CALIFORNIA AVOCADO COMMISSION PRODUCTION RESEARCH COMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES. August 9, 2016

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1 CALIFORNIA AVOCADO COMMISSION PRODUCTION RESEARCH COMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES A meeting of the Production Research Committee (PRC) of the California Avocado Commission (CAC) was held on Tuesday, in the CAC board room in Irvine, California with the following people present: MEMBERS PRESENT: John Burr Jim Davis Ed McFadden Darren Haver Derek Knobel (10:05 a.m.) Leo McGuire Tom Roberts Ryan Rochefort GUESTS PRESENT: Steve Wede CAC STAFF PRESENT: Dr. Tim Spann April Aymami Tom Bellamore Ken Melban Doug O Hara, CAC Chairman MEMBERS ABSENT: Dan Grant ITEM #1 CALL TO ORDER Leo McGuire, Production Research Committee (PRC) Chairman, called the meeting to order at 9:00 a.m. with a quorum present. ITEM #2 OPPORTUNITY FOR PUBLIC COMMENT There were no public comments. ITEM #3 APPROVAL OF MINUTES OF JUNE 29, 2016 PRODUCTION RESEARCH COMMITTEE MEETING To approve the minutes of the June 29, 2016 Production Research Committee. (Roberts/Burr) MSC Unanimous Motion

2 ITEM #4 DISCUSSION ITEMS A. Production Research proposed budget for Dr. Spann began the discussion by giving an overview of the proposed production research budget for The following projects were discussed: 1. The project cost for Dr. Stouthamer s Biocontrol Agents from Southeast Asia project is $121,257. Dr. Spann noted that in this project was partially funded by APEAM. The Committee discussed reducing the cost of this project to $70,000 and having Dr. Stouthamer contact APEAM to make up the difference in the project cost. 2. Regarding Drs. Eskalen and Atkinson s project, Risk Assessment and Epidemiology of PSHB, Dr. Spann noted that USDA funding has been obtained to partially offset the cost of this project, and that $34,946 would be CAC s responsibility. It was also noted that CAC is pursuing additional USDA funding which will cover the remaining cost of the project. 3. Dr. David Kuhn was asked to be a co-investigator on Dr. Manosalva s project, Development of New Avocado Rootstock Varieties. This increased the project cost to include travel costs for Dr. Kuhn to visit California twice each year. 4. The cost increase for Dr. Arpaia s project, Maintaining Important Germplasm Collections in California is due to an increase in water and labor rates. The cost increase for Dr. Arpaia s project, Tier 3 Scion Breeding Activity is for improvement in the trees that are on rootstocks that are not salt tolerant and in moving them to better ground. 5. Dr. Crowley has one more milestone to wrap up in his Decision Support Tool project. 6. Dr. Bender will continue to run his new grower education classes next year. Dr. Spann discussed a goal of trying to target $675,000 net to CAC for the budget, which would mean that $90,000 would have to be eliminated from the proposed budget. B. Consider revised proposals for avocado breeding program Dr. Spann reported that Dr. Manosalva made changes to her rootstock varieties project based on comments from Drs. Tom Gradziel and David Kuhn. The Committee discussed the possibility of cutting or postponing two out of the six project objectives to help reduce the project s impact on the overall Production Research budget. The consensus from the Committee was that this would not help 2

3 reduce the project costs because the personnel would still be watering the trees and performing other tasks. The Committee then began discussion of other alternatives to reduce the overall Production Research budget for : 1. The Committee reviewed Dr. Stouthamer s Biocontrol Agents from Southeast Asia project. The consensus from the Committee was that it would be difficult to delay this project because the researchers have collected material that is in laboratories and if it was delayed there would still be a cost to maintain the material. 2. The Committee also discussed the possibility of cutting funding to each research project by a specific percentage to meet the targeted budget. 3. The Committee reviewed Drs. Byrne and Morse s project, Sustained Chemical Control of Avocado Arthropod Pests. The Committee noted a letter from Drs. Byrne and Morse requesting to delay this project in order to move the funds to their Systemic Pesticide Research for the Management of PSHB project. The Committee discussed how only some chemical resistance has been found, and that there are currently three chemistries for the control of thrips and four chemistries for the control of mites. To recommend to the Board terminating funding for the Sustained Chemical Control of Avocado Arthropod Pests (#65116) research project. (Rochefort /Burr) MSC Unanimous Motion The Committee reviewed Dr. Crowley s project, Decision Support Tools for Avocado Production and Fruit Quality. The Committee discussed allowing this project to conclude in order to finish collecting the necessary data, and then possibly getting funding for the development of the website interface through a specialty crop block grant. 5. The Committee discussed Dr. Arpaia s project, Tier 3 Scion Breeding Activity. A letter submitted by the University of California, Riverside indicates that the researchers are pursuing additional funding for the scion breeding program from other sources. The Committee discussed how evaluation work would be lost and new trees would not be able to be started in the process if the project was not funded. To not recommend funding for the Tier 3 Scion Breeding Activity proposal from Dr. Mary Lu Arpaia. (McFadden /Davis) MSC (7 Yea, 1 Nay) Motion

4 C. Consider request from Morse and Byrne regarding shot hole borer funding Earlier, the Committee discussed a letter that was submitted by Drs. Byrne and Morse requesting to delay their Sustained Chemical Control of Avocado Arthropod Pests project in order to move the funds to their Systemic Pesticide Research for the Management of PSHB project. The Committee noted that by moving the funding, the project costs would increase by about $60,000 for the cost of the field research assistant and for the rental of a research trailer. A motion was seconded and carried above to discontinue the funding for the Sustained Chemical Control of Avocado Arthropod Pests project, therefore there would not be any funds to move to the PSHB project. D. Wrap up discussion, outline PRC recommendation to Board for production research program The Committee reviewed the items they had discussed above and the actions that they had taken. To recommend to the CAC Board the modified budget of $70,000 for project #65124 on biocontrol of PSHB. (Davis /McFadden) MSC Unanimous Motion To recommend to the CAC Board to fund the Germplasm maintenance project as requested at $55,630 for and at $58,859 for (Knobel /Rochefort) MSC Unanimous Motion The Committee then continued their discussion of Dr. Manosalva s Development of New Avocado Rootstock Varieties project. The consensus of the Committee was that they were comfortable with the project as written for and , but that in the future Dr. Manosalva would be expected to find additional outside funding for some of the more basic work that needs to be done. To recommend funding of Dr. Manosalva s rootstock project as proposed to the CAC Board. (McFadden /Davis) MSC Unanimous Motion Dr. Spann informed the Committee that the Section 18 for Hero will expire in April of 2017, and that it is almost time to start the renewal process, and that it will be difficult to get the Section 18 renewed if it is not used. 4

5 ADJOURN MEETING Leo McGuire, Production Research Committee (PRC) Chairman, adjourned the meeting at 12:00 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Timothy Spann Research Program Director EXHIBITS ATTACHED TO THE PERMANENT COPY OF THESE MINUTES EXHIBIT A Production Research Committee AB 2720 Roll Call Vote Tally Summary 5

6 CALIFORNIA AVOCADO COMMISSION Production Research Committee AB 2720 Roll Call Vote Tally Summary To be attached to the Meeting Minutes Meeting Name: California Avocado Commission Production Research Committee Meeting Meeting Location: 12 Mauchly, Suite L Irvine, CA Meeting Date: Attendees Who Voted Leo McGuire, Chair Yea Yea Yea Yea Yea Yea John Burr Yea Yea Yea Yea Yea Yea Jim Davis Yea Yea Yea Yea Yea Yea Darren Haver Yea Yea Yea Yea Yea Yea Derek Knobel Not Present Nay Yea Yea Yea Yea Ed McFadden Yea Yea Yea Yea Yea Yea Tom Roberts Yea Yea Yea Yea Yea Yea Ryan Rochefort Yea Yea Yea Yea Yea Yea Outcome Unanimous Yea-7, Nay-1 Unanimous Unanimous Unanimous Unanimous