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Below you'll find a list of all posts that have been categorized as “California Corner”
Coalitions of San Joaquin Valley growers created to help comply with water quality regulations have reached a settlement agreement with the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB). The coalitions include the Kaweah Basin Water Quality Association, Tule Basin Water Quality Coalition and Kings River Watershed Coalition Authority. As part of the agreement, the coalitions will install kiosks to ensure safe drinking …
With the impending retirement of California Citrus Mutual (CCM) President Joel Nelsen, Casey Creamer has been named as the new president and CEO for the organization effective Feb. 1. Creamer came to CCM last February, after a national search process, to eventually assume the role of president. “The citrus industry is very fortunate to have had an individual of Joel’s caliber the …
New California Governor Gavin Newsom has reappointed Karen Ross, 67, of Sacramento, as secretary of the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA). The state cabinet-level department was established in 1919 to promote and protect a safe, healthy food supply, local and global agricultural trade, and environmental stewardship. Ross successfully served as CDFA secretary under Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. …
An analysis by California Citrus Mutual (CCM) indicates there is no major impact at the present time on government programs that affect California’s citrus industry. This could change if the shutdown drags on, however. According to the report, “Our major priority would be the ACP/HLB program sometimes known as CHRP (Citrus Health Response Program). We are not suffering any major …
California Citrus Mutual reports that the California citrus crop summary for 2017 is now complete. The data shows a strong season for the state’s citrus growers. The total value for all California citrus is about $3.84 billion. There are 324,360 acres, which produced 257,830 tons of citrus. Navels continue to hold the number-one spot for acreage with 148,179 bearing acres …
By Len Wilcox The Citrus Research Board’s (CRB) annual California Citrus Conference took place in October in Visalia. This year’s event included a celebration of the organization’s 50th anniversary. The CRB is an important resource to California’s citrus industry. It awards more than $7 million each year to researchers throughout the state. Since 2008, CRB has focused much of its …
University of California (UC) Davis research scientist Louise Ferguson is taking part in a $3.4 million project titled “Development of an automated delivery system for therapeutic materials to treat HLB-infected citrus.” The study is funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture. The four-year project includes work by researchers at the University of Florida, UC …
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has approved an emergency authorization requested by California Citrus Mutual (CCM) to use Evergreen Pro 60-6 (EPA Reg. No. 1021-1770). It was temporarily approved as a post-harvest treatment option for all citrus in California to prevent the spread of Asian citrus psyllids, the vector for huanglongbing. CCM had requested that citrus growers be allowed to use …
By Len Wilcox California agriculture has long kept a watchful eye on the spread of HLB (huanglongbing or citrus greening disease). It’s a firestorm on the horizon, and the devastation the disease has wrought in Florida and other parts of the world has the full attention of California citrus growers. Working closely with industry leaders and grower groups, federal, state …
The Asian citrus psyllids (ACP) found last week in a residential area in north Visalia, California, were a breeding population, according to Greg Douhan, University of California Cooperative Extension farm advisor for citrus. The ACP were found in four locations in the city, not in close proximity to any agricultural operations. “Most of the findings found in the San Joaquin Valley …
A large population of Asian citrus psyllids (ACP) and nymphs were found in an older residential area northwest of Visalia, California, last week. With multiple life stages of ACP found, county and state officials have moved into eradication mode immediately. According to the Visalia Times-Delta, 250 ACP were found in four locations. California Citrus Mutual reported that up to 400 …
A new program was created so growers know when beehives are on or near their fields, but some out-of-state beekeepers have not been participating in the mandatory program. California legislators have acted to correct this problem. Beekeepers will soon risk fines and penalties if they do not register with the state and file the appropriate notifications for the location and movement …
California Citrus Mutual (CCM) has published a guide to the new minimum wage increases for agricultural employees that take effect Jan. 1, 2019, in California. Note that the rule for exemption from overtime has changed for agricultural workers. To maintain the exemption from overtime compensation, an exempt employee’s weekly salary must be no less than two times the applicable minimum …
By Len Wilcox Research into high-density citrus plantings is gaining momentum at both ends of the country. In a study funded by the California Citrus Research Board, scientists are evaluating the consumption of water and other inputs used by high-density dwarf citrus trees. The scientists want to determine costs while the trees are maintaining high production levels. In Florida, researchers …
By Brian German A series of strategic planning sessions have helped to craft a more detail-oriented approach to address the spread of Asian citrus psyllid (ACP) and management of huanglongbing (HLB) detections. As of Oct. 9, there have been 906 positive HLB detections in California. “The real hot spot for us right now is Orange County. We’re finding a lot of HLB-positive …
The California Citrus Research Board (CRB) has announced that Franco Bernardi will serve as the organization’s interim president. Beginning Oct. 15, Bernardi will lead daily staff operations and management. He replaces Gary Schulz, whose contract as president was not renewed by the CRB last month. Bernardi’s leadership will guide the CRB during the next several months as it celebrates its …
By Len Wilcox Early detection has become a vital line of defense in the California citrus grower’s war with huanglongbing (HLB) disease. Without careful monitoring, any tree in the grove can become a ticking time bomb that could lead to destruction of the entire orchard. The disease starts unnoticed. Many months can pass before a tree displays any visible evidence …
New regulations will cost California citrus growers an average of $701 per acre per year, or $203 million annually statewide, according to a new study commissioned by the Citrus Research Board (CRB). “Compliance with environmental regulations not associated with groundwater sustainability is estimated to increase costs by $17.7 million, or $67 per acre of citrus,” predicts Bruce A. Babcock, a …
By Len Wilcox The labels that citrus packinghouses formerly placed on their shipping crates have a long and colorful history. These vibrant labels — usually square, depicting a beautiful farm, pretty lady or perhaps some impossibly perfect oranges — have become art objects and unique representations of their time and place in history. LOCATIONS OF COLLECTIONS In Florida, that history …
The use of canines or “sniffer dogs” is again being investigated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) for early detection of HLB-infected trees. Through the HLB Multi-Agency Coordination (MAC) program, USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has invested millions of dollars in the research and training of detector canines for finding HLB-positive trees. A recent full-day meeting in …
