Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/1310869
A L M O N D O R C H A R D 2 0 2 5 G O A L S HARVEST DUST 13 Cashing in on Coproducts via Off- Ground Harvesting With a projected record almond crop of 3 billion pounds 1 this year, the stakes are high for creating demand not only for almond kernels but for the hulls and shells that the industry also produces. Looking ahead to 2025, the year by which the industry aims to achieve zero waste in the orchard by putting everything grown to optimal use (one of the Almond Orchard 2025 Goals), it begs the question, "What are the optimal uses for what amounts to roughly five billion pounds of hulls and nearly two billion pounds of shells?" For years, the dairy market has been an important outlet for both almond hulls (for feed) and shells (for bedding), but the number of dairies in California continues to diminish. As such, the Almond Board of California (ABC) is actively seeking to expand the market for almond coproducts and explore new opportunities that will reap more value for hullers, shellers and growers. Hulls, for example, could provide an excellent source of dietary fiber as a food ingredient for human consumption. The tightly-contained, slow-release sugars in hulls could also offer human health benefits. While further research is required to better understand the potential behind these ideas, there is one thing the industry can do today to support research developments: In order for almond coproducts to be upcycled into more optimal uses, the incoming supply of hulls and shells must consistently be clean and of high-quality. Enter: off-ground harvesting Off-ground harvesting caught the attention of the California almond industry for its dust reduction potential and cost savings, but it also has the added benefit of keeping coproducts cleaner. Eliminating sweeper pass and potentially moving the drying process outside of the orchard prevents the harvested crop – and coproducts – from getting mixed in with dirt, sticks and foreign material on the orchard floor. Members of ABC's Harvest Workgroup took a trip to Israel in 2019 to see off-ground harvesting in action 2 in order to get an idea of what this practice would cost if implemented in California. "Our team started our off-ground harvest research by conducting an economic study to understand if this practice was viable," said Sebastian Saa, associate director for Agricultural Research at ABC. Christopher Simmons, Ph.D., associate professor and vice chair of the Department of Food Science & Technology at the University of California (UC), Davis, conducted the economic study. His models showed the potential for an increase in profitability for growers of up to $200 per acre across different shake-and-catch and drying scenarios. 3 "We confirmed that it was a viable option for our growers in terms of economics," said Saa. "Now, we are doing research to understand another potential barrier of adoption: windfall." A recent study conducted by Patrick Brown, Ph.D., of UC Davis analyzed windfall in relation to variety, location, and timing. Brown determined windfall rates remain between 0-1%, with most orchards experiencing less than 0.4% windfall during the 2019 crop season. This finding will need to be validated across multiple years, however, as wind conditions vary. 4 The next steps for off-ground harvesting research include investigating alternative drying procedures, handling logistics for fresh hulls and designing stockpiling protocols to minimize negative impacts on quality and food safety. "Even in an unprecedented year like 2020, we continue to do research both in the orchard and in the lab, with experiments in areas such as trailer drying and how to handle stockpiles in an off-ground harvesting situation," said Saa. 1 USDA-NASS. 2020 California Almond Objective Measurement Report. July 2020. 2 https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/1202547-2020-jan-feb-how-we-grow/1 3,4 https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/1243749-2020-may-june-how-we-grow/7? The next steps for off-ground harvesting research include investigating alternative drying procedures, handling logistics for fresh hulls, and designing stockpiling protocols to minimize negative impacts on quality and food safety.