Walnut production research goes back over five decades. Each year, the California Walnut Board’s Production Research Committee recommends projects for funding based on industry’s short and long term needs. This year, the CWB members approved a total of 23 projects totaling $1.69 M for the 2019-2020 crop year. Production research…

Andreas Westphal, Department of Nematology, University of California, Riverside, Parlier, CA Walnut production is most productive on deep-rooting uniform soils with good water-holding capacity. Such soils are also conducive to infestations of plant-parasitic nematodes. Currently, the key pest of concern in walnut plantings is root lesion nematode (Pratylenchus vulnus). In…

Themis Michailides In the last decade or so, walnut growers started experiencing yield reductions at a time when they expected increasing yields in orchards reaching full production. A close examination of the trees in a number of orchards revealed a plethora of dead spurs and shoots on the trees beyond…

New research suggests that following a diet high in polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), from foods like walnuts and salmon, may provide protection against the adverse effects of consuming meals high in saturated fats (SFA).1 Participants (26 healthy adults, ages 18-35) followed either a diet rich in PUFAs (21% polyunsaturated fat,…

That’s right, fresh snacking is on the rise! It’s the new normal and here to stay. In fact, 50% of all eating occasions are now snacks. A December Mintel report states that 94% of adults snack daily, which raises the question, what are those other 6% up to? Interestingly, the…