Project Activities

New Crops for the Coachella Valley 2010-2014. Pitahaya (Dragon Fruit) Variety Trial

My collaborators are Ramiro Lobo, UCCE San Diego and Milt McGiffen, UCR and the Coachella Valley Resource Conservation District. Ramiro has introduced Pitahaya as a new crop in San Diego and southern California. His research indicates that some heat tolerant pitahaya varieties may be grown in the Coachella Valley. Our goal is to learn the cultural practices and to identify varieties that can tolerant temperatures over 100 F in the summer and occasional freezes in the winter. Pitahaya has many uses, as a fresh fruit and as a natural food coloring. Genetic work has yet to be performed on these varieties, there is doubt as to how many real varieties there are.

New Crops for the Coachella Valley: 2012-2014. Olive Variety Trial. The Coachella Valley Resource Conservation District are my collaborators and funders of this project. Olive acreage production in California greatly expanded when UC Farm Advisors demonstrated that California could produce a high quality olive oil.  We have three of the most popular varieties in our trial.

NEXT