Your source for orchard news & information in the Sacramento Valley
Walk your orchard blocks to look for fresh horseshoe shape and plugged side hole of pocket gopher mounds. This postharvest period is a key time to manage your gopher problem and make sure you’re giving yourself a clean slate for 2020! Continue reading
As we approach winter in the Sacramento Valley and almond trees enter dormancy, pruning becomes a top priority for many growers. Rain events are strongly correlated with the spread of fungal canker pathogens whose primary infection sites are pruning wounds. Results from sampling over 140 almond orchards found 21 different fungal pathogens associated with these canker diseases. While the pathogens differ in biology, there are common approaches to prevent infections. Continue reading
With the right varieties, a new almond orchard should be profitable for at least 20 years. Many decisions contribute to successfully meeting that target. One key decision is variety selection. Knowledge of the current and past variety planting trends of almonds in California may be helpful in this decision. Continue reading
Adequate potassium is critical to sustained yields in an almond orchard. There are many approaches to providing almond trees with the potassium they need, depending on your local climate conditions, orchard infrastructure and budget. Continue reading
The yellowing Howard problem is one specific instance of waterlogging induced root death. Howard appears sensitive to problems following cool, wet springs. The key management solution to the yellowing Howard problem is irrigation management. Continue reading
This tracker compares maximum hours of irrigation that may be needed during a week to actual hours applied. This tracker is limited to weekly use. It is not capable of tracking total irrigation for the season. Enter your orchard specific … Continue reading
This calculator estimates the maximum weekly hours of irrigation need based upon weekly estimates of crop ET and the hourly water application rate of your system. The maximum weekly hours of irrigation may not be needed because in-season rainfall or soil … Continue reading
I am retiring on July 1st after nearly 38 years working for UC Cooperative Extension and over 36 years as an Orchard and Environmental Horticulture (EH) Advisor in Sutter-Yuba Counties. What an honor to work with all of you growers, PCAs, and others in the Ag industry, and such a privilege to collaborate with so many talented UC colleagues solving challenging problems together. Continue reading
Elizabeth Fichtner, UCCE Farm Advisor, Tulare County; Carlos Cristosto, CE Specialist, Postharvest Physiology; Bruce Lampinen, CE Specialist, Plant Sciences The overall value of a walnut crop is based on yield and nut quality. Commodity prices are depressed, improving nut quality … Continue reading
A sudden autumn freeze event last November is the likely cause of widespread dieback observed in both young and mature orchards in the Sacramento and northern San Joaquin Valleys this spring. Following reports in April of walnut orchards not leafing out, our initial diagnosis was freeze damage. We advisors, specialists, and faculty agree that this initial diagnosis has been further supported after examining additional orchards and weather station sites. Continue reading
We have been seeing walnut leaves showing browning (necrosis) on the leaf area between the veins in some orchards since about mid-May. Sometimes the leaves will then twist and defoliate in very severe situations. We call this problem mesophyll collapse and believe it is a physiological problem associated with sudden temperature changes. Continue reading
The foundations of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) are rooted in economics. Putting a well-established IPM program in use can help you address the following questions: What are my best options and timings for treating economically-damaging populations? Particularly in years where crop prices are relatively low, taking an IPM approach has the potential to save cost inputs. Continue reading
Almond growers have been a-buzz on the topic of bee hours. The concept of a bee hour was designed as a proxy for the amount of good bee foraging weather that occurred during almond bloom. Does low bee hour accumulation mean our 2019 crop is sunk? Continue reading
How are we doing on chill so far this year? Because there is not a CIMIS station close to Yuba City, Janine Hasey calculates chill based on a temperature recorder at the UCCE office in Yuba City. Chill data will be updated weekly. Continue reading
Bigger crops often follow small to medium crops. [The 2018 prune crop looks to be 25-30% off the 2017 crop.] California should expect a larger prune crop in 2019 compared to 2018, weather allowing. While nobody can be certain what … Continue reading