Sac Valley Orchards

Jaime Ott, Orchard Advisor, UCCE Tehama, Shasta, Glenn, and Butte Counties This winter is likely to be very wet, and now is the best time to start preparing. Wet winter weather can bring on a host of problems for orchards, including waterlogging, Phytophthora root and crown rot, and aerial Phytophthora infections. Flooding by rivers, standing water/soil saturation, ...

Franz Niederholzer, Orchards Systems Advisor, Colusa and Sutter/Yuba Counties Sudan Gyawaly, UC IPM Advisor, Sacramento Valley The most recent Position Report released by the Almond Board of California shows a 0.55% drop in total rejects from 2025 (2.25%) to 2026 (1.70%) for the month of August in the Sacramento Valley. The August report is the first for the new ...

Ryan Hill, UCCE Weed Science and Agronomy Advisor, Tehama, Shasta, and Glenn Counties Overview: Rimsulfuron (sold as Matrix, Hinge, Grapple, Revolt, and others) can be used in tank mixes to control difficult winter-annual weeds like hairy fleabane and Italian ryegrass and even suppress summer perennial weeds like johnsongrass and yellow nutsedge when applied appropriately. Research conducted in 2025 (linked ...

Franz Niederholzer, UCCE Farm Advisor, Colusa and Sutter/Yuba Counties Fruit brown rot infection results in off-grade fruit and, in worst cases, may result in a sub-standard grade for the entire crop. The most effective programs for fruit brown rot control in UC research include effective fungicide selection (include a FRAC 3 fungicide at a labeled rate), higher ...

Franz Niederholzer, UCCE Orchards Advisor Colusa and Sutter-Yuba Counties When planning orchard operations for this fall and winter, consider including options for a warm fall and/or a very wet winter. On June 11, 2026, the National Weather Service issued an El Niño Advisory, warning there is currently a “63% chance of a very strong El Niño from November ...