October 23, 2015  Subscribe to our weekly California email newsletter at CapitalPress.com/newsletters CapitalPress.com 9 California $JHQF\WHVWV¿QGIUHVK&DOLI SURGXFHPRVWO\IUHHRIUHVLGXH By TIM HEARDEN Capital Press Courtesy National Grape and Wine Initiative A Carnegie Mellon University research team collects data on California vineyards with a high-throughput crop imaging unit. The Uni- versity of California-Davis and several other universities received a grant to research ways to enhance vineyard management. 8&'DYLVVFLHQWLVWVWRKHOSGHYHORS KLJKWHFKYLQH\DUGPDQDJHPHQW By TIM HEARDEN Capital Press SACRAMENTO — The University of California-Davis and several other universities will receive $6 million in fed- eral funding over four years to develop new technologies for managing vineyards. The USDA specialty-crop funds, which were secured by the Sacramento-based Nation- al Grape and Wine Initiative, will enable research into creat- ing digital maps that will allow growers to zero in on the condi- tions within their vineyards, the grant’s proponents explain. 7KLVZRXOGVLJQL¿FDQWO\HQ- hance vintners’ ability to predict their crop size, said Jean-Mari Peltier, president of NGWI. “The goal of this project is to deliver an innovative, sci- ence-driven and approachable precision viticulture platform to measure and manage sources of vineyard variation,” Peltier told the Capital Press in an email. The research aims to help growers identify how their soil, canopy and other vine- yard characteristics impact vine growth and productivity and try to manage those components, she said. “Successful spatial mea- surement and management of vineyard soil, canopy and crop will optimize productivity, ZKLOHORZHULQJ¿QDQFLDOODERU and natural resource inputs,” she said. The project will be led by award-winning scientists Ter- ry Bates of Cornell University and Stephen Nuske of Carnegie Mellon University, who will be joined by experts from UC-Da- vis and Newcastle University to assist in the work, according to the NGWI. At the University of Cali- fornia’s Kearney Agricultural Research and Extension Center in Parlier, Calif., scientists will use a suite of sensors to devel- op maps of management zones, study the potential economic EHQH¿WV RI VXFK D V\VWHP DQG educate growers, the NGWI states. The primary UC re- searcher for the project has not yet been formally hired, univer- sity spokeswoman Jeannette Warnert said. Funding comes from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture’s Spe- cialty Grant Research Initia- tive, which has released the ¿UVWJUDQWLQVWDOOPHQWRIQHDUO\ $2.4 million, according to the NGWI. The project comes as UC researchers have focused in recent years on improving tech- nology for growers. UC-Davis scientists recently developed a suite of sensors to deliver real-time plant-stress data to a grower’s computer so that he or she can irrigate only when and where the water is needed. The combined data from the vineyard project promises to provide a wealth of information to farmers, including data about crop yield, soil conditions, ir- rigation and fertilizer needs, canopy growth and the color and maturity of grapes, NGWI RI¿FLDOVH[SODLQ In addition, digital mapping could help growers balance quality and quantify of the crops, identify soil needs and better manage harvests, the or- ganization asserts. SACRAMENTO — Fresh produce sold in California stores, farmers’ markets and other venues last year was mostly free of pesticide res- idues, a state agency’s tests found. In all, 96.4 percent of Cali- fornia-grown produce tested in 2014 had little or no residues, according to the Department of Pesticide Regulation’s newly released 2014 Pesticide Resi- dues in Fresh Produce report. The year-round collection of about 3,500 samples of pro- duce, including those labeled as organic, showed that the vast majority of fruits and vegeta- bles available for sale in the Golden State meet stringent federal safety standards, DPR RI¿FLDOVVDLG Growers, wholesalers and retailers have maintained a consistently high rate of res- idue-free produce in recent years, agency spokesman Craig Cassidy told the Capital Press. “This report further con- ¿UPVWKDW&DOLIRUQLD¶VYLJRURXV pesticide regulatory program creates a reliable marketplace where consumers can have faith in their fresh fruits and vegetables,” DPR director Bri- an Leahy said when unveiling the report on Oct. 14. “The pes- ticide rules and oversight we have in this state are effective at protecting the produce that we enjoy eating.” 2I¿FLDOV WHVWHG IRU VRPH 300 different pesticides with equipment operated by the state Department of Food and Agriculture. The U.S. Environ- mental Protection Agency sets safe-tolerance standards allow- ing each piece of fruit or veg- etable to contain trace amounts RI SHVWLFLGH VWDWH RI¿FLDOV H[- plained in a news release. The report comes as the DPR’s air monitoring in three agricultural communities has found for a third straight year Courtesy Department of Pesticide Regulation California Department of Pes- ticide Regulation staff scientist Amanda Thompson collects cilantro samples at a Los Ange- les grocery store. The agency found that fresh produce sold in California was mostly free of pesticide residues. pesticide residues at levels well below levels that would cause a health concern. The communi- ties were Salinas, Ripon in San Joaquin County and Shafter in Kern County. Among highlights of the produce report: • More than 94 percent of all produce samples had pesti- cide residue levels at or below EPA tolerances. Of those, near- ly 41 percent had no detectable residues at all, while nearly 53 percent had residues detected within the legal level. • A little more than 1 per- cent of the samples had pesti- cide residues in excess of the established tolerance level, and an additional 5.5 percent of the samples had traces of pesticides that were not approved for that commodity. • Produce that most fre- quently tested positive for ille- gal pesticide residues last year included ginger from China, cactus pads, cactus pears, limes, papaya, summer squash, tomatillos, chili peppers and tomatoes from Mexico, and domestic spinach and kale, ac- cording to the release. FFA members hone skills at competition Klaiber was one of about 850 FFA members from North- ern and Central California at REDDING, Calif. — A new the Shasta College meet, which member of FFA, Jack Klaiber, LVRQHRIWKH¿UVWRIWKHVFKRRO plans to begin raising two meat year and helps students hone goats in February, so he wanted their skills for later events. to learn what livestock judges In addition to livestock look for. judging, the students com- He entered a judging com- peted on contests relating to SHWLWLRQDWWKHDQQXDO))$¿HOG soils, horticulture, small en- day and career fair Oct. 15 at gines, welding and agricultural Shasta College in Redding, mechanics. Some veterinary where he and other students students took a written test to made their observations on pa- show their knowledge, while per. other youngsters took part in “I just want to get some timed contests cutting through experience with animals,” a log with a saw and moving Klaiber, a freshman at Ander- a tractor through an obstacle son, Calif., High School, said course. before the contest. “I want to Awards were given to win- learn how to judge other an- ning individuals and teams in imals so I can determine how about 20 contests, and a small my animals will come out.” college club information fair By TIM HEARDEN Capital Press was held in the Shasta College farm pavilion so that students could explore future options. ³7KLVLVWKH¿UVWFRQWHVWRI the year for FFA students,” said B.J. MacFarlane, Shasta College’s farm manager. “For years, the contest has been get- ting freshman and sophomore students involved to see what activities they want to partic- ipate in throughout the rest of the year.” For some students, the meet is a chance to practice before big statewide and national con- tests. Ally Rose McDonald, a Durham, Calif., high school senior and the FFA’s Superi- or Region secretary, normal- ly competes at job interview during bigger contests but par- ticipated in the veterinary sci- ence event at Shasta College. America’s Farm and Ranch Database ONE LOW PRICE. UNLIMITED LISTINGS. WEEKLY ONLINE NEWSLETTER. 1-800 UPLOAD SUPPORT. JOIN FARMSELLER TODAY CALL 1-800-882-6789 FOR DETAILS! 43-2/#5 43-7/#13