Friday, April 22, 2022
Boise Project
reduces
irrigation
allotment
By BRAD CARLSON
Capital Press
The Boise Project Board of Control has
set its irrigation allotment at 1.2 acre-feet,
down 25% from last year.
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of drought and below-normal reservoir vol-
ume. Snowpack in the Boise River Basin
was 70% of the 30-year median as of April
13, the Natural Resources Conservation Ser-
vice reported.
Water delivery is set to start no earlier
than April 22.
Recent mountain snow helps, <but we
need a lot more to have a bigger impact on
what we have in our account,= manager Bob
Carter said April 13. From January through
March, basin precipitation was its third-low-
est ever.
<We9re expecting it right now to be a
shorter season,= he said.
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usage, temperature and other variables. Shut-
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three weeks early.
He said this year9s conditions are similar
WRWKRVHRIZKHQVKXWR൵ZDVLQHDUO\
August.
<We9ve made it through before, and hope-
fully Mother Nature treats us better this year=
in fall-winter snow accumulation, Carter
said.
The current allotment is <all we have in
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expectations, he said.
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irrigation districts and 167,000 acres com-
bined in southwest Idaho and southeast Ore-
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and the New York and Mora canals among
1,500 miles of canals and drains.
Last year9s allotment was 1.6 acre-feet.
Dave Reynolds, a Kuna farmer who
chairs the Boise Project governing board,
said irrigators will start using stored, allo-
cated water <right out of the gate.=
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until a June 10 switch to allocated water.
Reynolds said Boise Project irrigators
in 2020 used only river water until June 25
before tapping an allotment of 2.75 acre-
feet. In 2019, they irrigated from the river
until July 3 before using an allotment of 2.7
acre-feet.
As for 2022, <it9s ugly,= he said.
<There is quite a lot of grain this year
because guys are scared of the unknown
and the price is pretty good,= Reynolds said.
<You also have urbanization that increases
rapidly all the time.=
Reynolds said that at his family9s 2,000-
acre farm, 120 acres were planted in a cover
crop <that maybe we irrigate once.= Some
250 acres were prepped, bedded and fertil-
ized last fall only to go unplanted.
Changes on the rest of the farm aim to
make best use of available water.
Already for farmers, <it9s been a very
stressful year,= said Reynolds, who is expe-
riencing his eighth drought in more than 30
years.
<You don9t know what to do, and com-
panies are depending on you to grow their
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Ryan Hedrick, U.S. Bureau of Reclama-
tion hydrologist and Middle Snake Field
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cubic feet per second of water was slated
April 15 to move through the previously dry
New York Canal for charge-up and inspec-
tion purposes.
That occurred last year March 22.
Urbanization9s impacts on water supply
can include high demand throughout irriga-
tion season.
Nampa & Meridian Irrigation District
Superintendent Greg Curtis said conserva-
tion can save supply and extend the season,
in contrast to a common misconception that
unused water is lost.
CapitalPress.com 7
New NWREC director pioneers
21st century pest management
By GEORGE PLAVEN
Capital Press
AURORA, Ore. 4 Surendra
Dara didn9t envision a career in
agriculture when he started col-
lege in his native India.
<Most people (there) go into
agriculture because they couldn9t
get into medical school. I was no
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Following in the footsteps of
his brother, who became a plant
physiologist, Dara sought to
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He took an interest in how micro-
organisms can be used to control
agricultural pests, as opposed to
chemical products.
Dara was hired in January by
Oregon State University as sta-
tion director of the North Willa-
mette Research and Extension
Center, where scientists are con-
stantly experimenting with new
ways to grow the region9s crops
4 everything from hazelnuts to
blueberries to Christmas trees.
<I9m very excited because of
the kind of impact this station has,
and how I can be a part of it,= he
said.
NWREC is a 160-acre
research farm 20 miles south of
Portland. The station9s research-
ers work with farmers who bring
in 40% of the state9s $5.7 billion
in agricultural sales.
Before coming to Oregon,
Dara spent 13 years as an ento-
mologist with the University of
California Cooperative Extension
George Plaven/Capital Press
Surendra Dara was hired by Oregon State University in Janu-
ary as station director for the North Willamette Research and
Extension Center.
in San Luis Obispo, specializing
in strawberries and other small
fruits and vegetables.
Dara came to the U.S. for the
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torate in entomology from Vir-
ginia Tech. From there, he left to
work for the International Institute
of Tropical Agriculture in Benin, a
small country in West Africa.
,WZDVWKHUH'DUDKDGKLV¿UVW
breakthrough with microbes. His
team introduced fungal isolates
from Brazil to control an invasive
mite that was damaging cassava,
a staple food commonly used to
make tapioca.
The project proved success-
ful, Dara said, and the pathogen is
now established from Nigeria to
the Ivory Coast, helping farmers
to control the pernicious pest.
Dara returned to the U.S. in
2003, working as a postdoctoral
researcher at the University of
Houston and, later, UC Coopera-
tive Extension.
At NWREC, he will guide a
team of 12 research and extension
faculty, providing critical data for
farms to improve their production
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But operating an agricultural
research station is about more
than just communicating with
growers, Dara said. It is also about
public outreach, and explaining to
consumers why they should care
how their food is produced.
<If you ask an average citizen
anywhere, very few people know
what an agricultural research sta-
tion does,= Dara explained. <We
play a major role in providing
solutions that help improve the
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Race to robotic apple harvest in 8pivotal year9
Advanced Farm Technol-
ogies recently developed a
robotic strawberry harvester
and is moving into apples.
In Central Washington this
Fall 2021, the company9s
fall, robots will pick apples in
developers visited Washington
limited-scale trials in the ongo-
to see growers9 needs and test
ing race to commercialize a
equipment.
robotic apple harvester.
<These guys are very smart
U.S. apple growers have been
and they9re approaching it
pining for robotic harvesters for
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years as the industry faces a
inga, who is on the research
shrinking supply of pickers and
commission and in charge
rising labor costs. Experts esti-
of research and development
mate labor represents 60% of an
at Starr Ranch Growers, a
apple9s cost, and two-thirds of
Tevel Aerobotics Technologies grower-packer-shipper.
that comes from harvest.
Peter Ferguson, Advanced
A few major companies A drone created by Tevel Aerobotics Technologies picks an apple.
Farm Technologies9 director of
are in the robotic arms race.
Big names include Fresh Fruit years, will run a limited-scale LWVR൵HULQJWRWKHPDUNHWLQ business development, said the
Robotics, Tevel Aerobotics commercial harvest at a grow- DQGPD\ODWHUR൵HUWKHURERWDV new robot will look similar to
Technologies, Advanced Farm er-packer operation this August. a four-season machine that can the strawberry harvester but tai-
lored to apples. Washington tri-
Technologies and Abundant
The FFRobotics machine has also thin and prune branches.
Robots.
12 arms, six per side, which can
Another company, also based als will begin Aug. 1.
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Industry leaders predict adjust to row widths. Prongs on in Israel, is called Tevel Aero-
dant Robotics, founded in 2016
widescale commercialization the end of each arm pick apples, botics Technologies.
LVVWLOOWKUHHWR¿YH\HDUVDZD\ which are gently released onto
7HYHO HPSOR\V À\LQJ DXWRQ in Hayward, Calif.
Pre-COVID,
Abundant
but they say the technology is conveyors that deposit them omous robots, or drones, which
improving.
into a bin.
use vision algorithms to detect appeared to be leading the race
<This could be a pivotal year,
An earlier-iteration robot ripe fruit that grippers then pick. to commercialization and had
quite frankly. If indeed some plucked too many fruiting
<The drones pick fruits ¿QDQFLDO EDFNLQJ IURP PDMRU
of these companies can make spurs along with apples, but individually, like a bird,= said funders including Google
Ventures.
strides 4 and I have no doubt Avi Kahani, CEO and president Hanrahan.
In 2021, however, Abundant
they will 4 then we will be in of FFRobotics, said the com-
Writing to the Capital Press
D YHU\ GL൵HUHQW VLWXDWLRQ JRLQJ pany has improved the picking from Berlin, Tevel9s founder Robotics shut down. A memo
into next year,= said Ines Han- technique.
and CEO, Yaniv Maor, said said the company <was unable
rahan, executive director of
<In my opinion, (FFRobot- he is currently demonstrating to develop the market traction
Washington Tree Fruit Research ics) basically solved that prob- his system to European grow- necessary to support its business
Commission, which is support- lem,= said Hanrahan, of the ers. This fall, Tevel will expand during the pandemic.=
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ing the trials.
commission.
into the U.S., trialing drones in
maker Labs purchased Abun-
All four companies plan to
FFRobotics still needs to Washington orchards.
R൵HUURERWVYLDVHUYLFHRUOHDVH improve the robot9s software
Hanrahan said Tevel appears dant9s IP and relaunched the
models 4 charging per bin and hardware, but the CEO is to be <on the fast track= to brand under the new name
Abundant Robots.
picked or per month leased 4 optimistic.
commercialization.
Buck Jordan, Wavemak-
rather than selling robots.
<I don9t see any major issues
A third player is Califor-
One player is Israel-based at this point in time,= Kahani nia-based Advanced Farm er9s CEO, leads the newly res-
Fresh Fruit Robotics, or said. <I think the machine is Technologies, run by young urrected Abundant Robots. The
FFRobotics. The company, ready for commercial use.=
tech entrepreneurs and backed ¿UPLVSODQQLQJDFURZGIXQGLQJ
which has been working with
If trials go well, Kahani pre- ¿QDQFLDOO\ E\ .XERWD<DPDKD seed campaign and is re-design-
ing the robots.
Washington growers for several dicts the company will expand Motors and other investors.
By SIERRA DAWN McCLAIN
Capital Press
Snow prompts pollination worries
among Washington tree fruit growers
low temperatures.
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ing,= said Whiting.
Tree fruit growers in
Todd Fryhover, pres-
Central Washington say ident of the Washington
they9re worried that the Apple Commission, sim-
April snow storm pelting the ilarly expressed concern
region could limit or slow DERXW WKH FROG IURQW D൵HFW
pollination.
ing pollination.
Pollination is critical in
³6SHFL¿FDOO\ IRU DSSOHV
the tree fruit industry. Cher- we9re being told most trees
ries, pears and apples all rely remain 8pre-bloom9 and
on bees to help with polli- the snow should have little
nation, according to Mat- impact. However, the big-
thew Whiting, professor and ger picture is about the dif-
plant physiologist at Wash- ¿FXOWLHVZLWKSROOLQDWLRQDQG
ington State University, but cold weather 4 bees don9t
EHHVUDUHO\À\LQKLJKZLQGV work in the cold. So, the
or weather below 55 degrees weather the next couple of
Fahrenheit.
weeks is when we9ll know
Last week, high winds more,= said Fryhover.
whipped the region, and
Tim Kovis, spokesman
since this weekend, the for Washington State Tree
area has been caught in Fruit Association, agreed
a storm accompanied by that <pollination has more
By SIERRA DAWN McCLAIN
Capital Press
ity of food and protecting the
environment.=
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days for growers, Dara said
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Ag Innovations Conference Sept.
22-23, coinciding with the sta-
tion9s annual harvest dinner.
Dara said he organized simi-
lar conferences in California that
were well received by the public.
<This year9s theme is sustain-
able agriculture,= he said. <We
have limited natural resources,
but the population is growing
everyday and there is a need for
more food.=
For Dara, the focus on sus-
tainability has led him to pio-
neer a new approach to integrated
pest management. In the past, he
said IPM models have prioritized
ecology over economics, while
farmers have prioritized econom-
ics over ecology.
Dara9s model, which he pub-
lished in 2019, calls for a greater
recognition of agriculture as a
business. Not only do farmers
need to make money, but the food
WKH\SURGXFHPXVWEHD൵RUGDEOH
to feed the growing population,
he said.
<The public wants safe food.
There is no question we have
to ensure that,= Dara said. <The
old model was meant to ensure
that, but it doesn9t. With the new
model, farmers like it because
someone is talking about them.
We are also talking about social
equity.=
people concerned= than
snow damage.
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of the storms vary by
micro-region.
In the south-central por-
tion of the state, closer to the
Tri-Cities, Kovis said blos-
soms are more mature 4
and therefore more vulner-
able. According to Whiting,
of WSU, snow can poten-
WLDOO\ VDWXUDWH RSHQ ÀRZ
ers with too much mois-
ture, rendering their pollen
useless.
Farther north, or in high-
er-elevation foothills, trees
are not as budded out.
Impacts also vary by
crop. Cherry blossoms gen-
erally emerge earlier than
pears, followed by apples,
so growers say their cherry
trees are at the highest risk.
Jason Matson, who grows
cherries, pears and apples
near Selah, in the south-cen-
tral region, said he doesn9t
feel consternation about low
night temperatures. <It9s the
cold daytime temperatures
3 that is what causes me to
scratch my head,= he said.
Matson is using tradi-
tional industry techniques
including wind machines
and water to protect his blos-
soms at night. He will use
heaters if the need arises.
<I9m cautiously optimis-
tic that we9ll be OK,= he
said. <It really depends on
when this (cold spell) breaks
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Farther north, in the
Manson area, grower Jared
England said it9s been
unusual to see snow like this
so late in the spring.
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