Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/1187394
RESEARCH UPDATE 19 problems — it's also about creating new value and opportunity for the California almond industry. As the Almond Board looks to the future of the California almond industry, it is developing plans that lay out the next 20 years of research, aiming to guide the industry to the almond orchard of the future. ABC envisions the orchard of the future as an ecosystem that can do even more than it already does, current activity that includes everything from producing delicious almonds and delivering profits to sequestering carbon and providing pollinator habitats. Advancements in the area of breeding are one example where, working with public and private breeders, nurseries and handlers, ABC is refining both production and almond quality priorities. With the vision of creating more self-fertile varieties, ABC and its strategic partners are striving to answer questions such as, "Will a self-compatible Nonpareil variety be in the almond orchard of the future?" Water is also a key component of these plans, as it will continue to play a major role in the future of California agriculture. Although the industry has already reduced the amount of water it takes to grow a pound of almond by 33% in the last two decades, 1 the Almond Board is continuing to search for even more opportunities for the industry to improve water use efficiency. ABC is exploring the possibilities behind tree-by-tree precision when irrigating and how irrigation systems may meet each tree's varying water and fertilizer needs, as well as the potential for an increase in groundwater recharge and the ability for almond orchards and the soil to help grow the water supply. Together, with members from across the industry, particularly those who serve on Almond Board committees and workgroups, ABC staff are charting a course to determine how research may best support the future of the California almond industry. Growers, handlers and others interested to learn about ABC-funded research findings are encouraged to attend The Almond Conference 2019, held Dec. 10–12 at Cal Expo in Sacramento, to learn about important research being performed on the industry's behalf. Visit AlmondConference.com for more information. For decades, University of California researchers have conducted production research for the California almond industry, an effort made possible by growers' assessment dollars. Researchers then share their findings each year at The Almond Conference — shown here is UC Riverside plant pathologist Jim Adaskaveg presenting at The Almond Conference 2010. 1 University of California, 2010. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, 2012. Almond Board of California, 1990–94, 2000–14. Continued from page 18