by Lodi Growers | Mar 24, 2014 | Blog, Uncategorized
This month I would like to discuss sustainable agriculture. The following comments are my own and do not represent the official policy of the Lodi Winegrape Commission. I am sharing them in order to stimulate further discussion on this topic. I believe that...
by Lodi Growers | Mar 17, 2014 | Blog, Uncategorized
For the first time in the 54-year history of the State Water Project, the Department of Water Resources forecast in late January 2014 that there would be zero water deliveries to the 25 million people and 1 million acres of farmland that typically rely on its...
by Lodi Growers | Mar 10, 2014 | Blog
The Central Valley Farmland Trust (CVFT) is a non-profit public benefit entity (501 c(3)) engaged in the preservation of prime irrigated farmland in the Central San Joaquin Valley. We work to preserve local farmland mainly through the voluntary acquisition of...
by Lodi Growers | Mar 3, 2014 | Blog, Uncategorized
Plant viruses affect many crops and cost billions of dollars annually in preventative measures and damages. In grapevines, most long-distance spread of viruses is caused by the movement of infected plants, which can be controlled effectively if clean stock is made...
by Lodi Growers | Feb 24, 2014 | Blog, Uncategorized
When I was a pest management student in college I had a Chilean-born professor named Leo Caltagirone. He used to tell us that we should always focus on the crop that we were working with rather than the pests. The reason he said this was because of the natural...
by Lodi Growers | Feb 18, 2014 | Blog, Uncategorized
So far, this year is a drought year unlike any other in recent California history. At this time, many vineyards not only have a limited water supply for irrigation, but the water in their root zones is well below their full water holding capacities. With our rainfall...
by Lodi Growers | Feb 10, 2014 | Blog, Uncategorized
This month I would like to share my thoughts regarding how to prevent powdery mildew disease in Chardonnay grapes. For 19 years I worked with Ruby Seedless table grapes in the Reedley area, and that experience shaped my approach to preventing powdery mildew. The Ruby...
by Lodi Growers | Feb 3, 2014 | Blog, Uncategorized
The brown marmorated stink bug (Halyomorpha halys) (BMSB) is native to China, Korea, and Japan. The first documentation of this species in the U.S. occurred in Pennsylvania in 2001. It has been found in dozens of U.S. states either as reproducing populations or single...
by Lodi Growers | Jan 27, 2014 | Blog, Uncategorized
Below average cold, below average rainfall, increasing costs, more regulations and tougher competition. We seem to be experiencing our own modern day Iliad. But it could always be worse and baseball opening day is only 55 days away. Dry conditions have taken front...
by Lodi Growers | Jan 20, 2014 | Blog, Uncategorized
Sustainability is word bantered about freely these days. Initially, sustainability referred to the degree a farming enterprise depended on off-farm resources. This is important because all agricultural ecosystems, unlike natural ecosystems, are inherently unstable and...
by Lodi Growers | Jan 13, 2014 | Blog, Uncategorized
Another year is behind us and although the 2013 growing season could not have been more perfect in terms of weather, there were plenty of frustrations to deal with. Capacity and processing issues, winegrape crops which exceeded estimates (for the second year in a...
by Lodi Growers | Jan 3, 2014 | Blog, Uncategorized
Growers can learn how to improve the health of their soils with the help of the newly revised book “Building Soil For Better Health”, written by two prominent soil scientists. The book is available for free download by clicking HERE. Managing for soil...
by Lodi Growers | Dec 23, 2013 | Blog, Uncategorized
There may be ongoing and needed discussion about whether the climate is changing and who, or what, is causing it. But what we know for sure is that the season has changed from fall to winter, and over the past few weeks we have experienced an “arctic blast”. As I...
by Lodi Growers | Dec 16, 2013 | Blog, Uncategorized
During my entire 34-year career as a Pest Control Adviser I have recommended the use of pesticides on a “per acre” basis and the growers have applied them on a “per acre” basis. At the annual Farm Safety Day I teach a class on how to calibrate spray rigs, and on...
by Lodi Growers | Dec 9, 2013 | Blog, Uncategorized
Wineries have come to expect and depend on delivery of high quality grapes from their growers, while at the same time, vineyard operational costs have reached new highs. Most wine grape growers have responded to these factors, striving for both production consistency...
