Posted on 6/22/2010
Harvest 2010 Estimate
According to USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service, "The California winter wheat production will be 798 thousand tons, 6 percent above last year. The 380 thousand acres expected to be harvested for grain is 20 percent above last year. The yield is expected to average 2.10 tons per acre, 12.5 percent below last year.
"California's Durum wheat production is forecast at 331 thousand tons, down 35 percent from last year. The yield is forecast at 3.15 tons per acre. If realized, this will tie a record in California. Cool weather during the growing season delayed crop development and the start of the wheat harvest by about 10 days. No major quality or disease issues have been reported."
The Commission received its first crop quality samples from the Imperial Valley and will be collecting samples from the San Joaquin Valley starting next week. Each year, the Commission collects samples, tests them for quality, and publishes detailed reports for durum, hard red and hard white wheat.
Klamath Basin Crop Insurance Issue
For several years, the Commission and CAWG have been urging USDA to allow Klamath Basin growers to be included in the Oregon-Washington region for crop insurance purposes. Many growers in this region farm on both sides of the border and utilize Portland as their primary market outlet. California growers often faced disparities in pricing that worked to their disadvantage. We are very pleased to report that USDA recently announced a change in policy to now include the counties of Lassen, Modoc, Shasta, and Siskiyou in the northwest region.
UC Davis and Commission Awarded UC Discovery Grant
The UC Discovery Grant program, which funds innovative research throughout the UC system, recently awarded a second four year grant to Dr. Jorge Dubcovsky, wheat breeder at UC Davis. This research will focus on finding ways to:
- Improve the nutritional value of California pasta and bread wheat varieties by increasing the concentration of resistant starch in the grain.
- Improve the market value of California wheat varieties by increasing their grain protein concentration (GPC) and quality.
- Discover new high-GPC genes and develop molecular markers to accelerate their deployment into advanced breeding lines and commercial varieties.
- Improve consumer safety and avoid the exclusion of California durum wheat varieties from international export markets by reducing Cadmium (Cd) levels.
UCCE Precision Agriculture Seminar in Davis on July 14
UC Extension is presenting a seminar on the applicability of site specific management (SSM) for California agriculture. SSM integrates geospatial technology with agronomic practices to maximize yield and minimize inputs. This day-long seminar will present both the theory and the practical application of SSM. For more information and registration: http://ucanr.org/sites/paica/Agenda/
