Prevalence and Predictors of Household Food Insecurity among Adult/Youth Dyads at the Initiation of the iCook 4-H Two-Year Obesity Prevention Study

Objective: Determine food insecurity prevalence and predictors among adult/youth dyads enrolled in a childhood obesity prevention study (iCook 4-H).Methods: The iCook 4-H intervention was designed for youth (9-10 years old) and their adult main meals preparer to cook, eat, and play together. Although not an inclusion criteria, diverse, low income, and/or rural families were the target during recruitment. At baseline, adults completed surveys on food insecurity, socioeconomic and demographic characteristics and youth anthropometrics were collected with body mass index (BMI) calculated. Descriptive statistics were computed and chi-square analysis was conducted to test differences between potential predictors and food insecurity. Binomial logistic regression was used to assess the relationship between food insecurity and its predictors.Results: Thirty-four percent of households (n=71 of 206) were food insecure. Youth were primarily white (69.9%) and normal weight (58.3%). Adults were also primarily white (74.8%), overweight or obese (67.9%), married (68.9%), not participating in government assistance programs (57.8%), and held no college degree (55.3%). Based on the logistic regression model, households with a non-white youth (OR=13.53; 95% CI=3.33, 55.05), an adult without a college degree (OR=5.62; 95% CI=2.01, 15.73), and government assistance program participation (OR=5.63; 95% CI=2.63, 12.07) were significantly associated with household food insecurity. However, there was no significant association with BMI found (youth p=0.167; adult p=0.179).Conclusion: Consistent with previous findings, household food insecurity status was associated with youth race, adult education, and government assistance program participation. In contrast, no relationship between BMI and food insecurity status was observed in this study, which warrants further investigation

A variety-specific analysis of climate change effects on California winegrapes

California contains a broad geography over which climate conditions can be suitable for cultivating multiple varieties of winegrapes. However, climate change is projected to make winegrape cultivation more challenging across many of California's winegrowing regions. In order to understand the potential effects of climate change on winegrapes, this study models variety-specific phenology for six winegrape varieties and quantifies the change in phenology and viticulturally-important agroclimate metrics over 12 of California's American Viticultural Areas (AVAs) by the mid-21st century. Results show more rapid development for winegrapes with earlier budburst, flowering, veraison, and maturation across all varieties and AVAs. Cabernet Sauvignon shows the greatest change in phenology timing, while Chardonnay shows the least change. Likewise, the West Sonoma Coast AVA shows the greatest average change in phenology timing across varieties and development stages and Lodi AVA shows the least. Projected changes in agroclimatic metrics include an additional month of potentially damaging heat days (above 35 °C) in some AVAs, and decreases in frost days. These results have implications for numerous factors related to viticultural production, including water resources management and crop yield and quality, and underscore the need for California winegrape growers to improve their resilience to climate change by adopting strategies such as increasing soil health and water use efficiency and selecting cultivars suited for future climate conditions. By conducting climate effects analyses at the variety-specific and AVA scale, important information is provided to the winegrowing industry at a resolution that can support decision-making towards resilience

Modeling vegetative vigour in grapevine: unraveling underlying mechanisms

Mechanistic modeling constitutes a powerful tool to unravel complex biological phenomena. This study describes the construction of a mechanistic, dynamic model for grapevine plant growth and canopy biomass (vigor). To parametrize and validate the model, the progeny from a cross of Ramsey (Vitis champinii) × Riparia Gloire (V. riparia) was evaluated. Plants with different vigor were grown in a greenhouse during the summer of 2014 and 2015. One set of plants was grafted with Cabernet Sauvignon. Shoot growth rate (b), leaf area (LA), dry biomass, whole plant and root specific hydraulic conductance (kH and Lpr), stomatal conductance (gs), and water potential (Ψ) were measured. Partitioning indices and specific leaf area (SLA) were calculated. The model includes an empirical fit of a purported seasonal pattern of bioactive GAs based on published seasonal evolutionary levels and reference values. The model provided a good fit of the experimental data, with R = 0.85. Simulation of single trait variations defined the individual effect of each variable on vigor determination. The model predicts, with acceptable accuracy, the vigor of a young plant through the measurement of Lpr and SLA. The model also permits further understanding of the functional traits that govern vigor, and, ultimately, could be considered useful for growers, breeders and those studying climate change.EEA MendozaFil: Hugalde, Ines Pilar. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Mendoza; Argentina. University of California at Davis. Department of Viticulture and Enology; Estados UnidosFil: Agüero, Cecilia B. University of California at Davis. Department of Viticulture and Enology; Estados UnidosFil: Barrios-Masias, Felipe H. University of California at Davis. Department of Viticulture and Enology; Estados Unidos. University of Nevada. Department of Agriculture, Veterinary and Rangeland Sciences; Estados UnidosFil: Romero, Nina. University of California at Davis. Department of Viticulture and Enology; Estados UnidosFil: Nguyen, Andy Viet. University of California at Davis. Department of Viticulture and Enology; Estados UnidosFil: Riaz, Summaira. University of California at Davis. Department of Viticulture and Enology; Estados UnidosFil: Piccoli, Patricia Noemí. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mendoza. Instituto de Biología Agrícola de Mendoza. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias. Instituto de Biología Agrícola de Mendoza; ArgentinaFil: McElrone, Andrew J. University of California at Davis. Department of Viticulture and Enology; Estados Unidos. US Department of Agriculture. ARS; Estados UnidosFil: Walker, M. Andrew. University of California at Davis. Department of Viticulture and Enology; Estados UnidosFil: Vila, Hernan Felix. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Mendoza; Argentin

Post-processed data and graphical tools for a CONUS-wide eddy flux evapotranspiration dataset

Large sample datasets of in situ evapotranspiration (ET) measurements with well documented data provenance and quality assurance are critical for water management and many fields of earth science research. We present a post-processed ET oriented dataset at daily and monthly timesteps, from 161 stations, including 148 eddy covariance flux towers, that were chosen based on their data quality from nearly 350 stations across the contiguous United States. In addition to ET, the data includes energy and heat fluxes, meteorological measurements, and reference ET downloaded from gridMET for each flux station. Data processing techniques were conducted in a reproducible manner using open-source software. Most data initially came from the public AmeriFlux network, however, several different networks (e.g., the USDA-Agricultural Research Service) and university partners provided data that was not yet public. Initial half-hourly energy balance data were gap-filled and aggregated to daily frequency, and turbulent fluxes were corrected for energy balance closure error using the FLUXNET2015/ONEFlux energy balance ratio approach. Metadata, diagnostics of energy balance, and interactive graphs of time series data are included for each station. Although the dataset was developed primarily to benchmark satellite-based remote sensing ET models of the OpenET initiative, there are many other potential uses, such as validation for a range of regional hydrologic and atmospheric models

Post-processed data and graphical tools for a CONUS-wide eddy flux evapotranspiration dataset

Large sample datasets of in situ evapotranspiration (ET) measurements with well documented data provenance and quality assurance are critical for water management and many fields of earth science research. We present a post-processed ET oriented dataset at daily and monthly timesteps, from 161 stations, including 148 eddy covariance flux towers, that were chosen based on their data quality from nearly 350 stations across the contiguous United States. In addition to ET, the data includes energy and heat fluxes, meteorological measurements, and reference ET downloaded from grid- MET for each flux station. Data processing techniques were conducted in a reproducible manner using open-source soft- ware. Most data initially came from the public AmeriFlux network, however, several different networks (e.g., the USDA- Agricultural Research Service) and university partners pro- vided data that was not yet public. Initial half-hourly energy balance data were gap-filled and aggregated to daily frequency, and turbulent fluxes were corrected for energy balance closure error using the FLUXNET2015/ONEFlux energy balance ratio approach. Metadata, diagnostics of energy balance, and interactive graphs of time series data are included for each station. Although the dataset was developed primarily to benchmark satellite-based remote sensing ET models of the OpenET initiative, there are many other potential uses, such as validation for a range of regional hydrologic and atmospheric models

Crop Water Stress Index of an Irrigated Vineyard in the Central Valley of California

Water-limiting conditions in many California vineyards necessitate assessment of vine water stress to aid irrigation management strategies and decisions. This study was designed to evaluate the utility of a Crop Water Stress Index (CWSI) using multiple canopy temperature sensors and to study the diurnal signature in the stress index of an irrigated vineyard. A detailed instrumentation package comprised of eddy covariance instrumentation, ancillary surface energy balance components, soil water content sensors and a unique multi-canopy temperature sensor array were deployed in a production vineyard near Lodi, CA. The instrument package was designed to measure and monitor hourly growing season turbulent fluxes of heat and water vapor, radiation, air temperature, soil water content directly beneath a vine canopy, and vine canopy temperatures. April 30–May 02, June 10–12 and July 27–28, 2016 were selected for analysis as these periods represented key vine growth and production phases. Considerable variation in computed CWSI was observed between each of the hourly average individual canopy temperature sensors throughout the study; however, the diurnal trends remained similar: highest CWSI values in morning and lowest in the late afternoon. While meteorological conditions were favorable for plant stress to develop, soil water content near field capacity due to frequent irrigation allowed high evapotranspiration rates resulting in downward trending CWSI values during peak evaporative demand. While the CWSI is typically used to evaluate plant stress under the conditions of our study, the trend of the CWSI suggested a lowering of plant water stress as long as there was adequate soil water available to meet atmospheric demand

Impacts of climate change on plant diseases – opinions and trends

There has been a remarkable scientific output on the topic of how climate change is likely to affect plant diseases in the coming decades. This review addresses the need for review of this burgeoning literature by summarizing opinions of previous reviews and trends in recent studies on the impacts of climate change on plant health. Sudden Oak Death is used as an introductory case study: Californian forests could become even more susceptible to this emerging plant disease, if spring precipitations will be accompanied by warmer temperatures, although climate shifts may also affect the current synchronicity between host cambium activity and pathogen colonization rate. A summary of observed and predicted climate changes, as well as of direct effects of climate change on pathosystems, is provided. Prediction and management of climate change effects on plant health are complicated by indirect effects and the interactions with global change drivers. Uncertainty in models of plant disease development under climate change calls for a diversity of management strategies, from more participatory approaches to interdisciplinary science. Involvement of stakeholders and scientists from outside plant pathology shows the importance of trade-offs, for example in the land-sharing vs. sparing debate. Further research is needed on climate change and plant health in mountain, boreal, Mediterranean and tropical regions, with multiple climate change factors and scenarios (including our responses to it, e.g. the assisted migration of plants), in relation to endophytes, viruses and mycorrhiza, using long-term and large-scale datasets and considering various plant disease control methods

The grape remote sensing atmospheric profile and evapotranspiration experiment

Particularly in light of California’s recent multiyear drought, there is a critical need for accurate and timely evapotranspiration (ET) and crop stress information to ensure long-term sustainability of high-value crops. Providing this information requires the development of tools applicable across the continuum from subfield scales to improve water management within individual fields up to watershed and regional scales to assess water resources at county and state levels. High-value perennial crops (vineyards and orchards) are major water users, and growers will need better tools to improve water-use efficiency to remain economically viable and sustainable during periods of prolonged drought. To develop these tools, government, university, and industry partners are evaluating a multiscale remote sensing–based modeling system for application over vineyards. During the 2013–17 growing seasons, the Grape Remote Sensing Atmospheric Profile and Evapotranspiration eXperiment (GRAPEX) project has collected micrometeorological and biophysical data within adjacent pinot noir vineyards in the Central Valley of California. Additionally, each year ground, airborne, and satellite remote sensing data were collected during intensive observation periods (IOPs) representing different vine phenological stages. An overview of the measurements and some initial results regarding the impact of vine canopy architecture on modeling ET and plant stress are presented here. Refinements to the ET modeling system based on GRAPEX are being implemented initially at the field scale for validation and then will be integrated into the regional modeling toolkit for large area assessment.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

The Grape Remote Sensing Atmospheric Profile and Evapotranspiration Experiment

Particularly in light of California’s recent multiyear drought, there is a critical need for accurate and timely evapotranspiration (ET) and crop stress information to ensure long-term sustainability of high-value crops. Providing this information requires the development of tools applicable across the continuum from subfield scales to improve water management within individual fields up to watershed and regional scales to assess water resources at county and state levels. High-value perennial crops (vineyards and orchards) are major water users, and growers will need better tools to improve water-use efficiency to remain economically viable and sustainable during periods of prolonged drought. To develop these tools, government, university, and industry partners are evaluating a multiscale remote sensing–based modeling system for application over vineyards. During the 2013–17 growing seasons, the Grape Remote Sensing Atmospheric Profile and Evapotranspiration eXperiment (GRAPEX) project has collected micrometeorological and biophysical data within adjacent pinot noir vineyards in the Central Valley of California. Additionally, each year ground, airborne, and satellite remote sensing data were collected during intensive observation periods (IOPs) representing different vine phenological stages. An overview of the measurements and some initial results regarding the impact of vine canopy architecture on modeling ET and plant stress are presented here. Refinements to the ET modeling system based on GRAPEX are being implemented initially at the field scale for validation and then will be integrated into the regional modeling toolkit for large area assessment