The Commission released its annual wheat variety survey, which estimates the state's planted acres by variety and region. This year's report projects a drop in total wheat planted acres of six percent. The 17 percent decrease in common wheat acres was offset somewhat by the 210 percent rise in durum acres.
This fourth year of drought is taking its toll on California wheat production; lack of irrigation water and high hay and silage prices in many areas will result in high greenchop.
Durum growers in both Imperial and San Joaquin Valleys responded to high prices at planting time by increasing acres. A high percentage of durum acres are harvested for grain.
Regional Field Days in April, May
The Kings/Tulare Field Day is scheduled for April 30, with three stops planned. Starting off the day is a stop at Milky Way Dairy to view the small grains forage trials and small grain weed/disease resistance management. Next stop will be WSREC to view several Commission-funded trials related to salinity, nitrogen, and disease resistance. Several speakers are scheduled at each stop. The day will conclude with an informal tour of the Corcoran region wheat and triticale trials.
For more information, call the UCCE Office in Tulare at (559) 684-3300.
The annual UC Davis Small Grains/Alfalfa Field Day will take place on May 12, starting at 8:00. The morning tour of small grains plots includes stops to view variety trials and get updates on many ongoing research projects, including: improving durum quality and nutritional value; promising UCD variety releases; stripe rust resistance; statewide germplasm resources; and malting barley for local brewing.
After a CCIA-sponsored lunch, a similar tour of alfalfa and forage research plots will take place from 1-4 pm. For those not going on the afternoon tour, the Commission is hosting an open house of its office and lab facilities, including demonstrations of wheat quality testing methods. For details, call the Commission office.
The field days and tours are open to all interested parties and no registration is required.
Commission Sets Budget for FY 2015/16
The Commission met in Woodland on April 14th to consider the state of the California wheat industry and set its program priorities for the next fiscal year.
With lower planted acres due to the ongoing drought and other structural changes, the Commission discussed the outlook for the research and market development programs going forward. In the coming year, research funding will be focused on the UCD wheat breeding and variety trials; market development and outreach funding was cut by half. The assessment rate was set at $0.075/cwt.
