California Agriculture

Byproduct feedstuffs play a crucial role in California dairy rations and contribute to the sustainability of the industry, but the extent of their usage in the state has not been widely investigated. In March 2022, we sent a byproduct feeding and management survey via email to 61 dairy cattle nutritionists in California. Twenty-six completed surveys were included in the final data analysis (response rate = 46%; n = 26/61). Nutritionists reported servicing 498 dairy farms that represented approximately 936,700 milking cows. Respondents serviced mostly cows housed in San Joaquin Valley herds (87.6%), with some cows housed in Northern California (5.5%) and Southern California (6.9%) regions. Survey respondents also reported 58 byproducts that were fed on California dairies; almond hulls and whole cottonseed were the most frequently utilized byproducts. The average lactating ration byproduct inclusion rate was estimated at 40.9% on a dry matter (DM) basis. Looking ahead to the next five years, 20 nutritionists (80%) thought byproduct usage would increase in California dairy rations, with fewer anticipating decreased ( n = 3; 12%) or unchanged ( n = 2; 8%) usage.

Drying is an energy-intensive step in walnut production, accounting for 19% of processing costs and contributing to greenhouse gas emissions. This study surveyed 19 California walnut drying facilities to update energy consumption estimates and identify factors influencing energy use. The variables analyzed included production volume, implementation of energy conservation strategies, the type of fuel used for drying, and ambient air conditions (temperature and relative humidity). The results show that the average energy consumption for walnut drying in California was 1.156 million British thermal units per short ton of in-shell dried walnuts, 11.1% lower than 2009 estimates. Natural gas facilities used 41.5% less energy than those using propane. The type of fuel used for drying was the only factor that significantly affected energy consumption; energy conservation strategies, including in-bin moisture meters and air recirculation, did not have a significant impact. This suggests the need for improved application of energy conservation strategies through better automation and operator training.

Reducing irrigation usage for residential landscapes is a key strategy for managing water demand, but many property owners struggle to implement effective water conservation. Garden Walks is an educational program that supports trained volunteers to visit local residential properties. They suggest improvements to irrigation systems, mulch usage, grouping plants based on similar water needs, and other water-efficient landscaping techniques. Working with a Marin County water district, we measured water use for 481 households participating in Garden Walks and 478 non-participating households for six years to assess potential water savings. On average, participating households used 7,780 gallons less water in an irrigation season (8% less) than non-participating households. Much of the water savings appears to have come from leak detection. Irrigation leaks were detected in 6% of participating households, and fixing those leaks accounted for nearly 40% of program water savings.

This study introduces a novel decision support web tool (https://doi.org/10.15140/D3J04K) to assist farmers and policymakers in managing salinity in California’s Central Valley. The tool integrates agronomic, economic and spatial data to predict crop yield and profitability under varying irrigation water salinity. This resource also supports policymakers and groundwater sustainability agencies in identifying areas where saline groundwater prevents profitable farming and prioritizing those areas for land repurposing to reduce agricultural water demand. We evaluated the tool by predicting yield and profitability for alfalfa, almonds, pistachios, table grapes, and processing tomatoes under varying salinity at field and regional scales. Alfalfa maintained high yields and profitability across varying salinity levels, while table grapes showed strong economic resilience; however, almonds were most sensitive to water quality degradation. The spatial analysis indicated regional variation, with western Central Valley regions showing lower yields and profitability due to high groundwater salinity. This tool highlights the role decision support technologies can play in advancing sustainable irrigation under water quality constraints.

UCCE specialist Monica Palta and UC Irvine colleagues to study value of small-scale green spaces.

Program in El Dorado County shows many benefits of “good fire”, training events.

Los patógenos y plagas de las plantas, la urbanización y los cambios climáticos están cambiando la variedad o distribución natural de los árboles californianos.

Durante la Conferencia de Invernaderos 2025, además de charlas, hubo recorridos en invernaderos y atención personalizada a dudas de los productores.