Winter Gives Way to Spring: Let the 2012 Growing Season Begin

Winter sure is going out with a storm. This past weekend’s storms brought up to 1.5 inches of rain in Fresno and more than a half-inch in Firebaugh. Still, no one is declaring a March Miracle, especially for farmers.

With spring arriving Tuesday, we now can look forward with what I consider the start of the 2012 growing season. Ag activity around the Valley certainly is picking up.

The alfalfa crop is growing nicely.

Alfalfa growers are adding nitrogen and nutrients to give their crop one final boost before the first harvest. Herbicide and pesticide applications have taken place. Growers are treating for alfalfa weevils and a light amount of aphids found in various areas. From what I have seen so far, pest pressure is normal for this time of year. I expect the first cutting for alfalfa to occur in about two to three weeks. The crop is coming along quite nicely.

Beehives are moving out of the orchards.

In the almond orchards, the bees are finished buzzing around doing their important pollination chore for the season. Beekeepers are removing hives from the orchards and heading off for their next job. Most trees escaped damage from the frost that hit our area a few weeks ago. Overall, I’m seeing almond trees with a nice crop set this season. That bodes well for a good producing year. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. There’s still months to go before harvest time.

Right now, almond growers are treating for mites and diseases, especially for shot hole, a fungus that survives in infected twigs and as spores on healthy buds, according to the University of California Statewide Integrated Pest Management website. Because of the relatively mild and dry winter, growers are seeing early signs of mites. Check out UC IPM for more information about mites.

Cotton growers have completed pre-irrigating their fields.

The last of the cotton growers – those with sandy soil – have wrapped up pre-irrigation of their fields. Those with clay and loam soils are starting to work their field beds. Cotton seeds are arriving. Expect the rebound in cotton acreage the past couple of years to end this year, thanks to soft global commodity prices and a drop in federal water allocations in the Westside. Many growers will put more emphasis on other crops such as almonds. But that’s farming for you.

 

For me, spring means spending more time in the field. This week, I’ll start my weekly field scouting with alfalfa. I’ll be sending out reports to growers participating in the San Joaquin Sustainable Farming Project. Give me a shout if you see me driving around.

Ready to Spring Forward with This Year's Growing Season

Valley almond orchards are showing their brilliant colors.

With daylight lasting longer every day, activity is picking up in the fields and orchards across the San Joaquin Valley. I expect it to get a lot busier next week as we spring forward with Daylight Savings Time coming up this weekend. Longer, sunlit days certainly signal another growing season is upon us.

Cotton growers pre-irrigating their fields.

Cotton growers are continuing to pre-irrigate their fields in preparation of the spring planting. Those with sandy soil are just starting pre-irrigation.

Around the orchards, there is a sea of white and pale pink lighting up the landscape. Trees are in full bloom – a spectacular sight and wonderful Kodak moment for photo buffs. Small leaves are already developing on the trees.

Impact of shot hole fungus.
UC IPM photo/Jack Kelly Clark

While there was steady snow falling in the mountains, the late-winter storm didn’t produce much rain on the Valley floor. We had anywhere from a 1/10^th to 1/20^th of an inch of rain. Still to guard against disease and what rain we had, a lot of growers are applying their second bloom spray. That will prevent brown rot blossom blight and shot hole fungus from developing. Thanks to the warm weather, bees have been active pollinating the almond trees.

 You can see the visible signs of  brown rot blossom blight.
                                                 UC IPM photo/Jack Kelly Clark

The alfalfa crop is growing nicely. I anticipate the first cutting to take place in about three weeks – a little earlier than the usual because of the mild winter. Growers are now treating for alfalfa weevils as well as weeds. Some are combining treatments with one application to save on labor costs. Growers should keep in mind that it’s a good practice to rotate their chemicals to avoid long-term pesticide resistance.

Growers are treating for alfalfa weevils.

If you want to learn more about pest management guidelines for alfalfa weevils, the University of California Statewide Integrated Pest Management (UC IPM) program offers a wealth of information through its website. UC IPM also offers tips about weed management for alfalfa.

Water update: Despite last week’s heavy dusting of snow in the Sierra Nevada, the water outlook remains iffy for Valley growers, especially those in the Westlands Water District. The Bureau of Reclamation announced an initial forecast of 30 percent water allocation. Westlands General Manager Thomas Birmingham called the announcement both “disappointing” given the near-record amount of water stored in reservoirs and “outstanding” in light of the dry conditions this winter. That is prompting some growers to cut back on their cotton planting this year and opt for other crops such as tomatoes. I’m sure we haven’t heard the rest of this story. To be continued…

Looks Like Spring in the Valley, But Calendar Says It's Winter

Almond trees are coming in bloom in many Valley areas.

 It’s hard to believe spring is still a month away. As I drive around farm country in the Great Valley, I’m seeing a lot of almond trees in colorful bloom and alfalfa fields shimmering in green.

Almond growers that didn’t apply dormant sprays like copper and oil are seeing 60 to 80 percent bloom in their trees. Dormant sprays will delay bloom. Let’s hope our area isn’t hit with heavy frost or heavy winter storms, which could cause problems with these early blooming trees. That could lead to blossom rot.

Alfalfa is looking good and is long past its winter dormant stage. Farmers will let the alfalfa grow until the first cutting, which usually takes place in mid or late April.

Here's a map of the Westlands Water District.

Water officials and cotton growers are certainly checking the weather forecasts regularly and looking toward the skies for signs of more rain in the Valley and snow in the Sierra Nevadas. Rain is nature’s version of pre-irrigation.

Heard on the Farms: Growers in the Westlands Water District received some bad news last week. They won’t be able to transfer the rest of their current water allocation into next season. Since they don’t need the water right now, many farmers are letting other growers have their water to irrigate their winter crops.

 About half our growers in our San Joaquin Sustainable Farming Project are in the Westlands district, which covers 600,000 acres of farmland south of Firebaugh (see the district map). Westlands growers have been anticipating a 35 to 50 percent water allocation this season. On Tuesday, the district will have its regular board meeting and I’m sure there will be an update about water availability for 2012. Stay tuned.

If water supplies becomes tight, some
growers may plant tomatoes over cotton.

In the past couple of years, cotton acreage has been on the upswing with increased water supplies and good commodity prices. Growers had talked about planting more cotton this year. But now, we may see less cotton acreage because of the water issue. Some growers will have to go to Plan B and plant less thirsty crops such as tomatoes using drip irrigation systems to conserve and maximize their water supplies. There’s no need to panic yet. There is still time before that decision will have to be made. Let’s keep that rain dance going.

Field Day Alert: Here’s a great opportunity to learn about dealing with this season’s pest management and water issues in almonds, cotton and alfalfa. SJSFP is sponsoring a free workshop from 9 a.m. to noon the Firebaugh Community Center, 1655 13^th St. Firebaugh, on Tuesday, February 28.

As usual, we will have a great panel of speakers: University of California Cooperative Extension Merced pomology farm advisor David Doll (almonds); UC IPM advisor Dr. Pete Goodell (cotton and alfalfa) and entomologist Walt Bentley (almonds), Chris Linneman, Program Manager, Westside San Joaquin River Watershed Coalition, and Louie Guerra, environmental scientist with the Department of Pesticide Regulation. Three continuing education credits have been approved.

While at the event, growers in Fresno, Madera and Merced counties can sign up to participate in our annual sustainable farming program. I can vouch that SJSFP growers improve their farming practices, increase crop yields and become better environmental stewards.

For more information about the field day or to sign up, contact me at (559) 259-1981 or Project Director Marcia Gibbs at (530) 370-5325.

Growers Irrigating and Pre-Irrigating Fields; Almonds Feel Sting from Bee Rental Rates

 While rain is in the forecast for Tuesday, growers in the San Joaquin Valley spent the past couple weeks irrigating water to their thirsty fields.

Snowpack is below normal.

That shouldn’t come to a surprise to anyone. The mild winter and meager snow and rainfall are certainly big topics of discussion for farmers across the Valley. Last week, the state Department of Water Resources took measurements in the mountains and estimated the statewide snowpack to be 37 percent of normal for this time of year.

 It’s the same for much of the country. Consider this fact from the National Climatic Data Center:  The number of record high temperatures set in January exceeded record lows by a 27 to 1 ratio in the lower 48 states. It was the 13^th straight month that new high temperatures topped low temperature records in the U.S. In our region, a similar story played out last month. For instance, the Fresno airport recorded a record-tying 68 degrees on January 14, matching the all-time high for that date set in way back in 1948. For the most part, our daytime highs have been in the low- to mid-60s.

But farmers don’t have to panic yet. Thanks to record snowfall in the California last winter, there are adequate water supplies for crops this season. Right now, westside growers are anticipating a 60 percent water allocation – at least for now. Stay tuned.

Buds develop on almond
tree outside of Firebaugh.

As I travel around the Valley, I am seeing a lot of activity. Growers have finished preparing the beds for this year’s tomato and cotton season and are starting to pre-irrigate their fields in preparation for spring planting.  Orders are being placed for cotton seeds. Alfalfa plants are being fed nutrients and irrigation water to “wake” them up from their fall and early winter dormancy.

In the orchards, almond trees already have emerged from of their winter rest period. The fruit buds are starting to expand as they head toward bloom and flowering stages. This development cycle could speed up if this warm weather keeps up.

The commercial beehives (those white boxes you see around almond orchard floor) are in place as the pollination period nears. About two hives per acre are needed to pollinate the almond flowers this spring. Experts estimates about 1.5 million of the nation’s inventory of 2.5 million honeybees will be needed to pollinate about 800,000 acres of almonds in California this season. That’s about 60 percent of the U.S. inventory of bee colonies.

Beehives (the white boxes) border a local almond orchard.

Almond growers have found bee rental fees rising in recent years, partly due to a significant loss of bees because colony collapse disorder. Beekeepers estimate 30 percent of bees are loss annually. What has that meant to almond growers?

 Well, the average pollination rental rates surged more than 160 percent from $58 for each hive in 2004 to $151 per hive in 2010, according to the California State Beekeepers Association. If you do the math, that’s going from $116 per acre to $302 an acre to pollinate your almond orchard. Experts say pollination now amounts to 13 to 15 percent of input costs. Well, growers can take some solace this year: Rates expect to be fairly stable, running in the $155 range per acre. Let’s hope for another record harvest for 2012. That would certainly lessen the financial sting from these high rental costs.

Doing a Rain Dance for the Central Valley Farm Region

You might wonder what was that stuff falling from sky recently. Yes, it’s rain – something we haven’t seen since last year.

For growers across the San Joaquin Valley, the dark skies and rain drops are welcome sights. Indeed, almond trees and young alfalfa plants were starting to look a little parched.

During the early winter dry spell, I was seeing some growers irrigating their fields and orchards to keep their trees and plants alive. It’s important that first-year alfalfa plants get adequate water to help develop strong root systems and foliage.

Lately, you started to hear whispers about the dreaded “D” word again. Just the thought of drought is daunting, bringing back painful memories of the fallow fields and abandoned orchards across the Valley.

The good news is some weather forecasters are predicting above average rainfall for February. We’re counting on the storm door to stay open and bring more rain to the Valley and snow to the Sierra Nevadas.

Not only is rain good for the fields and orchards, it also helps reduce the salinity building up in the soil. Let’s keep up the rain dance.

With the start of the New Year, the San Joaquin Sustainable Farming Project is busy recruiting new almond, alfalfa and cotton growers from Madera, Merced and Fresno counties to join our program. Our participating growers have become better environmental stewards by embracing biological-based Integrated Pest Management practices. They have learned they can improve yields, reduce pesticide use and stay profitable. Growers have access to some of the state’s leading University of California extension farm advisors and IPM specialists.

Through our program, growers can save thousands of dollars in material and labor costs by cutting back on pesticide applications. I estimate each treatment can cost $10 to $20 an acre. For a 200 acre field, for example, that’s a savings of $2,000 to $4,000 for just one pesticide application. Growers interested in signing up for our program can contact me at (559) 259-1981 or by email at luis@sustainablecotton.org Tell a fellow farmer as well. 

SJ Sustainable Farming Projects Quite a Productive 2011 for Its Growers

Cotton production is on the upswing.

As cotton and alfalfa growers participating in the 2011 San Joaquin Sustainable Farming Project gather in Firebaugh this Wednesday morning to recap the season, I’d like to share a few interesting statistics just released from the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service.

Upland cotton production (Acala in California) is forecast at 15.1 million bales nationally in 2011, down 14.3 percent from last year. But in California, production is predicted to be 1.2 million bales, up 47 percent from 2010. Pima production – where California accounts for 90 percent of the U.S. acreage – is predicted also to surge 47 percent over last year. At the same time, alfalfa production this year is expected to be up 3.7 percent year over year in California, compared to a 4.7 percent drop nationally.

Small output gain expected for alfalfa.

Whew. That’s a lot of numbers. But the bottom line is California cotton and alfalfa fared quite compared to the rest of the country. Things are looking up and even more cotton could be planted in 2012. We may get some preview into growers’ plans during our meeting Wednesday. Stay tuned.

Dr. Pete Goodell

Meanwhile, Dr. Pete Goodell, an advisor with the University of California Statewide Integrated Pest Management program, will review the pest management issues during the year and talk about what might be in store for 2012.  Pete always offers a lot of good information and a wealth of knowledge about good IPM practices.

We welcome new growers interested in enrolling in next year’s SJSFP program to stop by the meeting. Farmers thinking about next season’s crop will find especially useful a presentation by UC cotton expert Robert Hutmacher from 1 to 2 p.m. at the Firebaugh Community Center, 1655 13^th Street.

Robert Hutmacher

Hutmacher, the director of the University of California Research and Extension Center in Five Points, will discuss cotton variety field trials and new varieties coming down the pike. Test plots have shown promising results with new Pima varieties that have produced good yields. Don’t miss this informative talk. The price is right: Free.

Well, the Central Valley Farm Scout and blog will take some holiday time off and return in a month. Enjoy the holidays and we will see you next year.

Planting, Growing, Harvesting; Time to Call the Season a Wrap

After eight long months, we can finally call it a wrap on the 2011 cotton season.

Growers have picked the last of the cotton in the fields and are starting to plow down their fields before the December 20 deadline. Some already have prepared their beds for next season, readying their fields for another season of cotton or a rotation crop such as tomatoes. Others have planted winter crops. Generally, growers usually rotate their cotton fields every two years.

At the gins, cotton is still being processed, which could last much of December because of the later harvest as well as the increase in cotton planted this year.

Overall, I’d say yields were good for 2011 – even with the unusual weather we had this season – remember the March rains, cool spring, so-so summer heat and unseasonable early fall rain. In the end, though, growers were able to make up the heat units and effectively used growth regulators to help their yields. I estimate the average yield for Acala was about 2 ¾ bales an acre. One Pima field averaged 3 ¾ bales an acre – anything above 3 bales is good.

On the pest front, lygus and late-season worms were a problem. Biological pest controls were effective and some new soft materials worked well. These pay off in helping the environment and the bottom line for growers. I have to say things are looking up for cotton. Don’t be surprised to see growers planting more acreage in 2012.

Robert Hutmacher

 Speaking of the future, growers will have a great opportunity to learn about cotton varieties coming down the pike. Robert Hutmacher, a noted cotton expert and the director of the University of California Research and Extension Center in Five Points, will discuss cotton variety field trials during a presentation from 1 to 2 p.m. Wednesday, December 14, at the Firebaugh Community Center, 1655 13^th Street.  The talk is free and open to the community. It should be very informative. See you there.