Unseasonably warm temperatures across California's Central Valley are accelerating crop development, leading to an earlier start to the strawberry season while creating pressure on cool-weather vegetables and citrus.
Growers report early field development, with crops showing increased growth and earlier flowering. UC Small Farm Advisor Michael Yang said the strawberry season is running ahead of schedule. "Usually, on April 10, you get the strawberry, but this week it's like three weeks ahead. And so yeah, it's weird," Yang said.
At the retail level, early supply is already reaching the market. Growers managing mixed production note that warmer conditions are less suitable for winter crops. "Looks like 90, but right now, plants look very healthy. We don't worry about it. We try to control the water a little bit," said Kao Saetern, who produces both strawberries and vegetables.
Yang indicated that crops such as snap peas and leafy greens may be affected if temperatures remain elevated. "These are cool-weather crops. This is snap peas," he said, adding that vegetables like "the bok choy, gailon, uchoy. Some of those leafy vegetables. It needs the cool weather."
Higher temperatures are accelerating plant development cycles. "It grows faster, it flowers faster too. So it's good for the warm season crop, but then the cool season, it just speeds up too quickly," Yang said. Growers expect some winter vegetables to remain marketable, although early-season closure is possible.
In Kern County, rising temperatures are also affecting citrus production. Lindsay Ono of Bakersfield College said the timing coincides with the spring bloom. "Probably one of our bigger challenges right now is that we are coming off of our spring bloom for citrus," Ono said.
Heat conditions may influence bloom development and the June drop. "And so we'll start to see this challenge on the flowers that are presently in bloom, and their development is probably going to be a greater challenge than almonds would be," he said.
Irrigation management is expected to play a role under current conditions. Ono also noted that pest development may accelerate. "Unless we start to see some temperatures drop that are going to slow them down, which it doesn't look like that will happen, we'll see our pest problem actually be coming a little bit sooner for infestations," Ono said.
Growers are adapting to temperature shifts, with production outcomes dependent on ongoing weather patterns.
Sources: ABC30, Bakersfield Now
