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Recent articles from our magazines
Cooperative Efforts Score Major Safety Win With Cal/OSHA
Crop nutrients are a significant portion of the input costs in tree nut production. Part of the value is trust in the source and management practices at the site. The nutrients need to be…
Pollination Still Pays in Self-Fertile Almond Varieties
For decades, California almond growers have relied on honey bees to provide consistent pollination and ensure a successful crop. However, in recent years, the introduction of self-fertile almond varieties has offered growers more flexibility…
Tackling Problematic Weeds in Hazelnuts
Growers need to start early and stay vigilant when managing two weeds that can create havoc at harvest in hazelnuts. In a presentation at the Nut Growers Society 2026 Summer Tour Aug. 5 in…
OP-ED: Is California Prepared for an All-Electric Economy?
As California charges ahead toward its climate change goals of “carbon neutrality” by 2045, many wonder how we are going to get there and what California will look like when the time comes. History…
A Refresher Course on EFB Management
Leaving Eastern filbert blight-infected chippings on orchard floors is a viable alternative to burning or hauling them away and can enhance soil health, according to retired Oregon State University plant pathologist Jay Pscheidt. As…
Soil NOx: Is it the next air pollution issue… or not?
In 1994, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) had initially identified “soil NOx” as a significant source of air pollution coming from agriculture in the San Joaquin Valley. Soil NOx includes emissions of nitric…
Making Every Fumigation Count
Fumigation is an important tool across California’s tree nut industry, from managing pests in the orchard to protecting harvested product. But it’s a tool that’s also receiving increased attention from regulators, making performance, planning…
Microbial Biostimulants in Practice: A Field-Level Look at Nitrogen Dynamics in Bok Choy
Introduction As a leafy brassica, bok choy (Brassica rapa subsp. chinensis) needs reliable nitrogen during its short growth cycle to build healthy green tissues. However, this fast-cycling growth characteristic leaves growers, especially in the…
A New Credential for Organic Crop Advisers
Introducing ASA’s CCA Organic Specialty Certification Organic agriculture is not simply conventional production with a shorter input list. It is a federally regulated production system in which agronomic decisions, documentation, product flow and risk…
Walnut Mold Pressure Builds as Researchers Refine Management
Rain events during the 2025 harvest were blamed for higher percentages of mold in the walnut crop. Kearney-based UC Plant Pathologist Themis Michailides said mold percentages have been trending higher in the past several…
Improving Fumigation Performance Under Growing Scrutiny
“Fumigation is under the microscope.” That’s how Roger Isom, president and CEO of the Western Tree Nut Association (WTNA), describes the current regulatory environment surrounding fumigation in California agriculture. “The regulatory agencies, whether it’s…
Troubleshooting Poor Nodulation in Legumes: A Practical Guide
Legumes, plants from the bean family, are known for their ability to add nitrogen to the soil. This makes them a popular choice in cover cropping, supplying both nitrogen for the cash crop and…
Managing Almond Harvest When the Weather Turns Wet
“Wet farming” requires good decisions. In light of recent National Weather Service forecasts of a strong El Niño-type weather pattern, almond growers may want to think back to last fall and remember what worked…
The September PCA Checklist: Finish the Season Strong and Defensible
Late-season fieldwork is where strong consultants separate themselves by documenting sensitive sites, tightening application windows, evaluating outcomes and turning the season’s evidence into a better plan for the grower. September can feel like the…
Understanding Endophytes: Biology to Boost Production
Soils contain vast numbers of microorganisms, including bacteria, fungi, and archaea. Most have neutral or positive effects on plant growth, and some are pathogenic. Only 2% to 5% of soil microbes are classified as…
A letter from the Publisher: 5 Technologies Crop Consultants Should Be Watching
Every year in agriculture, we’re introduced to another new technology that’s supposed to change everything. A new sensor. A new drone. A new software platform. A new piece of equipment. Some of it ends…
Five Ways to Tell Better Stories in Agriculture
Five ways better storytelling can build trust, strengthen relationships and make your message more memorable If there’s one business lesson I’ve learned over the years, it’s this: the…
Succession Starts Long Before the Signature
Leadership, not legal documents, is what determines whether a farm survives to the next generation California growers spend years planning capital investments, planting decisions, water strategy and market…
Incubator Farm Helps Ag-Tech Gain a Foothold
By the numbers 24 acresThe site features innovation barns where companies can refine machinery with high-end fabrication equipment, office spaces and 24 acres of dedicated commercial fields where…
Can California Agriculture Afford Groundwater Replacement?
As California’s Sustainable Groundwater Management Act reshapes agricultural water use, growers are looking beyond simply replacing lost groundwater Historically, the conversation around California water has centered on scarcity,…
Beyond SGMA: Can Collaboration Secure California Agriculture’s Water Future?
Keeping California’s farms productive will require more than new water supplies. It will require unprecedented collaboration. Geoff Vanden Heuvel has played a leading role in bringing stakeholders together…
Acadian Plant Health Builds Direct Sales Presence in California
Acadian Plant Health has expanded its direct market presence in California, appointing Michael Lombardi and Eric (Rick) Ebbinghausen as Territory Sales Representatives.
Thousands of Acres, One Week: Scaling Field Coverage in August
By the numbers 45 yearsI’ve spent 45 years in the field, and in my experience, the fundamentals don’t change with scale. a thousand acresIf you’ve got a thousand…
Commentary: Market Fortitude Key Transition Strategies for an Evolving Specialty Crop Economy
By the numbers fourth consecutive yearThe almond industry faces its fourth consecutive year of acreage reduction as well. five- to 10-year establishment periodIt is expensive to remove a…
Turning Farm Data into Better Decisions
By the numbers 500 acresCan another 500 acres be added without hiring more people? 20 years ago“20 years ago, most farm decisions were made with experience, paper records…
AI Is Moving Fast. What Is Your Next Move?
How large-scale growers can begin putting AI and automation to work without overhauling the entire operation Large-scale agriculture has always rewarded people who see change coming and move…
BIOTROP Appoints Andre Cerignoni as General Manager of North America, strengthening BioWorks and BIOTROP’s unique market strategies Under One Platform
Trio of Cerignoni, Chris Rose, and Matheus Gueratto to lead ambitious push toward $260M+ in North America by 2034 USA — August 2026 — BIOTROP, the microbiological solutions division of BioFirst Group, today announced…
California Agriculture at a Crossroads: Building a Farm Enterprise Under Pressure
By the numbers more than 400 commoditiesThe state’s farmers and ranchers produce more than 400 commodities, from milk, almonds and grapes to lettuce, strawberries, tomatoes and livestock. $61.2…
California Tree Nuts Enter a New Chapter of Opportunity and a Fight Worth Winning
There was plenty of optimism in the room at this year’s Western Tree Nut Association Annual Meeting last month, and for good reason. After several challenging years, California’s tree nut industry is beginning to…
Can Institutional Markets Scale for California Growers?
California’s ‘farm to corrections’ program now reaches 29 prisons and moves about a million pounds of local produce a quarter — but can it scale to the volume larger growers need?
Global Conflict Sends Fertilizer Shockwaves Through California Agriculture
Escalating Middle East tensions and disruptions at the Strait of Hormuz are pushing fertilizer prices higher and tightening supply, forcing California growers to rethink procurement and sharpen nutrient management.
PAGA Pressure Mounts on California Agriculture
PAGA claims have become one of the most expensive legal threats facing California agriculture, where even clerical payroll errors can multiply into six-figure penalties across an entire seasonal workforce.
Oregon Hazelnut Farmer Claims National Woman in Ag Award
They described her as fierce and independent, a farmer who thinks outside the box. They said her journey to agriculture didn’t follow the traditional path, that she does things her own way. In the…
Industry Outlook, Orchard Challenges Discussed At Tri-County Walnut Day
Tri-County Walnut Day, an annual event hosted by Tulare County UCCE, was held on a foggy February day but still attracted local walnut growers and crop advisors who braved the drive to hear timely…
Limitations of Soil Applied Biologicals for Lettuce Fusarium Wilt Management
Lettuce Fusarium Wilt Fusarium wilt has become one of the most challenging diseases for California lettuce growers. Once established, the fungal pathogen that causes this disease, Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lactucae, persists in production…
Market Diversification Key to California Walnut Industry Stability
Trade dynamics are in constant motion and often shift with the political tides. At the same time, competition from other growing regions is intensifying and consumers are aging out of many traditional geographic markets…
AgroPlantae, Inc. to Acquire Kemin Industries’ Portfolio of Crop Technologies Products
Provider of organic and conventional fertilizers will take ownership of global ingredient manufacturer’s botanical-based biopesticides and solutions for plant nutrition and soil health FRESNO, California (April 16, 2026) – AgroPlantae, which serves the plant…
What Codling Moth Taught Us About Building Biological Pest Management and Why It Matters for Diamondback Moth
For pest control advisors working in vegetable crops, few insects inspire as much frustration as diamondback moth (Plutella xylostella). Despite decades of insecticide development, this pest continues to evolve resistance, exploit production gaps, and…
ILRP Expert Panel Evaluating Considering Programmatic Changes
Potential changes to the Irrigated Lands Regulatory Program (ILRP), as well as on-farm fertilizer use, could be on the way. In the fall of last year, the State Water Resources Control Board, or State…
Digital Eyes in the Orchard: The Future of NOW Monitoring
Mating disruption is a widely used tool in nut orchards to reduce navel orangeworm (NOW) populations by releasing pheromones that confuse male moths and interfere with mating. To monitor NOW activity, growers traditionally rely…
Treehouse Almonds Backs Biochar Venture to Build Better Soils
Treehouse Almonds and Sitos Group's new Delano facility will turn 26,000 tons of almond shells into customizable biochar — with a 35% vineyard yield boost from a 10-year Monterey Pacific trial behind it.
AI Tools Making a Difference in Orchard Management
How California's growers are deploying vision systems, autonomous vehicles, and aerial AI to boost yields, cut costs, and improve sustainability — from Bloomfield Robotics to Ceres Imaging.
Chilean Hazelnut Growers Expected to Harvest 200,000 Metric Tons by 2030
Chilean growers are expected to harvest more than 200,000 metric tons of hazelnuts annually by 2030, far outpacing Oregon’s expected production and firmly establishing the country as the second-largest hazelnut producer, behind only Turkey.…
Cotton Seed Bug: An Emerging New Threat for California Cotton Growers
Cotton seed bug, or CSB, (Oxycarenus hyalinipennis, Hemiptera: Oxycarenidae), is a small seed-feeding bug that poses a significant invasive threat to cotton and other malvaceous crops, such as okra. It is generally regarded as…
Unlocking the Potential of Neem in Crop Protection and Soil Health
Neem (Azadirachta indica) is a drought-resistant tropical tree in the Meliaceae family, native to the Indian subcontinent and parts of Southeast Asia. This multipurpose species has been used for millennia in Indian Ayurvedic medicine,…
The California Walnut Board and Commission is Launching ‘Be Merry. Feel Good.’ Holiday Campaign
Seasonal effort supports ongoing efforts to strengthen walnut relevance year round FOLSOM, Calif., Nov. 25, 2025 – The California Walnut Board and Commission is launching its “Be Merry. Feel Good.” holiday campaign in the US…
Resilient Pistachio Orchards Start with Healthy Soils
What does “healthy soil” actually mean in a pistachio orchard, and how can growers measure it in a way that drives decisions, not just lab reports? In a recent two-part MyAgLife radio segment with…
Precision Agriculture: It’s the Future that’s Here
The USDA’s Economic Research Service recently released its 2024 agricultural production summaries, highlighting that California agriculture reached a total value of $61.2 billion, maintaining its position as the nation’s leader. This is encouraging news…
Biological Nitrogen Fixation: Can Bacteria Help Fertilize Our Crops?
In 1905, German scientist Fritz Haber successfully synthesized ammonia from atmospheric nitrogen gas, an inert form of nitrogen resistant to chemical and biological reactions. Shortly thereafter, BASF chemist Carl Bosch built upon Haber’s work…
Hass Avocado Crop Water Consumption Affected by Various Environmental and Plant Factors
In California, avocado (Persea americana Mill.) is primarily grown in southern and central parts of the state along the coast where 88% (USDA-NASS 2023) of the avocados are grown in the United States. These…
The Ag Tech Revolution in 2025: Tools and Trends for Crop Consultants
As we kick off 2025, it’s clear agriculture technology is not just a buzzword; it’s the lifeblood of modern farming. Every year, we at Progressive Crop Consultant witness an influx of innovations designed to…
Pistachio Market Update and Three-Year Outlook
As the fastest-expanding tree nut industry in California, the pistachio industry has experienced a significant transformation over the past decade. Driven by steadily expanding pistachio-bearing acreage, the U.S. has become the largest producer, exporter…
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