Bob Curtis’s history with Almond Board of California (ABC) is one that truly stands the test of time.
When the Almond Board research program formally launched in 1973, Curtis became the first ABC-funded graduate student to do production research in the orchard. Then, after earning his master’s degree, Curtis’s relationship with ABC evolved into a full-time position as manager of the Almond Board’s production research program. 
“At that time,” said Curtis, “navel orangeworm was a serious concern for the industry, and so much of my job involved helping develop a lot of specifics for our Integrated Pest Management (IPM) program. I was involved with that on the ground level.”
With Curtis’s efforts and collaboration with researchers, instances of navel orangeworm (NOW) in the almond orchard were reduced from 8.8% in 1978 to around 1% today. And, with this reduction, an associated lowered risk of aflatoxin naturally followed. The Almond Board’s IPM program has since been recognized four times for environmental stewardship by government agencies, once specifically for effectively combatting NOW instances.
Today, 45 years after he first arrived in almonds at the Almond Board, Curtis is the Director of Agricultural Affairs.
A tie to the industry
After years spent in almonds, Curtis went to work in the strawberry industry and then worked for Campbell Soup Company. In 2006, though, Curtis decided it was time to “come back home” as he said he “felt a tie to the industry.”
“I was attracted to come back because this is a very proactive industry in dealing with issues, and I worked in a good environment that allowed me to manage the research program and then apply the results to work in the field,” said Curtis.
Throughout his career, Curtis has wasted no time seeing those results in action.
Curtis works with various researchers and experts on increasing almond production, improving efficiency and, most notably as of late, increasing the industry’s water-use efficiency. Other significant advances include progress in variety selection, tree spacing and pruning, and nitrogen management plans, a topic Curtis believes will be a growing area of discussion in upcoming years.
No two days are the same for Curtis. Over the years, as the almond industry has grown, Curtis’s role has changed from solely managing and executing production research to addressing questions posed by the media.
Among topics he addresses, Curtis often fields questions regarding the almond industry’s responsible farming practices and efficient use of resources. In those cases, he openly shares both the Almond Board’s dedication to research and the industry’s desire to continually improve on-the-farm practices.
The highest standard for almond research
While no day is routine, Curtis’s year is broken up into natural seasons of activity. From winter through early spring, Curtis, along with ABC colleague Gabriele Ludwig, Ph.D., director, sustainability & environmental affairs, and ABC’s environmental and ag affairs team, develops a call for research proposals and begins the process of developing next year’s research program. In addition to helping lead that process, Curtis and Ludwig are staff liaisons for the Almond Board’s Strategic Ag Innovation Committee (SAIC) as well as a number of its reporting workgroups:
- Harvesting
- Irrigation & Nutrients, Soil Health
- Orchard, Tree, Rootstock
- Pest Management
- Pollination & Bee Health
- Sustainability/CASP
To produce the highest caliber research, Curtis works with individuals in the educational, environmental and regulatory communities to collaborate on advancements in agriculture production and sustainable farming. Among those partners and organizations are University of California Cooperative Extension and various beekeeper groups like Project Apis m. and the Honey Bee Health Coalition. Curtis also is involved in a number of advisory panels, including UC Davis’ Dean’s Advisory Council for the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. In 2013, the college recognized Curtis with an Award of Distinction for his work as a liaison between the almond industry and the ag research community. He sits on other advisory groups for the UC and USDA, spanning topic areas of pollination, integrated pest management and plant breeding.
“The networking and collaborating Gabriele and I have with other industry groups is extremely beneficial and important,” said Curtis.
Propelling industry advancement
As he looks back over his career, Curtis is most proud of the following three accomplishments:
- Significantly reducing navel orangeworm in the orchard
- Creating and implementing ABC’s Integrated Pest Management program
- Increasing almond orchard’s productivity per acre and water use efficiency
Amidst research project development, interview requests, committee meetings and maintaining relationships with multiple organizations, Curtis’s favorite days are those spent in the orchard with growers and researchers. Curtis enjoys learning how growers farm and run their operations, and he is especially thrilled when he sees research conducted in the orchard adopted by growers and implemented on the farm.
“I was away from the almond industry for 18 years, and so coming back and seeing the transformation and growth in leadership that the almond industry has assumed is noteworthy,” said Curtis. “We are a significant piece of California agriculture, and it's important for us to be good stewards in that leadership role.”
When he looks to the industry’s future, Curtis has no doubt that challenges are on the horizon. But he is not phased.
“I believe that with the resources, tools and overall enthusiasm and outlook we have, we are well suited to take on those challenges and move the industry forward.”
