Ant Mounds
Can you identify an ant by its mound? Of course, it’s better to base IDs off of the ant specimen itself, but for the more entomophobic among you, ant mound ID may sound like a fantastic alternative. Continue reading
Yearly Archives: 2018
Weed Management For Young Orchards
KATHERINE JARVIS-SHEAN & BRAD HANSON Weeds in young orchards compete with trees for orchard resources – sunlight, water and nutrients, setting back growth and yield. Weeds can also create cover for vertebrate pests which can then damage tree trunks (Figure … Continue reading
Previous Northern Sacramento Valley ET Reports – April 2018
Irrigation Evapotranspiration (ET) Report for Tehama, Butte and Colusa county CIMIS stations. Continue reading
Previous Southern Sacramento Valley ET Reports – April 2018
Irrigation Evapotranspiration (ET) Report for Tehama, Butte and Colusa county CIMIS stations. Continue reading
Previous Southern Sacramento Valley ET Reports – March 2018
Irrigation Evapotranspiration (ET) Report for Tehama, Butte and Colusa county CIMIS stations. Continue reading
Do You Want A New Tool for Vole Management?
Recent research has shown we may have a new tool to protect trees and vines from vole damage. However, this product is not currently registered for such a use. We need your response to know whether there’s enough interest in a new way to control vole damage to warrant seeking registration. Continue reading
Training Young Walnut Trees: No Pruning/No Heading vs. Minimum Pruning Compared
Training young walnut trees occurs in the first 1-6 years in the life of an orchard. Traditionally it has been done using a modified central leader with a minimum pruning style. Research conducted since 2004 investigating pruning versus non-pruning on young walnut tree growth and productivity has challenged that paradigm. Continue reading
What to Do this Spring for Flood Damaged Trees
2017 brought us unprecedented high and fluctuating water flows in the Sacramento and Feather Rivers, damaging orchards from direct flooding and indirectly via under-levee seepage. Many trees had a long exposure to waterlogged conditions through the winter and spring. This article discusses strategies for minimizing losses in 2018 in flood-impacted orchards. Continue reading
2017 Research Results on Flood Damaged Trees
2017 brought us unprecedented high and fluctuating water flows in the Sacramento and Feather Rivers, damaging orchards from direct flooding and indirectly via under-levee seepage. Many trees had a long exposure to waterlogged conditions through the winter and spring. This article details our observations and research on tree survival, disease, and recovery. Continue reading
It’s That Season Again: Growers Are Being Asked to Buy Products
Growers are faced with an ever-changing list of commercial “tools”, each with the promise of providing some advantage to the farmer. With the large number of new products available, and the number of salespeople promoting them, it is often difficult for growers to distinguish between products likely to provide real benefit, and those that may actually reduce the profitability of the farm. When approached with a new product or technology it is obligatory to challenge claims with the following questions: Continue reading
Navel Orangeworm Considerations – 2018
Navel orangeworm (NOW) damage in the 2017 almond crop was painfully bad in many blocks in the Sacramento Valley. It cost some growers hundreds of dollars per acre, slowed crop processing (more money lost) and may be an issue in some international markets due to aflatoxin concerns. Continue reading
Observations from the Prune Rootstock Trial – 2017
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
Previous Northern Sacramento Valley ET Reports – March 2018
Irrigation Evapotranspiration (ET) Report for Tehama, Butte and Colusa county CIMIS stations. Continue reading
Thinning Prunes
Will you need to thin prunes this year? In order to keep fruit from falling through the sizer, you need to do some legwork and estimate your fruit set. If needed, thinning should occur roughly around the same time as … Continue reading
Interplanted Orchard Hazards
Interplanting existing prune orchards where established trees don’t fill their space is a long accepted practice to increase grower income while limiting costs compared to complete orchard removal and replanting. This is often done in older orchards either by interplanting … Continue reading