Your source for orchard news & information in the Sacramento Valley
In uncertain times, put your money on proven practices and materials. Certain postharvest fertilizer inputs (boron, potassium, and zinc) when needed, are proven to deliver increased yield. At least one nutrient, nitrogen, when fall applied does not deliver yield benefit … Continue reading
Irrigation Evapotranspiration (ET) Report for the Woodland, Davis, Dixon, and Verona CIMIS stations. Continue reading
Updated February, 2020. Originally posted June, 2016. Janine Hasey, Chuck Leslie, Wesley Hackett, Pat J. Brown, Andreas Westphal, Michael McKenry, Greg Browne, & Dan Kluepfel. Helpful terminology in understanding walnut plant material: Cultivar (cultivated variety) – A named group of … Continue reading
In research conducted by Themis Michailides, winter pruning (February) resulted in higher infection rates than fall pruning (October). Continue reading
Plan to join us for this integrated orchard management short course featuring UC faculty, Cooperative Extension specialists and farm advisors, and USDA researchers who will provide an in-depth, comprehensive study of all phases of walnut culture and production. Registration for California residents opens September 4th. Continue reading
Continue to brush up on your pressure chamber technique with tips on selecting leaves for SWP measurement, weather conditions, and other FAQs. Continue reading
Boron is a weird nutrient in orchard crops, particularly in California. It’s needed in very small amounts, and some crops, like almonds, do not tolerate soil levels much above 1 ppm. To complicate things, boron tends to be deficient in some parts of the valley. Continue reading
Stem water potential is a direct measure of water tension (negative pressure) within the plant. Continue reading to learn more about the basic concept of stem water potential and measurement in the field. Continue reading
These updates are provided as reference information for Sacramento Valley orchard pest and natural enemy activity. Continue reading
Irrigated agriculture acreage in the northern Sacramento Valley has grown substantially over the past decade, with gains largely driven by new orchard plantings. Despite these substantial gains in irrigated agriculture, actual water demand has remained relatively stable. This video showcases many irrigation management technologies on-display at a walnut irrigation field day conducted in June 2018. Continue reading
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
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