Spudman May/June 2023 - 14

During an April 5 California State
Board of Food and Agriculture meeting,
Asha Raj, emergency management
coordinator with the California
Department of Food and Agriculture
(CDFA), said the agency is working with
the state's trade associations on damage
estimates and declarations.
" We are working with ag
commissioners to gather crop
loss information to get a USDA
designation, " she said. " CDFA is
coordinating and sharing information
with county ag commissioners in the
flood-affected counties. "
CROP DELAYS
The storms brought waterlogging
and high volumes of moisture,
which reached saturation points and
prevented tractors from entering fields.
The standing water delayed potato
plants by nearly a month, with
other growers delayed even later.
Additionally, because of a colder-thannormal
winter, valley growers didn't
receive the heat units they normally
collect by spring.
Warm days would provide growers
time to receive crop development, said
Davenport.
Because they thrive in water, plant
diseases are expected to multiply in
such soggy conditions, according to
Extension researchers.
As fields have been inaccessible,
weed management is also falling
behind. Davenport said he's concerned
the pressure coming from all the wet
weather will also bring more insects
and fungal pathogens.
Proper management is essential,
he said.
" There's a lot to manage, " Davenport
said. " The management level we have to
adhere to, managing these crops, is that
we have to stay on our A game. "
Urgency is an important factor in
growing fresh produce.
" Whether we have an opportunity to
get a tractor into the field to manage
weeds with the cultivator, or if we
have the opportunity to turn the water
on, even for a brief time, to get an
insecticide on, or a fungicide, or fly it on
if we need to - if we have weather for
it, we will, " Davenport said. " The same
with fertilizer. "
Certain fields with heavier soils or
those that don't drain well are expected
to receive more damage.
" You reach the saturation point so
quickly that you eventually run out
of places for the water to go, "
Davenport said.
Davenport said growers plan to
closely eye where the runoff travels.
" We hope it runs down the road and
not onto our fields, which can cause
damage to our fields, " he said. " You
also worry about saturation being
reached again in your field because
that waterlogging and lack of oxygen
tends to starve your crop of oxygen. It
ultimately ends up killing the seed in
your plants, or causing disease to set
in. We are concerned about anaerobic
conditions. "
Your #1 Resource Just Got Even Better
Introducing the Spudman Digital Resource Guide
A year-round, unique way to find, research and connect with suppliers to help your operation succeed.
Start your search today!
Visit Spudman.com/Guide
or scan me!
Interested in featuring your company? Contact Andrea Schafer.
14
Spudman * May/June 2023

http://www.Spudman.com/Guide

Spudman May/June 2023

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Spudman May/June 2023