Your source for orchard news & information in the Sacramento Valley
When almond prices are low, how can a grower cut costs? Not all insects and mites need to be treated every year, and there are cases where almond growers have a history of spraying more than is necessary. Read this article to learn how to refine your pest management strategy in a lean price year. Continue reading
Irrigation Evapotranspiration (ET) Report for Woodland, Davis, Dixon, and Verona CIMIS stations. Continue reading
Dr. Jhalendra Rijal, Area IPM Advisor-Northern San Joaquin Valley, UCCE Statewide IPM Program There’s a new pest to keep an eye out for in almond orchards: brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB), Halyomorpha halys. BMSB has been found in urban areas … Continue reading
There are several online tools and phone applications that can facilitate the process of site evaluation and planning for a new orchard. Read this article to learn more. Continue reading
Updated October 2018; Originally posted May 2016 Luke Milliron, UCCE Orchard Systems Farm Advisor, Butte, Tehama, and Glenn Counties; Franz Niederholzer, UCCE Farm Advisor in Colusa and Sutter/Yuba Counties; Themis Michailides, UC Davis Plant Pathologist Cytospora is a major pest of prune … Continue reading
Irrigation Evapotranspiration (ET) Report for Woodland, Davis, Dixon, and Verona CIMIS stations. Continue reading
It is looking like spring outside, and almond bloom is winding down. Keep reading for almond orchard management tasks to keep in mind this month. Continue reading
It is looking like spring outside! Keep reading for walnut orchard management tasks to keep in mind this month. Continue reading
The University of California’s Walnut Improvement Program has been hard at work for decades breeding varieties with characteristic that are desirable to both growers and consumers. The following table compares many industry standards with more recent releases. Continue reading
A new UC Cooperative Extension podcast that focuses on growing orchard crops in the San Joaquin and Sacramento valleys is now available. Continue reading
These photos show various symptoms observed on trees that were intentionally over-irrigated throughout the season. Continue reading
Because the percentage of ant damage is related to how long the nuts remain on the orchard floor, planning for ant management this season is vital. The size of this year’s crop will likely translate into longer periods of almonds sitting on the orchard floor waiting for pick up – especially for growers that depend on contract harvesters. Continue reading
Codling moth are challenging to control during the growing season because the larvae burrow inside nuts to feed, keeping them safe from natural enemies and insecticides. However, during winter months, larvae are more vulnerable to predators, offering opportunities for biocontrol by natural enemies, including insectivorous birds. Continue reading
With increased demand for personal protective equipment, or PPE, to protect against COVID-19, agricultural professionals are facing shortages. But there is alternative PPE that agricultural professionals can use during the shortage. Continue reading
As soil treatment options become increasingly limited, more restrictive and less effective, the priority to identify a genetic solution to solve or reduce the replant issue is of increasing interest. One genetic solution is to find or develop rootstocks to help manage soil related problems. Also of interest are root and tree characteristics imparting canopy size control, good anchorage and little or no root suckering. In 2011, University of California Farm Advisors and campus based faculty designed and planted 3 large rootstock experiments to evaluate 29 prune rootstocks. Continue reading