It is no secret that the American West is in the midst of an alarming water shortage. Data from April shows that almost 80% of the West is in at least moderate drought, while 61% is in severe drought, 42% is in extreme drought and 21% is in exceptional drought. This dry spell has created water stress for farmers across …

It has been heart breaking to seeing wheat and alfalfa fields dry up the last few weeks.  The recent hot temperatures caused many fields to wither, while placing greater irrigation needs on the few crops being irrigated with well water.   It’s the driest year I have experienced in my 10 years in the Klamath Basin! Several people asked me about …

Tomato production in Mexico is forecasted to recover slightly from last year, on more stable weather and sufficient rainfall levels in Sinaloa, the top producing state. However, ongoing drought conditions throughout the country will provide some uncertainty to final production levels. The reopening of the restaurant and hotel industry in the United States and Mexico, the certainty provided to producers …

Urban agriculture offers many benefits for food production but often has higher costs relative to traditional farming and is limited to only a few crops. By 2050, there will be nine billion people on the planet, but arable land is decreasing. Global food production will need to double to meet food needs, though climate change complicates the problem more. Robert …

Sutter County grows between 300 and 800 acres of fresh-market honeydew, mixed melon and cantaloupe each year. The fields vary between furrow and drip irrigation, with many fields in the Sutter Basin only receiving a pre-irrigation. Because of the rapid growth of melons, they are competitive with weeds and one cultivation may be sufficient to control weed issues. The growing …

Scientists from the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) are working to understand how something can be equally effective as both a government-approved food additive and as a pesticide. Methyl benzoate is a naturally occurring compound produced by plants. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration long ago approved methyl benzoate for human use; its fruity and floral aroma makes it a staple …

No summer barbecue is complete without fresh watermelon. As the nation moves towards the summer grilling season, you may want to consider how watermelon’s fruit chemistry can affect your overall health. Researchers in the USDA’s Agricultural Research Service (ARS) recently identified over 1,500 small molecules of diverse chemical characters in the fruit, known as phytochemicals. They concluded that eating watermelon …

It will be a summer of adventure for National Watermelon Promotion Board (NWPB), thanks to a month-long collaboration with Disney and Pixar’s original feature film Luca, which streams exclusively on Disney+ starting June 18. “Luca” is a fun and heartwarming story about friendship, stepping out of your comfort zone and an extraordinary pair of sea monsters who experience a life-changing …