Your source for orchard news & information in the Sacramento Valley
Harvest can be a nerve-wracking time in the prune business. The finish-line – when the entire crop is in the bins – may be in sight, but there are still tough decisions to be made that influence your bottom-line. One of the most important decisions to be made is when to start harvesting. Continue reading
This spring, I received many calls regarding the failure of vegetative buds to push, particularly in the Monterey variety. Affected trees are characterized by an entire scaffold that failed to leaf out, even though trees bloomed as usual and, in … Continue reading
Visual cues of crop stress are among the most basic observations that can be used to manage irrigation in orchard crops. However, these cues can be somewhat subjective and are often expressed after plant stress is higher than desired. Measuring midday stem water potential (SWP) using a pressure chamber is a quantitative method for evaluating plant water status. Continue reading
As the bulk of your prune fertility program for the season comes to an end, it’s time to get the report card on how you did. Published July critical values established for prune by UC researchers can help guide you in your fertilization practice. Leaf analysis results help keep an orchard between excess and deficiency, which means the most efficient use of your fertilizer dollar. Continue reading
As the bulk of your almond fertility program for the season comes to an end, it’s time to get the report card on how you did. Published July critical values established for almond by UC researchers can help guide you in your fertilization practice. Continue reading
These updates are provided as reference information for Sacramento Valley orchard pest and natural enemy activity. Continue reading
A new UC Cooperative Extension podcast that focuses on growing orchard crops in the San Joaquin and Sacramento valleys is now available. Continue reading
University of California Sacramento Valley Integrated Pest Management Update Report date: July 6, 2018 The most current report is available here. Disclaimer: These updates are provided as reference information for Sacramento Valley orchard pest and natural enemy activity. They are … Continue reading
University of California Sacramento Valley Integrated Pest Management Update Report date: June 28, 2018 The most current report is available here. Disclaimer: These updates are provided as reference information for Sacramento Valley orchard pest and natural enemy activity. They are … Continue reading
Prune growers should be aware that current weather conditions favor development of blue prune and an associated leaf scorch. Continue reading
These photos show various symptoms observed on trees that were intentionally over-irrigated throughout the season. Continue reading
Hull rot infections can cost growers a lot of money; money in lost crop this year, money in more sanitation costs this winter, and money in lost spurs and shoots for future crops. There are two disease organisms responsible for hull rot damage. The first is Monilinia (brown rot), which infects the hull just prior to hull split in early to mid-June. Continue reading
University of California Sacramento Valley Integrated Pest Management Update Report date: June 9, 2018 The most current report is available here. Disclaimer: These updates are provided as reference information for Sacramento Valley orchard pest and natural enemy activity. They are … Continue reading
University of California Sacramento Valley Integrated Pest Management Update Report date: May 25, 2018 The most current report is available here. Disclaimer: These updates are provided as reference information for Sacramento Valley orchard pest and natural enemy activity. They are … Continue reading
The Paradox hybrids (Juglans hindsii x Juglans regia) commonly used as walnut rootstocks are highly susceptible to Crown Gall caused by the common soil-borne bacterium Agrobacterium tumefaciens. Here we present information from our quest to develop a robust comprehensive approach to crown gall prevention. Continue reading