Sabrina Hill reviews this week’s progress with quick updates on dozens crops.
Fruit Crops
The peach, nectarine and fresh plum harvests continued. Prunes were progressing well in the Sacramento Valley and Yuba County. Table grape harvest continued. Harvest continued in early champagne grape vineyards. Apple harvest continued. Later apple varieties were sugaring nicely. Bartlett, Bosc, and Asian pear harvests were ongoing throughout the State. Olive, fig, kiwi and pomegranate fruit continued to grow well and some pomegranates were harvested in Tulare County. The harvest of Valencia oranges remained active. Tangelos, grapefruit and lemons continued to be harvested and packed.
Nut Crops
Shaking of Nonpareil almonds continued in Tulare, Fresno and Kern counties, with shaking beginning in Sutter and Yuba counties this week. Various diseases are building in some almond orchards in the lower San Joaquin Valley. In Fresno County, early varieties of walnuts were almost completely mature. Pistachio sprays were started in Kern County with scattered alternaria outbreaks.
Vegetable Crops
Tomato harvest continued throughout the State. The only reports of pest pressure and powdery mildew came from the Bakersfield area. Second and third plantings of cherry tomatoes occurred in Yolo County. Garlic, onions and cantaloupes were harvested in Fresno County. Cantaloupe growth continued in Yuba County. Lettuce and artichoke growth continued in Monterey County. Melons, tomatoes, green beans, bell peppers, squash, eggplant and cucumbers were harvested in Tulare County.
Field Crops
Alfalfa growth continued with aphids becoming problematic in scattered areas. Cotton continued to push along toward an early finish. Less than a quarter of the crop showed bolls opening by week’s end. The crop was rated eighty-five percent good-to-excellent. Rice fields continued to progress with nearly two-thirds of the crop headed by week’s end. In Imperial County, corn and silage corn matured and some fields were chopped. Sudan grass and Bermuda grass were harvested.
Livestock
Bees continued to work sunflower, melon and squash fields. Range and pasture quality declined as the drought continued. Sheep and cattle grazed on idle fields, dry land grain and alfalfa fields. Supplemental feeding of livestock continued with baled hay.