California Crop Weather report

The latest California Crop Weather report from the National Agricultural Statistics Service’s Sacramento, Calif., Field Office:

Weather

No significant or unusual weather was noted over California during the week of Aug. 19.

Field crops

Rice fields progressed and were treated with herbicides. Alfalfa was cut and baled for hay. Safflower fields bloomed and formed seed heads in the San Joaquin Valley (SJV).

Lygus treatments continued in cotton fields. Corn silage was harvested in southern areas of California. Forages and other small grains were harvested for hay and silage.

Wheat, oat, rye, and barley harvests continued. Garbanzo bean fields dried down.

Harvested small grain fields were disked. Field operations included irrigating; spraying fertilizer, herbicides, and pesticides; planting; and cultivating.

Fruit crops

The SJV blueberry, blackberry, and strawberry harvests neared completion. The apricot, plum, peach, and nectarine harvests were ongoing.

The picking of Valencia oranges continued normally in the Central Valley and along the southern coast. Lemons were picked along the coastal region. The fig harvest was ongoing at a normal pace. Trees were pruned in cherry orchards.

The early SJV grape harvest continued as leaves and bunches were thinned in vineyards to increase light exposure for color and maturity.

SJV raisin grapes showed good sugar level development.

Wine grapes in Napa County vineyards saw good development, while sulfur applications were ongoing. Maintenance to orchards, groves, and vineyards continued with pruning, and the spraying of fungicides, fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides as necessary.

Nut crops

Hull splitting occurred in almond orchards across the state as hull split spray applications were ongoing. Growers focused sprays on the control of peach twig borer (PTB) as PTB hatching in almond orchards is coinciding with hull split this year, causing increased risk to nut quality.

Walnut, pistachio, and pecan nuts showed good size development.

Weed control was ongoing in nut orchards in the Central Valley.

Vegetable crops

Summer vegetable harvest was ongoing throughout California.

In Tulare County, the harvest included peppers, squash, eggplant, cucumbers and tomatoes. In Merced County, the planting of bell pepper, cantaloupe, honeydew and tomatoes continued. Harvests continued for tomato, cantaloupe, watermelon and parsley. The squash harvest is complete.

Stanislaus County operators prepared for the cantaloupe and tomato harvests. Fresh tomatoes and cucumbers were harvested and processed in San Joaquin County. Tomatoes were treated for worms and some powdery mildew.

In Fresno County, the onion harvest continued with good quality and yield reported. Garlic was readied for harvest. Carrot harvest began with fair quality reported. Fields were prepared for fall carrot planting. The harvest began for processing tomatoes.

In Sutter County, field work and ground preparation continued. Colusa County prepared for the processing tomato harvest.