Your source for orchard news & information in the Sacramento Valley
Sudan Gyawaly, Area IPM Advisor, UCCE Northern Sacramento Valley Spider mites are one of the pests that can become a problem in prunes. Two-spotted spider mite and Pacific spider mite are commonly found in prunes in the Central Valley. Of … Continue reading
University of California Sacramento Valley Integrated Pest Management Update June 6, 2025 Disclaimer: Pests/natural enemies’ activities and abundance updates provided on this site are for reference purpose only. Information provided here do not replace or supersede your orchard site-specific pest activity … Continue reading
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- … Continue reading
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 … Continue reading
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 … Continue reading
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). … Continue reading
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 … Continue reading
Sudan Gyawaly, UCCE IPM Advisor, Butte, Colusa, Sutter-Yuba, Glenn, and Tehama Counties Jhalendra Rijal, UCCE IPM Advisor, Stanislaus, Merced and San Joaquin Counties Brown spots caused by feeding damage from true bugs can be graded as a defect and so … Continue reading
University of California Sacramento Valley Integrated Pest Management Update April 29, 2025 Disclaimer: Pests/natural enemies’ activities and abundance updates provided on this site are for reference purpose only. Information provided here do not replace or supersede your orchard site-specific pest activity … Continue reading
Cameron Zuber, Orchard Crops Farm Advisor, Merced and Madera Counties Roger Duncan, Pomology Advisor, Stanislaus County Maxwell Norton, Farm Advisor Emeritus Originally posted September 2022 here Occasionally smaller sized fruits are seen on the same variety of peaches midway through … Continue reading
Raymond Mireles, UCCE Fruit and Almond Advisor Tulare and Fresno Counties Many growers in the Central Valley were challenged with consecutive days of high temperatures in 2024, making it difficult to meet orchard demands throughout the season. The early warm … Continue reading
Justin Valliere, Assistant Professor of Cooperative Extension, Invasive Weed & Restoration Ecology, UC Davis Rachael Long, Emeritus Farm Advisor for Field Crops, Pest Management Field edges are a common source of weed intrusion into farms, often requiring intensive management. Establishing … Continue reading
Clarissa Reyes, Orchards Advisor, Sutter-Yuba, Butte, and Placer Counties At the end of the day, cling peach growers want high fruit yields with large size. Yield and growth are influenced by two separate, but interdependent processes: assimilation processes that supply … Continue reading
Clarissa Reyes, Orchard Advisor, Sutter-Yuba, Butte, and Placer Counties Peach harvest can be predicted fairly accurately by the temperatures in the first 30 days following bloom. Other factors such as weather near harvest, soil, tree nutrition, and water status can … Continue reading
Domena A. Agyeman, UCCE Economic Advisor; Butte, Glenn, and Tehama Counties Managing farm finances can be challenging—especially for small growers who cannot afford to hire experts. However, understanding key financial statements and metrics is crucial for making informed decisions and … Continue reading