California is known throughout the world as a premier location for crop breeding, variety development
and seed production, particularly of horticultural crops and agronomic crops other than soybeans. Many
companies, both large and small, maintain research and production facilities in California and contract
for seed production in the state.
California's seed industry is a major provider of specialty seed products, and the industry has evolved
to fill an important niche in the global seed industry. California is an ideal location for seed
production due to its favorable climate and sophisticated infrastructure for growing, harvesting,
processing and marketing high quality seeds. These attributes have contributed to California's position
as a leader in a highly interconnected and complex global seed industry that includes growers, processing
facilities, distribution networks, and research institutions.
The Industry Communications Committee is pleased to announce the availability of the first nine Fact Sheets. The Fact Sheets were unveiled at the recent MY meeting and following the final edits recommended by committee members and others we encourage you to download these valuable tools to address a few of the questions we are faced with in the industry.
This marks the end of a long process to get the template perfected and the information reviewed for accuracy. It also marks the beginning of the development of the next set of Fact Sheets for your use. If you have a question you would like to see in the form of a Fact Sheet please let our Industry Communications Committee know. We are also looking to you for your expertise to participate on the writing/development of the next series of Fact Sheets.
This is the culmination of a collaborative effort by the Industry Communications Committee and we would like to thank all who participated on this endeavor. Great Job!!
First observed in U.S. commercial watermelon fields in 1989, bacterial fruit blotch (BFB) can be devastating for commercial watermelon, cantaloupe and honeydew growers with losses reaching 100%. Over the last 20 years, academia and industry have come together to study the disease and have made considerable gains in the areas of BFB epidemiology and management. There is general agreement that while there is no cure, all parts of the production chain including seed producers, transplant growers and commercial growers can take preventative steps to avoid losses from BFB. This educational pamphlet is designed to provide commercial cucurbit (watermelon, melon, cucumber, pumpkin, squash, etc.) growers with information about BFB and to provide recommendations on how to reduce the occurrence of the disease in production fields and greenhouses. This information was compiled with contributions from academic and industry BFB experts and distributed by industry sponsors. This brochure is the most current educational material on BFB to date (June, 2009).
Bacterial canker is a serious tomato disease caused by Clavibacter michiganensis subsp. michiganensis (Cmm). The disease was first discovered in 1909 in Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA but is currently reported in tomato production areas worldwide and outbreaks occur annually. However, preventive measures can be taken at all stages of production to avoid losses from bacterial canker.
These guides have been developed and published by ASTA, with sponsors from the seed industry and contributions from public and private researchers. They are available for download on the CSA website in English and Spanish.