Your source for orchard news & information in the Sacramento Valley
Extreme weather at bloom can have damaging short and long term effect on prune growers in California and the entire California industry. Excessive heat (2004, 2005, 2007 and 2014) or prolonged cool, wet weather (2016) can dramatically reduce prune production. … Continue reading
Early abamectin (Agri-mek®, generics) treatments have become the norm in many almond orchards in this region. However, there could be a downside that may contribute to a later season mite flare up. Continue reading
Wet springs often means more yellow, iron (Fe) deficient prune trees than in dry years. Iron deficient prune trees show yellow leaves with green veins and limited vigor. The problem is actually not soil Fe deficiency, but a lack of iron in the right form within trees. Researchers believe Fe deficiency in tree crops is related to soil bicarbonate levels. Continue reading
Predicting nut set in any given year is often a bit difficult. A review of the many steps involved in successful nut set may provide a better understanding of just what went wrong (or right) for different varieties across the … Continue reading
With the storms moving through, you may not even have irrigation on your radar yet, but we’ll be into irrigation season before you know it. How should you decide when to turn the water on? Continue reading
Potted trees may be the nursery stock of the future, but they have challenges and a learning curve for growers accustomed to planting bare root trees. One of the major challenges is irrigating during the orchard’s first year. Continue reading
If you are planning a prune orchard in the near future, here’s something to think about. Prune farming is about turning sunlight into sugar: the more sunlight your trees “catch” per acre, the greater the potential crop production. Continue reading
High levels of rust infection can be found in some orchards around the region. Severe rust infections can cause premature defoliation, reducing almond or peach yield next year and increasing the risk of scaffold and branch bark sunburn in prunes in the late summer and fall. Why was 2016 a bad rust year and not 2015? Continue reading
Almonds are typically shaken to the ground by a side mount or boom shaker, allowed to dry where they fall for several days to weeks and then windrowed and picked up. Recently, some growers have moved to shaking and sweeping within 24 hours. Another alternative to traditional almond harvest is the use of catch frame shaker sets instead of shake-to-the-ground machines. Continue reading
The 2016 prune crop in California is forecast to be 45,000 dried tons, or about 1000 lbs dried fruit/acre based on current acreage data provided by growers. The crop for next year is beginning to develop this year, so deficiencies this year can limit the crop next year. Cutting back instead of eliminating inputs/investment is the best approach in a year like this, keeping in mind that next year might be tough, too, if there is a big crop that has to be farmed with the light returns from this year. The following are some practices to consider in every year, modified in light of the challenges of a light crop. Continue reading
Do the leaves in Photo 1 and 2 look familiar? Lately, these symptoms have been showing up in prune orchards all over the Sacramento Valley.
What causes these symptoms? I’m not sure, and nobody I’ve asked can tell me with total confidence, either. Continue reading