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CILANTRO PRODUCTION IN

CALIFORNIA


RICHARD SMITH, UC Cooperative Extension Vegetable Crop Advisor,

Monterey County; JIAN BI, UC Cooperative Extension Entomology Advisor,

Monterey County; MICHAEL CAHN, UC Cooperative Extension Irrigation

and Water Resources Advisor, Monterey County; MARITA CANTWELL,


Extension Vegetable Crops Specialist, Department of Plant Sciences, UC

Davis; OLEG DAUGOVISH, UC Cooperative Extension Vegetable Crop


Advisor, Ventura County; STEVEN KOIKE, UC Cooperative Extension Plant

Pathology Farm Advisor, Monterey County; ERIC NATWICK,


UC Cooperative Extension Entomology Advisor, Imperial County;

ETAFERAHU TAKELE, UC Cooperative Extension Farm Management


Advisor and County Director, Riverside County


PRODUCTION AREAS AND SEASONS

Cilantro (Coriandrum sativium), also known as

Mexican parsley, Chinese parsley, and coriander, is

grown primarily along the southern and central coast

of California. Ventura, Monterey, Santa Barbara, and

San Benito Counties have the largest production,

while smaller areas of production are scattered

around the state. In the coastal counties production

is year-round, with the main harvest from March

through mid-November. Growers in the Coachella

Valley (Riverside County) and the San Joaquin Valley

plant a winter crop in late September to November

for harvest from November through March. Cilantro

is often used as a rotation crop; however, some

growers may double-crop in a given year.


Yields vary greatly. Annual coastal production

averages from 8 to 11 tons per acre (18 to 25 t/ha).

Cilantro is hand-harvested and sold in bunches

to be used as a fresh herb, as well as mechanically

harvested and sold in bulk for food service or

processing.


CLIMATIC REQUIREMENTS

Cilantro can be grown under a wide range of climatic

conditions. During the summer, the crop matures


in 40 to 45 days. Hot weather causes cilantro to bolt

quickly and reduces the development of foliage.

Temperatures from 50º to 85ºF (10º to 30ºC) provide

optimal growing conditions. Cilantro tolerates light

frost.


VARIETIES AND PLANTING

TECHNIQUES

Varieties. Commonly planted varieties of cilantro

include Long Standing, Leisure, Santos, and Terra.

Many varieties are appropriate for spring, summer,

and fall production; however, bolting is a concern for

summer plantings. Santos is commonly grown during

the winter months.


Planting. Cilantro is grown on beds 40 or 80 inches

(1 and 2 m) wide. The 40-inch beds are typically

planted with two lines per bed; seedlines may vary

from 2 to 5 inches (5 to 13 cm) wide. The 80-inch

beds are planted with 24 to 33 seedlines to entirely

cover the bed top. Depending on the desired plant

population, 25 to 100 pounds per acre (28 to 112 kg/

ha) of seed are used. Seed are placed at a depth of 0.25

to 0.50 inch (0.6 1.3 cm).


SOILS

Cilantro can be grown on a wide range of soil types

as long as tilth, nutrient levels, and moisture are

appropriately maintained. Cilantro is considered

salt sensitive; when soil electrical conductivity (EC)

exceeds 1.0 dS/m, yields decline at a rate of 12% to

14% per 1 dS/m increase in soil EC.


IRRIGATION

Depending on initial soil conditions, 2 to 4 inches (610

to 1,220 mm) of water are applied using sprinklers

to moisten soil for tillage and seedbed preparation.


Vegetable

Production Series


vric.ucdavis.edu


UC Vegetable Research

& Information Center


University of California

Agriculture and Natural Resources


http://anrcatalog.ucdavis.edu • Publication 7236


CILANTRO ACREAGE AND VALUE


Year Acreage

Average yield

(tons/acre)


Gross

value/acre


2009 4,050 8.50 $5,108


2008 4,579 8.63 $5,206


2007 4,154 8.68 $6,857


2006 2,809 8.58 $7,926


SOURCE: California Agricultural Commissioner’s Report Data

2010 (Ventura, Monterey and San Benito Counties).


http://anrcatalog.ucdavis.edu
http://vric.ucdavis.edu


Overhead sprinklers are used for germination of

seed. During the spring and summer months, short

sprinkler applications usually follow an initially long

irrigation every 2 days until emergence to prevent the

formation of a soil crust and to replace moisture lost

by evaporation. Most growers produce the entire crop

with sprinklers, though continued use of sprinklers

favors infection and spread of leaf spot diseases.

Some growers use furrow irrigation after emergence

of crops grown on 40-inch beds. Because the crop

cycle is usually less than 45 days, solid-set sprinklers

are often used to minimize labor. Operating

sprinklers in windy conditions can greatly reduce

irrigation uniformity and cause uneven emergence

and growth.


Cilantro has a relatively shallow root system and

thrives on frequent, short irrigations to maintain

uniformly moist soil for maximum production.

However, care must be taken to avoid saturated

conditions that promote leaf diseases. Cilantro

requires 5 to 8 inches (1,525 to 2,440 mm) of water

to meet evapotranspiration requirements during the

summer. Total water applied between seeding and

harvest ranges from 6 to 12 inches (1,830 to 3660 mm).


The combination of soil moisture monitoring

and weather-based irrigation scheduling can

be used to determine the water needs of cilantro.

Water use is highest when the leaf canopy is near

maximum size. Soil moisture tensions are typically

targeted for less than 20 to 30 cbars (20 to 30 kPa).

The water extraction of cilantro can be estimated

using reference evapotranspiration data adjusted

with a crop coefficient, which is closely related to

the percentage of ground covered by the leaf canopy.

Because evaporation represents a majority of the

water loss during the early stages of growth, a crop

coefficient between 0.3 and 0.5 should be used for

overhead sprinklers until the canopy is greater than

30% cover. At a maximum canopy cover of 85 to

90%, the crop coefficient is nearly 1.0. The California

Irrigation Management Information System (CIMIS,
http://wwwcimis.water.ca.gov) coordinated by the

California Department of Water Resources provides

daily estimates of reference evapotranspiration for

most production regions of California.


FERTILIZATION

Soil analyses are the best indicators of the adequacy of

phosphorus (P) and potassium (K). Soils with bicarbonate

extractable phosphorus less than 10 ppm phosphorus

may require up to 200 pounds per acre (224 kg/ha) of

P2O5, and soils with greater than 30 ppm typically require

no more than 50 pounds per acre (56 kg/ha) of P2O5. Soils

with less than 100 ppm of ammonium acetate–extractable

potassium may require up to 150 pounds per acre (168

kg/ha) of K2O applied preplant to ensure adequate


potassium supply, while soils with greater than 150 ppm

ammonium acetate-exchangeable potassium are unlikely

to respond to potassium fertilization. Most California

soils have adequate availability of micronutrients; where

micronutrient deficiency occurs, zinc is often the most

limiting nutrient. A mature, high-yielding crop of cilantro

contains 70 pounds per acre (78 kg/ha) of nitrogen per

acre and therefore has moderate nitrogen needs. Total

nitrogen application rates on the Central Coast typically

range from 100 to 120 pounds per acre (112 to 135 kg/

ha) of nitrogen split between a small amount applied

preplant and the remainder applied when the crop is

well established. Moderate amounts of supplemental

applications of nitrogen may be applied if the stand of

cilantro is allowed to regrow after harvest for a second

cut. The nitrate quick test taken before fertilization can

provide good information on levels of residual nitrate

in the soil and the nitrogen fertilizer needs of the crop

(see the UC Vegetable Research and Information Center

publication Efficient Nitrogen Management for Cool-Season

Vegetables, http://vric.ucdavis.edu/pdf/fertilization_Effi

cientNitrogenManagementforCoolSeasonvegetable2007.

pdf).


INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT

Weeds. Challenges to weed control in cilantro include


• the plant germinates slowly and competes poorly

with weeds early in the crop cycle


• the crop is planted in dense stands, which limits

the use of cultivation


• mechanical harvest necessitates weed-free crops

at harvest


The current choices for herbicides for use on cilantro

are limited and do not generally provide control of

all of weeds found in production fields. As a result,

growers provide preplant weed control by rotating

into fields with low weed pressure and by using

preirrigation followed by shallow cultivation or

flaming to kill an initial flush of germinated weeds

before seeding the crop. Hand-weeding is generally

needed prior to harvest operations for weeds not

controlled by cultural practices or herbicides. As a

result, weeding costs can be very high in cilantro

unless weed control programs are carefully planned

and executed.


Insects and nematodes . Beet armyworm

(Spodoptera exigua), cabbage looper (Trichoplusia ni),

and green peach aphid (Myzus persicae) sometimes

cause economic damage.


Larvae of both beat armyworm and cabbage

looper damage cilantro by feeding on leaves. High

numbers can kill seedlings or slow their growth. They

also cause damage by contaminating the marketable

product with their bodies and frass. Monitor

twice a week for eggs and larvae after seedlings


2 • Cilantro Production in California


http://vric.ucdavis.edu/pdf/fertilization_EfficientNitrogenManagementfo…
http://vric.ucdavis.edu/pdf/fertilization_EfficientNitrogenManagementfo…
http://vric.ucdavis.edu/pdf/fertilization_EfficientNitrogenManagementfo…
http://wwwcimis.water.ca.gov


emerge. Treat plants when numbers of small larvae

are large enough to stunt growth. Cultural control

can suppress beet armyworm and cabbage looper

populations. Disc fields immediately following

harvest to kill larvae and pupae. Cleanup of weeds

along field borders is also important.


Green peach aphids damage cilantro plants by

sucking out plant sap. High populations can make

plants stunted, with curled and twisted leaves.

Aphids excrete honeydew as they feed, and the

honeydew promotes the growth of black sooty

mold. Aphid bodies, honeydew, and the associated

sooty mold can make the cilantro unmarketable. In

addition, aphids transmit several virus diseases that

infect plants. Monitor the field twice a week, paying

special attention to the edges, which are usually the

first area infested. If high numbers develop, treat

plants as soon as possible. Destroying weeds along

field borders and discing crop residue immediately

after harvest helps reduce breeding habitat for insects.


Cilantro is susceptible to root-knot nematodes

(Meloidogyne spp.) and stubby-root nematode

(Paratrichodorus sp.). Rotation away from infested

fields is recommended.


Diseases. Bacterial leaf spot (Pseudomonas

syringae pv. coriandricola) is commonly found in

cilantro plantings and can be a serious problem. The

bacterium is seedborne and water-splashed onto

the foliage of seedlings. Rain or sprinkler irrigation

spreads the bacteria, causing water-soaked lesions

on foliage. The lesions develop a purplish margin

with a tan, necrotic center. Clean seed and furrow

or drip irrigation to maintain dry foliage are the

most effective means of control. Copper or other

bactericides are not very effective.


Another disease of cilantro is Fusarium wilt,

caused by the soilborne fungus Fusarium oxysporum.

Early infections result in the wilting, collapse, and

death of young seedlings; this phase of the disease

resembles damping-off diseases seen in other crops.

If infected at a later stage, cilantro plants exhibit poor

growth, stunting, yellowing, collapse, and death.

The vascular tissues of these larger plants show a

red to brown discoloration of the xylem. Research

indicates that this cilantro pathogen is host-specific

to cilantro and will not infect other Apiaceae plants;

similarly, the Fusarium yellows pathogen of celery (F.

oxysporum f. sp. apii) does not infect cilantro. The only

effective management option for growers is to not

plant cilantro in fields having a history of this disease.


Cilantro is susceptible to three virus diseases.

Carrot motley dwarf (CMD) is a disease that affects

carrot, dill, parsley, and cilantro. It is caused by the

co-infection of two viruses, Carrot redleaf virus and

Carrot mottle virus, and results in leaves turning

yellow and red. These viruses are aphidborne and


are usually found in fields near carrots. A second

virus disease, cilantro yellow blotch, causes cilantro

leaves to develop bright yellow blotchy lesions. The

pathogen causing this problem has not yet been

characterized. The third virus disease in cilantro is

caused by Apium virus Y. This virus causes cilantro

leaves to develop mosaic patterns and cleared veins.

Affected plants can be stunted. Apium virus Y is

vectored by aphids, infects several other Apiaceae

crops (especially celery), and may be spread to crops

by aphids that feed on infected poison-hemlock

(Conium maculatum L.), an Apiaceae weed. For all

virus diseases, management involves keeping vectors

under control, removing weed reservoirs around

fields, and if possible avoiding the planting of cilantro

in fields having a history of these diseases.


HARVESTING AND HANDLING

For bunched product, cilantro is harvested by cutting

plants either just below the soil or at 1.5 to 2 inches

(4 to 5 cm) above the crown; bunches are formed

and tied together with a rubber band or twist tie.

Cilantro is mechanically harvested, and the product is

conveyed to shallow bins or totes. The mechanically

harvested product can be used for either dehydrated

product or fresh in food service packs for use in

restaurants and other outlets. Bunched cilantro is

packed in 10-pound (4.5-kg) boxes packed with 30

bunches; nonbunched fresh cilantro is packed into

plastic bags of various sizes for use in food service.


POSTHARVEST HANDLING

Fresh cilantro is usually hydrocooled or iced as soon

as it is received at a storage facility. Boxes are held at

33º to 35ºF (0.6º to 1.7ºC) while waiting for shipment.

In these conditions, cilantro should have a shelf life of

at least 14 days. Exposure to ethylene shortens shelf

life by increasing decay and yellowing. Modified-

atmosphere packaging with 5 to 10 percent carbon

dioxide can extend shelf life at storage temperatures

of from 40º to 50ºF (4º to 10ºC).


MARKETING

California ships cilantro to all parts of the United

States every month of the year. Some product is also

exported to Mexico.


COSTS OF PRODUCTION

Costs of production of cilantro depend on location,

and costs such as water, land lease and amounts of

inputs (fertilizer, pesticide, etc.) depend on weather

and soil. Generally, cilantro production is labor

intensive, especially in harvesting and post harvest

handling.


3 • Cilantro Production in California


4 • Cilantro Production in California


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CILANTRO PRODUCTION IN CALIFORNIA

Production Areas and Seasons

Climatic Requirements

Cilantro Acreage and Value

Varieties and Planting Techniques

Soils

Irigation

Fertilization

Integrated Pest Management

Harvesting and Handling

Postharvest Handling

Marketing

Costs of Production

For Further Information

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