Gov. Gavin Newsom will soon decide on a bill that would establish a CDFA program for combating broomrape. The legislation failed to pass out of committee last year but the second attempt by Assemblymember Cecilia Aguiar-Curry of Winters sailed through with unanimous support.
While tomato growers have grappled with the invasive weed since 1943, changes in cropping patterns and the climate have led to a new explosion, according to Mike Montna, president and CEO of the California Tomato Growers Association, who spoke to the State Board of Food and Agriculture on Tuesday. The only known way to kill the weed is with methyl bromide, a fumigant long banned in California.
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Farmers thought the weed was eradicated in the 1970s, only to see it resurface in Yolo County in 2017. UC researchers are now scrambling to find ways to detect and manage the pest. Ad hoc grower committees and industry groups have been behind the effort. But a continual funding source and a permanent structure are needed for the program, said Montna.
