California Agriculture

A long-term annual crop study in Five Points, California, shows that the combined use of no-tillage, surface residue retention, and cover crops improves soil health compared to conventional practices common to the region. Several chemical, biological, and physical soil health indicators were improved when these practices were combined. Our data suggest that farmers stand to gain multiple synergistic benefits from the integrated use of these practices by increasing soil structural stability, water infiltration and storage, and agroecosystem biodiversity, and improving the efficiencies of the carbon, nitrogen, and water cycles of their production systems.

Prescribed burning is an effective treatment to reduce the risk of very severe wildfires. Many forests, however, are ill-suited for prescribed fire, because of high fuel loads, high tree densities, or young stands that are vulnerable to low intensity fires. Utilizing prescribed fire in reforested stands established after high-severity fires can protect against further losses from subsequent wildfires (“reburn” fires). Only a handful of studies provide practical guidance on how and when to burn young forests. We apply the concept of “pyrosilviculture” to suggest ways in which pre-fire silvicultural treatments can make prescribed burns more effective across a variety of age classes and structures. We also update results from a study in which several age classes of stands (12-, 22-, 32-, and 100-year-old) were burned experimentally on the same day. This focuses on a key question for managers: how to determine the right stand age at which prescribed fires may become feasible. As expected, older stands were more resistant to damage and had higher survival rates. If tree survival during prescribed fires is a primary objective, then a conservative approach is to wait until stands are age 30 before instituting prescribed fire. This is likely an overestimate of the minimum age, given that the prescribed fires applied in this study occurred during especially dry conditions. Under different objectives, higher mortality may be considered beneficial if it creates low-density, high-complexity stands that are similar to historic conditions.

Fava bean has been cultivated as a grain, vegetable, and cover crop in California for more than a century. Despite a decline in popularity as a grain, many growers are taking a second look to satisfy demands for vegetable fava bean (pod) and to provide plant-derived nitrogen (N) to grow summer cash crops. This paper presents the results of a series of experiments aimed at quantifying fava bean biomass and N at planting date and termination, as well as pod production in response to the harvest scheme. Sowing before the end of October resulted in the highest biomass and N in Northern California. Termination of fava bean cover crops in early April between the flowering and first pod stage increased the forage yield of the following crop (sudangrass), compared to termination at the earlier branching stage, which is typically in late February. We found that delaying vegetable pod harvest until the end of the growing season resulted in low fresh-pod yields. The results provide a starting point for growers interested in incorporating fava bean.

Argentine ants are a major pest in California. In this study, a biodegradable calcium alginate hydrogel with an aqueous boric acid bait was tested against Argentine ant populations in a citrus orchard and a vineyard. A new continuous method was developed to produce large quantities of hydrogel bait for the field test. Foraging activity levels of ants were compared between baited and untreated zones. For both study sites, four to five monthly bait applications throughout summer provided a greater than 80% reduction in ant activity. Based on spatial analyses by distance indices, the baited areas were characterized by gaps (areas with lower ant counts) and the untreated control zones were characterized by patches (areas with higher ant counts). This indicated area-wide suppression of Argentine ants. For the citrus orchard, post-baiting panel trap monitoring showed reductions of both ants and Asian citrus psyllid in the baited zone compared to the control. For the vineyard, mid-season soil analyses indicated that the impact of boric acid baiting on soil boron concentration was negligible. In sum, the calcium alginate hydrogel bait with boric acid as an active ingredient may provide a promising solution for Argentine ant baiting.

Agronomic crops, including grains, forages, and fiber, are central to California agriculture, yet face many challenges. To ensure resilience, a statewide survey was conducted by the University of California Cooperative Extension service (UCCE) to identify high-priority needs and inform extension programming based on grower, consultant, and allied industry input. The goal was to compare the importance of different topics with the level of satisfaction regarding UCCE’s delivery of information on these topics. Survey respondents identified integrated pest management, nutrient and irrigation management, and variety testing as high-priority needs, with overall high satisfaction regarding UCCE’s program delivery on these topics. Topics needing more focus (high priority but below-average level of satisfaction) included testing new products, soil health management, and water conservation and storage. Areas of low priority and low satisfaction included niche marketing, emerging crops, organic production, harvest/post-harvest technology, salinity management, compost and manure management, and greenhouse gas emission reductions. To address stakeholder challenges, results from this study suggest that research and extension efforts should prioritize issues directly impacting on-farm crop production. At the same time, areas of low interest reflect a need for more support to engage farmers on these topics, particularly those concerning state environmental regulations and challenges to local and global food production and security.

El agroturismo, una tendencia en crecimiento en California, ofrece a los visitantes la oportunidad de experimentar la vida rural y agrícola de primera mano.

4-H in Orange County hosted kids from the Boys and Girls Club of Garden Grove for a day of learning and exploration at South Coast REC.

Lost Sierra Food Project increases rural food access and provides workforce development and farm education opportunities while serving as a key community gathering place.