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Big Storms A Blessing for Crops, But Not Without Risk

Art Siegel
/
Creative Commons

After an unseasonably dry and mild February, March roared into the North State with a deluge of answered prayers.

But for farmers, who likely hoped and prayed the hardest, there’s always a concern about too much of a good thing.   

“Farming’s always a risky business,” says Richard Buchner, orchard crop farm advisor for Tehama, Glenn and Butte County with the University of California Cooperative Extension. “The weather and other things always throw you twists that provide challenges.”

Buchner, an expert in walnuts, almonds and plums, said the recent heavy rains and punishing high winds probably had negligible impact on local orchards. Almonds were largely done flowering and most walnuts had yet to start. 

Long wet spells, he said, encourage fungal growth, which can become problematic.

But, he said most growers are accustomed to some volatility in the weather.

“Fortunately for us, we’re used to some rain at bloom and we have very good medicines to protect our flowers and our trees through some of these events,” he said.

After several dry years and a drought crisis that interrupted irrigation and doomed some orchards, Buchner is hopeful about the season ahead. 

“We’re optimistic that these rains will recharge the soil profiles, will give us possible leaching to cleanse some of the root systems, and we’ll start the year with adequate chilling so the trees are coming out nicely into bloom and hoping we’ll get a little help from the soil moisture as well,” he said.

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