September Prune Orchard Management Considerations
Read this article for prune orchard management tasks to keep in mind in September. Continue reading
Author Archives: Franz Niederholzer
Fruit set, 2021. What happened?
Hot weather around full bloom coincided with local or statewide prune crop failures in 2004, 2005, 2007, 2013, and 2020. What do we know about how high temperatures affect prune fruit set, and what can we do about it? Continue reading
Getting the best grower returns at harvest
Franz Niederholzer, UCCE Farm Advisor, Colusa and Sutter/Yuba Counties Luke Milliron, UCCE Farm Advisor, Butte, Glenn, and Tehama Counties Richard Buchner, UCCE Farm Advisor Emeritus Tehama and Glenn Counties With harvest around the corner, harvest timing and field sizing are … Continue reading
Ant Management
Protein feeding ants can cause significant nut damage between shaking and pickup. Read this article for information about how to reduce ant damage to your crop. Continue reading
July Prune Orchard Management Considerations
Read this article for prune orchard management tasks to keep in mind in July. Continue reading
August Prune Orchard Management Considerations
Read this article for prune orchard management tasks to keep in mind in August. Continue reading
June Almond Orchard Management Considerations
Read this article for almond orchard management tasks to keep in mind in June. Continue reading
June Prune Orchard Management Considerations
Read this article for prune orchard management tasks to keep in mind in June. Continue reading
Prune Bloom Review, 2020
While it’s hard to be certain what caused the light prune crop in 2020, warm temperatures before and after bloom might have been a contributing factor. Continue reading
Hive Strength and Bee Health/Safety
A large almond crop at harvest requires good bee activity at bloom in the orchard. Read to learn more about best practices for keeping bee hives in your orchard strong and healthy at bloom. Continue reading
Orchard Sanitation is Key to a Quality Crop
Navel orangeworm (NOW) is the key pest of almonds, causing more income loss due to reject nuts than any other pest. Pesticide sprays, alone, cannot control this pest. A combination of several specific practices has been proven to reduce NOW damage and limit loss of grower income. The first of these practices on the orchard calendar is sanitation. Continue reading
Cytospora: A Prune Grower’s Archnemesis
Cytospora canker can severely limit prune production; reducing grower income and potentially lead to early orchard removal due to scaffold and/or tree loss. This bark disease is not new to prune orchards in California, but in recent years there has been a dramatic increase in this disease in some orchards. All prune growers and PCAs should know its symptoms and management strategies. Continue reading
Navel Orangeworm Management Considerations – 2020
Hull split and the pesticide application timing for navel orangeworm control on new crop nuts are fast approaching. Timing, coverage and pesticide selection, in that order, are critical to getting the best possible results from spray applications. Continue reading
Hull split Hull Rot Management
Infections by Rhizopus stolonifera and Aspergillus niger occur after hull split because these are wound pathogens that require an opening to enter and infect the hull. The best, current approach to managing Rhizopus hull rot management includes three parts. The first two steps help to manage the environment, with respect to the disease triangle, while the latter seeks to control the pathogen. Continue reading
Hull Split Timing and Sprayer Practices for Best Pest Control Results
If you wait too long to put on the first hull split spray, it doesn’t matter if it’s done by air, ground or robot, what’s in the tank, how slow you drive or what spray volume you use – you are too late to get the best control possible and it will cost you in both lost crop and quality incentives. Once you get the timing right, you have to get excellent coverage when you spray or you will not get the best control possible and the best net return. Continue reading