Industry News
Read the latest news from around the industry
AI Is Coming to Every Nut Grower
A few years ago, if someone had told you artificial intelligence would become part of everyday farming, most of us would have laughed. Today, it’s no longer a question of whether AI will impact…
Dairy manure as a fertilizer can save money but has unique nutrient management challenges
Why buy fertilizer when you have it fresh and homegrown? Ordering imported synthetic fertilizer yields sticker shock for a lot of farmers lately. In recent years, the global fertilizer market has been volatile due…
Adding Aerial Intelligence to Pest Monitoring
Practical Ways PCAs and Consultants Are Using Drone Imagery and Predictive Tools to Prioritize Scouting and Refine Recommendations Pest scouting has always been limited by time and the size of the operations we manage.…
Leaf Sap Analysis for Nutrient Management Efficiency Comparing Nutritional Assessment Methods
It’s no secret that growers and advisors increasingly require tools that can identify nutritional and fertility problems before visible symptoms appear. No one has time for yield drag in today’s agriculture. Modern crop varieties…
Why the Best Crop Consultants Never Stop Learning
Every season starts the same way: with a plan. Every season, somewhere between bloom and harvest, the plan meets reality. A pest shows up in a block where it’s never been a problem. A…
Understanding Why Bioinsecticides Don’t Perform Like Synthetics
Understanding Insecticide Performance Characteristics Is Critical to Making Biological Insecticides Work in Modern Pest Management Systems Understanding Biopesticide Performance: Why Biological Insecticides Require a Different Management Mindset Since the 1940s, insect pest management has…
A letter from the Publisher: The Weight of Your Signature
There’s a moment every crop consultant knows. The field has been walked, the pressure has been weighed, the grower is waiting, and it all comes down to your name on a recommendation. That signature…
Setton Growers Call Organic Decision the Right One
“You have to be good to do it. The soil and water have to be right to farm organic pistachios.” Setton Farms Grower Services Manager Mike Smith should know. He has been piloting this…
Focused Production and Postharvest Research Key to California Walnut Industry’s Long-Term Success
Walnut production comes with real challenges, including rising input costs, extreme weather and pest pressures, all while grower returns are constrained due to global supply. While there is no silver bullet solution, production and…
New Management Options for Hairy Fleabane and Horseweed in Nut Orchards
Hairy fleabane and horseweed (marestail) are two problematic broadleaf weeds commonly found in California orchards and belong to the Conyza genus. Both species typically emerge during the fall and winter and bolt in the…
Grasses Play Key Role in Cover Crop Mixes
Cover crops often contain a mixture of plants that fall into one of four groups: legumes, brassicas, forbs and grasses. Legumes, which include beans, fix atmospheric nitrogen. Brassicas, the mustard family, are known for…
Pistachio Processors Take Alternate Bearing in Stride
Alternate bearing is an indication of how much crop yield can vary from year to year. It is measured on a scale of 0 to 1. The higher the number, the more severe the…
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…
Soil a Limiting Factor in Orchard Yield Variability
Orchard soil variability and its impact on profitability were one of the hot topics at the 48th annual Nickels Soil Lab Field Day. Nickels Soil Lab is a UC research facility operated much like…
Two Words That Can Make You Better at What You Do
Two words. That’s all it was. I was at Pistachio Day a few weeks ago. Packed room, good energy, the kind of day that reminds you why we do these events, when one of…
VineView Celebrates 25 Years as Trusted Partner to California Winegrowers
St. Helena, CA — July 1, 2026 — VineView marks its silver anniversary as the partner of choice for California’s wine grape growers. For 25 years, the company has worked alongside viticulturists and vineyard…
Setton Sponsors Sustainability-Focused Scholarship Program
Setton Pistachio recently awarded more than $17,000 in scholarships to high school students participating in the annual Setton Earth Day art contest. Seven students from Porterville-area high schools entered paintings, sculptures, videos and other…
New Tool Brings Data-Driven Cover Crop Recommendations to the West
There is a new cover crop tool available for growers, technical assistance providers, crop advisors and other users in the West. Cover crops provide many benefits because they keep soil covered, maintain living roots…
Salt Happens: Understanding and Managing Soil Salinity
One of my favorite activities to do with my kids is going to the movies. They’re at a perfect age where every new superhero release is the greatest masterpiece ever made. As a sucker…
Small Changes Before Harvest Can Make a Big Difference for Walnuts
As the growing season moves into summer and closer to harvest, the window for influencing walnut yield and quality begins to narrow. But several pre-harvest decisions still have the potential to shape harvest outcomes.…
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…
Nitrogen and Phosphorus Fertilization of Pistachios in the First Two Years
Planting an orchard requires a lot of work to ensure that the trees get off to the best start possible: picking the right rootstock and scion, prepping the ground and choosing the best irrigation…
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…
Managing Salinity, Nutrients Key to Pistachio Productivity
Salinity and crop nutrient use concerns in the southern San Joaquin Valley were discussed at a workshop hosted by the Kern County Cooperative Extension. These issues, said Tobias Oker, UCCE soils and irrigation advisor,…
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…
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…
Natural Bridge to Higher Plant Metabolism: Unlocking the Power of Biostimulants
Biostimulants are a natural “hack” to bridge the gap between average and better crops. While a growing segment of our industry promotes natural products to balance economic and environmental goals, probably the best reason…
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…
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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