How We Grow

2020 May/June How We Grow

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A L M O N D O R C H A R D 2 0 2 5 G O A L S HARVEST DUST drying of green nuts," Ramos said. "There are also transportation challenges in getting green product to the huller since the nuts don't come out of the trailer as easily." These challenges led Trinitas to try a semi-off-ground harvesting model, where nuts are still caught in a catch-frame harvester and directly windrowed onto the orchard floor. "A major benefit to this approach is the reduction of sweeping, which is a contributor to dust in almond harvesting," Ramos said. "Eliminating this step also results in a better-quality product. You get less chip-and-scratch, and your stockpiles are cleaner. Less dust is also better for our workforce, making conditions safer for them, both day and night." Added to the significant dust reduction, with this semi-off-ground approach Trinitas has reduced the number of passes in its orchards, leading to cost savings in labor, fuel and machinery upkeep. Ramos said these savings are a proof point as to why growers should to take a holistic view of their operation when making any type of major change, such as off-ground harvesting. "If you are trying to quantify the benefits of off-ground harvesting, you can't just evaluate activity during the harvest season," Ramos said. "You have to have more depth in your analysis. Yes, off-ground harvesting is going to eliminate passes during harvest due to less sweeping, but there are efficiencies gained throughout the growing season, as well, such as less frequent orchard floor management. That means less spraying, mowing and floating." Today, Trinitas has planted more than 6,000 acres designed to accommodate off-ground harvesting techniques. This business is just one among the vanguard of almond growing operations testing the viability of off-ground harvesting in California. Denair-based growers Brian Wahlbrink and Wes Sperry started their own trial in 2019 on a 130-acre block of Independence ® trees on the family's ranch in Snelling. "We need a group of growers who can prove that off-ground harvesting can work – we're not looking for a full departure of current harvesting techniques," Wahlbrink said. "We do think there's a bridge idea, where we can catch the nuts, redirect them, condition them and still dry them in the field, which could lead to the elimination of sweeping." While the industry's general consensus around off-ground harvesting is that it is many years away, the Almond Board of California's (ABC) Harvest Workgroup has been studying the issue closely, funding numerous research projects to identify the opportunities and challenges associated with the practice. Made up of growers, processors and equipment manufacturers, the workgroup is exploring all possibilities to help reduce dust during harvest by 50% by 2025, one of the four Almond Orchard 2025 Goals adopted by the industry in 2018. "The Harvest Workgroup is kicking off a truly transformative process," said Sebastian Saa, senior manager for Agricultural Research at ABC. "This is a journey for the industry, and there will likely be an evolution from conventional to semi- off-ground to full off-ground harvesting. Not all growers and orchards are the same, so we will likely see some form of each configuration across the industry." The math behind the magic of off-ground The Harvest Workgroup funded research recently completed by Dr. Christopher Simmons, associate professor and vice chair of the Department of Food Science & Technology at the University of California (UC) Davis. Simmons conducted a technical and economic analysis of off-ground harvesting models to determine their practicality for California almond growers. 1 His models showed the potential for increased profitability for growers of up to $200 per acre – along with varying degrees of dust control – across different shake-and-catch harvesting scenarios. "Dr. Simmons' research used certain assumptions for windfall rates and drying costs, which led our Harvest Workgroup Brian Wahlbrink used OMC equipment on his off-ground harvesting trial block of almonds last year. Continue on page 9 Almond Board of California 8

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