Alfalfa Growers Wait in the Dugout as Rain Delays First at Bat to Harvest Their Crop

Like baseball, spring signals renewal and optimism – a fresh start to a new season.

 But the first week of spring hasn’t been very spring-like. The rainy weather you might say has left farmers in the dugout waiting to start the first harvest of the season.

Certainly,growers have been looking forward to a strong year after seeing a rebound in 2017 when water supplies opened up after the end of the five-year drought. 

Alfalfa fields are about ready for the first cutting of the season.

The early March rain followed by several days of mid-to-high 70-degree days turned alfalfa fields into a sea of green, resembling the lush outfield grass at the ballpark. “Harvest is just around the corner,” says field scout Damien Jelen.

 But last week’s downpours, which dumped more than 2 inches of rain over three days in many Valley locales, have produced a rain delay. 

“It could be days before growers can get out into the fields,” he says. “The first cutting is very critical.”

Damien says the early dry winter could signal big pest problems for growers this season. “The worms could hit hard.”

The early season alfalfa harvests produce the best quality crop. As a low-value crop, it’s important for growers to take steps to protect their investment.

Make adjustments to the harvester during the first cutting.

Here are some tips for harvesting alfalfa after the rain:

•   Make sure the mower/conditioner is properly adjusted. The first-cut alfalfa is usually heavier and thicker than the later season crop. As a result, cutting requires more pressure from mowers. However, too much roller pressure could create excess leaf loss. For roller conditioners, check the roller clearance and pressure to ensure they are where they need to be. Proper speed and clearance are important for impeller conditioners.

• 

  Wet alfalfa can be spread out to dry in the sun.

• Make the windrow wider. If drying is a challenge, lay the alfalfa in a wide swatch to increase exposure to the wind and sun.
• Cutting higher will help air move around the windrow, allowing for quicker drying.
• Time your cutting. In drier areas, cutting later in the day is better. In more humid regions, cutting in the morning after the dew is off is better.
•   Rake only if necessary. Growers may have to rake if the cut alfalfa gets rained on. If that’s the case, raking should be done when the moisture content is 30 to 40 percent. This will balance leaf loss with good drying.  Consider using a chemical aid to prevent moisture damage.

 Let’s hope nature cooperates and lets alfalfa growers start working their fields soon.

Protecting Almond Orchards, Honey Bees at the Same Time

 As we welcome the arrival of spring on Tuesday, many Valley farmers are certainly ready to close the chapter on another weird winter.

Almond growers, for certain, can’t wait for more predictable weather. In recent weeks, the wet weather this month has forced them to scramble to protect their crop. It also has created a few headaches for beekeepers.

Almond growers applying herbicides to combat rainy weather.

“We really needed it to rain from November to February. We got it in March,” almond field scout Jenna Mayfield says. Obviously, she adds, “we have no control over it.”

Indeed, growers have been busy applying fungicides in the almond orchards to prevent post bloom and petal fall diseases, including brown rot.  “There have been a lot of applications,” Jenna says.

Fungicide applications provide 10 to 14 days of protection, depending on the weather, according to UC extension advisers.  If more rain arrives after that period, growers may have to spray again. Jenna notes growers need to notify the county agricultural commissioner’s office in advance of applications and alert beekeepers as well.

A few beekeepers have told Jenna that they didn’t get a chance to safeguard their bees. “There have been a number of bee losses,” she says. It’s unclear if these issues stem from a communications breakdown.

Some beekeepers are reporting a loss of honey bees..

Farm advisors point out communication is important during the pollination period. “All parties should be kept informed so that beekeepers are aware of impending applications and applicators are aware of the requirements related to notification, materials, timing, location and method of applications,” Emily J. Symmes, a UCCE Sacramento Valley IPM advisor, wrote in an Almond Doctor column last year.

Research by Texas A&M University’s Department of Entomology found that the fungicide iprodion reduces the survival rate of honeybees.  “Given that these fungicides may be applied when honey bees are present in almond orchards, our findings suggest that the bees may face significant danger from chemical applications even when responsibly applied,” wrote Juliana Rangel, Texas A&M assistant professor of apiculture and co-author of the study.

Almond industry officials note that growers have been adapting their practices to avoid using fungicides when bees and pollen are present in the orchards. They also point out UC IPM recommends against using iprodion during almond bloom.

If you want to learn more about protecting bees, check out the Almond Board of California’s website and video on Honey Bee Best Management Practices.

 FIELD DAY: Almond growers can get off to a good start this season by attending a field day that will focus on disease, fungicide, pest and nutrient management on Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Rushing Ranch, 11599 W. Shaw, Fresno. Speakers are David Doll, a Merced County University of California Cooperative Extension pomologist, and Mae Culumber, UCCE nut crop specialist, in Fresno County. Doll will review bloomtime diseases and chemical choices, including reduced risk choices and proper selection of fungicides. He also will discuss irrigation management in a dry year. Culumber will offer tips about nutrient management to minimize disease and pest outbreaks. For more information, contact San Joaquin Sustainable Farming Project Director Marcia Gibbs at (530) 370-5325 or at marcia@sustainablecotton.org.

Growers Are Banning Together to Protect Water Quality

Water is always a big subject among farmers, especially during the recent years of drought.
Water quality, though, has been a big topic for decades in farm country.  And in the past decade, the rules have become even more stringent.

Here is what the state Water Board says: “A range of pollutants can be found in runoff from irrigated lands, such as pesticides, fertilizers, salts, pathogens, and sediment. At high enough concentrations, these pollutants can harm aquatic life or make water unusable for drinking water or agricultural uses. The Irrigated Lands Regulatory Program was initiated in 2003 to prevent agricultural runoff from impairing surface waters, and in 2012, groundwater regulations were added to the program.”

Growers are required to monitor irrigation runoff.

 
Growers that irrigate their crops need to enroll in the state-mandated program. Otherwise, they are subject to hefty fines.What does this all mean? These growers are required to monitor runoff from their land, install monitoring wells and submit reports such as nitrogen management plans.
Meeting these requirements can be an onerous task. Moreover, doing your own groundwater monitoring can be quite expensive.

That’s where water quality coalitions come into play. Farmer-created groups such as the Westside San Joaquin River Watershed Coalition are formed to economically monitor waterways and administer the Irrigated Lands Regulatory Program. They work with growers to follow best management practices to prevent water pollution from nutrients, pesticides and other crop protection chemicals. The groups also prepare regional plans to address water quality problems.

 Growers follow BMPs to protect the groundwater.

The Westside Coalition was organized under the San Joaquin Valley Drainage Authority. The organization boasts 1,683 growers who farm 460,000 acres between the San Joaquin River and Interstate 5. The group monitors 17 different tributaries, checking monthly for pesticides and toxicity to fish and other aquatic life.

“Growers are doing the best to their ability to protect groundwater. It requires a lot of effort on your part,” Orvil McKinnis, Westside Coalition project manager told a group of growers during a meeting in Firebaugh.

Lawn fertilizers can impact waterways.

McKinnis said nitrates in the groundwater can come from many sources, including homeowners fertilizing their lawns. “Everyone is making an impact on groundwater. Because you use it (nitrogen fertilizers) in large quantities you get picked on.”  (Nitrogen that is not used by crops can convert into nitrates and pollute groundwater.)

On the good news front, McKinnis said diazinon pollution has vanished. The last time diazinon was detected in the local waterways was 2012.  “Chlorpyrifros still shows up. Everyone in the state is looking at this,” he said.

Chlorpyrifos, a broad spectrum pesticide, has become a hot political issue on the federal and state levels. Some states are moving to ban the chemical. At times, growers seem to get caught in the middle of this issue.

“Growers use it,” McKinnis said. However, “some (people) are convinced you are applying it at night by the drum loads. We know that’s not the case.”

FIELD DAY: Almond growers can get off to a good start this season by attending a field day that will focus on disease, fungicide, pest and nutrient management on March 21 from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Rushing Ranch, 11599 W. Shaw, Fresno. Speakers are David Doll, a Merced County University of California Cooperative Extension pomologist, and Mae Culumber, UCCE nut crop specialist, in Fresno County. Doll will review bloomtime diseases and chemical choices, including reduced risk choices and proper selection of fungicides. He also will discuss irrigation management in a dry year. Culumber will offer tips about nutrient management to minimize disease and pest outbreaks. For more information, contact San Joaquin Sustainable Farming Project Director Marcia Gibbs at (530) 370-5325 or at marcia@sustainablecotton.org. 

Let It Rain and Snow – For the Sake of Our Local Ag Economy

Look. Up in the sky. It’s a bird. It’s a plane. It’s …. RAIN.

Yes indeed, the skies finally opened up as we welcomed the first couple days of March, dumping a welcome inch of rainfall.  The news is worthy of the opening line of the old 1950s Adventures of Superman TV series in which onlookers on the ground peered skyward to spot an amazing sight – the Man of Steel.

In our case, rain is just as welcome as Superman arriving to save the day. Let’s put some context about how dry it has been in the Valley – the 1.32 inches  of rain accumulated during the first three days of March boosted the region’s rainfall total since November by an amazing 73 percent. That’s right. We saw only 1.53 inches of rain in November, December and January and .26 inches in February.

Of course, we’ll need lots and lots of rain as well as snow in the mountains to bring good water news to growers.

Valley farmers are already disappointed – although not surprised – by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation’s recent announcement ofthe initial allocation of 20 percent from the Central Valley Project (CVP).

Here's a map of the Central Valley Water Project.

“Despite the historic rainfall last year, California’s lack of sufficient water storage forces us to operate on a year-to-year basis. The amount we can store in our reservoirs is not enough to get us through these very dry years,” said David Murillo, Reclamation’s Mid-Pacific Regional Director.

“Given what we know today, and what we see in the forecast, we must be very conservative with our allocation. If this lack of rain and snow continues, we could very well be right back in drought operations. A situation like this really underscores the need for more storage in California.”

As you recall, we came out of five years of drought in 2017 after record rain pelted much of Northern California.  Last year, the CVP allocated 65 percent of water to suppliers such as the Westlands Water District, the nation’s largest agricultural water provider. Westlands serves cotton growers in western Fresno County.  That compared to 5 percent in 2016 and no water in 2014 and 2015. The Bureau reported growers in the Friant Division will receive a 30 percent allocation.

We’ll have to see how the tight water supplies impact the Valley farming community. During the drought, we saw growers fallow acres and acres of prime farm land. Almond trees were pulled out and cotton acreage dropped. Some alfalfa growers stopped production mid-season, opting to save water for higher value crops.

A drought could impact lots of Valley agricultural workers.

The Westlands Water District (WWD), which supplies water to 700 family farms cultivating 1,000 square miles of ag land, has published a series of economic reports that points out that the lack of water allocations has forced farmers to turn to less labor-intensive crops.  The district estimates its farmers provide nearly 29,000 jobs and $3.6 billion in economic activity.

“The failure to provide the contracted water levels has resulted in an 18 percent loss of economic output within the district,” a September 2017 report stated.

“Consistent and ongoing provision of the full allocation of water to WWD would result in a 19.9 percent increase in employment and more than a 17 percent increase in economic output from WWD alone.”  

The report notes that more than half of agricultural workers have less than a high school education and 95 percent have no college. “Agriculture does provide a path for social mobility with opportunities to advance and earn significantly higher wages, even for these low skilled workers.”

Here’s our wish for March: Let it rain. Let it snow.

FIELD DAY: To help almond growers get off to a good start this season, two leading University of California Cooperative Extension farm advisors will outline disease, fungicide, pest and nutrient management tips at a March 21 field day in Fresno County.

The free event will be from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Rushing Ranch, 11599 W. Shaw, Fresno.  David Doll, a Merced County UCCE pomologist, will review bloomtime diseases and chemical choices, including reduced risk choises and proper selection of fungicide choices. He also will cover irrigation management in a dry year.

Mae Culumber, UCCE nut crop in Fresno County, will offer tips about nutrient management to help growers better understand how to management nitrogen applications and avoid over fertilization to minimize disease and pest outbreaks.  For more information contact Project Director Marcia Gibbs at (530) 370-5325 or at marcia@sustainablecotton.org.