Pollinators are vital to the agriculture world, but almond researchers have developed a self-fertilizing variety they are calling “Early Bird.”
“The early bird variety is actually double early. It blooms at the same time as sonora, so it’s an early bloomer, but the real value to the grower is that it harvests a week to 10 days before non-perel. In that harvest window, there are no other commercial varieties at this time. In our test plot, we’ve seen that for the last and 3rd and 4th leaf harvests, and in the mother tree that those are were propagated from, we’ve seen that for eight different harvests,” said Chuck Fleck with Fowler Nurseries.
Fleck says another big selling point is the kernel size, which is around 20 percent larger than other varieties.
Valley Irrigation’s Darren Siekman explains the advantages of their new pivots for growers managing acreages of up to 60 acres.
March 04, 2026 04:40 PM
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ASFMRA’s George Baird shares insight on spring planting progress, acreage trends, and the financial factors influencing Mid-South farmers this season.
March 04, 2026 04:13 PM
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Farm bill negotiations remain unsettled, leaving producers waiting for updated federal support programs.
March 04, 2026 10:24 AM
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Domestic textile demand plays a shrinking role in supporting U.S. cotton prices.
March 04, 2026 10:00 AM
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Strong cattle markets are masking ongoing financial stress across crop agriculture.
March 04, 2026 08:00 AM
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Record ethanol demand continues supporting corn markets and rural economies.
March 04, 2026 06:00 AM
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