Agriculture in California
Agriculture is a significant sector in California's economy, producing nearly billion in revenue. There are more than 400 commodity crops grown across California, including a significant portion of all fruits, vegetables, and nuts in the United States., there were 77,100 unique farms and ranches in the state, operating across of land. The average farm size was, significantly less than the average farm size in theU.S. of.
Because of its scale, and the naturally arid climate, the agricultural sector uses about 40 percent of California's water consumption. The agricultural sector is also connected to other negative environmental and health impacts, including being one of the principal sources of water pollution.
Value
The table below shows the top 21 commodities, by dollar value, produced in California in 2017. From 2016 to 2017, there were increases by more than 2% in total value for the following crops: almonds, dairy, grapes and cattle. The largest increase was seen in almond sales, which increased by 10.9% from 2016 to 2017, due to both increases in crop volume produced and the average market price for a pound of almonds. Dairy sales increased 8.2% from 2016 to 2017 due to an increase in the average price for milk, despite a slight decrease in total milk production. Grape sales increased by 3.1% from 2016 to 2017 due to an increase in price per ton of grape. Cattle sales also increased by 2.7% from 2016 to 2017.| Crop | Annual value |
| Dairy | $6.56 |
| $5.79 | |
| $5.60 | |
| $3.1 | |
| $3.1 | |
| Cattle and Calves | $2.63 |
| $2.51 | |
| Walnuts | $1.59 |
| $1.05 | |
| Pistachios | $1.01 |
| Broilers | $0.94 |
| Oranges | $0.93 |
| $0.85 | |
| Hay | $0.76 |
| Rice | $0.68 |
| Carrots | $0.62 |
| Lemons | $0.61 |
| Tangerines | $0.54 |
| Cotton | $0.48 |
| $0.45 | |
| Garlic | $0.39 |
Specific crops
Alfalfa
Orloff et al., 2009 find Glyphosate use in this crop is driving resistance here.Blythe, California grows nearly 50,000 acres of Alfalfa. 15,000 acres of this alfalfa land are owned by a Saudi Arabia-based Almarai, and this feed is exported to Saudi Arabia.
Almonds
Almonds contribute a mean of 0.77 poundsApple
The Fuji variety is a recent import from Fujisaki, Aomori, Japan. Introduced in the 1980s, it quickly became the most produced apple here.Apricot
For a common pest see.Avocados
California farms produce 90% of all U.S.-grown avocados, with the great majority being of the Hass variety. In 2021 the state harvest was on for a yield of, and at that brought $327,369,000. Drought and heat can significantly reduce the harvest in some years. The Polyphagous Shothole Borer and the associated disease it carries have been a great concern here since their discovery on home avocado trees in LA County in 2012. Immediately eradication and quarantine efforts were instituted, and are continuing.For two invasive pests which have significantly reduced grower earnings see and.
Barley
was first found near Tehachapi in May 1915 on Hordeum murinum by Johnson and reported by Humphrey et al., 1924. Hungerford 1923 and Hungerford & Owens 1923 found the pathogen on cultivated barley in the central part of the state and also on H. murinum here. See also.Blueberry
The represents growers. UC IPM provides integrated pest management plans for blueberry.Broccoli
Almost all of the country's broccoli is grown here. that was, all of which was harvested. The yield was for a harvest of. There was only trace wastage. Selling at a price of, the year sold for $631,455,000.For an invasive pest of this crop see the painted bug .
The typical biomass of harvest residue in the coastal regions is. This is not necessarily a waste product, as it can be useful as fumigant.
Caneberry
Caneberries grown here include raspberry,,,, and.For a common disease of erect and trailing caneberry, see.
Cannabis
Cherries
The is a state marketing order representing growers and intermediaries here. The USDA FAS's Market Access Program funds international advertising especially in Canada, South Korea, Japan, China, and Australia. The state produces the earliest crop in the year starting in mid-April. Lasting until early or mid-June every year, this is the second heaviest harvest after Washington.Planting density is usually about and the first real crop will be about six years later. Honey bees are essential to pollination for this crop. Cultivars grown here are harvested by hand with the stem.
The center of the state produces a large percentage of the crop and San Joaquin County, near Lodi is the highest producing county. Many of these are Bing. newer Bing strains with better heat tolerance have recently been planted here as well as counties further south.
Birds are common pests in cherry orchards.
Citrus
Citrus cultivation in California began with the Spanish missionaries, who planted oranges and lemons at Baja California around 1739 and at Alta California missions by 1769. Early fruit was thick-skinned and sour, not suited for commercial markets. The first sizable grove was established at Mission San Gabriel in 1804, with about 400 trees on six acres. This mission-based agriculture ended with secularization which closed the missions and gave away their lands in 1835. Jean-Louis Vignes likely planted the first private orange grove in Los Angeles in 1834. William Wolfskill was the first commercial citrus grower in California, planting his orchard in Los Angeles in 1841. By 1862, his orchards held two-thirds of California's orange trees, marking him as the founder of the state's commercial citrus industry. The California gold rush increased demand for oranges, especially for their vitamin C, which helped prevent scurvy among miners. This spurred gradual expansion of orchards. In the early 1870s, Wolfskill's reported profits of $1,000 per acre attracted more farmers to citrus growing.The 1870s saw the introduction of improved fruit varieties. In 1873, navel orange plants from Brazil were distributed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Luther C. Tibbets and Eliza Tibbets successfully cultivated these in Riverside, leading to widespread planting of the sweet, seedless navel orange, which became the backbone of the California citrus industry. The Valencia orange, introduced in 1876, matured in summer and fall, complementing the winter-ripening navel and providing oranges year-round. The Eureka lemon and Lisbon lemon were introduced in the same period, offering improved varieties and year-round crops. Grapefruit was introduced from Florida in the 1880s. The completion of major railroads and the introduction of ventilated boxcars revolutionized distribution, opening national markets and triggering a planting frenzy in southern California. By 1885, the number of citrus trees in California had grown from 90,000 to 2 million, and to 4.5 million by 1901.
The 1890s brought pest control advances and frost protection. The University of California established its Citrus Experiment Station in 1907, supporting research and innovation. Cooperative marketing emerged with the formation of the California Fruit Growers Exchange in 1905, later known as Sunkist Growers Inc., which helped standardize and market California citrus worldwide.
In the early 20th century California dominated the nation's citrus supply, especially from Los Angeles and Orange counties. Since then the geography has shifted. Florida is now dominant in oranges. By the 1980s, California supplied about 75% of the nation's lemons. It was the second largest orange producer in the U.S., ranked third in grapefruit, and was a major source of limes and tangerines. Today about 90% of the state's citrus production is located in five counties, namely Fresno, Kern, Tulare, Ventura and Riverside. Apart from home gardens, citrus is no longer a factor in Orange and Los Angeles counties.
The Mediterranean climate affords a lower rate of post-harvest disease than in some of the world's growing regions, similar to the Mediterranean itself, Australia, and most of South Africa. Postharvest problems that do occur tend to be mostly blue and green Penicillium spp. The Asian citrus psyllid was discovered in Southern California in 2008 and eradication and quarantine are now underway.
Cotton
Gossypium spp. are extensively grown in the Imperial Valley.spread to California from its original introduction in Texas. Despite wide establishment elsewhere in the southwest the San Joaquin Valley did not suffer permanent establishment. SJV was protected by its sterile insect technique program although neighbouring areas were continuously infested. UC IPM provides management information.
California was an early adopter of Bt cotton, but at a low proportion of acreage. The SJV does not use it at all. However Bt resistance has been slow to develop here and in Arizona and in Texas. In the California/Arizona population Tabashnik et al., 2022 find Cry1Ac resistance and Cry2Ab resistance are common but the causative mutations do not cause Vip3Aa resistance.
' is common in the Imperial Valley. The use of pyrethroids in the 1980s failed to control it and in deed caused a population increase.
The southwest water shortage is reducing yield and acreage in the 2020s.
Interferometric synthetic aperture radar surveys show this crop is a significant cause of groundwater-related subsidence.
and are effective against the complex of ' and.
Ortiz et al., 2017 provides a polymerase chain reaction method which differentiates the California race 4 strain from all others based on the gene. University of California Integrated Pest Management provides practices for its control including Glenn County.
Some Pythium spp. are seedborne diseases in cotton. UC IPM provide management information.
Several Tetranychus spider mite species are common on cotton here including the Pacific Spider Mite, the Two-Spotted Spider Mite and T. cinnabarinus.
Eradication of the in this and neighbouring states was greatly aided by the deployment of Bt cotton. The eradication program began elsewhere and was extended to the California Cotton Belt in 2007. Dennehy et al., 2011 find bollworm remained 100% susceptible to Cry1Ac and Cry2Ab2 through 2005 here and in Arizona.
Pyrethrins are commonly used in this crop.
Deynze et al., 2005 performs the first gene flow analysis in California cotton. Deynze finds pollinators are responsible for almost 100%.
Lacewings and whiteflies are common pests of this crop.
G. barbadense is grown in a small part of the country including the southern part of this state.
Delia platura is a common seed predator of this crop.
Limonius spp. are pests of germination and seedling stage.
' is often confused for other species including some beneficial insects.
Spodoptera praefica is a late season pest and rarely an early season pest.
' spp. affect seedlings.
Empoasca fabae is the most common leafhopper in the San Joaquin Valley.
Euschistus servus damages bolls.
' is a pest of seedlings, young plants, squares and early bolls.
Caliothrips fasciatus is a pest of the mature plant.
The larvae of ' are pests of bolls and squares.
Gryllus spp. are pests of the early stages.
Bucculatrix thurberiellas harm is limited to the southern deserts only.
Autographa californica is found mostly in May and early June here.
' is the most common aphid in this crop.
' is a pest of the young plants.