Five stories are making headlines across California agriculture this week, from a familiar Central Valley face appearing on pistachio packaging to a new tool aimed at protecting cattle from New World screwworm. Here’s what you need to know in this week’s edition of This Week in Ag. Josh Allen Featured on Wonderful Pistachios Packaging Firebaugh native and NFL MVP Josh …
UC Ag and Natural Resources is hosting its 2026 Irrigation and Nutrient Management Meeting for vegetable and berry crop growers. The session will offer cover such topics as basin conditions and groundwater management, stress factors affecting rot development in strawberries, irrigation management tools, impact assessments on nitrogen fertilizer and more. The meeting will be held Aug. 19 from 8:20 a.m. …
UC Ag and Natural Resources will hold the 42nd International Carrot Conference, scheduled for June 2-3 at the Bakersfield Marriott Convention Center. The Carrot Conference is an opportunity to share and discuss research findings and a way for people to exchange ideas and concerns in all aspects of carrot production. Topics such as breeding, new products, production, and pest management …
California’s processing tomato industry for the first time this past harvest season agreed to voluntary equipment cleaning and notification guidelines to prevent the spread of branched broomrape, a parasitic weed that attaches to roots and sucks out key nutrients. The weed’s tiny can be smaller than finely ground spices, survive dormant in soils for decades and be carried by wind, …
The winter of 2024-2025 saw average precipitation for the Merced area, with 9.66 inches of rain based on the California Irrigation Management Information System (CIMIS) weather station in Ballico (Merced County no longer has any functioning CIMIS stations). A cool spring was followed by a mild summer, with only six days at or above 100°F. This great weather led to …
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins announced the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) intent to purchase up to $263 million in agricultural products from American farmers and producers to distribute to food banks and nutrition assistance programs across the country. These purchases are being made through USDA’s authority under Section 32 of the Agriculture Act of 1935 and will …
A new strain of fusarium wilt has been detected in lettuce, putting crops in danger. Researchers at UC Riverside are exploring new ways to combat this potentially devastating fungal disease. Alexander Putman spoke at the World Ag Expo in Tulare and with Matthew Malcolm from Malcolm Media Ag Publishing to discuss the issue. Watch this quick video and learn more …
Irrigation systems today are amazing at getting just the right amount of water where it needs to be to meet a crop’s needs; however, if these systems are not well-maintained, things can go south pretty fast, resulting in distribution uniformity-related losses and expensive repairs. During his presentation at Malcolm Media’s recent Tree & Vine Expo, UC Cooperative Extension Irrigation & …
Contracted production for California processing tomatoes is forecast at 11.0 million tons, averaging 55.0 tons per acre, according to USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service. The current production forecast is 1 percent below last year’s contracted production of 11.1 million tons, and 7 percent above the May forecast. The projected harvested acreage of tomatoes grown under contract is 200,000 acres, down …
While the University of California does not have an official potato breeding program, the cooperative extension has close ties and collaborations with other universities and private companies that do, and Kern County has become quite the hub for trialing new potato varieties to determine whether they are suitable for the warm and dry climate of the West. Jaspreet Sidhu, Vegetable …
N Munoz: Calling this “redistribution” is a pretty convenient way to avoid engaging with...