Dear Colleagues,
The California Cherry Board (CCB) seeks to fund research to significantly benefit the production and post-harvest handling practices of sweet cherry in California.
For the 2023-24 fiscal year (FY), the California sweet cherry industry identified the following production-related challenges of greatest priority for addressment through intentionally designed research:
• Spotted wing drosophila (SWD): investigation into alternative control strategies for SWD, in particular, effective alternatives or alternative strategies to avoid pesticide resistance, including SIT, cultural practices, etc., and/or the development of more efficient use of said products to benefit the efficiency of standard control protocols, evaluation of the temporal protections offered by chemistries used in industry standard SWD control protocols; prevalence and distribution of resistant wild-type SWD.
• The application and optimization of using of stem water potential and evapotranspiration for irrigation management in cherries. Research into the negative effects of deficit irrigation. water use/water quality and distribution methods. Water management strategies and impact on yield and quality.
• Evaluation of available rootstocks – review of work conducted in the Pacific Northwest and the applicability to California production.
• Other production: an evaluation of the economics of sweet cherry production in California; orchard systems design; improved harvest efficiency (ie. mechanized harvest/assist); etc.
• Investigation into the application of solar radiation and other contributors to the current chill model for cherry and/or the application and/or optimization of physiological indicators for the application of dormancy breaking agents; investigation into the start time for chill accumulation.
• The reappropriation of accumulated chill hours by use of CIMIS stations for cherry industry online use.
For the 2023-24 fiscal year (FY), the California sweet cherry industry identified the following post-harvest-related challenges of greatest priority for addressment through intentionally designed research:
• Post-harvest insect disinfestation: alternatives to methyl bromide as a fumigant for post-harvest disinfestation of sweet cherry intended for export markets and the market acceptance of alternative strategies.
To apply, please submit full proposal grant applications by no later than Friday, September 30th, to Leslie Alfonso, CCB Research Director, 3800 Cornucopia Way, Ste. A. Modesto, CA 95358, or by email to lgalfonso@ucanr.edu.
For questions about the California Cherry Board or this Request for Proposals, please visit www.calcherry.com or contact Leslie Alfonso at lgalfonso@ucanr.edu.
Thank you.
Kathleen Nolan, Director, ANR Office of Contracts & Grants (OCG)