soil benefits, but farmers are then missing out on several years of growing a cash crop. Our experiment looks at both cover crop strategies and their effects on soil properties, crop yields, ecosystem benefits, and farm economics.

    We are also studying potato-growing systems that reduce soil disturbance. We’re looking at whether it’s both feasible and beneficial to rotate in wheat or barley planted with no-till seeders. Minimizing soil disturbance between potato crops could improve soil health and future potato yields.

    Ultimately, we need to take a systems approach to improving soil health with potatoes and with any crop. It is not just about one crop. It’s about how the whole cropping system is managed over time. By finding those intervention points to introduce a soil-building practice, we can steadily improve soil health even with underground crops. — By Deirdre Griffin-LaHue, Washington State University (Soils Matter, Get the Scoop)

  • Two New Grants to Study Plant Oil Production

    Washington State University received more than $1.2 million in funding from the USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture’s Foundational Knowledge of Plant Products program. The two U.S. Department of Agriculture grants will aid research in plant oils at WSU’s Institute of Biological Chemistry (IBC) over three years.

    The USDA program supports projects that study the synthesis of valuable, plant-derived chemicals and ingredients used in foods, pharmaceuticals, and other natural products.

    “Our unit has a great track record for funding important and beneficial research,” said Mark Lange, IBC interim director and primary investigator on one of the two grants. “There is always a limited amount of scientific funding available, and it’s great to know that the work we have done is valued and worthy of support.”

    Lange’s project will further explore essential oils and mint plants. The other grant is headed by Philip Bates, IBC associate professor. Bates’ grant will investigate fatty acid production in a plant currently not grown commercially.

    He and co-investigator Azeez Abdul, a post-doctoral researcher in Bates’ lab, will primarily explain how plants make fatty acids. Fatty acids accumulate in vegetable oils commonly used for cooking, but they can also be used to replace petroleum in lubricants, glues, plastics, and other products in the chemical and pharmaceutical industries.

    Bates said they will focus on Fendler’s bladderpod, a plant native to the southwestern U.S. and Mexico. It’s not a commonly known plant, but produces valuable, unusual non-food fatty acids that could replace castor oil in the chemical industry.

    Castor oil is made using castor beans, which are also used to make ricin. The castor plant is extremely poisonous, and its production is banned in the U.S. Currently, all castor oil in the country must be imported.

    Mark Lange (left) and Philip Bates.

    Bates hopes to increase the volume of fatty acids produced and the yield of bladderpod plants after studying the plant’s metabolism at the genetic level. He’s been working to better understand bladderpods for nearly a decade.

    “We’re diving deeper now, hoping to modify the oil content to get more oil in the plant,” Bates said.

    Oils are the theme of the USDA’s funding program, and Lange is taking a different tack by working on mint plants and essential oils.

    Currently, spearmint and peppermint are the only mint plants grown in the U.S. on a large scale. Because these crops are sterile and can only reproduce through cuttings, peppermint is almost the same as it was hundreds of years ago, Lange said.

    These mint plants are even more unusual because they have “parents” from three different plant species, not two. Lange has previously examined how this happened in nature centuries ago. While doing that work, he found that new types of oil could be produced.

    The new grant allows Lange to look for ways to make the plants produce more novel oils, to explore their potential commercial uses, and to see how they produce the oils on a genetic level.

    “We would love to tap into that and see if consumers would like more unusual oils,” Lange said. “They may not even be minty flavors; we could get something completely different.”

    Lange has studied mint plants for decades and said this grant recognizes the data that he and his team have gathered over time. Now, both Lange and Bates are primarily concerned with learning something new.

    “It’s why we do this: to find out how plants work,” Lange said. “We’re excited and grateful that the USDA thinks these projects are worth exploring.” — By Scott Weybright, College of Agricultural, Human, and Natural Resource Sciences

  • Strawberry Consumption Linked with Heart Health, Cardiometabolic Benefits

    As attention focuses on heart disease this February for American Heart Month, the latest research on strawberries, including their potential heart health benefits, was presented at the 9th biennial Berry Health Benefits Symposium (BHBS) in Tampa, FL. This research adds to the growing body of scientific evidence supporting the role of strawberry consumption in promoting heart health.

    According to Britt Burton-Freeman, Ph.D., professor at the Illinois Institute of Technology and BHBS Heart and Healthy Aging Session Chair, “The Global Burden of Disease (GBD) study showed that a diet low in fruit is among the top three risk factors for cardiovascular disease and diabetes. To address the “fruit gap” we need to increase the amount of total fruit consumed as well as the diversity of fruit in the diet. Accumulating evidence in cardiometabolic health suggests that as little as one cup of strawberries per day may show beneficial effects.”

    Studies demonstrate that the cardiometabolic benefits of strawberry consumption are multi-faceted and may include decreased total and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, increased vascular relaxation and tone, decreased inflammation and oxidative stress, decreased insulin resistance, and decreased blood sugar. Clinical trials have linked strawberries to improvements in various markers for cardiovascular disease, including lipid levels.

    In one randomized controlled crossover trial of 33 obese adults, daily consumption of strawberries at a dose of two-and-a-half cups per day significantly improved insulin resistance and moderately improved high-density lipoprotein (HDL) particle size in comparison to the control group.

    “Our study supports the hypothesis that strawberry consumption can improve cardiometabolic risks,” said lead investigator Arpita Basu, Ph.D., R.D.N., associate professor at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, “Furthermore, we believe this evidence supports the role of strawberries in a ‘food as medicine’ approach for the prevention of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease in adults.”1

    Another study with 34 adult men and women with moderate hypercholesterolemia conducted at the Illinois Institute of Technology found that vascular function, as indicated by flow-mediated dilation, improved one hour after strawberry intake.2

    As one of the most popular and accessible fruits in the U.S., strawberries are a flavor-favorite with consumers. A serving of 8 strawberries (one cup) fulfills the daily recommended value of vitamin C and delivers a host of other nutrients and beneficial bioactive compounds. Available year-round, strawberries offer consumers a versatile and convenient fruit option beloved by kids and adults.

    About California Strawberry Commission

    The California Strawberry Commission is more than 300 strawberry farmers, shippers, and processors, all working together to advance strawberry farming for the future of our land and people. Commission programs create opportunities for success through groundbreaking programs focused on workforce training, strawberry production research, and nutrition research. Through science-based information and education, it delivers the good news about sustainable farming practices that benefit the health of people, farms, and communities.