Sacramento Valley Orchards

Domena A. Agyeman, UCANR Economic Advisor; Butte, Glenn, and Tehama Counties One of the common requests I have received from crop producers and other agricultural stakeholders in the Sacramento Valley is for insights into alternative crop options that are drought- and disease-resistant and have the potential to command higher prices. With high production costs squeezing profits for ...

Jaime Ott, UCCE Tehama, Shasta, Glenn, and Butte Counties The growing degree hours in the 30 days after full bloom (GDH30) is a measurement which predicts reference date, harvest date, and fruit sizing potential. It is counterintuitive, but higher GDH30 (warmer weather after bloom) results in earlier reference date, earlier harvest date, and smaller maximum fruit size. The ...

Becky Wheeler, Farm Advisor, UCCE Glenn, Colusa and Tehama Counties Recent advances in imaging technologies combined with highly accurate GPS tracking can provide growers with detailed and precise information about their orchards. While there are no current UC replicated studies on the use of the technology in prunes, several growers report using it to help estimate crop ...

Franz Niederholzer, UCCE Farm Advisor, Colusa and Sutter/Yuba Counties In 2025, prune bloom was late with a very hot spike in temperature around full bloom.  This led to concern for a very light fruit set across all orchards (crop failure). Fortunately, five weeks after full bloom, the fruit set looks to be generally good across the Sacramento ...

Luke Milliron, UCCE Orchards Advisor, Butte, Glenn, Tehama Counties 2025 Observations at Bloom:  My former colleague Dani Lightle wisely noted that what stands out in the early years of a variety trial is not what looks good – it’s what looks bad. For the new UC almond variety trial planted spring 2023, testing nearly 30 varieties from all ...