April Prune Orchard Management Considerations
Read this article for prune orchard management tasks to keep in mind in April. Continue reading
Blog
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2022 Walnut Crop Loss and Poor Nut Quality – What happened?
There are those years we like to leave behind, and 2022 will be at the top of the list for the walnut industry. Read for more information on the most likely environmental conditions that led to 2022 crop damage and subsequent yield losses and poor nut quality. Continue reading
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Disease Management in Tight Budget Year
Getting the best results, affordably, is vital to delivering the crop this year and next. Given that 2023 is off to a wet start, there is a possibility of increased disease pressure when compared to the last three years- making disease management even more important. Continue reading
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Vegetation for Infiltration
Facing a fourth consecutive year of drought conditions across California, and pressures to preserve existing water reserves has led to more California growers taking interest in incorporating some form of agriculturally managed recharge (AG-MAR) into their water management plans. Read further to learn how cover crops can help divert runoff from winter storms into groundwater basins for future use. Continue reading
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Time for a Hard Look- Walnuts
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
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Time for a Hard Look- Almonds
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
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Management Practices for Improved Water Capture
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
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After the Rain: Maintaining Nut Quality
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
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Six Steps to Prepare for the Next Sudden Autumn Freeze
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
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Should You Use Ethephon in a Lean Price Year?
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
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In-season-& Post-harvest Management of Navel Orangeworm (NOW)
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
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Five Practices to Help Prevent Bacterial Canker
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
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Pre-harvest Management of Brown Rot
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
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Late-season Irrigation Management in Prune
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
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Insecticide Options for Navel Orangeworm IPM in Almonds—A Recent Trial Summary
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