FREDRICKSON CELEBRATES 20 YEARS WITH THE COMMISSION Cymantha Fredrickson, Assistant Director of the California Wheat Commission, will mark her 20th year with the Commission on October 13th.
Commissioners and staff, joined by former director Bonnie Fernandez-Fenaroli, celebrated her dedicated service at the Commission meeting in Woodland on September 10th. Chairman Roy Motter thanked her for her many contributions, and especially her work on the annual variety surveys and crop quality reports. Executive Director Janice Cooper also praised her for her work in achieving another clean financial audit. Fredrickson will spend her anniversary in her favorite way - camping, hiking and enjoying nature. October 5, 2015
CERTIFIED SEED GUIDE POSTED The 2015/16 Certified Wheat Seed Buying Guide is now available on the Commission's website. This publication has been developed with the cooperation of UC Davis to help growers make their planting decisions. It provides agronomic information on current certified wheat seed varieties' field performance, including disease reactions, yield, test weight and average protein as well as contact information for seed dealers.
Growers are encouraged to consult this guide for information on stripe rust and other disease resistance, particularly with the forecast of El Niņo conditions this year. For more detailed disease and yield data by variety and location, the Agronomy Progress Report can be located at: http://smallgrains.ucdavis.edu/
CROP QUALITY REPORTS ONLINE The 2015 Crop Quality Reports for durum, hard red and hard white wheat have just been posted to the Commission's website. The annual crop quality testing was completed in September by Lab Director Claudia Carter, Lab Assistant Teng Vang, and four food science students from UC Davis. These reports are used by customers at home and around the world to evaluate the quality of the 2015 crop. The Hard Red/Hard White Report and the Desert DurumŪ Report (covering both Arizona and California) can be found on our website. Spanish and Italian versions will be available soon.
COLLABORATOR MEETING AT UC DAVIS ON NOVEMBER 13 Wheat breeders, millers, bakers, growers, and handlers will gather at UC Davis on November 13 for the annual California Wheat Collaborator Meeting. This meeting, organized by the California Grain Foundation and UC Davis Department of Plant Sciences, provides an opportunity for baking quality labs from across the country to evaluate varieties being considered for release and provide input to breeders. The California meeting focuses on hard red, hard white, and durum varieties suitable for California and Arizona.
In addition to evaluating the advanced lines, the meeting will cover key topics of interest, including an update from Jorge Dubcovsky on his wheat breeding program, remarks from the new Statewide Small Grains Specialist Mark Lundy, and a discussion by farmers of factors influencing their wheat planting decisions.
Claudia Carter, the Commission's Lab Director, will discuss various ongoing research projects including the development of standardized whole grain baking tests and efforts to re-define sprouted grain products. At the end of the afternoon, participants will have an opportunity to taste artisan bread made from the Collaborator varieties. Local miller and baker Dave Miller will work with Lab Assistant Teng Vang to evaluate the varieties as they bake the whole grain loaves. For more information, contact the Commission office.
