Western Farm Press Op-Ed Archive

• Improved almond spraying reduces pesticide movement - - By Gabriele Ludwig, Director of Regulatory Affairs, Almond Board of California - - A number of collaborative research studies funded by the Almond Board of California are confirming much of what we already know about improving the efficacy of applied pesticides while reducing off-site movement from the orchard. Improving the accuracy and efficacy of spray applications for pest control results not only in better control and more returns to growers, but it can also reduce the environmental impact of almond farming by minimizing off-site movement of pesticides through drift or deposition to the orchard floor. <more> May 18, 2012 Western Farm Press  
   

• Almond industry sets crosshairs on weed resistance - - By Bob Curtis, Associate Director, Agricultural Affairs, Almond Board of California - - A top concern and increasing challenge for any effective weed control program is resistance management. Glyphosate resistance is now seen in populations of horseweed, hairy fleabane (a strain of this weed is now also resistant to paraquat), both Italian and rigid ryegrass and junglerice. <more> April 25, 2012 Western Farm Press
   

• Organic matter important for almond growers - - By Gabriele Ludwig, Associate Director, Environmental Affairs, Almond Board of California - - Based on various surveys, a good number of almond growers supplement their fertilization programs with organic matter sources, including composted manure, compost, and, where there is enough natural rainfall, mowing of cover crops. The addition of organic matter to agricultural soils can be beneficial in terms of soil water holding capacity, nutrient holding capacity, and overall soil tilth. However, the management of organic matter sources of nitrogen is not straightforward in terms of ensuring most of the nitrogen does not move off-site, in particular is not leached into groundwater. California growers face significant scrutiny for their contribution over the years to nitrates in groundwater. The California legislature required the State Water Board to commission a study on how best to improve drinking water quality for communities with high nitrates in their well water.  The legislation required the study to focus on the Tulare and Salinas basins as models for the issue of nitrate in groundwater. The study by a team of UC Davis researchers was scheduled to be released March 13 and is likely to significantly raise the profile of this issue. <more> March 19, 2012 Western Farm Press

   

• Almond nitrogen management makes jump forward- - By Bob Curtis, Associate Director, Agricultural Affairs and Gabriele Ludwig, Associate Director, Environmental Affairs - - Properly managing nitrogen fertilizers in almonds means paying attention to the “Four R’s”, said UC Davis Pomologist Patrick Brown: Applying the right rate of the right fertilizer source in the right place at the right time. “This sounds relatively simple, but the devil is in the details,” Brown told an audience at The Almond Conference in December. This second in a three-part series on nutrition, particularly nitrogen, and almonds will look at the latest research the Almond Board is funding to help growers hit the Four Rs of N application to meet tree demand, optimize crop yield and avoid environmental impacts from applied nitrogen fertilizers. <more> Feb. 7, 2012 Western Farm Press   
   

• The four R’s of nitrogen management in almonds: Regulations and costs put pressure on almond growers - - By Gabriele Ludwig, Associate Director, Environmental Affairs; and Bob Curtis, Associate Director, Agricultural Affairs - - Fertilizer costs have more than doubled over the last decade, and regulations on the use of fertilizer will be on the rise soon. Because almonds are California’s third largest crop, and the nuts have a high demand for nitrogen fertilizer, the state’s almond growers are likely to be most affected by both these dynamics. As a result, it is important that growers manage nitrogen fertilizers to minimize impacts to the environment while maximizing crop potential. This three-part series over the next several months will help almond growers better understand the regulatory issues as well as to craft an efficient, cost-effective nitrogen fertilizer management program that has minimum impact on the environment. <more> Jan. 6, 2011 Western Farm Press  
   

• Almond research activities grow beyond conference capacity - - By Gabriele Ludwig, Associate Director, Environmental Affairs; Bob Curtis, Associate Director, Agricultural Affairs - - The Almond Conference started nearly 40 years ago as an almond research conference for delivering reports on all the research funded by the Almond Board’s Production Research Committee to the industry. Today, the conference has grown into the largest single gathering of the state’s almond industry, annually attracting some 2,200 growers, handlers, suppliers, distributors, marketers, and researchers from around the world. <more> Nov. 14, 2011 Western Farm Press  
   

• California almonds a positive tale of agricultural water use- - By Gabriele Ludwig, Associate Director, Environmental Affairs, Almond Board of California - - More than 90 percent of California almond acreage represented in CASP is irrigated by highly efficient micro-irrigation systems. <more>  Nov. 4, 2011 Western Farm Press  
   

• Selecting varieties a complicated task for almond growers - - Bob Curtis, Associate Director, Agricultural Affairs, Almond Board of California - - This article is the first in a series on choosing almond varieties - - Selecting varieties is a complicated task — there is no perfect choice, yet the decision is one that growers must live with for a long time. At the 2009 Almond Industry Conference, a panel of experts gave growers assistance in this choice by reviewing variety development, evaluation and selection, balancing both field and market considerations. The panel included Tom Gradziel (UC Davis almond breeder), Joe Connell (UC farm advisor, Butte County), Bruce Lampinen (UC Pomology Extension specialist), Ned Ryan (past Almond Board chair and almond industry consultant) and Roger Duncan (UC farm advisor, Stanislaus County). This series will look at the “checklist” of issues to consider when choosing varieties to plant using information presented by this panel. <more> Aug. 10, 2011 Western Farm Press  
   

• Almond growers navigate maze of requirements prior to fumigation - - By Bob Curtis, Associate Director, Agricultural Affairs; Gabriele Ludwig, Associate Director, Environmental Affairs; Almond Board of California. This article is the second in a series on considerations for replanting an almond orchard. (For the first in the series, please see Almond replant strategy pays dividends down the road. For the second in the series, please see Rootstock decisions vital to replanted almond orchards.) - - Soil fumigation is often a major consideration when replanting an almond orchard. This final article in our three-part series on almond orchard replant considerations will focus on some of the many decision points and regulatory hurdles surrounding soil fumigation. Site-specific criteria and objectives should be well defined before embarking on a soil fumigation plan. It is important to first identify through soil sampling and orchard history what the issues are at the specific site that might require fumigation. From there, you can determine the criteria for whether or not to fumigate for those issues, and which materials or combination of compounds work best under that specific situation. <more> April 26, 2011 Western Farm Press
  
   

• Almond replant strategy pays dividends down the road - - By Gabriele Ludwig; Bob Curtis, Almond Board of California - - Almond growers have several issues to consider before replanting an orchard. Pest history in the previous orchard, cultural considerations, production goals and regulatory limitations are a few of the variables that will affect orchard replant decisions. In the next few issues, we will look more closely at some of these considerations and how Almond Board-funded research is helping growers make the best decisions for replanting their orchard. This first article in the series looks in general terms at those “big ticket” items that growers should be thinking about before replanting an orchard. Next month we will examine more closely the variables that go into rootstock and variety selection. And in May we will look more closely at soil fumigation and pest management issues. <more> March 18, 2011 Western Farm Press
   

• Almond options available for bloom and foliar diseases -- By Bob Curtis, Associate Director, Agricultural Affairs, Almond Board of California - - A wet winter that has soaked California north to south has provided for the summer irrigation season by filling reservoirs and creating a record-breaking snowpack. But what effect the wet winter will have on this year’s almond bloom depends on what happens next. More rain at this time of year means California almond growers will have to be on guard for almond blossom and foliar diseases as the bloom period begins. Fortunately, there are a number of good fungicide options for these diseases and more are on the way. <more> Feb. 4, 2011 Western Farm Press  
   

• Almond trial benefits dependent on grower participation - - By Gabriele Ludwig, Associate Director, Environmental Affairs, Almond Board of California - - -- Almond grower cooperation is essential to ensuring that research can be successfully adopted in a commercial setting to enhance yields and manage orchards for long-term production. The key to successful large-plot research is good communication between researchers and the growers. This year’s Almond Industry Conference theme, “Leadership Through Research,” brought home the importance of grower cooperation in industry-funded research to the overall success of the industry. The Almond Board of California (ABC) each year funds between $1 million and $2 million in production and environmental stewardship research, finding practical solutions to challenges that range from regulatory requirements to pest problems, environmental issues and food quality and safety. Engaging top researchers in each area assures the most reliable and accurate information. But grower cooperation is essential to ensuring that research can be successfully adopted in a commercial setting to enhance yields and manage orchards for long-term production. <more> Dec. 28, 2010 Western Farm Press

   

• Self-compatible almond varieties to eliminate bees? - - By Bob Curtis, Associate Director, Agricultural Affairs, ABC - - Over time, the introduction of successful self-compatible varieties will reduce, but not eliminate, reliance on bees.History shows that few new varieties are successful. It will take a number of years for a successful self-compatible variety to transition into industry production. Recently, there has been heightened interest in self-compatible almond varieties by the California almond industry, beekeepers and the media. This is in response to commercial introduction of a self-compatible variety, and information released on UC Davis and USDA-ARS breeding programs, which are developing self-compatible varieties. The key question is: Will self-compatible varieties eliminate the need for bee pollination, particularly honey bee pollination services? The answer is that over time, the introduction of successful self-compatible varieties will reduce, but not eliminate, reliance on bees. <more> Oct. 25, 2010 Western Farm Press

   

• Irrigated Lands Program increases fertilizer scrutiny- - By Gabriele Ludwig, Associate Director, Environmental Affairs, Almond Board of California - - Reaction to the proposed permanent Irrigated Lands Program is generally mixed in the farming community. On one hand, of the options initially considered, new regulations could have been much more onerous for growers who irrigate farmlands in California. At the same time, the proposed new program ushers in considerable new monitoring and mitigation requirements, particularly for growers who farm in areas prone to offsite movement, or where water quality problems are an issue.  The draft Long-Term Irrigated Lands Regulatory Program expands the scope to include every irrigated acre of the 7 million acres of farmland in the Central Valley, while also expanding the legal coverage to growers for any movement of water into ground water. A draft of the new program was released in July, followed by a public comment period that closed Sept. 27. <more> Oct. 1, 2010 Western Farm Press

   

• Methyl iodide controversy continues - -  By Gabriele Ludwig, Associate Director, Environmental Affairs, Almond Board of California - - The California Department of Pesticide Regulation’s (DPR) pending decision to approve methyl iodide as a soil fumigant replacement for methyl bromide has received considerable public attention in the media in recent months. The fumigant, already approved federally by EPA in 2007 and used on more than 15,000 acres in the U.S., mostly in strawberries and vegetables in the Southeast, is awaiting final registration at the state level this summer. <more> Aug. 20, 2010 Western Farm Press   

   

• Environmental tour highlights almond strategies - - By Gabriele Ludwig, Associate Director of Environmental Affairs, Almond Board of California - - The Almond Environmental Stewardship Tour provides an opportunity for almond growers, regulators and industry leaders to come together and demonstrate what the California almond industry is doing to be a good environmental steward and to promote good almond growing practices. Local, state and federal regulators toured the Nickels Soil Lab in Arbuckle and a nearby family farming operation in mid-May to learn how research and technology are helping almond growers make the most of irrigation water and other limited resources. <more> June 2, 2010 Western Farm Press     
   

• Almond irrigation strategies - - By Bob Curtis, Associate Director, Agricultural Affairs, Almond Board of California - - Twenty-five years of ABC-funded irrigation research have led to advances in irrigation scheduling and management, using drip or micro sprinklers, and deficit irrigation scheduling. In response to water shortages in recent years, particularly on the West Side of the San Joaquin Valley, UC irrigation specialists and the Almond Board of California (ABC) have worked in concert to develop valuable Web-based irrigation resources summarizing past and current research. While this was in response to a crisis, these resources have ongoing value to almond production under all circumstances. <more> May 24, 2010 Western Farm Press  

   

• EPA targets pesticide spray drift - - By Gabriele Ludwig, Director of Regulatory/Technical Affairs, Almond Board of California - - California growers are under increasing pressure to control off-site movement of applied pesticides from their farming operations. A number of new or draft state and federal regulations are targeting crop protection products and spray drift, particularly if they are applied near surface waterways or schools and other sensitive sites. The Environmental Protection Agency recently released new draft language for spray drift on pesticide labels, marking the third time in the last decade that EPA has tried to change label language related to spray drift. <more> April 13, 2010 Western Farm Press   

   

• Almond pest management techniques - - By Bob Curtis, Associate Director, Agricultural Affairs, Almond Board of California - - At the 2009 Almond Industry Conference, Jim Adaskaveg, UC Riverside plant pathologist, and entomologists Joel Siegel (USDA-ARS), David Haviland (UC Cooperative Extension Kern County) and Frank Zalom (UC Davis), highlighted how newer pest management materials and techniques will benefit almond pest management, expanding the number of options and leading to stable, sustainable pest management programs. <more> March 19, 2010 Western Farm Press    

   

• Research advances almond sustainability - -  By Gabriele Ludwig, Director of Regulatory/Technical Affairs, Almond Board of California - - Today the concept of “sustainability” is being used to evaluate everything from restaurant menus to public policies to how companies demonstrate their performance to stockholders. Increasingly, the California Almond community is being asked questions about its sustainability. A close look at the content of the 2009 Almond Industry Conference in December makes it clear that ABC-supported research programs, as determined by the Production Research and the Environmental committees, are focused on the core components of what sustainability is all about. <more> Feb. 15, 2010 Western Farm Press   
   

• Specialty crop grants benefit almonds - -  By Bob Curtis, Associate Director, Agricultural Affairs, Almond Board of California  - - The California Department of Food and Agriculture recently awarded several research grants for specialty crop projects that will benefit the California Almond industry and build upon research the Almond Board of California has funded over the past 30 years. California received a $16.3 million block grant from the USDA’s 2009 Specialty Crop Block Grant Program, which was authorized under the 2008 farm bill. The block grant will fund competitive grants for 55 research projects designed to enhance the long-term competitiveness of specialty crops, including fruits, nuts and vegetables. In particular, the state funds will leverage existing almond industry support for four projects related to sustainability, honey bee pollination, rootstock resistance and orchard management.  <more> Dec. 9, 209 Western Farm Press   
   

• Climate change law heats up  - - Nov. 11, 2009 Western Farm Pres

• Focusing on NOW management - - Oct.. 21, 2009 Western Farm Press

• Ground water challenges for almonds - - Sept. 15, 2009 Western Farm Press

• Court's Decisions Affirm Efforts by Agriculture to Reduce Air Pollution in the San Joaquin Valley - - June 15, 2009 Western Farm Press

• Almond growers embrace technology for water management - - April 6, 2009 Western Farm Press
• After diesel trucks, Air Board turns attention to tractors, farm equipment  - Feb. 12, 2009 Western Farm Press
• A long-term commitment to pollination and honey bee research - - Jan. 13, 2009 Western Farm Press
• Leaders must take bold action to secure safe water supply for all - - Dec. 15, 2008 Western Farm Press
• Options for dormant-season pest management in almonds - - Nov. 6, 2008 Western Farm Press
• Almond Growers Must Navigate a Maze of Soil Fumigant Restrictions - Aug. 2008 Western Farm Press
• Tell Regulators the Good News about What You are Doing to Help the Environment - April 2008 Western Farm Press
• Almond Growers Will Have to Deal with New Soil Fumigation Rules in Orchard Replants - March 2008 Western Farm Press

• Almond Industry Explores Sustainability - Jan. 2008 Western Farm Press

• Proposed Diesel Truck Regulations Will Be Costly to Agriculture - Nov. 2007 Western Farm Press

• Grower input is critical on proposed new soil fumigant restrictions <more> Oct. 12,2007 Western Farm Press
• Simple steps can reduce almond harvest dust <more> Aug, 6, 2007 Western Farm Press Guest Editorial  
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For more information on the Almond Board's Environmental Committee, click here.

Personal Commitment to Air Quality

Almond growers in the San Joaquin Valley are adopting environmentally friendly practices as they work to enhance air quality. Fresno County grower Tom Steffen uses a mix of molasses and water to suppress dust on his orchard's road. Click here (requires Adobe Acrobat Reader) to read more about how almond growers are meeting the challenge of  improving air quality.

Innovation is the key to air quality solutions in California almond industry- - Tradition has been a byword of the California almond industry for nearly a century. But as air quality issues rise to the forefront of public concern, it is the industry's well-established knack for innovation that is helping to produce practical solutions. <more> Almond Board of California press release July 10, 2004

Environmental Champion Award

The EPA recognized the California almond industry for its leadership on environmental issues when it named the Almond Board a Champion for Pesticide Environmental Stewardship. Click here to learn more.