California avocados are a quintessential high value crop. They are beloved by consumers and a big part of Cinco de Mayo celebrations, with 80 million pounds of fruit sold.

Grower Jason Cole in Santa Paula, California, said quality and sizing are vital for success, and he spends great care in the nutrition he uses to achieve that.

“We run a lot of humics and fulvics,” Cole said. “We use a ton of H-85, plus Rx Platinum, diKaP and Rootex…. Anything I’ve found spending on nutrition, as long as that fruit keeps coming in above industry average, I think it’s money well spent.”

Cole is Chair of the California Avocado Commission and said the industry expects another abundant avocado crop weighing about 375 million pounds. Future crops could be even heavier with new plantings throughout the state.

Growers can be poised for abundant crops, only to see their production take a major hit due to a stress event like a heatwave or cold spell.

Abiotic stress can be detrimental to any crop. A weakened plant can also be more susceptible to biotic stresses like pests and disease.

Redox Corporate Agronomist John Kelly said stress losses can be lessened when fields and orchards have proper nutrition that encourages strong plants, soil health, root growth and abiotic stress defense. He said diKaP™ has long proven itself as a tremendous boost in this area.

“It’s a powerful biostimulant that also includes phosphorus and potassium nutrition,” he said. “diKaP™ stimulates the plant for better respiration. With better respiration, there’s more energy ultimately coming into the plant, which means that plant now has resources to withstand stress.”

He said advancements in Redox technology can help growers succeed.

“I’ve never been more enthusiastic,” Kelly said. “Where there’s a motivation for change. Where there’s motivation to improve for higher crop performance, that’s where the opportunity is for Redox, to help identify what can be done to improve the bottom line.

Sustainable growing methods are garnering more attention and application in agriculture. Increased emphasis in Washington, D.C. on healthy eating could spur even more growth.

Amy Bruch of Cyclone Farms in Nebraska is helping interested growers shift from conventional to organic farming. Named Organic Farmer of the Year by a leading trade organization, Bruch runs AgriSecure, a consulting company to assist farmers.

“Our farm has adopted a lot of technology and a really interesting take on how to grow organic crops,” she said. “ We do it with a high level of management, agronomic focus, and marrying a nostalgic way of organic production with the latest and greatest in technology. That’s our bread and butter – helping others adopt some of those interesting techniques, and it has really been exciting for us.”

Since 2000, certified U.S. acreage for growing or livestock has nearly tripled. Organic sales account for about 3 percent of U.S. farm receipts, on less than one percent of the farmland.