Annual Meeting Evaluates New Varieties At the annual Collaborator meeting organized by the California Grain Foundation and UC Davis, farmers, breeders, millers, bakers and students gathered in Davis on October 11th to evaluate public and private varieties being considered for release in California. Under this program, breeders submit varieties in the fall, UC Davis plants trials in three locations - Davis and the San Joaquin Valley for common wheat and Imperial Valley for durum - and grows the wheat using specified agronomic practices. Upon harvest, samples are sent to collaborating mills across the country for their milling and baking/pasta analysis. The wheat industry gathers in Davis each October to review the results and discuss current industry issues.
In addition to evaluating new varieties, Jorge Dubcovsky provided an update on his wheat breeding program at UC Davis and the national research being done as part of the Combined Wheat and Barley Project, which he is leading. Jane DeMarchi from the National Association of Wheat Growers discussed federal research funding, gave an update on the Farm Bill, and talked about wheat biotechnology. Karl Kupers from Shepherd's Grain talked about his company's program to promote flour made from local, sustainable wheat. The company, based in Washington State, is introducing a California program this year.
Research Funding Update The Commission's Research Committee met on October 12 to consider research results from ten different field projects conducted over the past year. A total of $94,000 was provided for the projects, plus $10,000 to fund internships to give students practical experience in wheat field research. Research focused on fertilization, weed management and variety suitability. The reports can be found on the Commission website under Growers/ Wheat Research. Several of the farm advisors conducting this research will present their findings at the 2012 Alfalfa & Grains Symposium December 10-12 in Sacramento. For more details, see below.
The Committee also approved new research grants submitted by UCCE farm advisors, specialists and other researchers in response to the 2012 Mini-Grant Call for Proposals. Eight proposals and one internship were funded for a total of $78,700. A complete list is on our website.
The mini-grant program is an important component of the approximately $350,000 the Commission approved to support wheat-related research at the University of California in the current fiscal year. The program was developed as a complement to the funding traditionally provided to support the wheat breeding program at UC Davis and the statewide field trials. The proposals are designed to provide short term results to growers on issues such as increasing protein and yield through improved fertilization practices.
In addition to the mini-grants, the Committee approved a request from UC Riverside researcher Dr. Giles Waines to fund the second year of his project "Determination of optimum root and shoot size in bread wheat for increased water and nutrient-use efficiency and grain yield."
In Memoriam - Mike Bouris We note with sorrow the passing of Commissioner Mike Bouris, who represented District 11 on our board. Mike was first elected to the California Wheat Commission in 1987 and remained an active member until his death. He served as President of the California Association of Wheat Growers and participated extensively in USW and NAWG meetings over the years. We all miss Mike's lively wit and financial acuity.
Commission Election Results This summer, elections were conducted in five grower districts. The results were compiled by the California Department of Food and Agriculture and accepted by the Commission at its most recent meeting on August 29. The following growers were elected:
District 1 - John Walker, Commissioner and Bryce Crawford, Alternate.
District 5 - Dennis Pelucca, Commissioner.
District 8 - Jim Parsons, Commissioner
District 10 - Vacant
District 13 - Ronald Leimgruber, Commissioner.
We have Commissioner and Alternate openings in District 2 (Butte, Colusa, Glenn, and Lake Counties) and District 11 (Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego and Ventura Counties); there are also Alternate openings in several other districts. Involvement in the California Wheat Commission enables California producers to help set the priorities for how grower assessment dollars are spent and to take a more active role in national wheat organizations and policymaking bodies.
A qualified producer member or alternate is defined as any person in California who is engaged in the business of producing wheat for market during any of the preceding three marketing seasons, and who resides or conducts farming operations in the district. Between election cycles, interested growers can submit a petition to fill partial terms.
In addition to accepting the results of the grower elections, the Commission formally recommended the reappointment of public member Commissioner Steve Windh and Alternate Damon Sidles. Those appointments have been confirmed by the Department of Food and Agriculture.
Crop Quality Reports Available
Our annual crop quality reports are on the Commission's website. Printed copies are available upon request from the office.
Summary results from the Collaborator trials plus current agronomic data from the statewide field trials can be found on the UC Davis website: http://smallgrains.ucdavis.edu.
2012 Alfalfa & Grains Symposium Registration is now open for the combined alfalfa and grains symposium to be held in Sacramento December 10-12. There are over 2.5 million acres of alfalfa, grains, and other forage crops in California, not including corn silage. This is a comprehensive meeting to focus on the many issues related to alfalfa and grain crops, particularly global issues, economics, and practical 'how to' talks on crop production techniques. For program details and registration: http://ucanr.edu/sites/Alfalfa/
