Your source for orchard news & information in the Sacramento Valley
The way forward to a better future is not clear. Forging ahead with the same practices and expecting a natural return to better times is looking like a long shot- it’s time to stop, think, observe, and plan for the future. Continue reading
The way forward to a better future is not clear. Forging ahead with the same practices and expecting a natural return to better times is looking like a long shot- it’s time to stop, think, observe, and plan for the future. Continue reading
In the middle of a drought, there are several management practices that may improve the retention of limited water resources. Read ahead to learn how groundwater recharge, winter cover crops, organic matter, and tillage can affect your water conservation plan. Continue reading
Sacramento Valley received approximately 2″ of rain during the last storm, leaving behind many wet almonds and challenging growers with reduced nut quality and decreased returns. Read ahead for best management practices for your situation. Continue reading
In the Sacramento Valley, an autumn freeze has damaged walnut orchards every November for the last four years. Read this article for tips on freeze protection in your walnut orchard. Continue reading
Posted on July 15, 2019 by Dani Lightle. Reposted on September 15, 2022 by Janine Hasey. Sure, you can harvest your walnuts this fall without application of any ethephon. Forgoing the ethephon application would save you material and spray costs. … Continue reading
Navel orangeworm is a pest remaining on most nut growers’ and pest control advisors’ minds regardless of the time of the year. Implementing in-season and post-harvest management strategies can minimize current and future navel orangeworm damage to an orchard. Continue reading
Every year is a Cytospora canker year, and unfortunately, some years are also bacterial canker years. This spring farm advisors observed bacterial canker infections, read below for prevention practices. Continue reading
High humidity, high temperatures and tightly clustered fruit create the perfect environment for brown rot. Brown rot treatment sprays, where deemed necessary based on current season observations and block history, should begin 4-6 weeks before harvest and are only useful on uninjured fruit. Continue reading
Producers should strive to maintain sufficient tree water status to maintain any current crop-load as well as overall tree and orchard health to help support crops in the coming years. Spring freezes and reduced water supplies have significantly affected production. When considering late-season irrigation strategies for prune trees, both the current and following season’s crops must be considered. Continue reading
Commonly used IPM practices should be combined with insecticides to achieve the best results. In the 2020/2021 seasons, we evaluated the efficacies of multiple insecticides against NOW using the previous season nut (i.e., mummy nut) strands as substrate. Continue reading
Growers and processors have reported elevated mold levels in harvested walnuts to farm advisors and Dr. Themis Michailides, UC Davis Plant Pathologist. Although all possible predisposing factors have not yet been investigated, conditions that compromise the integrity of the hull, such as walnut blight, sunburn or insect-damage can serve as an entry point for mold fungi. Continue reading
Historically, the recommendation from UC almond experts for the ideal time to shake was as soon as 100% hull split occurred throughout the orchard, however, these considerations vary widely among varieties and locations. Potential challenges that growers should consider when timing harvest include pest and disease management, nut removal/drying time, and nut quality. Continue reading
With continued tight nut markets and high input costs, it’s worth considering all nutrient input options in an effort to lower costs and maintain production. Sustainable nutrient management includes assessment of irrigation nitrate, adding compost manure amendments or almond shells, and using nitrogen-fixing cover crops. Continue reading
As farmers have reduced their reliance on organophosphate insecticides for pest control, there has been a shift to other control tactics. Most challenging for the topic of watersheds has been a shift towards increased use of pyrethroids. In general, the amounts found are low, nevertheless, cases of exceedances do occur, and these cases need to be eliminated. Continue reading