Tag: ABC

Almond Board of California — Ensuring there is enough water from surface and underground supplies to meet all the state’s demands is a complicated and often controversial task. As author Mark Twain famously said, “Whiskey is for drinking. Water is for fighting.”

Groundwater usage and potential recharge opportunities are huge points of discussion in the California agricultural industry, particularly in the San Joaquin Valley. Approximately 2 million acre-feet more groundwater is pumped in this valley each year than is replenished to provide drinking water for people and nourishment for an enormous variety of annual and perennial crops, including almond trees.

In 2014, the state passed the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA), setting deadlines for sustainability in many almond-growing regions by 2040. The act mandated the formation of Groundwater Sustainability Agencies (GSAs) to oversee management and recharge efforts in specific local groundwater basins.

Recharge is one of the primary methods to replenish groundwater basins on the supply side of the equation, which is why it again will be the focus of a session at The Almond Conference. This session will be held on Tuesday, Dec. 8 at 10 a.m. PT. 

The session will feature three experts on water issues in California:

• Stacey Sullivan, policy director for Sustainable Conservation. Sullivan will discuss state water policies that affect recharge, such as water rights.
• Scott Hamilton, a consultant for San Joaquin Valley Water Blueprint. Hamilton will discuss infrastructure and conveyance as part of recharge efforts, including the availability of canals and pipelines to move water as well as who is responsible to pay for said infrastructure.
• Laura Ramos, program manager at the California Water Institute at California State University, Fresno. Ramos will focus on how recharge efforts – including those undertaken by the ag industry – can improve drinking water supplies, particularly for those in more disadvantaged areas of the San Joaquin Valley.

Session explores options for recharge

Recharge is a serious topic for almond growers, many of whom rely on pumping to augment whatever surface water allocations they receive each year.

According to the Public Policy Institute of California’s Water Policy Center, intentional groundwater recharge efforts could fill about 25% of the gap between current supply and demand for groundwater in the San Joaquin Valley, putting up to 500,000 acre-feet of water back into aquifers each year. Without mitigation, the San Joaquin Valley Blueprint estimates as many as 1 million acres in ag production today could be fallowed in years to come.

There are several options for growers who want to try groundwater recharge. The simplest method involves using existing flood irrigation systems in the dormant season, when there is excess available water that can percolate down and replenish the aquifer. If a flood irrigation system isn’t available, the soil doesn’t drain well, or other obstacles stand in the way, growers can consider: 

• installing a groundwater recharge pond on their property outside the orchard,
• fallowing an area within in the orchard that is best suited for recharge in order to develop a pond (sandy areas are optimal), or 
• working with a GSA to develop recharge projects elsewhere in one’s basin.

Jesse Roseman, principal analyst for Environmental and Regulatory Affairs at the Almond Board of California (ABC), will moderate the session. His hope is that the discussion spurs growers to “think through the factors involved in recharge to better understand if this practice is right for their orchards.”

Though many of SGMA’s potential restrictions on groundwater pumping won’t take effect for many years, the possibility of consecutive years of below-average rainfall and snowfall years always threatens growers’ access to surface water – and puts pressure on aquifers.

“Some counties have already tightened up on approving new wells,” Roseman said. “If we have below-average rainfall again this year, reservoirs will be drawn down, impacting surface water allocations.”

Groundwater guide supports grower decisions

Beyond the session on recharge, the Almond Board of California (ABC) and Sustainable Conservation are collaborating on a Groundwater Recharge Guide that will be published in early 2021 and distributed via an Industry Roadshow. As part of this roadshow, ABC’s Field Outreach and Education team, along with other staff, will travel throughout the growing region of the Central Valley to meet with industry members and distribute content that would have typically been provided at an in-person Almond Conference. Stops along the roadshow will include locations in your area, including coffee shops, Farm Bureau offices and other places that people can safely gather during the pandemic.

“The document will give growers a starting point to learn about recharge and how it might not only fit into their farming operation, but also help achieve basinwide sustainability,” Roseman said. “Recharge won’t be an option on every farm or even in every basin, but we want to provide guidance based on research, informing growers on what questions to ask before they try it out.”

Mark your calendar for Tuesday, Dec. 8 at 10 a.m. to attend the session on groundwater recharge, and check out The Almond Conference 2020 webpage for the event’s complete agenda. As a reminder, The Almond Conference 2020 will be held completely virtually.

The Almond Board of California (ABC) U.S. marketing team continues to find ways to appeal to consumers through relevant and timely social media that keeps almonds top of mind.

Although the coronavirus pandemic and 2020 election have made it more difficult to cut through a congested media environment, social media remains an escape for people looking to get away from those two factors. Leveraging the insight that consumers nationwide are facing higher stress levels, which may only be intensified by the upcoming holiday season, the U.S. marketing team decided to focus its social media strategy on mindfulness and wellness. In its social media posts, the team featured motivational phrases promoting almonds, including “a self-care snack that keeps you feeling you #almonds” and “feel good breaks pair well with feel good snacks #almonds.” This campaign seeks to capitalize on how almonds can still be part of consumers’ everyday lives, even though their days may not be as routine as usual.

This effort also takes into consideration the fact that it can be hard to focus and stay energized when working from home, as many consumers are now forced to multi-task around the clock, jumping from their role of parent to teacher to employee. The ongoing demands of working from home allows ABC to highlight the benefits of sustaining one’s energy with a healthy snack of almonds. Social posts with captions such as “Week full of meetings? Week full of snacking on focus fueling #almonds” and “Al-monds all day. Your stay-on-task snack #almonds” are accompanied by an image of a handful of almonds over calendars and planners, connecting the nutritous snack of almonds to the realities of consumers’ busy lives.

The Almond Board has also infused its social media strategy with humor as it continues to run its light-hearted “Garage Sale” advertisements that showcase the power of eating a handful of almonds and gaining six grams of energy-packed protein to power through the day. This “Garage Sale” paid social placement will be featured on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter through the end of November.

Beyond those tactics, ABC has also partnered with holistic health coach Koya Webb for the last quarter of 2020 to bring even greater attention to how a simple daily almond snack can bring mindfulness back into day. Webb is publishing a series of posts featuring almonds on her Instagram page through the end of December – check out her first post here! ABC also arranged 19 television media interviews for Webb that took place at the end of October, and is looking to secure more earned media opportunities in the coming weeks.

Taking a three-prong social media approach, from ABC’s own consumer-facing social media accounts as well as advertisements and third-party endorsement, has served up a recipe for success in, generating positive almond awareness through social media. Be sure to follow us on Facebook or Instagram at @California Almonds or on Twitter at @almonds to see the latest posts from your ABC team. — Article Courtesy of the Almond Board of California

Almond Board of California — Growers have a lot to think about leading up to and during harvest – prepping the orchard floor, timing the first shake in relation to hull split and achieving optimum moisture content during drying are just a few of the many important factors growers will consider from July to October.

Even as this season’s bounty is being harvested, the foundation for next year’s crop is already being developed through fruiting-bud differentiation. The period from July to October, in normal years, is when floral buds develop and the next year’s crop yield potential is set. The principle is simple: more buds = likely more flowers = likely more almonds. 

Many factors can affect crop yield, such as pollination, weather, and nutrient management decisions. But this year, especially, with a record projected crop on the way, one key practice growers should implement to maximize yield potential is optimized post-harvest irrigation. Because growers typically stop irrigating in the weeks leading up to harvest, their trees can be rather dried out come late September and early October.

“The sooner you can get water back on your trees, the more you’ll be able to support tree health,” said Sebastian Saa, Ph.D., associate director for Agricultural Research at the Almond Board of California (ABC). “We know next year’s buds already are on the tree – water reduces the stress on the tree and therefore allows those buds to further develop.”

One way for growers to think of post-harvest and late-season irrigation is that they are “paying it forward” for next year’s crop. During this critical time, trees’ water needs are significant and severe water stress can drastically affect bloom, fruit set and yield.

Saa said growers who have self-compatible varieties may have more flexibility when it comes to post-harvest irrigation. Because there will only be one harvest per block in self-compatible orchard configurations, growers will not necessarily need to wait for the harvest of the pollinizer to irrigate again. Similarly, Saa also said that off-ground harvest (catching the nuts and drying them outside of the orchard) or semi-off ground harvest (catching them and re-allocating them to the middle of the row) also may provide flexibility when it comes to post-harvest irrigation.

One key resource available to help growers better understand irrigation management – both post-harvest and year-round – is ABC’s Almond Irrigation Improvement Continuum. This resource, developed by the Almond Board in partnership with many trusted and respected technical experts, provides a wide-ranging look at a grower’s site-specific irrigation system with the goal of improved efficiency and effectiveness. In the Continuum, growers and irrigation experts will find a step-by-step explanation of irrigation management and scheduling practices related to the following concepts:

• measuring irrigation system performance and efficiency,
• estimating orchard water requirements based on evapotranspiration,
• determining applied water,
• evaluating soil moisture, and
• evaluating plant water status.

Tom Devol, ABC’s senior manager of Field Outreach and Education, is available to help almond growers reach their goals of increased water efficiency. Devol and his team can meet growers in-person for in-orchard consultations to discuss irrigation systems, address challenges, and share ABC’s print and online irrigation tools. To schedule your own irrigation consultation, email Devol at tdevol@almondboard.com or call (530) 570-5558.

More post-harvest irrigation information
More information about the impacts of water stress on fruit bud development in relation to growing regions and varieties is available in the University of California Agricultural and Natural Resources publication 8515, “Drought Tips: Drought Management for California Almonds,” found at Almonds.com.

Almond Board of California — For the third year in a row, Chris Rishwain is preparing to plant cover crops in the windrows of his 150-acre almond orchard near Manteca. Although his original intent was to provide forage for honey bees during pollination, Rishwain has discovered multiple additional benefits to cover crops, one of the most impactful being the positive effect they have on compacted soil.

“Soil compaction has been a problem for us,” Rishwain explained. “My goal to reduce soil compaction is aimed at helping improve the orchard’s water retention, allowing the roots of our trees to penetrate deeper in the soil to obtain water and minerals, and also to allow for better soil aeration, which supports the microbes in the soil.”

Like many other almond growers, Rishwain just completed harvest, a time when shakers, sweepers, tractors and other heavy equipment can contribute to pre-existing issues of soil compaction in orchards up and down the Central Valley. Compaction also can be a greater problem in soils that have more silt.

Soil compaction – coupled with other contributing factors – can negatively affect tree development and subsequent tree productivity. While there is work that can be done to prevent or decrease the severity of soil compaction before trees are planted in an orchard, once an orchard is established those options become more limited. That’s where cover crops can help.

The Almond Board of California (ABC) continues to fund research into the impacts of cover crops. Much of that scientific work has been conducted by a team led by Amélie Gaudin, Ph.D., an associate professor of agroecology in the UC Davis Department of Plant Sciences, as well as researchers from UC Riverside.

Seed money available to growers

One of the most enthusiastic promoters of cover crops in California is Project Apis m., which has managed the popular Seeds for Bees program for many years. Seeds for Bees encourages the use of cover crops to increase the density, diversity and duration of pollinator forage in California agriculture, while also improving soil health.

“The seed mixes available through Seeds for Bees are designed to bloom at critical times of the year when natural forage is scarce but managed and native bees are active,” said Billy Synk, the organization’s director of pollination programs.

Through the Almond Board’s Bee+ Scholarship Program, 100 almond growers can receive up to $2,000 each in FREE cover crop seed through the Seeds for Bees program. Funding provided by ABC’s Bee+ Scholarship will allow growers to plant an estimated 3,500 acres of quality pollinator forage statewide – that’s in addition to the cover crop seed Project Apis m. typically distributes directly to almond growers through their Seeds for Bees program each year. Applications are being accepted now, so growers are encouraged to visit Almonds.com/Pollinationto learn more.

Rishwain started participating in the Seeds for Bees program two years ago. He planted Project Apis m.’s Soil Builder mix, which includes brassicas, legumes and grains. In addition to the cover crops’ positive impact on honey bees, he also likes this mix because of its combination of shallow hair-like roots that help prevent erosion in addition to strong tap roots that grow deep into the soil, breaking up compacted areas.

“I will use this mix again this coming year. I liked how it has a diversity of species that can improve soil health in our orchard in many different ways,” said Rishwain, adding that the experts from Seeds for Bees make choosing the right seed mix easy for any orchard situation.

Synk said the most popular Seeds for Bees seeds mix that growers typically use to deal with compacted soils is the Mustard mix, which includes canola, white mustard, two kinds of yellow mustard and Diakon radish.  He also said 75% of Seeds for Bees participants list breaking up compacted soils as one of their primary reasons to plant cover crops.

Similarly, Gaudin’s research shows that a mixture higher in legumes (such as clover and vetch) can boost nitrogen levels in the soil; conversely, grasses can help reduce nitrogen losses, decrease compaction and improve water infiltration.

Typically, cover crops are planted in the fall – after harvest – and sprout naturally following the first rain of the new crop year. Their flowers provide additional forage for honey bees when almond trees are in bloom and their roots add organic material to the soil. The cover crops are then typically mowed down in late spring so orchard floors can be readied for harvest later in the year. Rishwain also uses a conditioner before harvest to filter out organic debris.

Josette Lewis, Ph.D. , the Chief Scientific Officer for the Almond Board, said the organization expects to publish a practical guide on best management practices for cover crops at the start of 2021. In the meantime, growers are encouraged to participate in the Almond Board’s Bee+ Scholarship and visit the Seeds for Bees website to learn more about the benefits of planting cover crops in or near their orchards.

Almond Board of California—Innovation always has been part of the almond industry. That includes exciting research about new almond varieties intended to meet the changing needs of consumers, end buyers and fast-growing export markets.

There are about 70 different varieties of almonds grown around the world. California orchards produce about 30 varieties, though 13 of them – with Nonpareil dominating – account for 98% of what is regularly grown. While other countries may grow multiple other varieties, when it comes to total production California remains on top, producing more than 80% of the world’s almonds and supplying millions of pounds annually to more than 90 export markets.

Still, California growers and handlers must continue to adapt to provide almonds that satisfy shifting consumer appetites, end-buyer demands and other market forces. What a confectionery business or chocolatier wants in an almond can vary greatly from what someone snacking in India or China wants, which can differ largely from what a company producing almond milk in the U.S. wants.

The diverse uses for almonds and ever-changing preferences continue to influence demand for specific kernel characteristics such as flavor, appearance, shape, texture and color. Similarly, to continue improving not only what we grow but how we grow, the industry is looking into almond varieties that check horticultural boxes, including the ability to produce more pounds per light intercepted and self-compatibility.

Recognizing the need to constantly innovate and maintain high demand for California almonds, the Almond Board of California (ABC) began funding almond variety development research in the early 1970s and expanded that effort in the late 1980s to include rootstock breeding. Over the past 20 years, this research has delivered five new University of California (UC) varieties – Padre, Sonora, Kester, Winters and Sweetheart – and supported testing of most commercial varieties and rootstocks for overall performance, resistance to pests, diseases and abiotic stresses. The research has kept California on the cutting edge of almond production globally.

Now, for the first time, decades of data and results from ABC’s first-ever Crack Out Day (an event held last November at which industry members tasted and compared more than 60 almond varieties from around the globe) have been pulled together in a comprehensive breeding report. For growers looking to replant their orchards as well as nurseries and private breeders, the report offers critical information about the performance and potential promise of different almond varieties.

“The California almond industry is always looking for better and more sustainable almond varieties,” said Sebastian Saa, ABC’s associate director of Agricultural Research. “We’re convinced that through research and innovation, we’ll find varieties that produce not only more pounds of almonds, but also higher quality with reduced management costs and horticultural inputs in terms of water use, pest management and more. As technology and experience advance, it will allow us to discover better, more efficient varieties.”

Saa listed the following as some of the key takeaways and learnings provided by the report:

• The growing number of self-compatible varieties being developed globally.
• Spanish varieties are mostly hard shell, but some new selections are soft shell and should be evaluated in California.
•  Spanish breeding programs have mastered late-bloom varieties and self-compatibility traits.
• The Australian breeding program has some varieties that scored very high during Crack-Out Day and should be evaluated in California.
• Several varieties created by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and UC breeding programs are performing quite well in ongoing trials in California.

‘Diversification is key’

Breeding is an art of balancing improvements while accepting some trade-offs. To define this balance, experts must consider the various segments of the almond industry, starting with the growers, moving to the hullers and shellers, handlers, food companies and then, ultimately, the consumer. As Saa said, “Diversification is key.”

“Different uses and different needs demand different varieties,” he explained. “When you think about an almond variety for snacking, for example, you think about crunch and strong flavor. But when you think about a variety for almond milk, you’re probably thinking about milder flavors. And if you’re looking for a variety to cover in chocolate, you’re looking for a short but round kernel shape.”

Nonpareil and other soft-shell varieties dominate the snack segment because of their shape, smooth surface and light blonde color. Mission varieties like Marcona, Butte, Padre and Fritz typically are used for natural roasted and bulk purposes, as well as in candy and chocolate applications. And California varieties like Carmel, Monterey and Wood Colony often are roasted, salted and flavored. They also are good for slicing and slivering.

Key varietal differences covered in the report include a summary of how many popular almonds grown in California are auto-incompatible, meaning they require cross-pollination between different varieties, and yet how some of the new varieties are self-compatible, requiring no cross-pollination. Another horticultural distinction covered in the report is crack-out percentage and double percentage. California varieties and some Australian varieties have a high crack-out percentage (kernel-to-shell ratio). In addition, the report discusses different varieties’ tendency to produce kernel “doubles,” and finally, maturity rate and its impact on harvest timing is also mentioned. Armed with this knowledge, said Saa, growers can be more flexible and have more operational diversification.

“If you have only one variety that you need to harvest within a narrow window, you put a lot of demand on your resources at one critical point in time. However, when you have multiple varieties that you can harvest sequentially, you can leverage your equipment and maximize your resources,” Saa said. 

Looking ahead to the future of breeding

Creating new almond varieties is a slow and complex process. It can take as long as 15 years to develop a new breed and then another 10 to 15 years to truly test it.

“Once you develop a variety, you need to see how it performs under differing weather and environmental conditions — and there’s only one harvest per year,” Saa said. “So in order to be confident in a new variety, we need to test during multiple harvests across the valley. Today, we’re trying to do that more efficiently than ever before.”

To provide a mechanism to evaluate new varieties across the diverse almond-growing regions in the state, the Almond Board began funding long-term and multi-locational Regional Varietal Trials (RVTs) almost 50 years ago. The first trial ran from 1974-1981 and the second from 1993-2006.

The current RVT – involving orchards in Butte, Stanislaus and Madera counties, all planted with 30 identical varieties – began in 2014. Saa expects the study to last until 2025. ABC coordinates with the UC’s research system on the RVT, and the UC provides important contributions from the leading plant nurseries and private breeders in the state.

Saa said some important characteristics that researchers will evaluate in RVTs moving forward include:

• a bloom period that begins no earlier than Nonpareil,
• self-compatibility,
• crack-out percentage equal to or more than 40%,
• percentage of kernel “doubles” equal to or less than 10%, and 
• increased yield potential.

Growers interested in ABC’s RVT are encouraged to check out UC Davis’ Fruit & Nut Research & Information Center, as updated information from the ongoing RVT is expected to be published on the center’s website in early 2021.