Sacramento Valley Orchard Source

Because there is not a CIMIS station close to Yuba City, Janine Hasey calculates chilling based on a temperature recorder at the UCCE office in Yuba City. Chill data will be updated weekly.

Bacterial blast (Pseudomonas syringe), although thankfully not a problem every year (hopefully including 2021), can be tremendously damaging to almond yields. For example, significant crop damage was reported in the Sacramento Valley in 2017 and 2018, and in the San Joaquin Valley in 2017 and 2019. These grower reports of past crop loss supported a Section 18 emergency request for the use of kasugamycin on almonds during bloom.

A large almond crop at harvest requires good bee activity at bloom in the orchard. Read to learn more about best practices for keeping bee hives in your orchard strong and healthy at bloom.

The aftermath of gale-force winds in the southern Sacramento Valley last week has further highlighted the importance of selecting prune rootstocks with good anchorage. In commercial orchards and trials alike, Krymsk 86 rooted prune trees consistently withstand applied force better than most other rootstocks.

One of the motivations for making good water management decisions early in the growing season is to reduce risk of root and crown diseases that can eventually kill almond, walnut, prune, and other tree species. Early season water management influences the environment where roots grow by affecting soil temperature and aeration and can be pivotal in how much tree decline actually occurs.