Growing California Avocados

The U.S. Department of Agriculture Farm Service Agency’s Marketing Assistance for Specialty Crops program is accepting applications through January 8, 2025. The program which has $2 billion in funds available, is intended to help specialty crop producers manage higher marketing costs.

The University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences is hosting a free webinar entitled “Sustaining Avocado Production in the Face of the Lethal Laurel Wilt” on December 19 from 3:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. (EST). This project also seeks to survey California avocado growers in Ventura, San Diego and Riverside/San Bernardino Counties.

To assist California avocado growers in ensuring their operation meets the Food Safety Modernization Act Produce Safety Rule, the University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources department is offering a two-day online Produce Safety Alliance Grower Training Course.

To assist California avocado growers impacted by the Mountain Fire, the California Avocado Commission has gathered tinformation concerning how to report damage, informative webinars and available funding.

Through June 2025, the San Diego County Water Authority is offering higher incentives for on-farm irrigation efficiency improvements. Eligible growers can receive $1,000 per acre with no limit on acreage. This represents an increase from $550 per acre and a cap on acreage.

Dr. Ben Faber recently shared a blog post on the Topics in Subtropics webpage concerning the best pruning timing and practices. Importantly, while growers may feel that fall and winter — which provides more downtime — is an ideal time to prune their avocado trees that is, in fact, not the case. 

The California Department of Pesticide Regulation has issued a section 24(c) Special Local Needs registration for Forfeit® 280 (glufosinate-ammonium) herbicide for use in avocado groves through October 31, 2029. Growers wishing to use Forfeit® must have a copy of the SLN label in their possession during use. The label can be found on the California Avocado Commission website.