Growing almonds requires a lot of water, a resource heavily regulated in some areas.
It led researchers at UC Davis to roll up their sleeves and see just how much stress an almond tree can take.
“We had two sites, we have six years in one and three years in another, and found that we could wait a substantial amount of time, more than one month after growers normally start irrigating. We have not seen any bad effects on yields, but we have seen a better tree appearance in the trees. Now, we haven’t actually seen any serious symptoms, but at least delaying irrigation for long times has had no detrimental effect and some positive effects,” said Ken Shackel.
No worries there, but starting irrigation too late can cause issues. Shackel calls it the “bank account effect,” when the trees take up too much water too quickly, and then do not have enough to get through harvest.
Strong corn demand and cotton shipments support export outlook.
March 07, 2026 05:00 AM
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Fertilizer investigation may impact input costs and margins.
March 06, 2026 02:19 PM
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The American Coalition for Ethanol reacts as the Farm Bill heads to a full House vote — while ethanol expansion, including year-round E15, is left out — as well as the USDA’s pursuit of global markets for ethanol.
March 06, 2026 01:45 PM
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Big oils-and-fats volumes can support crush demand, but fuel markets can quickly tighten supplies.
March 06, 2026 12:57 PM
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University of Arkansas’ Allen Szalanski discusses a news study on rice stink bugs, what it could mean for farmers, and pest management strategies for the future.
March 05, 2026 03:07 PM
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Farm Bureau Economist Dr. Faith Parum explains the role farm safety net programs play in supporting farm finances as growers head into the 2026 planting season.
March 05, 2026 01:16 PM
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