News
A cold Christmas weekend cost California citrus growers another $21 million in frost protection measures.
That brought the December total up to $87.8 million, said Joel Nelsen, president of Exeter, Calif.-based California Citrus Mutual.
“It’s expensive but it’s a $2 billion crop so you’ve got to pour some money into it,” Nelsen said.
The navel orange and lemon crops are not threatened, but growers will be looking closely at mandarin oranges for signs of frost damage in the next few weeks, he said.
Frost defense begins by running water in the afternoon to saturate the ground. When temperatures drop, warmth from that water begins to rise and wind machines keep it in the grove longer.
Those machines cover 10 acres at most operations. Clementines or mandarins on the edge of coverage bring the greatest concern.
“We won’t know for a while,” Nelsen said. “We’re still learning what mandarins can handle. We’ll go out to the furthest rows and cut fruit. If we see potential damage, we’ll leave the fruit there for two or three weeks and determine then whether we can harvest or pack it. The last thing we want to do is ship less than optimum product.”
It’s the thinner skins and smaller fruit sizes on mandarins that may leave them more vulnerable to cold air. Acreage on such fruit shot up from 11,000 to 40,000 in the last five years, Nelsen said.
“We’re elevating grove temperatures by four and five degrees,” Nelsen said. “It’s unheard of, but we’re doing it.”
On navels, a forecast of 28 degrees lasting four or more hours triggers the measures. For mandarins, the threshold is 32 degrees.
“There have been limited pockets of 25 degrees, but we’ve been able to get that up to 29 degrees or more and all is well on the larger fruit,” Nelsen said.
While a knowledge base on mandarins’ staying power is still developing, growers have dealt with the problem before.
“In 2007 we poured so much into it, we almost literally ran out of propane,” Nelsen said. “Because we were running out, the governor intercepted some propane destined for other areas of California and redirected it up here to help the growers.”
No propane shortage has been reported so far this season.
The frost protection effort comes at a time when 85% of citrus remains on the tree – more than in most years. That’s the after effect of a lengthy spring bloom. Crop is running two to three weeks late.
“You’ve got your whole crop, almost, on the tree,” Nelsen said. “We’re pleasantly surprised about the lack of damage that’s materialized so far.”
Forecasters predicted warmer nights in California during the final week of 2011.
|
ThePacker.com Home News Leadership Video Opinion Careers About Us Advertise |
Other Websites The Grower Produce Retailer Red Book Credit Services Produce Market Guide Greenbook |
©2012 Vance Publishing Corporation Terms of Use Privacy Policy Copyright 
|
Comments (1)
Leave a commentRaquel Tanseli
Report AbuseHave these growers not heard of the multiple award-winning CROPAID NATURAL PLANT ANTIFREEZE which increases plants' resistance to cold and frost injuries? This product is being widely used in many countries and it is biological and ecological. Please contact me for further details or look at our website www.cropaid.com Thank you. Raquel Tanseli