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).
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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