June Prune Orchard Management Considerations
Read this article for prune orchard management tasks to keep in mind in June. Continue reading
Monthly Archives: May 2021
Whole Orchard Recycling and Anaerobic Soil Disinfestation
In this article, we highlight two practices, whole orchard recycling (WOR) and anaerobic soil disinfestation (ASD), as potential elements in new orchard replacement strategies. Continue reading
New walnut variety ‘UC Wolfskill’ released
The UC Davis Walnut Breeding Program has recently released a new walnut variety, ‘UC Wolfskill’ that produces kernels that may have a comparable market value to ‘Chandler’. Read this post to learn more. Continue reading
Photos from the Field: Identifying Damage from Deer Mice in Almond Orchards
Deer mice are rarely a problem in orchards in California, but when present they can cause damage to irrigation lines and nuts in almond trees, as we found on a recent farm call. The mice were taking advantage of cracks in the shrink-swell soil to more easily create their burrows, which we may see more of in the future as more orchards with drip irrigation come into bear on these shrink-swell soils. Continue reading
UC Drought Management Resources for almond, prune, walnut, and olive orchards
As of May 12, 2021, a drought emergency has been declared for 41 CA counties. This blog’s purpose is to share several University of California drought resources that have been created and vetted to support growers during this challenging year. Continue reading
Mechanical Pruning of Prune Trees Update (2021)
In this article we will provide the latest information on the “why” of mechanical pruning, yields of hand vs. mechanically pruned trees, as well as the when, and how to mechanically prune. Continue reading
May Almond Orchard Management Considerations
Read this article for almond orchard management tasks to keep in mind in May. Continue reading
Almond May Spray Considerations in a Tight Fiscal Year
When almond prices are low, how can a grower cut costs? Not all insects and mites need to be treated every year, and there are cases where almond growers have a history of spraying more than is necessary. Read this article to learn how to refine your pest management strategy in a lean price year. Continue reading
Pre- and Post-Harvest Irrigation Management in Prune
Read this article to learn more about irrigation management for prune orchards using crop developmental stages and stem water potential measurements. Continue reading
November 2020, Another Major Autumn Freeze in California Walnuts
As if 2020 didn’t bring enough grief, it appears to have also brought a major autumn freeze that growers and their consultants are now taking stock of. UCCE walnut advisors in the northern Sacramento Valley and Northern San Joaquin Valley have been fielding calls in the past couple weeks regarding extensive damage in young and mature orchards. Continue reading