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RESEARCH UPDATE 18 growers. Hullers/shellers, processors, regulators and, more and more, discerning customers around the globe are paying attention to how almonds are grown. "I think it's safe to say if we hadn't increased our production per acre we wouldn't be in the position we are now in terms of supplying high level of demand for almonds worldwide," said Curtis, who retired from ABC last fall. "There are still challenges on the horizon but with the right resources, tools and overall enthusiasm, the Almond Board and almond community are well suited to take on those challenges and move the industry, and agriculture, forward." Growers key contributors to research Growers' role in the success of ABC-funded research is vast and cannot be overlooked. One of their key areas of support is simply their funding of research projects through an assessment paid per pound of almonds produced through their handlers. Without ABC-funding much of this research would not be possible. It is also industry members who serve on various ABC committees and decide where to allocate research funds each year. "The Almond Board has been a great model in using grower assessment funds for the direct benefit of growers, particularly in the effort to combat NOW," said David Haviland, a UC farm advisor based in Kern County. Growers also have been at the forefront of innovation by allowing their orchards to be used as living labs. Since 1973, those willing to host research trials in their orchards have been vital players in the process of delivering research findings that benefit the entire industry. "Growers' orchards play an instrumental role in our research program," said Sebastian Saa, ABC's senior manager of Agricultural Research. "Applied research requires data collection in the orchard, and, in that sense, orchards can be seen as practical labs. We also always want to be able to extrapolate the results obtained in a university lab to real growing conditions. Thus, testing hypotheses under industry standard management practices is key." Growers contribute to ABC-funded research in one more significant way: In the past decade, about a quarter of the state's 7,600 growers have participated in the California Almond Sustainability Program (CASP). Now celebrating its 10th year supporting the California almond industry, CASP allows growers to self- assess their practices and determine where their opportunities for improvement lie. Grower-submitted production information is then summarized, ensuring anonymity, by SureHarvest, the third-party organization that hosts the CASP program. The Almond Board, in turn, takes the data from CASP to not only demonstrate to almond buyers the strides that almond growers are making to be more sustainable, but also to look at where more outreach or research is needed. In many cases, CASP data has inspired new research projects. "CASP helps us identify opportunities to target research in areas where there is potential for an increase in grower adoption of more sustainable or efficient practices," said Gabriele Ludwig, ABC's director of Sustainability & Environmental Affairs. "It helps us evaluate where we are today and where we need to learn more to drive continuous improvement or make practices more accessible." For more information about CASP, growers and processors are encouraged to visit SustainableAlmondGrowing.org. Imagining the orchard of the future In 2018, ABC budgeted $6.8 million for its robust research program that encompasses 75 projects. Many of those projects focus on knowledge and innovations that will drive the industry closer to achieving its Almond Orchard 2025 Goals: f Reducing the amount of water used to grow a pound of almonds by an additional 20% f Achieving zero waste in our orchards by putting everything we grow to optimal use f Increasing adoption of environmentally friendly pest management tools by 25% f Reducing dust during harvest by 50% "We want to help the almond industry solve problems," explained Director of Agricultural Affairs Josette Lewis, who has taken the baton to lead ABC's production research team. "One of our goals is to give growers practical tools to respond to the challenges they face. The research continues to evolve to adapt to the changing environment in growing almonds." Almond Board staff serve as a bridge between industry members and researchers, connecting the problems faced by growers and handlers to research that seeks to deliver solutions. And research is not just about solving Continue on page 19