Your source for orchard news & information in the Sacramento Valley
Recent years have brought hot temperatures, heat waves, droughts and rain that have broken records. What does that mean? And what can we do to plan for it in almond orchards? Continue reading
Read this article for walnut orchard management tasks to keep in mind in October. Continue reading
With 41 California counties officially in a drought emergency and water allocations significantly reduced in many areas, many growers and managers are stuck with less water than walnuts use for prime production levels. Read this article for more information about how to manage walnut irrigation in drought years. Continue reading
Read this article for walnut orchard management tasks to keep in mind in June. Continue reading
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
Read this article for walnut orchard management tasks to keep in mind in May. Continue reading
Given low precipitation this past winter and low surface water allocations, many growers may be faced with the difficult prospect of using lower quality water for irrigation this season. What should be considered before irrigating with lower quality water? Continue reading
Read this article for walnut orchard management tasks to keep in mind in April. Continue reading
Orchards up and down the Central Valley sit bare and leafless during winter. But just because we can’t see active growth with our eyes, doesn’t mean the trees themselves aren’t active. Recent years of research by the Zwieniecki lab (the Z Lab) at UC Davis, including the Carbohydrate Observatory, have been shedding light on what is happening in orchard trees during their yearly cycles, including during this dormant period. This research has been used to better explain how trees may be counting winter chill and spring heat. Continue reading
Here’s your chance to influence the direction of walnut rootstock development! Tell UC and Fresno State your preferences in rootstock attributes and how much you’d value those enhanced characteristics.
Take this anonymous survey. It should take less than 10 minutes to complete. Continue reading
UC is hiring a Staff Research Associate to support the UC Cooperative Extension Orchards research and extension programs in the southern Sacramento Valley. If you know any hard-working folks looking to work in agricultural research and extension, please pass along this opportunity. Continue reading
Katherine Jarvis-Shean, UCCE Orchard Advisor, Sacramento, Solano and Yolo Counties Post-harvest If you are pruning this dormant season, prune as early in the fall as possible to avoid Botryosphaeria infections. Winter pruning resulted in infection in 78 to 99 percent … Continue reading
Given this spring’s prolonged leaf-out window, it is likely that there will also be a wide window in the timing of hull split and a need for two shakes in some varieties. Ethephon is a commonly used tool for advancing hull split and harvest-readiness in walnuts. Remember that there are two potential timings of ethephon, based on different goals. Continue reading
Since mid-April, many advisors up and down the Valley have been receiving calls about unusual leaf-out in pistachio and walnut. The Sacramento Valley has certainly been experiencing this, too. Continue reading
Excessive boron in soil or irrigation water is not widespread in the Central Valley, but where present, it can be a substantial obstacle to almond production. A rootstock trial in Yolo County was designed to find which almond rootstocks do better or worse under high boron conditions. What follows is a summary of findings to date. What follows is a summary of findings to date. Continue reading