California’s wet winter leaves groves susceptible to disease, waterlogging
The El Niño cycle bringing wet weather to California is one of the strongest such cycles on record, according to researchers from the University of California – Los Angeles (UCLA). Their assertions are corroborated by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s climate prediction center, which also reported a 62 percent chance El Niño would continue from April through June with historically strong conditions early in the year. … Record-shattering rains poured over sections of California this week, with rainfall totals as high as ten inches (25 centimeters), bringing widespread flash floods. As atmospheric rivers pound California, olive growers face the challenge of potential diseases and problems that may ensue.