Pacific Nut Producer Magazine

Category: Featured Post

  • Groundwater Markets Tested in Mojave Basin

    As growers navigate SGMA, different avenues are being explored for access to the needed water for crops, including groundwater markets. This has been experimented with in the Mojave Basin, resulting in stabilized implementation  and aggregate gains, but also a consolidation of water rights. At the World Ag Expo, UC Cooperative Extension Associate Professor Ellen Bruno discussed the findings on groundwater markets with Matthew Malcolm at California Ag Network. Watch this quick video and read more in California Fruit & Vegetable Magazine.

    Please thank this video’s sponsor Simplot for their industry support.

  • Lower Global Harvest Benefits American Pistachios

    Pistachio growers are having a hard time keeping up with skyrocketing global demands despite a record crop, but down years in Iran and Turkey may keep buyers from going elsewhere. Meanwhile, American Pistachio Growers has seen unprecedented opportunities for marketing and exports. At the annual APG Conference, Vice President of Global Marketing Scott Fryer discussed these latest developments with Matthew Malcolm from Pacific Nut Producer. Watch this quick interview and read more in Pacific Nut Producer Magazine.

    Please thank this video’s sponsor Kingman Ag for their industry support.

  • Honey Bees Get Hangry Too

    If you have ever been hangry (a portmanteau for hungry and angry), then you know what it is like to be irritable, bad-tempered, or easily annoyed. While being hangry may seem like an excuse for unpleasant behavior, research shows that hunger can cause shifts in our hormones, brain processes, and nervous system that result in negative emotions like anger.

    According to a recent study, honey bees, like humans, may also experience hanger when they do not get enough nutrients. Pollen scarcity and nutritional stress are major issues that beekeepers are tackling to protect their hives.

    “If honey bees are not getting enough pollen, which is one of their main sources of protein and an essential part of their diets, then it can lead to colony stress and defensive behaviors in bees,” said Elizabeth Walsh, ARS Research Scientist at the Honey Bee Breeding, Genetics, and Physiology Research Unit in Baton Rouge, LA. “Changes in colony defensiveness are of particular concern to beekeepers as increased defensiveness also increases safety risk of personnel.”

    To better understand honey bee behaviors and to help beekeepers manage their hives, Walsh and the research team, including ARS scientists from both the Baton Rouge research unit and the Pollinator Health in Southern Crop Ecosystem Research Unit in Stoneville, MS, conducted a 5-week field study to simulate a pollen dearth, or shortage, in an apiary.

    “We found that honey bees who did not get enough pollen (the experimental group) became more aggressive than the honey bees who received enough pollen (the control group) throughout the study,” said Walsh.

    Walsh added that the study was more than just observing honey bee behaviors. The researchers found that honey bees in pollen-poor conditions also showed physiological changes throughout the study. In particular, the pollen-deprived honey bees had smaller glands and different fat and sugar levels, which are signs of stress. The expression of some genes linked to aggression also was changed in these honey bees.

    As beekeepers are concerned about pollen scarcity and nutritional stress, Walsh and the researchers believe that these research findings will help develop best management practices.

    “Ultimately, this study shows that both researchers and beekeepers must find ways to evaluate how bees perform in changing environments in order to form best management practices while ensuring beekeeper safety,” said Walsh. – by Jessica Ryan, USDA Ag Research Service  Office of Communications

  • SGMA Reporting Open in the Tulare Lake and Tule Subbasins

    The Groundwater Extraction Annual Reporting System (GEARS) is now open for reporting under the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA.) Pumpers in the Tulare Lake and Tule subbasins will need to file their first groundwater extraction reports to the State Water Resources Control Board (State Water Board or Board) by May 1, 2026, except for pumpers who were granted an exclusion from reporting and fees.

    The State Water Board designated both the Tulare Lake and Tule subbasins as probationary in 2024. Consequently, most groundwater pumpers in the Tulare Lake and Tule subbasins are required to track groundwater use, submit annual groundwater extraction reports, and pay extraction fees to the Board.

    Reporting Support

    Visit the GEARS Resources webpage to access a user guide, videos, and information about events to help with reporting.

    The State Water Board mailed letters to known groundwater pumpers with unique Correspondence IDs. If you are subject to reporting requirements and do not receive a letter by March 18, please contact Board staff at sgma@waterboards.ca.gov.

    Reporting Exclusions

    The following pumpers are not required to submit extraction reports to the State Water Board:

    • Pumpers who extract two acre-feet or less per year for domestic purposes only (de minimis pumpers), or
    • Pumpers who extract groundwater only within the boundaries of Delano-Earlimart Irrigation District Groundwater Sustainability Agency (GSA) or Kern-Tulare Water District GSA in the Tule Subbasin, provided they comply with the corresponding GSA’s groundwater management requirements.

    Before May 1, 2026, pumpers who fall within one of these two categories and receive letters about reporting should use the GEARS system to notify the Board that they are exempt from reporting to avoid receiving further communications regarding reporting requirements.

    Potential Exclusions

    • On April 7, the State Water Board will consider adopting resolutions to exclude groundwater pumpers in the Tulare Lake and Tule subbasins who extract no more than 20 acre-feet of groundwater per year from the reporting and fee requirements on the basis that these groundwater pumpers have a minimal impact on overall subbasin groundwater extractions. View the Tulare Lake Subbasin Notice and Tule Subbasin Notice for more information.
    • The Board may adopt, modify, or reject these proposed exclusions. If the Board rejects the potential exclusions, pumpers who are not otherwise exempt from the reporting requirement will be required to report. Board staff will send an update regarding any decisions on potential exclusions to the SGMA Groundwater Management email list.

    Fee Waivers

    Low-income residents, water systems serving disadvantaged communities, and public schools may be eligible to have their fees waived. To be eligible for a fee waiver, pumpers must report their extractions by the May 1, 2026, deadline. For more information on eligibility and how to request a fee waiver, visit the SGMA Reporting and Fees webpage.   

    More information:

    Contact the SGMA Program at sgma@waterboards.ca.gov or: 916-322-6508.

    — By the California Water Boards

  • Fertilizer Supply Could Impact CA Growers Soon

    With the ongoing conflict with Iran, supply issues have emerged due to shipping obstructions in the Strait of Hormuz. This includes fertilizer, with The Fertilizer Institute reporting U.S. import prices up 30% between February 27 and March 6.

    Matt Morelli, a crop advisor for Nutrien, says the situation right now is not critical, but they are starting to feel the impact — and things could become more serious if not resolved soon.

    “It’s not too severe as of right now, but we definitely could experience some supply issues coming up,” Morelli said. “And we could even see some pricing issues with things moving forward, but it’s hard to say this early.”

    Morelli believes there could be issues with getting important fertilizers like UAN-32. As planting begins in the Midwest, there is the possibility that demand could outpace supply if the Strait is not reopened in time. This will also mean higher prices and lower availability for growers in California.

    “If availability becomes an issue, pricing goes up,” Morelli said. “It will get difficult for growers and we’ll have to look at other options. Once UAN-32 becomes tight, it creates issues for everyone.”

    — By Donald Promnitz, Editor

  • Surging Pistachio Demand Outpaces Supply

    The pistachio industry is seeing unprecedented success, but there are still headwinds to look out for as high demand means that growers and processors alike are having a hard time keeping up with the consumers. At the American Pistachio Growers Conference, President and CEO Zachary Fraser urged everyone to stay “humble and hungry” as they meet any upcoming challenges head-on. Fraser spoke with Matthew Malcolm with California Ag Network to talk about what’s new in the pistachio industry, and what to expect moving forward. Watch this video and read more in Pacific Nut Producer Magazine. (Editors Note: Since the filming of this interview, Zachary Fraser has departed from American Pistachio Growers.)

    Please thank this video’s sponsor Kingman Ag for their industry support.

  • UC ANR Offers Microirrigation School

    In a time of increasing water scarcity and regulatory complexity, enhancing irrigation efficiency and improving on-farm water management practices are critical for California agriculture. Microirrigation – using highly efficient, low-flow and low-pressure systems that deliver water and nutrients close to plants’ roots – is one key solution.

    “Microirrigation is no longer optional in many agricultural production regions worldwide,” said Daniele Zaccaria, professor of agricultural water management for Cooperative Extension at University of California, Davis. “It is essential for producing more food per unit of water and for achieving higher fertilizer use efficiency, relying on greater application precision and pursuing improved environmental stewardship.”

    Zaccaria is organizing the 2026 Advanced School on Microirrigation for Crop Production, offered in California for the first time, from March 30 to April 3 (register by March 25).

    This comprehensive program combines three days of classroom instruction at UC Davis with two days of field visits, including fruit and nut production systems in the San Joaquin Valley and vegetable, berry and wine-grape systems along the Central Coast. There is also an online option for the first three days of the program.

    The school is designed for a broad audience, including farmers and ranch managers, crop consultants, water resource planners and irrigation practitioners, as well as scientists, educators, students, and personnel from a variety of agencies and sectors.

    “This offers a unique, hands-on opportunity to learn directly from global leaders in the field, combining cutting-edge science, real-world applications and field experience,” Zaccaria said. “It’s an excellent investment of time for anyone committed to the future of crop production in semi-arid and arid environments.”

    The educational event is co‑organized by the UC Davis College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, UC Agriculture and Natural Resources, the Chilean Water Technology Consortium and the California Irrigation Institute.

    Lectures – presented by prominent experts from UC Davis, UC Cooperative Extension and other academic, agency and private partners – will draw on the latest research, technologies and practical applications.

    Topics include:

    • Technical aspects of water delivery systems to allow for successful adoption and management of microirrigation systems
    • Soil-water movement and soil-plant-water relations with microirrigation
    • Microirrigation systems design, operation, maintenance, automation and performance evaluation
    • Methods and tools for microirrigation scheduling
    • Managing microirrigation for different crops (field and agronomic crops, vegetable crops, berry crops, fruit crops, nut crops, vineyards)
    • Chemigation and fertigation
    • Salinity management with microirrigation

    All participants will receive:

    • A UC Certificate of Completion
    • A copy of the book Microirrigation for Crop Production, recently published by Elsevier
    • Continuing Education Units (18.5 CEUs for lectures and 9.5 CEUs for field visits) from the American Society of Agronomy, as well as CEU credits from the Irrigation Association

    Register soon to secure your spot, as class size is limited to 100 participants to ensure an optimal learning environment.

    For the full program schedule, speaker lineup and a link to register, visit https://caii.org/international-micro-irrigation-school/.

    Registration for the online option is at: https://caii.org/product/micro-irrigation-school-lectures-remote-streaming-registration/.

    Zaccaria’s work in organizing the Microirrigation School is made possible by his Alexander and Elizabeth Swantz Endowed Specialist Position and related funds from the UC Davis College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.

    UC Agriculture and Natural Resources brings UC information and practices to all 58 California counties. Through research and Cooperative Extension in agriculture, natural resources, nutrition, economic and youth development, our mission is to improve the lives of all Californians. Learn more at ucanr.edu.

  • New Tool to Help Growers with Nutrient Plans

    As input costs continue to rise and regulatory pressure around nutrient management intensifies, almond growers are looking for tools that help them apply fertilizers more precisely — without sacrificing yield or tree health. A new Nitrogen and Potassium Calculator, developed through a partnership between the Almond Board of California and UC Davis’ Fruit and Nut Center, is designed to do exactly that.

    Hosted by the Fruit and Nut Center and available through Almonds.org, the calculator helps growers estimate how much nitrogen and potassium to apply, and when to apply it, based on orchard-specific information and expected yield. The goal is straightforward: improve nutrient use efficiency, reduce unnecessary applications, and limit money spent on product the crop doesn’t need.

    Built on Efficiency and Economics

    Nitrogen and potassium are among the largest input costs in almond production, accounting for a significant share of annual expenses. They are also essential to kernel development and protein formation, making precise management critical.

    “Kernels are full of protein,” said Sebastian Saa, Associate Director of Agricultural Research at the Almond Board of California. “That also means that they demand a significant amount of nitrogen.”

    But applying more fertilizer than necessary doesn’t improve outcomes. Instead, it can reduce efficiency, increase costs, and create additional challenges. “If you have too much nitrogen, it could leach into groundwater aquifers” Saa said, “but you are also making your trees more susceptible to diseases like hull rot.”

    The new calculator is designed to help growers avoid both sides of the problem, deficiency and excess, by matching nutrient applications more closely to actual crop demand.

    From Research to a Practical Tool

    The calculator reflects more than a decade of almond production research and builds on guidance already familiar to many growers, including the Almond Board’s Nitrogen Management Guide. “We have been working on this topic for about 20 years,” Saa explained. “This calculator reflects the latest of our thinking and includes potassium calculations, which we had not done before.”

    Rather than requiring users to answer every possible question up front, the calculator uses a stepwise process. Growers can enter basic information, such as orchard age and expected yield, to generate a preseason nutrient plan. As the season progresses and more data becomes available, the same plan can be revisited and refined.

    Yield plays a central role in the calculation, but the tool also accounts for nutrient contributions from other sources, such as irrigation water or organic amendments, helping growers avoid double-counting nutrients they already have. “How much to apply doesn’t only depend on yield,” Saa noted. “If you use soil amendments, some of those amendments contain nitrogen and thus reduce the need for fertilizer. All this is included in the calculator.”

    Adjust as the Season Unfolds

    As previously mentioned, one of the key advantages of the new calculator is its ability to adapt as the season progresses. Growers can save a unique link to their initial plan, return mid-season (end of April/beginning of May), and update inputs as yield estimates improve or new information, such as leaf tissue analysis, becomes available. “This allows the user to fine tune their former fertilization budget even further,” Saa noted.

    The calculator is hosted by UC Davis’ Fruit and Nut Center, which already supports a range of decision-support tools used by California growers. Growers can access the calculator directly through the Fruit and Nut Center website or by visiting the Grower Tools page on Almonds.org, where tools can be filtered by focus area, resource type, or host organization.

    Getting Nutrient Management Right

    Ultimately, the calculator is about helping growers make confident, informed decisions — balancing productivity, environmental stewardship, and cost control.

    “Getting it right is fundamental,” Saa said. “From an economic point of view, from an environmental point of view, and from an efficiency and productivity point of view.”

    With the new Nitrogen and Potassium Calculator, growers now have a practical, research-based tool to help do just that. “The sooner you make your fertilization plan, like at the beginning of the season, the higher the ROI is going to be,” Saa said.

    — By the Almond Board of California

  • Land Tax Dispute

     

    Growers in Cochise County, Arizona are fighting back against a proposed tax increase on land used for permanent crops like pistachios, pecans and wine grapes. Growers like John Heuler have fought back and won in tax and appeals courts, but the county is taking the dispute to the State Supreme Court. At the American Pistachio Growers’ Annual Conference, Heuler spoke with Matthew Malcolm from Malcolm Media Ag Publishing to go over the latest details. Watch this quick video and learn more in Pacific Nut Producer Magazine.

    Please thank this video’s sponsor Kingman Ag for their industry support.

  • Bloom Winding Down in Almond Orchards

    The 2026 almond bloom is winding down almost as quickly as it started this season. The weather for this period was significantly drier and warmer than that of the previous week. Temperatures reached as high as 80 degrees in the San Joaquin Valley, and the Sacramento Valley saw temperatures swing from lows in the 20’s last week to highs in the 70’s this week. Despite warmer and drier conditions, wind and clouds suppressed bee activity for much of the week in the Sacramento Valley. Bee activity in the San Joaquin Valley was fair to good for most of the period.

    Bloom in the Sacramento Valley has consistently stayed slightly ahead of the rest of the growing regions this season and continued its progress through petal fall and into jacket and early nutlet stages. Only Butte Padre plantings there have any significant bloom remaining at this point.

    Bloom continued its decline for Nonpareil, Monterey, Independence, and California varieties for this period in the San Joaquin Valley as well. Most of the remaining bloom is in Butte Padre plantings, though even these have passed their peak by the end of this period. Bees were more active in the milder weather there and worked whatever viable bloom they could still find.

    Ranvir Tung, a grower in Fresno County, summed up the week by saying, “The remaining bloom progressed rapidly after the storms, and with leaf-out now underway, the next round of fungicide applications are being applied.”

    Bee hives began to be removed from the most advanced orchards at the end of this period. As orchards continue to dry out, growers will conduct maintenance activities such as mowing and removing trees that were downed in last week’s storms. They will also look to begin nutrient applications and pest management discussions. — By Anthony Scudder, Regional Manager, Blue Diamond Growers