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.
Growers are making progress with planting despite dry conditions.
April 28, 2026 03:53 PM
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Dry conditions are already showing up in pastures across the region this April.
April 28, 2026 03:46 PM
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House lawmakers push toward a Farm Bill vote as debate grows over E15, Prop 12, and input costs, with farmers seeking certainty and policy updates.
April 28, 2026 02:42 PM
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High input costs and persistant drought is pushing Midwest growers to rethink planting decisions.
April 28, 2026 12:28 PM
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Spring Weather Splits Conditions Across American Farm Country
April 27, 2026 05:34 PM
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Dr. Peter Beetham with Cibus joins us to discuss the Supreme Court review of a case about glyphosate use, its potential impact on Bayer and Roundup, farmers who use the products, and the ag industry as a whole.
April 27, 2026 03:18 PM
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