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.
Higher input costs are making flexible marketing plans and updated break-even targets more important.
April 29, 2026 12:33 PM
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Growers say flavor remains strong despite smaller size of onions.
April 29, 2026 12:11 PM
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Vermicompost business helps boost soil health from the ground up.
April 29, 2026 11:45 AM
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Higher ocean freight rates can add export cost pressure even when grain demand remains active.
April 29, 2026 08:00 AM
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Weekly export movement stayed solid, with corn and sorghum continuing to show the strongest overall pace.
April 29, 2026 06:00 AM
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Austin Rice with Specialty Risk Insurance shares guidance on handling storm damage, navigating the insurance claims process, and managing risk during a volatile planting season.
April 28, 2026 05:15 PM
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