Many living creatures live in soil. Though their sizes range from microscopic soil microbes to larger animals like gopher turtles, they all call soil their “home.” Included in these ground-dwelling species are bees – vital in the pollination cycle of about 90% of plant life. Rebecca Lybrand and her team at Oregon State University are studying the interaction between the …

Growers of U.S. highbush blueberries generate more than $4.7 billion in annual economic impact, translating to more than $12.7 million flowing into the U.S. economy every day of the year. “The U.S. highbush blueberry industry – including 12,739 blueberry farms – is a powerful financial force,” said Kasey Cronquist, president of the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council (USHBC). “Behind every farm …

The California Farmworker Foundation has launched a new campaign, La Seguridad Empieza con Usted, which translates to Safety Starts with You, to help the farmworker community stay safe through the pandemic by providing encouragement for best practices and information on additional resources. The campaign will reach farmworkers in the greater Bakersfield and Fresno growing regions. Advertisements on Spanish-language radio will …

On March 4, 2020, China announced market access for fresh U.S. nectarines as part of the U.S.-China Economic and Trade Agreement (ETA). This report briefly mentions the market access conditions for U.S. nectarines, discusses several key factors of China’s nectarine market (including import competition), and offers market-entry recommendations to consider when exporting fresh U.S. nectarines to China. Product Description & Access Overview On March 4, 2020, in …

California prune growers forced economically to make a 23% reduction in crop deliveries have also suffered a 28% reduction in price. This hardship comes in spite of a number of positive factors for the industry including $50 million in USDA purchases of prunes and positive results from trade mitigation offsets and industry promotion efforts in Japan and elsewhere. Growers reviewed …

Italian ryegrass is a major weed in orchards, vineyards, field crops, and fallow fields of California (Figure 1). Several different herbicides are used to control ryegrass and had been effective in reducing infestations until resistance evolved in many populations following repeated use of the herbicides. To date, resistance to glyphosate, paraquat, and some ACCase and ALS inhibitors has been confirmed …

On July 17th, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue and U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer announced the appointment of 25 new members to serve on seven agricultural trade advisory committees, including some of our friends in California. This will bring a greater voice and trade opportunities for specialty crop growers in California. The Agricultural Policy Advisory Committee is comprised of …

U.S. fresh blueberries was one of several U.S. agricultural products that received new or expanded access under the U.S.-China Economic and Trade Agreement, which was signed on January 15, 2020. This report briefly outlines the market conditions, access regulations, and market entry recommendations for U.S. blueberry exporters. Since consumers have become much more familiar with blueberries recently, exporters are encouraged …

Researchers across the nation are struggling to end the scourge of citrus greening disease, also known as huanglongbing. The disease renders citrus fruit inedible and eventually kills entire orchards. In Florida alone, from 2012-2016 the disease caused production losses of $4.4 billion and eliminated about 7,900 jobs. With economic impact like that, it’s no wonder that previous citrus greening research …

Following a tip generated by citizen scientists in the Porterville/Tulare area, UC ANR researchers have installed traps to determine the potential for Velvet longhorned beetle, Trichoferus campestris (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae), introduction to the southern San Joaquin Valley. The beetle, also called Mulberry longhorn beetle, is native to Asia and Russia, but now has an extended geographic range across Europe and North America.  The …