Growing the Valley: Recent Episodes
University of California, Agriculture and Natural Resources
This is a podcast that goes over new research and basic information about growing orchard crops in the Central Valley of California
Dr. Pat J. Brown (UC Davis) discusses exciting new clonal rootstocks being developed by a team of UC and USDA researchers. Pat is looking for growers to trial these new clones, in particular K3 an exciting new rootstock that has produced good growth, yield, and very low crown gall. You can contact Pat at pjbrown@ucdavis.edu. Please also CC your local UCCE walnut farm advisor.
Come to an upcoming extension meeting!
In the Sacramento Valley:
North Sac Valley Groundwater and SGMA is on Tuesday, June 24
Save the date for Prune Research Tour Part 2 on Tuesday, July 15
In the San Joquin Valley:
The Almond Board of California is hosting a Production Summit on Wednesday, June 18 where you can hear from researchers on advances in almond production research.
The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed are the speaker’s own and do not represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of the University of California. The material and information presented here is for general information purposes only. The "University of California" name and all forms and abbreviations are the property of its owner and its use does not imply endorsement of or opposition to any specific organization, product, or service.
Follow us on Twitter! @SacOrchards and @SJVtandv
Thank you to the Almond, Pistachio, Prune, and Walnut Boards of California for their kind donations. Thank you to Muriel Gordon for the music.
Three PhD entomologists with UC Cooperative Extension: Sudan Gyawaly, Jhalendra Rijal, and Houston Wilson discuss integrated management of the leaffooted and stink bug pest complexes in California nut crops. Be sure to first listen to part I where the three experts discuss phenology and monitoring of these pest complexes.
More information on controlling plant bugs in almonds and pistachios can be found on the UCIPM website; there are separate pages for stink bugs and leaffooted bugs, and in pistachio, small bugs.
Mention of a pesticide does not constitute a recommendation, merely the sharing of research findings. Always follow the label. The label is law. Find out more at ipm.ucanr.edu.
Come to an upcoming extension meeting!
In the Sacramento Valley:
North Sac Valley Groundwater and SGMA is on Tuesday, June 24
Save the date for Prune Research Tour Part 2 on Tuesday, July 15
In the San Joquin Valley:
The Almond Board of California is hosting a Production Summit on Wednesday, June 18 where you can hear from researchers on advances in almond production research.
The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed are the speaker’s own and do not represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of the University of California. The material and information presented here is for general information purposes only. The "University of California" name and all forms and abbreviations are the property of its owner and its use does not imply endorsement of or opposition to any specific organization, product, or service.
Follow us on Twitter! @SacOrchards and @SJVtandv
Thank you to the Almond, Pistachio, Prune, and Walnut Boards of California for their kind donations. Thank you to Muriel Gordon for the music.
Three PhD entomologists with UC Cooperative Extension: Sudan Gyawaly, Jhalendra Rijal, and Houston Wilson discuss the phenology and monitoring of the leaffooted and stink bug pest complexes in California nut crops. Including an exciting update from Houston Wilson (UC Riverside) on the trap and lure for leaffooted bug. Stay tuned for part two where the expert panel discusses the integrated management of these pests.
More information on controlling plant bugs in almonds and pistachios can be found on the UCIPM website; there are separate pages for stink bugs and leaffooted bugs, and in pistachio, small bugs.
Come to an upcoming extension meeting!
In the Sacramento Valley:
Almond Variety Trials: 2025 Field Meeting at CSU, Chico Farm (TAKE-TWO!) is TOMORROW, Wednesday May 28
Prune Research Tour Part 1 is this Thursday, May 29
North Sac Valley Groundwater and SGMA is on Tuesday, June 24
In the San Joquin Valley: The Almond Board of California is hosting a Production Summit on Wednesday, June 18 where you can hear from researchers on advances in almond production research.
The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed are the speaker’s own and do not represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of the University of California. The material and information presented here is for general information purposes only. The "University of California" name and all forms and abbreviations are the property of its owner and its use does not imply endorsement of or opposition to any specific organization, product, or service.
Follow us on Twitter! @SacOrchards and @SJVtandv
Thank you to the Almond, Pistachio, Prune, and Walnut Boards of California for their kind donations. Thank you to Muriel Gordon for the music.
Dr. Roger Baldwin (UCCE Specialist in Human-Wildlife Conflict Resolution) discusses orchard management of pocket gophers, ground squirrels, voles (meadow mice), roof rats, and deer mice. This is a compilation of two episodes from 2022, with Luke Milliron providing a new introduction with highlights from 2024/2025.
Skip to the pest you’re concerned about:
00:05:35 Pocket Gophers
00:35:12 Ground Squirrels
00:48:33 Voles/Meadow Mice
01:02:38 Roof Rats
01:12:39 Deer Mice
2025 Update on Roof Rats: The Baldwin Lab (UC Davis) now has further data to show that the A24 trap did not end up working well, even with the addition of a platform under the trap. They also showed that snap traps used within trapping tunnels were very effective at reducing roof rat abundance and reinvasion in citrus orchards. Ultimately, a combination of trapping and baiting were highly effective at reducing roof rat abundance in citrus orchards and kept populations from rebounding for an extended period of time (at least 6 months as that is the duration that we tested, but in reality, the length of time would be more than that).
Other resources:
Gophers, Ground Squirrels, and Voles… Oh My!
UC IPM notes on pocket gophers
UC ANR video on how to set gopher traps
Vertebrate Pest Control Handbook Chapter on Controlling Pocket Gophers
Ground squirrels: http://www.groundsquirrelbmp.com/
Voles: http://vpcrac.org/files/4314/7612/1259/Meadow_vole_chapter.pdf
Deer Mice: http://vpcrac.org/files/3114/7612/0294/Deer_mice.pdf
Roof rats and deer mice: https://anrcatalog.ucanr.edu/pdf/8513.pdf; http://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn74106.html
The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed are the speaker’s own and do not represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of the University of California. The material and information presented here is for general information purposes only. The "University of California" name and all forms and abbreviations are the property of its owner and its use does not imply endorsement of or opposition to any specific organization, product, or service.
Follow us on Twitter! @SacOrchards and @SJVtandv
Thank you to the Almond, Pistachio, Prune, and Walnut Boards of California for their kind donations. Thank you to Muriel Gordon for the music.
Mention of a rodenticide or fumigant does not constitute a recommendation, merely the sharing of research findings. Always follow the label. The label is law. Find out more at ipm.ucanr.edu.
Drs. Or Sperling (ARO-Volcani) and Maciej Zwieniecki (UC Davis) discuss their groundbreaking research on almond irrigation. That research has culminated in an exciting irrigation scheduling application. We also get an overview of almond production in Israel. The UC Davis Carbohydrate Observatory is also referenced.
Come to an upcoming extension meeting!
Sacramento Valley
San Joaquin Valley (scroll to the bottom)
The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed are the speaker’s own and do not represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of the University of California. The material and information presented here is for general information purposes only. The "University of California" name and all forms and abbreviations are the property of its owner and its use does not imply endorsement of or opposition to any specific organization, product, or service.
Follow us on Twitter! @SacOrchards and @SJVtandv
Thank you to the Almond, Pistachio, Prune, and Walnut Boards of California for their kind donations. Thank you to Muriel Gordon for the music.
Cytospora is a devastating fungal canker disease in California prune production. Themis Michailides (UC Davis at Kearney Ag Center) updates us on the biology and management of this important disease. Themis has covered this disease on the podcast before but is back with key updates.
Come to an upcoming extension meeting!
Sacramento Valley
San Joaquin Valley (scroll to the bottom)
The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed are the speaker’s own and do not represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of the University of California. The material and information presented here is for general information purposes only. The "University of California" name and all forms and abbreviations are the property of its owner and its use does not imply endorsement of or opposition to any specific organization, product, or service.
Follow us on Twitter! @SacOrchards and @SJVtandv
Thank you to the Almond, Pistachio, Prune, and Walnut Boards of California for their kind donations. Thank you to Muriel Gordon for the music.
Mention of an agrichemical does not constitute a recommendation, merely the sharing of research findings. Always follow the label. The label is law. Find out more at ipm.ucanr.edu.
2025 Fungicides, Bactericides, Biocontrols, and Natural Products for Deciduous Tree Fruit and Nut, Citrus, Strawberry, and Vine Crops in California
Fire is a fact of life in California, whether you live in a fire-prone area or you live in an area that can be impacted by smoke. Smoke doesn’t just cause health issues to animals - it impacts plants, too! Jessica Orozco and Maciej Zwieniecki at UC Davis have been using citizen science data from The Carbohydrate Observatory to try to guess at the impacts on tree nut orchards in the Central Valley.
Are you interested in contributing to the carbohydrate observatory? You can find out how to submit samples here, but don’t forget to share yields!
Come to an upcoming extension meeting!
Sacramento Valley
San Joaquin Valley (scroll to the bottom)
Mention of an agrichemical does not constitute a recommendation, merely the sharing of research findings. Always follow the label. The label is law. Find out more at ipm.ucanr.edu.
The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed are the speaker’s own and do not represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of the University of California. The material and information presented here is for general information purposes only. The "University of California" name and all forms and abbreviations are the property of its owner and its use does not imply endorsement of or opposition to any specific organization, product, or service
Follow us on Twitter! @SacOrchards and @SJVtandv
Thank you to the Almond, Pistachio, Prune, and Walnut Boards of California for their kind donations. Thank you to Muriel Gordon for the music.
English/Persian walnuts have a fairly high chill requirement and can suffer from poor bud break and reduced yields in years with marginal or low chill accumulation. Katherine Jarvis-Shean (UCCE Yolo, Solano, and Sacramento Counties) has been looking at the efficacy of rest-breaking agents, both in semi-controlled conditions and in commercial orchards. She shares how well they work, their effect on yields, budbreak, and walnut quality, and the surprising interaction of chill accumulation with rest-breaking efficacy. To find out more about Katherine’s research, you can read more here or listen to a previous episode here.
Come to an upcoming extension meeting!
Sacramento Valley
San Joaquin Valley (scroll to the bottom)
Mention of an agrichemical does not constitute a recommendation, merely the sharing of research findings. Always follow the label. The label is law. Find out more at ipm.ucanr.edu.
The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed are the speaker’s own and do not represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of the University of California. The material and information presented here is for general information purposes only. The "University of California" name and all forms and abbreviations are the property of its owner and its use does not imply endorsement of or opposition to any specific organization, product, or service.
Follow us on Twitter! @SacOrchards and @SJVtandv
Thank you to the Almond, Pistachio, Prune, and Walnut Boards of California for their kind donations. Thank you to Muriel Gordon for the music.
Nonstructural carbohydrates are the energy storage compound of trees. They are built from simpler sugars that are created via photosynthesis, and the synthesis of starch from these sugars and the breakdown of starch back into simple sugars is a dynamic relationship that is involved in, or may even signal, the transition from dormancy into bloom. Guests Maciej Zwieniecki and Katherine Jarvis-Shean also discuss why dormancy breaking agents work, the tastiness of starch vs sugar, and more!
Come to an upcoming extension meeting!
Sacramento Valley
San Joaquin Valley (scroll to the bottom)
The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed are the speaker’s own and do not represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of the University of California. The material and information presented here is for general information purposes only. The "University of California" name and all forms and abbreviations are the property of its owner and its use does not imply endorsement of or opposition to any specific organization, product, or service.
Follow us on Twitter! @SacOrchards and @SJVtandv
Thank you to the Almond, Pistachio, Prune, and Walnut Boards of California for their kind donations. Thank you to Muriel Gordon for the music.
Sam Sandovol Solis, professor of cooperative extension in water management at UC Davis, pulls out the crystal ball for the fourth time to predict what the 2024-2025 water season will end up looking like. Sam and podcast host Phoebe also discuss water management in a future with uncertain supplies, and what growers can do in the present to maximize soil water, and how to think about water availability in the long term.
Sam mentioned a map that shows groundwater recharge suitability, you can find it here.
Come to an upcoming extension meeting!
Sacramento Valley
San Joaquin Valley (scroll to the bottom)
The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed are the speaker’s own and do not represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of the University of California. The material and information presented here is for general information purposes only. The "University of California" name and all forms and abbreviations are the property of its owner and its use does not imply endorsement of or opposition to any specific organization, product, or service.
Follow us on Twitter! @SacOrchards and @SJVtandv
Thank you to the Almond, Pistachio, Prune, and Walnut Boards of California for their kind donations. Thank you to Muriel Gordon for the music.
Almonds and pistachios are native to arid climates and are drought tolerant tree species. In California however, the high cost of production and land value pushes growers to maximize yields, which means trying to meet the full evaporative demand (though many growers apply much less water than this!)
This is not the strategy everywhere, however, even in other areas that also have high production costs. In this episode, Phoebe discusses almond production in the Iberian Penninsula with Sebastian Saa, pistachio production in Sicily with Giulia Marino, and pistachio production in Iran and Afghanistan with Louise Ferguson.
Come to an upcoming extension meeting!
Sacramento Valley
San Joaquin Valley (scroll to the bottom)
The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed are the speaker’s own and do not represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of the University of California. The material and information presented here is for general information purposes only. The "University of California" name and all forms and abbreviations are the property of its owner and its use does not imply endorsement of or opposition to any specific organization, product, or service.
Follow us on Twitter! @SacOrchards and @SJVtandv
Thank you to the Almond, Pistachio, Prune, and Walnut Boards of California for their kind donations. Thank you to Muriel Gordon for the music.
At a time when California orchard farmers are being challenged by poor economics and tightening regulations – coming irrigation advances promise labor and time savings. I speak with Tom Devol (retired Almond Board of California) to discuss the past, present, and future of California orchard irrigation.
Come to an upcoming extension meeting!
Sacramento Valley
San Joaquin Valley (scroll to the bottom)
The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed are the speaker’s own and do not represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of the University of California. The material and information presented here is for general information purposes only. The "University of California" name and all forms and abbreviations are the property of its owner and its use does not imply endorsement of or opposition to any specific organization, product, or service.
Follow us on Twitter! @SacOrchards and @SJVtandv
Thank you to the Almond, Pistachio, Prune, and Walnut Boards of California for their kind donations. Thank you to Muriel Gordon for the music.
Phellinus heart rot in prune trees destroys structural integrity. Laurel Hoffman (UC Davis) updates us on the biology and management of this important disease.
Come to an upcoming extension meeting!
Sacramento Valley
San Joaquin Valley (scroll to the bottom)
The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed are the speaker’s own and do not represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of the University of California. The material and information presented here is for general information purposes only. The "University of California" name and all forms and abbreviations are the property of its owner and its use does not imply endorsement of or opposition to any specific organization, product, or service.
Follow us on Twitter! @SacOrchards and @SJVtandv
Thank you to the Almond, Pistachio, Prune, and Walnut Boards of California for their kind donations. Thank you to Muriel Gordon for the music.
Mention of an agrichemical does not constitute a recommendation, merely the sharing of research findings. Always follow the label. The label is law. Find out more at ipm.ucanr.edu.
2022 Fungicides, Bactericides, Biocontrols, and Natural Products for Deciduous Tree Fruit and Nut, Citrus, Strawberry, and Vine Crops in California
We posted this episode back in 2020 and are pulling it out of the archives. It’s an interesting story of the surprising resilience of a tree after wildfire events that are unfortunately too common.
Come to an upcoming extension meeting!
Sacramento Valley
San Joaquin Valley (scroll to the bottom)
The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed are the speaker’s own and do not represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of the University of California. The material and information presented here is for general information purposes only. The "University of California" name and all forms and abbreviations are the property of its owner and its use does not imply endorsement of or opposition to any specific organization, product, or service.
Follow us on Twitter! @SacOrchards and @SJVtandv
Thank you to the Almond, Pistachio, Prune, and Walnut Boards of California for their kind donations. Thank you to Muriel Gordon for the music.
Sudden autumn freeze events still sneak up on California walnut growers – as they did to some growers last Halloween (2023). Clarissa Reyes (UCCE Sutter-Yuba) and Luke Milliron (UCCE Butte) discuss the steps to prepare for freeze in walnut. At the time of posting – there was patchy frost on the morning of 11/18/24 and predicted also for 11/19/24. Thankfully, there is surface soil moisture in orchards from recent rains and the temperature decline to freezing temps has been gradually taking place over the last few weeks.
Come to an upcoming extension meeting!
Sacramento Valley
San Joaquin Valley (scroll to the bottom)
The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed are the speaker’s own and do not represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of the University of California. The material and information presented here is for general information purposes only. The "University of California" name and all forms and abbreviations are the property of its owner and its use does not imply endorsement of or opposition to any specific organization, product, or service.
Follow us on Twitter! @SacOrchards and @SJVtandv
Thank you to the Almond, Pistachio, Prune, and Walnut Boards of California for their kind donations. Thank you to Muriel Gordon for the music.
It’s been a year since Carpophilus truncatus (Carpophilus beetle) was found in California. Jhalendra shares some research updates and observations with host Phoebe Gordon.
Come to an upcoming extension meeting!
Sacramento Valley
San Joaquin Valley (scroll to the bottom)
Mention of an agrichemical does not constitute a recommendation, merely the sharing of research findings. Always follow the label. The label is law. Find out more at ipm.ucanr.edu.
The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed are the speaker’s own and do not represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of the University of California. The material and information presented here is for general information purposes only. The "University of California" name and all forms and abbreviations are the property of its owner and its use does not imply endorsement of or opposition to any specific organization, product, or service.
Follow us on Twitter! @SacOrchards and @SJVtandv
Thank you to the Almond, Pistachio, Prune, and Walnut Boards of California for their kind donations. Thank you to Muriel Gordon for the music.
Luke Milliron, Phoebe Gordon, and Roger Duncan discuss the three almond variety trials 10 years after they were planted across the Central Valley. Thanks to our grower cooperators and to the Almond Board of California for funding these trials.
You can find more about the results discussed in our 2023 report. Details discussed can also be found in an upcoming fall/winter issue of West Coast Nut.
Come to an upcoming extension meeting!
Sacramento Valley
San Joaquin Valley (scroll to the bottom)
The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed are the speaker’s own and do not represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of the University of California. The material and information presented here is for general information purposes only. The "University of California" name and all forms and abbreviations are the property of its owner and its use does not imply endorsement of or opposition to any specific organization, product, or service.
Follow us on Twitter! @SacOrchards and @SJVtandv
Thank you to the Almond, Pistachio, Prune, and Walnut Boards of California for their kind donations. Thank you to Muriel Gordon for the music.
Pistachios alternate bear, which changes the dynamics of nitrogen uptake and allocation within the tree on a year to year basis. To add to this, the newer cultivars, Golden Hills and Lost Hills, alternate bear less than Kerman, especially when they are planted on the high vigor UCBI. Doug Amaral (UCCE Kings County) decided it was time for an update on the nitrogen demand curves, and we discuss what he’s found in this episode.
Come to an upcoming extension meeting!
Sacramento Valley
San Joaquin Valley (scroll to the bottom)
The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed are the speaker’s own and do not represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of the University of California. The material and information presented here is for general information purposes only. The "University of California" name and all forms and abbreviations are the property of its owner and its use does not imply endorsement of or opposition to any specific organization, product, or service.
Follow us on Twitter! @SacOrchards and @SJVtandv
Thank you to the Almond, Pistachio, Prune, and Walnut Boards of California for their kind donations. Thank you to Muriel Gordon for the music.
A Third Thursday x Growing the Valley collab! Karla Caldera (CSUC graduate student) discusses the research she is conducting at the walnut variety trial located at the Chico State University Farm (2:27) and Dr. Pat J. Brown talks and answers grower questions about the Walnut Improvement Program at UC Davis that aims to bring improved plant material to the walnut industry (9:50).
Check SVO for future Third Thursdays: Things from the Field events, and a brief article on the walnut variety trial.
Thank you to the Almond, Pistachio, Prune, and Walnut Boards of California for their kind donations. Thank you to Muriel Gordon for the music.
The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed are the speaker’s own and do not represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of the University of California. The material and information presented here is for general information purposes only. The "University of California" name and all forms and abbreviations are the property of its owner and its use does not imply endorsement of or opposition to any specific organization, product, or service.
Trying to predict when trees will come out of dormancy and whether they’ve stayed in dormancy for a long enough period of time is a very old science. The methods for calculating chill has changed, but the measurement method, measuring air temperatures, has not. Giulia Marino, Professor of Cooperative Extension at UC Davis, measured the bark temperature of cherry trees in a recent research project. You can probably predict what she found, but how different the temperatures are will surprise you! Listen to find out more!
Are you interested in looking at Giulia’s work or contacting her? You can find her lab website here.
Sign up for the 2024 Pistachio Short Course here:
Come to an upcoming extension meeting:
Sacramento Valley
San Joaquin Valley (scroll to the bottom)
The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed are the speaker’s own and do not represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of the University of California. The material and information presented here is for general information purposes only. The "University of California" name and all forms and abbreviations are the property of its owner and its use does not imply endorsement of or opposition to any specific organization, product, or service.
Follow us on Twitter! @SacOrchards and @SJVtandv
Thank you to the Almond, Pistachio, Prune, and Walnut Boards of California for their kind donations. Thank you to Muriel Gordon for the music.
Phoebe breaks down the importance and best practices surrounding potassium nutrition in orchard crops.
Phoebe and Franz Niederholzer wrote an excellent article on K nutrition
CDFA – FREP Fertilization Guidelines
Sign up for the 2024 Pistachio Short Course here:
Thank you to the Almond, Pistachio, Prune, and Walnut Boards of California for their kind donations. Thank you to Muriel Gordon for the music.
The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed are the speaker’s own and do not represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of the University of California. The material and information presented here is for general information purposes only. The "University of California" name and all forms and abbreviations are the property of its owner and its use does not imply endorsement of or opposition to any specific organization, product, or service.
Measuring plant water status is a critical but underused tool in irrigation management. It allows us to determine whether plants actually need water, but is time consuming, done during the hottest portion of the day, and difficult to do at a large scale. Commercial devices to measure plant water status are a fairly recent addition to the agricultural tech field, but are they accurate? Isaya Kisekka, a professor of water management at UC Davis, has been evaluating them in almonds and shares what he’s found so far.
Come to an upcoming extension meeting!
Sacramento Valley
San Joaquin Valley (scroll to the bottom)
The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed are the speaker’s own and do not represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of the University of California. The material and information presented here is for general information purposes only. The "University of California" name and all forms and abbreviations are the property of its owner and its use does not imply endorsement of or opposition to any specific organization, product, or service.
Follow us on Twitter! @SacOrchards and @SJVtandv
Thank you to the Almond, Pistachio, Prune, and Walnut Boards of California for their kind donations. Thank you to Muriel Gordon for the music.
Jaime Ott discusses the resurgence of prune brownline in the northern Sacramento Valley. In addition to prune, Jaime reminds us to be on the lookout for symptoms of Tomato ringspot virus in almond, peach, and cherry.
Also caused by Tomato ringspot virus:
Learn about Yellow Bud Mosaic in almond and peaches
Learn about Cherry Stem Pitting
Come to an upcoming extension meeting!
Sacramento Valley
San Joaquin Valley (scroll to the bottom)
The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed are the speaker’s own and do not represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of the University of California. The material and information presented here is for general information purposes only. The "University of California" name and all forms and abbreviations are the property of its owner and its use does not imply endorsement of or opposition to any specific organization, product, or service.
Follow us on Twitter! @SacOrchards and @SJVtandv
Thank you to the Almond, Pistachio, Prune, and Walnut Boards of California for their kind donations. Thank you to Muriel Gordon for the music.
Houston Wilson, Professor of Cooperative Extension in entomology with UC Riverside, gives us our semi-yearly update on Sterile Insect Technique (SIT) work in Navel Orangeworm, through work completed in 2024. It’s a long (20 year or so) long road, but may provide an additional tool in the IPM toolbox for controlling navel orangeworm. Listen to find out more!
Come to an upcoming extension meeting!
Sacramento Valley
San Joaquin Valley (scroll to the bottom)
Mention of an agrichemical does not constitute a recommendation, merely the sharing of research findings. Always follow the label. The label is law. Find out more at ipm.ucanr.edu.
The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed are the speaker’s own and do not represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of the University of California. The material and information presented here is for general information purposes only. The "University of California" name and all forms and abbreviations are the property of its owner and its use does not imply endorsement of or opposition to any specific organization, product, or service.
Follow us on Twitter! @SacOrchards and @SJVtandv
Thank you to the Almond, Pistachio, Prune, and Walnut Boards of California for their kind donations. Thank you to Muriel Gordon for the music.
Incorporating large amounts of woody biomass into soil, such as in whole orchard recycling (WOR), can promote carbon sequestration, nutrient recycling, and ecosystem health in agricultural fields. Yet uncertainty regarding the effects of WOR on soil carbon and nitrogen dynamics influences management decisions. Recently, Mae Culumber, Ph.D. with UC Cooperative Extension, Suduan Gao, Ph.D. with the USDA Agricultural Research Service, and others performed research to evaluate the effects of woodchip size and interaction with nitrogen fertilization on carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide emissions as well as soil organic carbon change. On this episode of Growing the Valley, they sit down with guest host Cameron Zuber to discuss some of their findings and how this may provide some considerations when implementing WOR.
The original article for this research from the Soil Science Society of America Journal can be found here https://acsess.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/saj2.20650 though payment may be needed to access.
Thank you to the Almond Board of California, the California Pistachio Research Board, the California Prune Board, and the California Walnut Board for their support of this podcast. Music is by Muriel Gordon.
Soil health is broad term that encompasses a important topic: functional soil that can support human activities, animals, and plants. Measuring soil health can be difficult even for soil scientists, but in today’s episode, Sarah Light shares some tools that growers, PCAs, and CCAs can use to judge soil health in their or their clients’ orchards.
Thank you to the Almond, Pistachio, Prune, and Walnut Boards of California for their kind donations. Thank you to Muriel Gordon for the music.
The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed are the speaker’s own and do not represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of the University of California. The material and information presented here is for general information purposes only. The "University of California" name and all forms and abbreviations are the property of its owner and its use does not imply endorsement of or opposition to any specific organization, product, or service.
In 2023 UCANR advisors and specialists got an unusual number of farm calls on branch cankers in almonds, many of which turned out to be aerial phytophthora. Florent Trouillas with UC Davis goes over the pathogen, its lifecycle, and the conditions in 2023 that led to this outbreak.
Come to an upcoming extension meeting!
Sacramento Valley
San Joaquin Valley (scroll to the bottom)
Mention of an agrichemical does not constitute a recommendation, merely the sharing of research findings. Always follow the label. The label is law. Find out more at ipm.ucanr.edu.
The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed are the speaker’s own and do not represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of the University of California. The material and information presented here is for general information purposes only. The "University of California" name and all forms and abbreviations are the property of its owner and its use does not imply endorsement of or opposition to any specific organization, product, or service.
Follow us on Twitter! @SacOrchards and @SJVtandv
Thank you to the Almond, Pistachio, Prune, and Walnut Boards of California for their kind donations. Thank you to Muriel Gordon for the music.
Luke Milliron discusses the growing list of problems with the Monterey almond variety in the northern Sacramento Valley.
Leafing failure (what is it)
Leafing failure (what might be causing it)
Flowering failure
Come to an upcoming extension meeting!
Sacramento Valley
San Joaquin Valley (scroll to the bottom)
The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed are the speaker’s own and do not represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of the University of California. The material and information presented here is for general information purposes only. The "University of California" name and all forms and abbreviations are the property of its owner and its use does not imply endorsement of or opposition to any specific organization, product, or service.
Follow us on Twitter! @SacOrchards and @SJVtandv
Thank you to the Almond, Pistachio, Prune, and Walnut Boards of California for their kind donations. Thank you to Muriel Gordon for the music.
Mention of an agrichemical does not constitute a recommendation, merely the sharing of research findings. Always follow the label. The label is law. Find out more at ipm.ucanr.edu.
This week, we share an episode that was TWO YEARS IN THE MAKING (if you count continually rescheduling episode recording sessions due to various conflicts and then forgetting about it for a year as making an episode). Phoebe interviews Amisha Poret-Peterson with the USDA-ARS on the basics of soil microbiology. We discuss the complexity and role of the soil microbiome, bulk soil vs the rhizosphere, and more! Listen to hear some very amazing things.
Come to an upcoming extension meeting!
Sacramento Valley
San Joaquin Valley (scroll to the bottom)
Mention of an agrichemical does not constitute a recommendation, merely the sharing of research findings. Always follow the label. The label is law. Find out more at ipm.ucanr.edu.
The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed are the speaker’s own and do not represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of the University of California. The material and information presented here is for general information purposes only. The "University of California" name and all forms and abbreviations are the property of its owner and its use does not imply endorsement of or opposition to any specific organization, product, or service.
Follow us on Twitter! @SacOrchards and @SJVtandv
Thank you to the Almond, Pistachio, Prune, and Walnut Boards of California for their kind donations. Thank you to Muriel Gordon for the music.
Lu Zhang provides an update on work published last year on the effect of dust on pistachio pollen, flowers, nut set, and blanking (it’s not good!). Please note that there are other physiological causes of blanking, such as incomplete pollination or aborted kernel development, and that we have not determined how much dust could contribute to blanking in the field. Also, the episode was recorded before the heavy rains in March in the southern San Joaquin Valley, so high dust conditions may not occur this year.
The American Society for Horticultural Science dropped its paywall, so you can read the article yourself at https://journals.ashs.org/hortsci/view/journals/hortsci/54/11/article-p1967.xml.
Thank you to the Almond Board of California, the California Pistachio Research Board, the California Prune Board, and the California Walnut Board for their support. Music is by Muriel Gordon.
Cover crops! They’re not just for almonds (despite the bulk of California orchard cover crop research being in that crop). Daniele Zaccaria has been conducting research on cover crops in California pistachio orchards and shares what he has found, including some interesting possibilities as to why they found higher yields in orchards with cover crops.
Come to an upcoming extension meeting!
Sacramento Valley
San Joaquin Valley (scroll to the bottom)
Mention of an agrichemical does not constitute a recommendation, merely the sharing of research findings. Always follow the label. The label is law. Find out more at ipm.ucanr.edu.
The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed are the speaker’s own and do not represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of the University of California. The material and information presented here is for general information purposes only. The "University of California" name and all forms and abbreviations are the property of its owner and its use does not imply endorsement of or opposition to any specific organization, product, or service.
Follow us on Twitter! @SacOrchards and @SJVtandv
Thank you to the Almond, Pistachio, Prune, and Walnut Boards of California for their kind donations. Thank you to Muriel Gordon for the music.
Luke Milliron and Ken Shackel (UC Davis) sit down to talk about the decade plus of research investigating when to start irrigation in the spring for walnut orchards.
If you want to learn more about incorporating the pressure chamber to improve orchard health and cut costs - contact your local farm advisor or Luke at (530) 828-9666
Come to an upcoming extension meeting!
Sacramento Valley
San Joaquin Valley (scroll to the bottom)
The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed are the speaker’s own and do not represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of the University of California. The material and information presented here is for general information purposes only. The "University of California" name and all forms and abbreviations are the property of its owner and its use does not imply endorsement of or opposition to any specific organization, product, or service.
Follow us on Twitter! @SacOrchards and @SJVtandv
Thank you to the Almond, Pistachio, Prune, and Walnut Boards of California for their kind donations. Thank you to Muriel Gordon for the music.
In a world where it feels like we have a new invasive pest every month, sometimes it’s hard for an arthropod to stand out. Last year, the nut industries were put on notice by Carpophilus truncatus, a tiny beetle that has commandeered big attention. Lucky for us (and unluckily for the Australians), we aren’t alone in trying to figure out how to keep this beetle under control. Houston Wilson shares what we know about its spread in the state, and what we can learn from Down Under.
Come to an upcoming extension meeting!
Sacramento Valley
San Joaquin Valley (scroll to the bottom)
Mention of an agrichemical does not constitute a recommendation, merely the sharing of research findings. Always follow the label. The label is law. Find out more at ipm.ucanr.edu.
The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed are the speaker’s own and do not represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of the University of California. The material and information presented here is for general information purposes only. The "University of California" name and all forms and abbreviations are the property of its owner and its use does not imply endorsement of or opposition to any specific organization, product, or service.
Follow us on Twitter! @SacOrchards and @SJVtandv
Thank you to the Almond, Pistachio, Prune, and Walnut Boards of California for their kind donations. Thank you to Muriel Gordon for the music.
Phoebe talks with Richard Heerema, the pecan specialist for New Mexico State University, about pecan botany and physiology, and why it may not be as good of a choice for areas prone to flooding as you think it might be. This is an episode for those who are thinking of planting pecans but have not done so.
Come to an upcoming extension meeting!
Sacramento Valley
San Joaquin Valley (scroll to the bottom)
Mention of an agrichemical does not constitute a recommendation, merely the sharing of research findings. Always follow the label. The label is law. Find out more at ipm.ucanr.edu.
The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed are the speaker’s own and do not represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of the University of California. The material and information presented here is for general information purposes only. The "University of California" name and all forms and abbreviations are the property of its owner and its use does not imply endorsement of or opposition to any specific organization, product, or service.
Follow us on Twitter! @SacOrchards and @SJVtandv
Thank you to the Almond, Pistachio, Prune, and Walnut Boards of California for their kind donations. Thank you to Muriel Gordon for the music.
Florent Trouillas, a professor of Cooperative Extension in plant pathology at UC Davis, describes how pistachios become infected with phytophthora and how to manage it. He also describes his research on this newly registered product.
Come to an upcoming extension meeting!
Sacramento Valley
San Joaquin Valley (scroll to the bottom)
Mention of an agrichemical does not constitute a recommendation, merely the sharing of research findings. Always follow the label. The label is law. Find out more at ipm.ucanr.edu.
The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed are the speaker’s own and do not represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of the University of California. The material and information presented here is for general information purposes only. The "University of California" name and all forms and abbreviations are the property of its owner and its use does not imply endorsement of or opposition to any specific organization, product, or service.
Follow us on Twitter! @SacOrchards and @SJVtandv
Thank you to the Almond, Pistachio, Prune, and Walnut Boards of California for their kind donations. Thank you to Muriel Gordon for the music.
Sarah Castro (UC Davis) discusses how new prune varieties can improve a grower’s bottom line!
scastro @ ucdavis.edu
Insta: @cali.prunebreeder
Initial episode on the prune breeding program with Sarah
Come to an upcoming extension meeting!
Sacramento Valley
San Joaquin Valley (scroll to the bottom)
The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed are the speaker’s own and do not represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of the University of California. The material and information presented here is for general information purposes only. The "University of California" name and all forms and abbreviations are the property of its owner and its use does not imply endorsement of or opposition to any specific organization, product, or service.
Follow us on Twitter! @SacOrchards and @SJVtandv
Thank you to the Almond, Pistachio, Prune, and Walnut Boards of California for their kind donations. Thank you to Muriel Gordon for the music.
Phoebe and Sam discuss the water outlook for 2024. Some things have changed since last year, but some things have stayed the same. Listen to the entire episode to hear a public service announcement about tequila and agave production in the state!
Come to an upcoming extension meeting!
Sacramento Valley
San Joaquin Valley (scroll to the bottom)
Mention of an agrichemical does not constitute a recommendation, merely the sharing of research findings. Always follow the label. The label is law. Find out more at ipm.ucanr.edu.
The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed are the speaker’s own and do not represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of the University of California. The material and information presented here is for general information purposes only. The "University of California" name and all forms and abbreviations are the property of its owner and its use does not imply endorsement of or opposition to any specific organization, product, or service.
Follow us on Twitter! @SacOrchards and @SJVtandv
Thank you to the Almond, Pistachio, Prune, and Walnut Boards of California for their kind donations. Thank you to Muriel Gordon for the music.
While we posted this episode all the way back in 2018, we thought we would dust it off since the information is still timely.
Phoebe interviews Craig Kallsen, the now emeritus subtropical and pistachio tree crop advisor for Kern County, to talk about what we know and don’t know about dormancy in pistachios. Craig also talks about a paper he published back in 2017, looking at the correlation between winter and spring temperatures and current season’s yield. This is an ongoing area for research and there are still more questions than we have answers.
This episode is a direct followup to “Chill with Dr. Katherine Jarvis-Shean”, and while you don’t need to listen to Katherine’s episode before you listen to this one, if you aren’t familiar with dormancy and the different chill models, we suggest you listen to that one before this one.
Come to an upcoming extension meeting!
Sacramento Valley
San Joaquin Valley (scroll to the bottom)
Mention of an agrichemical does not constitute a recommendation, merely the sharing of research findings. Always follow the label. The label is law. Find out more at ipm.ucanr.edu.
The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed are the speaker’s own and do not represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of the University of California. The material and information presented here is for general information purposes only. The "University of California" name and all forms and abbreviations are the property of its owner and its use does not imply endorsement of or opposition to any specific organization, product, or service.
Follow us on Twitter! @SacOrchards and @SJVtandv
Thank you to the Almond, Pistachio, Prune, and Walnut Boards of California for their kind donations. Thank you to Muriel Gordon for the music.
Brittney Goodrich provides an update on what almond growers can expect in the 2024 pollination season. You can find the economic calculator here.
Come to an upcoming extension meeting!
Sacramento Valley
San Joaquin Valley (scroll to the bottom)
Mention of an agrichemical does not constitute a recommendation, merely the sharing of research findings. Always follow the label. The label is law. Find out more at ipm.ucanr.edu.
The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed are the speaker’s own and do not represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of the University of California. The material and information presented here is for general information purposes only. The "University of California" name and all forms and abbreviations are the property of its owner and its use does not imply endorsement of or opposition to any specific organization, product, or service.
Follow us on Twitter! @SacOrchards and @SJVtandv
Thank you to the Almond, Pistachio, Prune, and Walnut Boards of California for their kind donations. Thank you to Muriel Gordon for the music.
Navel Orangeworm (NOW) wreaked devastating impacts on the California almond industry in 2023. I sat down with Dr. Franz Niederholzer (UCCE Colusa) after harvest to discuss what had happened and what needs to be done to win the war against NOW in 2024.
Come to an upcoming extension meeting!
Sacramento Valley
San Joaquin Valley (scroll to the bottom)
Mention of an agrichemical does not constitute a recommendation, merely the sharing of research findings. Always follow the label. The label is law. Find out more at ipm.ucanr.edu.
The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed are the speaker’s own and do not represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of the University of California. The material and information presented here is for general information purposes only. The "University of California" name and all forms and abbreviations are the property of its owner and its use does not imply endorsement of or opposition to any specific organization, product, or service.
Follow us on Twitter! @SacOrchards and @SJVtandv
Thank you to the Almond, Pistachio, Prune, and Walnut Boards of California for their kind donations. Thank you to Muriel Gordon for the music.
Dr. Andreas Westphal provides an update on tightening regulations and the latest research progress for nematode management in walnuts and other orchard crops.
Dr. Westphal’s upcoming nematode management field days will be on Tuesday November 28 (walnut), and Wednesday November 29 (almond) at the Kearney Ag Center (9240 S. Riverbend Ave, Parlier, CA). Who is it for? Field research representatives, farm advisors, PCAs, growers, consultants (CEU other(O): 4.0 for each day). What will you learn about? Rootstock development, pre-plant soil treatments, and post-plant treatments. REGISTRATION for this event: https://surveys.ucanr.edu/survey.cfm?surveynumber=41461 Early registration is encouraged. Contact information: ph: 559 646 6555, email: andreas.westphal@ucr.edu
Mention of an agrichemical does not constitute a recommendation, merely the sharing of research findings. Always follow the label. The label is law. Find out more at ipm.ucanr.edu.
The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed are the speaker’s own and do not represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of the University of California. The material and information presented here is for general information purposes only. The "University of California" name and all forms and abbreviations are the property of its owner and its use does not imply endorsement of or opposition to any specific organization, product, or service.
Follow us on Twitter! @SacOrchards and @SJVtandv
Thank you to the Almond, Pistachio, Prune, and Walnut Boards of California for their kind donations. Thank you to Muriel Gordon for the music.
Mel Machado (Blue Diamond Almond Growers) discusses important considerations for timing almond harvest, including grower objectives, varieties, and nut quality.
Resource links related to almond harvest:
When do you shake almonds?
Maintaining Quality with Pick Up & Stockpiling Best Practices
Thank you to the Almond, Pistachio, Prune, and Walnut Boards of California for their kind donations. Thank you to Muriel Gordon for the music.
The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed are the speaker’s own and do not represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of the University of California. The material and information presented here is for general information purposes only. The "University of California" name and all forms and abbreviations are the property of its owner and its use does not imply endorsement of or opposition to any specific organization, product, or service.
Follow us on Twitter! @SacOrchards and @SJVtandv
Pistachios are very salt tolerant, at least compared to most of the other orchard crops that are grown in California. However, this does not make them immune to the effects of salinity. Daniele Zaccaria recently wrapped up a four year study examining the water use of trees under varying levels of soil salinity and found that water use decreases as soil salinity increases. This has major implications for tree health and water use post SGMA. Listen to find out more.
The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed are the speaker’s own and do notrepresent the views, thoughts, and opinions of the University of California. The material and information presented here is for general information purposes only. The "University of California" name and all forms and abbreviations are the property of its owner and its use does not imply endorsement of or opposition to any specific organization, product, or service.
Follow us on Twitter! @SacOrchards and @SJVtandv
Thank you to the Almond, Pistachio, Prune, and Walnut Boards of California for their kind donations. Thank you to Muriel Gordon for the music.
Drew Wolter (now former UCCE farm advisor intern) and Luke Milliron discus why the postharvest weed survey helps form the backbone of an integrated weed management program.
Mention of a pesticide does not constitute a pesticide recommendation. Always follow the pesticide label.
Thanks to the Pistachio Board of California and Almond Board of California for their generous financial support. Music by Muriel Gordon.
This is a UC ANR educational podcast. Any opinions or positions taken are those of the hosts and not the University of California. Use of this platform for and any advertisements connected with this podcast do not imply endorsement.
Whole orchard recycling is thepractice of incorporating recycled wood chips from oldorchards into soil priorto planting a new orchard. While this can change or improve howthe new orchard grows and the soil properties for the site, there are still various thingsgrowers need to consider if adopting this practice. Cameron Zuber (Merced and Maderacounties) has compiled some insights on managing application and incorporation ofwood chips,fertilization, diseaseswith regards to whole orchard recycling from Dr.Brent Holtz (San Joaquin County) recorded during a field day in Merced County.
The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed are the speaker’s own and do notrepresent the views, thoughts, and opinions of the University of California. The material and information presented here is for general information purposes only. The"University of California" name and all forms and abbreviations are the property of its owner and its use does not imply endorsement of or opposition to any specific organization, product, or service.
Follow us on Twitter!@SacOrchardsand@SJVtandv
Thank you to the Almond, Pistachio, Prune, and Walnut Boards of California for theirkind donations. Thank you to Muriel Gordon for the music.
Mating disruption has been found to reduce NOW damage in almonds by, on average, 50%, however we think it is most effective when it is applied in blocks that are 40 acres or larger. This means that a lot of growers who may be interested in mating disruption feel like they may not be able to use it due to their small blocks. A collaborative partnership between the Almond Board of California, University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources, Land IQ, and Blue Diamond Growers have put together the Neighbors Program, where interested growers can register their blocks and will be connected with neighbors who are also interested in implementing mating disruption.
Interested in registering your blocks? Click here, and listen to the episode to get the passcode!
Mention of an agrichemical does not constitute a recommendation, merely the sharing of research findings. Always follow the label. The label is law. Find out more at ipm.ucanr.edu.
The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed are the speaker’s own and do not represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of the University of California. The material and information presented here is for general information purposes only. The "University of California" name and all forms and abbreviations are the property of its owner and its use does not imply endorsement of or opposition to any specific organization, product, or service.
Follow us on Twitter! @SacOrchards and @SJVtandv
Thank you to the Almond, Pistachio, Prune, and Walnut Boards of California for their kind donations. Thank you to Muriel Gordon for the music.
Pacific flatheaded borer has recently become a pest of concern in walnuts, though it has been known to damage walnuts for a long time. Jhalendra Rijal has been researching its biology and control methods and has provided us with an update on his findings.
Mention of an agrichemical does not constitute a recommendation, merely the sharing of research findings. Always follow the label. The label is law. Find out more at ipm.ucanr.edu.
The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed are the speaker’s own and do not represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of the University of California. The material and information presented here is for general information purposes only. The "University of California" name and all forms and abbreviations are the property of its owner and its use does not imply endorsement of or opposition to any specific organization, product, or service.
Follow us on Twitter! @SacOrchards and @SJVtandv
Thank you to the Almond, Pistachio, Prune, and Walnut Boards of California for their kind donations. Thank you to Muriel Gordon for the music.
Daisy Hernandez has been conducting research on Ganoderma adspersum as part of her doctoral dissertation. She shares some more things that she’s learned since our last episode on this wood decay fungi, as well as a few tips for growers who are replanting in sites with known G. adspersum issues.
Upcoming Extension Meetings:
Sacramento Valley
San Joaquin Valley (scroll to the bottom)
The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed are the speaker’s own and do not represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of the University of California. The material and information presented here is for general information purposes only. The "University of California" name and all forms and abbreviations are the property of its owner and its use does not imply endorsement of or opposition to any specific organization, product, or service.
Follow us on Twitter! @SacOrchards and @SJVtandv
Thank you to the Almond, Pistachio, Prune, and Walnut Boards of California for their kind donations. Thank you to Muriel Gordon for the music.
Whole orchard recycling (WOR) is becoming commonplace in almonds, and we have several research trials scattered across the state examining best practices and potential benefits from this practice. It has not been looked at as extensively in walnuts, which will contribute much more biomass to the soil. Luke shares the results from some of this trials in this episode.
Upcoming Extension Meetings:
Sacramento Valley
San Joaquin Valley (scroll to the bottom)
The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed are the speaker’s own and do not represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of the University of California. The material and information presented here is for general information purposes only. The "University of California" name and all forms and abbreviations are the property of its owner and its use does not imply endorsement of or opposition to any specific organization, product, or service.
Follow us on Twitter! @SacOrchards and @SJVtandv
Thank you to the Almond, Pistachio, Prune, and Walnut Boards of California for their kind donations. Thank you to Muriel Gordon for the music.
Phoebe discusses some research she has conducted with Greg Browne (USDA plant pathologist) on examining phosphorus fertilization in newly planted almond orchards.
Upcoming Extension Meetings:
Sacramento Valley
San Joaquin Valley (scroll to the bottom)
The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed are the speaker’s own and do not represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of the University of California. The material and information presented here is for general information purposes only. The "University of California" name and all forms and abbreviations are the property of its owner and its use does not imply endorsement of or opposition to any specific organization, product, or service.
Follow us on Twitter! @SacOrchards and @SJVtandv
Thank you to the Almond, Pistachio, Prune, and Walnut Boards of California for their kind donations. Thank you to Muriel Gordon for the music.
Dr. Katherine Jarvis-Shean (UCCE Yolo, Solano, and Sacramento) and Luke talk about the early testing of treatments for low winter chill in California walnut orchards.
Upcoming Extension Meetings:
Sacramento Valley
San Joaquin Valley (scroll to the bottom)
Mention of an agrichemical does not constitute a recommendation, merely the sharing of research findings. Always follow the label. The label is law. Find out more at ipm.ucanr.edu.
The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed are the speaker’s own and do not represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of the University of California. The material and information presented here is for general information purposes only. The "University of California" name and all forms and abbreviations are the property of its owner and its use does not imply endorsement of or opposition to any specific organization, product, or service.
Follow us on Twitter! @SacOrchards and @SJVtandv
Thank you to the Almond, Pistachio, Prune, and Walnut Boards of California for their kind donations. Thank you to Muriel Gordon for the music.
Franz Niederholzer (UCCE Colusa and Sutter-Yuba) and Luke talk about March almond, prune, and walnut tasks in the Sacramento Valley.
Sac Valley Meetings: https://www.sacvalleyorchards.com/events/
Cover Cropping in Conventional Orchards and Vineyards: Arbuckle Area Tour March 8 @ 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm
Southern Sacramento Valley Walnut Meeting – March 22nd at Norton Hall in Woodland from 8 AM to Noon
San Joaquin Valley Meetings:
https://www.sjvtandv.com/
2022 Fungicides, Bactericides, Biocontrols, and Natural Products for Deciduous Tree Fruit and Nut, Citrus, Strawberry, and Vine Crops in California
Mention of pesticide use does not constitute a pesticide recommendation, merely the sharing of research findings. Always follow the pesticide label. The label is law. Find out more at ipm.ucanr.edu.
The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed are the speaker’s own and do not represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of the University of California. The material and information presented here is for general information purposes only. The "University of California" name and all forms and abbreviations are the property of its owner and its use does not imply endorsement of or opposition to any specific organization, product, or service.
Follow us on Twitter! @SacOrchards and @SJVtandv
In this episode, Phoebe talks with Sam Sandovol Solis, a professor of water management at UC Davis, about the 2023 water outlook. It’s looking a lot better than the previous years, but we aren’t out of the woods yet.
A previous episode on irrigation system maintenance with Tom Devol has an anecdote about how much water can be lost with a few leaks. Listen to it to learn tips on irrigation system maintenance and where Tom sees the most problems.
Sac Valley Meetings: https://www.sacvalleyorchards.com/events/
San Joaquin Valley Meetings: https://www.sjvtandv.com/
The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed are the speaker’s own and do not represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of the University of California. The material and information presented here is for general information purposes only. The "University of California" name and all forms and abbreviations are the property of its owner and its use does not imply endorsement of or opposition to any specific organization, product, or service.
Phoebe discusses the 2023 bee outlook with Brittney Goodrich, an agriculturlal economics Professor of Cooperative Extension at UC Davis. Like in previous years, there are some issues affecting the health and size of the bee colonies in the United States, and Brittney shares some work she’s done to help growers possibly save money while ensuring they meet the bee stocking rate to satisfy crop insurance requirements. Listen to find out more!
Sac Valley Meetings: https://www.sacvalleyorchards.com/events/
San Joaquin Valley Meetings: https://www.sjvtandv.com/
The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed are the speaker’s own and do not represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of the University of California. The material and information presented here is for general information purposes only. The "University of California" name and all forms and abbreviations are the property of its owner and its use does not imply endorsement of or opposition to any specific organization, product, or service.
Follow us on Twitter! @SacOrchards and @SJVtandv
IPM Advisors David Haviland, Dr. Jhalendra Rijal, and Dr. Sudan Gyawaly look back on the 2022 almond, walnut, and pistachio highlights from the south, middle, and north of the Central Valley respectively.
Learn from these IPM Advisors and other great UC researchers at our winter meetings!
Sac Valley Meetings: https://www.sacvalleyorchards.com/events/
San Joaquin Valley Meetings:
https://www.sjvtandv.com/
Mention of pesticide use does not constitute a pesticide recommendation, merely the sharing of research findings. Always follow the pesticide label. The label is law. Find out more at ipm.ucanr.edu.
The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed are the speaker’s own and do not represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of the University of California. The material and information presented here is for general information purposes only. The "University of California" name and all forms and abbreviations are the property of its owner and its use does not imply endorsement of or opposition to any specific organization, product, or service.
Follow us on Twitter! @SacOrchards and @SJVtandv
Leaffooted bugs are a sporadic pest in orchards, but when they appear they can cause serious damage. There are few management guidelines as it is believed that this insect was less of a pest in the past due to widespread useage of broad spectrum insecticides. As the nut crop industries have moved to more selective insecticides, an IPM success to be sure, plant bugs have increased in prevalence, or so it is believed. Houston Wilson, the tree crop entomology specialist with UC Riverside, has been working with USDA researchers to develop and test a leaffooted bug lure. He sits down with Phoebe Gordon to discuss the progress so far.
The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed are the speaker’s own and do not represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of the University of California. The material and information presented here is for general information purposes only. The "University of California" name and all forms and abbreviations are the property of its owner and its use does not imply endorsement of or opposition to any specific organization, product, or service.
Follow us on Twitter! @SacOrchards and @SJVtandv
Roger Duncan discusses his research over several years showing that in some situations compost may not improve orchard performance and grower bottom line.
Roger’s article on how “Compost May Not Improve Orchard Performance”.
The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed are the speaker’s own and do not represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of the University of California. The material and information presented here is for general information purposes only. The "University of California" name and all forms and abbreviations are the property of its owner and its use does not imply endorsement of or opposition to any specific organization, product, or service.
Follow us on Twitter! @SacOrchards and @SJVtandv
Leslie Holland, Assistant Professor at University of Wisconsin, Madison, shares the results of some of her work examining fungicides to suppress Botryosphaeria infections in almond pruning wounds as a Ph.D. student at UC Davis. Leslie shares what works, as well as the key tip to dealing with fungal infections in orchard crops: preventing the infection from occurring in the first place.
Mention of pesticide use does not constitute a pesticide recommendation. Always follow the pesticide label. Find out more at ipm.ucanr.edu/.
Thank you to the Almond, Pistachio, Prune, and Walnut Boards of California for their kind donations. Thank you to Muriel Gordon for the music.
The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed are the speaker’s own and do not represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of the University of California. The material and information presented here is for general information purposes only. The "University of California" name and all forms and abbreviations are the property of its owner and its use does not imply endorsement of or opposition to any specific organization, product, or service.
Bacterial canker can be a serious disease affecting young Prunus species. It is closely connected to weather and tree health. Mohammad Yaghmour discusses what conditions lead to bacterial canker and what growers can do to lessen its severity.
Thank you to the Almond, Pistachio, Prune, and Walnut Boards of California for their kind donations. Thank you to Muriel Gordon for the music.
The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed are the speaker’s own and do not represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of the University of California. The material and information presented here is for general information purposes only. The "University of California" name and all forms and abbreviations are the property of its owner and its use does not imply endorsement of or opposition to any specific organization, product, or service.
Call or text 530-487-5991 to ask questions for Phoebe and Luke to answer or provide feedback about adapting the 1 Minute Challenge
Upcoming Field meetings:
Introduction to Orchard Irrigation Management in three locations
Madera: Monday, November 7, 2022, 7:30 AM—12:00 PM
Bakersfield: Monday, November 14, 2022, 7:30 AM—12:00 PM
Modesto: Wednesday, November 16, 2022, 7:30 AM—12:00 PM
Best Management Practices for Soil Health
Wednesday, November 16, 2022, 8:00 AM--1:00 @ Kearney Agricultural Research and Extension Center in Parlier, California: Register here.
Mention of pesticide use does not constitute a pesticide recommendation, merely the sharing of research findings. Always follow the pesticide label. The label is law. Find out more at ipm.ucanr.edu.
Thank you to the Almond, Pistachio, Prune, and Walnut Boards of California for their kind donations. Thank you to Muriel Gordon for the music.
The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed are the speaker’s own and do not represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of the University of California. The material and information presented here is for general information purposes only. The "University of California" name and all forms and abbreviations are the property of its owner and its use does not imply endorsement of or opposition to any specific organization, product, or service.
Follow us on Twitter! @SacOrchards and @SJVtandv
Luke discusses the recent history of sudden autumn walnut frost events in California’s Central Valley, how to prevent damage ahead of the next sudden frost, and how to rehabilitate damaged orchards.
Recorded Zoom webinar: Practical Canker Management in Almond and Prune: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p4JwrMGKros&t=3s
Articles referenced in the podcast:
Six steps to prepare for the next sudden autumn frost:
sacvalleyorchards.com/walnuts/horticulture-walnuts/prepare-for-next-sudden-autumn-freeze/
Spring frost: sacvalleyorchards.com/walnuts/horticulture-walnuts/preparing-for-extreme-events-spring-frost
Recovery from freeze damage: sacvalleyorchards.com/walnuts/horticulture-walnuts/2020-freeze-recovery
Upcoming Field meetings:
Introduction to Orchard Irrigation Management in three locations
Madera: Monday, November 7, 2022, 7:30 AM—12:00 PM
Bakersfield: Monday, November 14, 2022, 7:30 AM—12:00 PM
Modesto: Wednesday, November 16, 2022, 7:30 AM—12:00 PM
Also on Wednesday, November 16, 2022 from 8:00 AM to 1:00 PM there is a Best Management Practices for Soil Health meeting at the Kearney Agricultural Research and Extension Center in Parlier, California.
If you will be attending the West Coast Nut: California Walnut Conference in Yuba City on January 4th and 5th – I will be talking about walnut freeze on Wednesday, January 4 at 9:30 AM.
Measuring soil moisture by hand with the “feel” method, or with modern senor technology can be a powerful irrigation management tool. I sit down with Allan Fulton (UCCE Irrigation Advisor) to discuss how to measure and interpret orchard soil moisture.
You can lean more about soil moisture sensor selection at: http://www.sacvalleyorchards.com/blog/soil-moisture-sensor-selection-is-confusing/
Thanks to the Pistachio Board of California and Almond Board of California for their generous financial support. Music by Muriel Gordon.
Kadie Britt discusses research results from a project examining the effects of cover crop on overwintering NOW larvae mortality.
Upcoming meetings: Introduction to Irrigation Management series to be held in Madera (Nov 7), Bakersfield (Nov 14), and Modesto (Nov 16). Best Management Practices for Soil Health to be held at the Kearney Ag Center in Parlier (Nov 16).
Thank you to the Almond, Pistachio, Prune, and Walnut Boards of California for their kind donations. Thank you to Muriel Gordon for the music.
The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed are the speaker’s own and do not represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of the University of California. The material and information presented here is for general information purposes only. The "University of California" name and all forms and abbreviations are the property of its owner and its use does not imply endorsement of or opposition to any specific organization, product, or service.
It’s October, the year is almost over! Phoebe and Luke compete to see who can go over the month’s tasks, using whatever metric they feel is the best way to declare themselves the winner. They then discuss current activities.
Upcoming meetings: Introduction to Irrigation Management series to be held in Madera (Nov 7), Bakersfield (Nov 14), and Modesto (Nov 16). Best Management Practices for Soil Health to be held at the Kearney Ag Center in Parlier (Nov 16).
Missed Luke’s cankinar? Luckiily there’s a recording Available: https://youtu.be/p4JwrMGKros
This webinar features UC plant pathologists Florent Trouillas and Themis Michailides discussing the latest best management practices for almond and prune cankers, respectively. Their two talks are followed up with extensive Q&A from growers on how to best protect and preserve trees for long-term orchard success!
Thank you to the Almond, Pistachio, Prune, and Walnut Boards of California for their kind donations. Thank you to Muriel Gordon for the music.
The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed are the speaker’s own and do not represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of the University of California. The material and information presented here is for general information purposes only. The "University of California" name and all forms and abbreviations are the property of its owner and its use does not imply endorsement of or opposition to any specific organization, product, or service.
Dr. Ben Faber (UCCE Ventura County) discusses the effects of heat damage in orchard crops and practices to help manage high temperatures that are occurring more frequently with climate change.
Upcoming events:
Zoom webinar: Practical Canker Management in Almond and Prune: Register here
Thursday, September 29, 9–10:30 AM PST
The webinar will feature UC plant pathologists Florent Trouillas and Themis Michailides discussing the latest best management practices for almond and prune cankers, respectively.
More about Cytospora cankers at: https://www.sacvalleyorchards.com/prunes/diseases-prunes/combat-cytospora-canker/
Field meetings: Introduction to Orchard Irrigation Management in three locations
Madera: Monday, November 7, 2022, 7:30 AM—12:00 PM
Bakersfield: Monday, November 14, 2022, 7:30 AM—12:00 PM
Modesto: Wednesday, November 16, 2022, 7:30 AM—12:00 PM
Mention of pesticide use does not constitute a pesticide recommendation, merely the sharing of research findings. Always follow the pesticide label. The label is law. Find out more at ipm.ucanr.edu.
Thank you to the Almond, Pistachio, Prune, and Walnut Boards of California for their kind donations. Thank you to Muriel Gordon for the music.
The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed are the speaker’s own and do not represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of the University of California. The material and information presented here is for general information purposes only. The "University of California" name and all forms and abbreviations are the property of its owner and its use does not imply endorsement of or opposition to any specific organization, product, or service.
Dr. Themis Michailides has been seeing increased mold in walnut pathology samples in recent years. The UC Davis Plant Pathologist at the Kearney Ag Center discusses his lab’s research on the biology and management of the disease.
An article based on this episode, can be found at: sacvalleyorchards.com/walnuts/diseases/managing-mold
Mention of a pesticide does not constitute a pesticide recommendation. Always follow the pesticide label. Find out more at ipm.ucanr.edu/.
Thank you to the Almond, Pistachio, Prune, and Walnut Boards of California for their kind donations. Thank you to Muriel Gordon for the music.
Houston Wilson (Entomology Specialist with UC Riverside) gives Phoebe an update on a project examining whether sterile NOW moths can be an effective addition to navel orangeworm management.
Upcoming webinar: “Practical Canker Management in Almond and Prune” Thursday, September 29 from 9 – 10:30 AM PST. The webinar will feature UC plant pathologists Florent Trouillas and Themis Michailides discussing the latest best management practices for almond and prune cankers, respectively. There will be lots of opportunity for Q&A, so save the date. Once registration is live, we will let you know on the podcast. More about Cytospora cankers at: https://www.sacvalleyorchards.com/prunes/diseases-prunes/combat-cytospora-canker/
Thank you to the Almond, Pistachio, Prune, and Walnut Boards of California for their kind donations. Thank you to Muriel Gordon for the music.
The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed are the speaker’s own and do not represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of the University of California. The material and information presented here is for general information purposes only. The "University of California" name and all forms and abbreviations are the property of its owner and its use does not imply endorsement of or opposition to any specific organization, product, or service.
Follow us on Twitter! @SacOrchards and @SJVtandv
Phoebe and Luke discuss important tasks for September, orchard observations, and other thoughts.
Upcoming webinar: “Practical Canker Management in Almond and Prune” Thursday, September 29 from 9 – 10:30 AM PST. The webinar will feature UC plant pathologists Florent Trouillas and Themis Michailides discussing the latest best management practices for almond and prune cankers, respectively. There will be lots of opportunity for Q&A, so save the date. Once registration is live, we will let you know on the podcast. More about Cytospora cankers at: https://www.sacvalleyorchards.com/prunes/diseases-prunes/combat-cytospora-canker/
Mention of pesticide use does not constitute a pesticide recommendation, merely the sharing of research findings. Always follow the pesticide label. The label is law. Find out more at ipm.ucanr.edu.
Thank you to the Almond, Pistachio, Prune, and Walnut Boards of California for their kind donations. Thank you to Muriel Gordon for the music.
The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed are the speaker’s own and do not represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of the University of California. The material and information presented here is for general information purposes only. The "University of California" name and all forms and abbreviations are the property of its owner and its use does not imply endorsement of or opposition to any specific organization, product, or service.
Follow us on Twitter! @SacOrchards and @SJVtandv
Dr. Rich Rosecrance and Becky Wheeler-Dykes (CSU Chico) discuss their latest findings on the mechanical pruning of prune trees. You can learn more at: sacvalleyorchards.com/prunes/year-round-management-prunes/mechanical-pruning-in-french and sacvalleyorchards.com/photos-from-the-field/box-hedging-decrease-prune-sunburn.This critical research is made possible by generous support from the Prune Board of California and the CSU Agricultural Research Initiative.
Upcoming webinar: “Practical Canker Management in Almond and Prune” Thursday, September 29 from 9 – 10:30 AM PST. The webinar will feature UC plant pathologists Florent Trouillas and Themis Michailides discussing the latest best management practices for almond and prune cankers, respectively. There will be lots of opportunity for Q&A, so save the date. Once registration is live, we will let you know on the podcast. More about Cytospora cankers at: https://www.sacvalleyorchards.com/prunes/diseases-prunes/combat-cytospora-canker/
Mention of pesticide use does not constitute a pesticide recommendation, merely the sharing of research findings. Always follow the pesticide label. The label is law. Find out more at ipm.ucanr.edu.
Thank you to the Almond, Pistachio, Prune, and Walnut Boards of California for their kind donations. Thank you to Muriel Gordon for the music.
The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed are the speaker’s own and do not represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of the University of California. The material and information presented here is for general information purposes only. The "University of California" name and all forms and abbreviations are the property of its owner and its use does not imply endorsement of or opposition to any specific organization, product, or service.
Follow us on Twitter! @SacOrchards and @SJVtandv
In this encore episode Dr. Themis Michailides (UC Davis Plant Pathologist) discusses his lab’s advances against Cytospora cankers, a disease that can devastate prune orchards.
Upcoming webinar: “Practical Canker Management in Almond and Prune” Thursday, September 29 from 9 – 10:30 AM PST. The webinar will feature UC plant pathologists Florent Trouillas and Themis Michailides discussing the latest best management practices for almond and prune cankers, respectively. There will be lots of opportunity for Q&A, so save the date. Once registration is live, we will let you know on the podcast.
More about Cytospora cankers at: https://www.sacvalleyorchards.com/prunes/diseases-prunes/combat-cytospora-canker/
Mention of a pesticide use does not constitute a pesticide recommendation. Always follow the pesticide label. Find out more at ipm.ucanr.edu/.
Thank you to the Almond, Pistachio, Prune, and Walnut Boards of California for their kind donations. Thank you to Muriel Gordon for the music.
The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed are the speaker’s own and do not represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of the University of California. The material and information presented here is for general information purposes only. The "University of California" name and all forms and abbreviations are the property of its owner and its use does not imply endorsement of or opposition to any specific organization, product, or service.
Phoebe discusses irrigation pumps, including their capacity and maintenance, with Jon Chilcote, a USDA NRCS team engineer for the Southern San Joaquin Valley.
The website for the Department of Water Resources groundwater data: http://wdl.water.ca.gov/waterdatalibrary/
There are several additional resources you can find on our episode page.
Thank you to the Almond Board of California and the California Pistachio Research Board for their support. Music by Muriel Gordon.
Despite it’s fun acronym (BFF), the newly introduced Black Fig Fly is no friend to figs. Native to the Mediterranean, it’s recently been found in Southern California and causing damage to fruit there. Kadie Britt, a postdoctoral scholar at UC Riverside, describes what we know about it and what she and her colleagues are doing to learn about its life cycle and behavior in California.
Thank you to the Almond, Pistachio, Prune, and Walnut Boards of California for their kind donations. Thank you to Muriel Gordon for the music.
The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed are the speaker’s own and do not represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of the University of California. The material and information presented here is for general information purposes only. The "University of California" name and all forms and abbreviations are the property of its owner and its use does not imply endorsement of or opposition to any specific organization, product, or service.
Follow us on Twitter! @SacOrchards and @SJVtandv
Phoebe and Luke talk about best management practices in almonds, pisachios, walnuts, and prunes, as well as the problems they’re diagnosing out in the field.
More information on managing walnut blight: https://www.sacvalleyorchards.com/walnuts/diseases/managing-mold/
Thank you to the Almond, Pistachio, Prune, and Walnut Boards of California for their kind donations. Thank you to Muriel Gordon for the music.
The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed are the speaker’s own and do not represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of the University of California. The material and information presented here is for general information purposes only. The "University of California" name and all forms and abbreviations are the property of its owner and its use does not imply endorsement of or opposition to any specific organization, product, or service.
Follow us on Twitter! @SacOrchards and @SJVtandv
Mel Machado (Blue Diamond Almond Growers) discusses important considerations for timing almond harvest, including grower objectives, varieties, and nut quality.
Resource links related to almond harvest:
When do you shake almonds?
Maintaining Quality with Pick Up & Stockpiling Best Practices
Thank you to the Almond, Pistachio, Prune, and Walnut Boards of California for their kind donations. Thank you to Muriel Gordon for the music.
The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed are the speaker’s own and do not represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of the University of California. The material and information presented here is for general information purposes only. The "University of California" name and all forms and abbreviations are the property of its owner and its use does not imply endorsement of or opposition to any specific organization, product, or service.
Follow us on Twitter! @SacOrchards and @SJVtandv
Dr. Franz Niederholzer (UCCE Orchard Advisor in Colusa and Sutter/Yuba) discusses how irrigation best practices in prune orchards this summer maximize grower returns and orchard longevity.
Details at: https://www.sacvalleyorchards.com/prunes/irrigation-prunes/pre-and-post-harvest/
Thank you to the Almond, Pistachio, Prune, and Walnut Boards of California for their kind donations. Thank you to Muriel Gordon for the music.
The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed are the speaker’s own and do not represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of the University of California. The material and information presented here is for general information purposes only. The "University of California" name and all forms and abbreviations are the property of its owner and its use does not imply endorsement of or opposition to any specific organization, product, or service.
Follow us on Twitter! @SacOrchards and @SJVtandv
Phoebe and Luke discuss important things to keep track of in July.
Thank you to the Almond, Pistachio, Prune, and Walnut Boards of California for their kind donations. Thank you to Muriel Gordon for the music.
The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed are the speaker’s own and do not represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of the University of California. The material and information presented here is for general information purposes only. The "University of California" name and all forms and abbreviations are the property of its owner and its use does not imply endorsement of or opposition to any specific organization, product, or service.
Follow us on Twitter! @SacOrchards and @SJVtandv
Dr. Ken Shackel (UC Davis) sits down to discuss what we know about coping with drought in almond production.
For more information consult the UC Almond Drought Tip.
Thank you to the Almond, Pistachio, Prune, and Walnut Boards of California for their kind donations. Thank you to Muriel Gordon for the music.
The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed are the speaker’s own and do not represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of the University of California. The material and information presented here is for general information purposes only. The "University of California" name and all forms and abbreviations are the property of its owner and its use does not imply endorsement of or opposition to any specific organization, product, or service.
Follow us on Twitter! @SacOrchards and @SJVtandv
In the 200th episode of Growing the Valley Podcast – Sarah Castro (UC Davis) discusses exciting new varieties in the prune breeding program.
Mark your calendars for the August 4th UC Davis Prune Breeding Program Summer Field Meeting!
If you can come to the meeting, or if you want to learn more about trialing a new variety, please email: scastro AT ucdavis.edu
Learn more about these varieties on SacValleyOrchards.com.
Thank you to the Almond, Pistachio, Prune, and Walnut Boards of California for their kind donations. Thank you to Muriel Gordon for the music.
The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed are the speaker’s own and do not represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of the University of California. The material and information presented here is for general information purposes only. The "University of California" name and all forms and abbreviations are the property of its owner and its use does not imply endorsement of or opposition to any specific organization, product, or service.
Follow us on Twitter! @SacOrchards and @SJVtandv
Phoebe, Luke, and Roger Duncan (UCCE Stanislaus) discuss results out of their respective regional almond variety trial sites.
Additional resources:
Two walnut meetings on Thursday, June 16. UCCE Walnut rootstock field meeting in Lake County & in Princeton (Colusa County), from CAFF: Biologically Integrated Orchards Systems (BIOS): Predatory Mite Release, Predator Attractants, and Cover Crops in Walnuts.
Thursday June 23 at 8:30 AM: Almond Variety Trial & Irrigation Management Demonstration at the Butte County trial site (CSU Chico Farm).
The research report of the 2020 results is the main source material for the conversation.
Thank you to the Almond, Pistachio, Prune, and Walnut Boards of California for their kind donations. Thank you to Muriel Gordon for the music.
The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed are the speaker’s own and do not represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of the University of California. The material and information presented here is for general information purposes only. The "University of California" name and all forms and abbreviations are the property of its owner and its use does not imply endorsement of or opposition to any specific organization, product, or service.
Spotted Lanternfly is in the United States and could pose a threat to some of the specialty crops we grow here in California. Surendra Dara explains what it is, where it has been found, and what crops are most vulnerable in today’s episode.
Image courtesy of Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture Website.
You can find out more about upcoming events at: https://www.sjvtandv.com/upcoming-events and https://www.sacvalleyorchards.com/events/
Thank you to the Almond, Pistachio, Prune, and Walnut Boards of California for their kind donations. Thank you to Muriel Gordon for the music.
The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed are the speaker’s own and do not represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of the University of California. The material and information presented here is for general information purposes only. The "University of California" name and all forms and abbreviations are the property of its owner and its use does not imply endorsement of or opposition to any specific organization, product, or service.
Follow us on Twitter! @SacOrchards and @SJVtandv
Dr. Mae Culumber (Fresno County) and Dr. Brent Holtz (San Joaquin County) discuss how Whole Orchard Recycling—the practice of incorporating recycled wood chips from old orchards into soil prior to planting a new orchard—can improve tree growth, nutrient use efficiency, and soil physical properties. They also discuss some incentive programs that can offset the cost of Whole Orchard Recycling for growers: Alternatives to Agricultural Open Burning Incentive Program (San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District) and Healthy Soils Program (CDFA)
Upcoming Events:
June 1, Wed, 8:30-11:30: Tulare Co. Walnut Field Day
June 1, Wed, 9:00-12:00: Oil Olive Irrigation Field Day
June 7, Tues, 8:30-11:30: Sutter/Yuba Walnut Field Day
June 8, Wed, 8:00-12:00: North Valley Nut Conference, Glenn Co.
June 9, Thurs, 8:00-12:00: Glenn Co. Walnut Field Day
June 16, Thurs: 8:30-11:30: Lake Co. Walnut Field Day
June 16, Thurs, 9:00-12:00: Biologically Integrated Orchards Systems (BIOS): Predatory Mite Release, Predator Attractants, and Cover Crops in Walnuts
Thank you to the Almond, Pistachio, Prune, and Walnut Boards of California for their kind donations. Thank you to Muriel Gordon for the music.
The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed are the speaker’s own and do not represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of the University of California. The material and information presented here is for general information purposes only. The "University of California" name and all forms and abbreviations are the property of its owner and its use does not imply endorsement of or opposition to any specific organization, product, or service.
Follow us on Twitter! @SacOrchards and @SJVtandv
Phoebe and Luke step up to the plate once again to see who wins this month’s one minute challenge! They also discuss farm call trends and other issues.
San Joaquin Valley event list: https://www.sjvtandv.com/upcoming-events
Sacramento Valley event list: https://www.sacvalleyorchards.com/events/list/
Thank you to the Almond, Pistachio, Prune, and Walnut Boards of California for their kind donations. Thank you to Muriel Gordon for the music.
The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed are the speaker’s own and do not represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of the University of California. The material and information presented here is for general information purposes only. The "University of California" name and all forms and abbreviations are the property of its owner and its use does not imply endorsement of or opposition to any specific organization, product, or service.
Follow us on Twitter! @SacOrchards and @SJVtandv
In today’s episode, Phoebe talks with Spencer Cooper of the Almond Board of California on how to go from running water through your orchard to precise irrigation timing and management. While Spencer works for the ABC, the basics of irrigation management are the same for every crop, so make sure to listen to this episode to find out why the shovel, soil auger, and water meter are core technologies that every grower should be using to manage their orchard.
Music by Muriel Gordon. We would like to thank the Almond Board of California and the California Pistachio Research Board for providing funding for this podcast.
Mallika Nocco (Specialist at UC Davis) discusses ETa with Phoebe, as well as some research she is doing to try to develop a method for managing irrigation in an orchard with remote sensing.
Thank you to the Almond, Pistachio, Prune, and Walnut Boards of California for their kind donations. Thank you to Muriel Gordon for the music.
The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed are the speaker’s own and do not represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of the University of California. The material and information presented here is for general information purposes only. The "University of California" name and all forms and abbreviations are the property of its owner and its use does not imply endorsement of or opposition to any specific organization, product, or service.
Follow us on Twitter! @SacOrchards and @SJVtandv
Climate change is a threat to high chill crops like walnuts, and we know very little about how these plants will react (they’re too big to do controlled climate studies on!). Katherine Jarvis-Shean was funded to examine how walnuts respond to low chill winters, and whether rest breaking agents may help in a low chill year. In this episode, she describes the clever way she reduces winter chill accumulation in walnut trees, and early results.
Mention of a trade name is not an endorsement or recommendation, discussion of some of the products in the episode is for research uses only. Always check the label before applying.
Thank you to the Almond, Pistachio, Prune, and Walnut Boards of California for their kind donations. Thank you to Muriel Gordon for the music.
The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed are the speaker’s own and do not represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of the University of California. The material and information presented here is for general information purposes only. The "University of California" name and all forms and abbreviations are the property of its owner and its use does not imply endorsement of or opposition to any specific organization, product, or service.
Follow us on Twitter! @SacOrchards and @SJVtandv
Dr. Roger Baldwin (UCCE Specialist: Human-Wildlife Conflict Resolution) discusses management of vertebrate pests: ground squirrels, voles, moles, roof rats, and deer mice.
Resource links for managing vertebrate pests in agricultural systems:
Ground squirrels: http://www.groundsquirrelbmp.com/
Voles: http://vpcrac.org/files/4314/7612/1259/Meadow_vole_chapter.pdf
Deer Mice: http://vpcrac.org/files/3114/7612/0294/Deer_mice.pdf
Roof rats and deer mice: https://anrcatalog.ucanr.edu/pdf/8513.pdf; http://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn74106.html
Thank you to the Almond, Pistachio, Prune, and Walnut Boards of California for their kind donations. Thank you to Muriel Gordon for the music.
The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed are the speaker’s own and do not represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of the University of California. The material and information presented here is for general information purposes only. The "University of California" name and all forms and abbreviations are the property of its owner and its use does not imply endorsement of or opposition to any specific organization, product, or service.
Follow us on Twitter! @SacOrchards and @SJVtandv
Proper spray application is an easily overlooked and critically important aspect of integrated pest management. Lynn Wunderlich (UCCE Central Sierra) discusses some of the fundamentals of orchard air blast sprayer calibration and spray application.
None of the discussion of spray application constitutes a recommendation. You can find more information on spray application at the Canadian website: https://sprayers101.com/.
Thanks to the Pistachio Board of California and Almond Board of California for their generous financial support. Music by Muriel Gordon.
Phoebe sits down with Judith Stahl and Kent Daane (both with UC Berkeley) to discuss plant bugs: life history, damage, and the potential to use trap crops to manage these pests.
More information on controlling plant bugs in almonds and pistachios can be found on the UCIPM website; there are separate pages for stink bugs and leaffooted bugs, and in pistachio, small bugs.
Mention of a trade name is not an endorsement or recommendation. Always check the label before applying.
Thank you to the Almond, Pistachio, Prune, and Walnut Boards of California for their kind donations. Thank you to Muriel Gordon for the music.
The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed are the speaker’s own and do not represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of the University of California. The material and information presented here is for general information purposes only. The "University of California" name and all forms and abbreviations are the property of its owner and its use does not imply endorsement of or opposition to any specific organization, product, or service.
Follow us on Twitter! @SacOrchards and @SJVtandv
Phoebe and Luke go over April tasks for almonds, prunes, pistachios, and walnuts.
Thank you to the Almond, Pistachio, Prune, and Walnut Boards of California for their kind donations. Thank you to Muriel Gordon for the music.
The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed are the speaker’s own and do not represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of the University of California. The material and information presented here is for general information purposes only. The "University of California" name and all forms and abbreviations are the property of its owner and its use does not imply endorsement of or opposition to any specific organization, product, or service.
Follow us on Twitter! @SacOrchards and @SJVtandv
Roger Duncan (UCCE Stanislaus) and Dr. Ken Shackel (UC Davis Plant Sciences) discuss methods of determining when to initiate spring irrigation and current start-of-irrigation experiments in almond based on previous finding in walnut.
For more information on the various approaches to timing the start of the irrigation season, see: sacvalleyorchards.com/blog/almonds-blog/early-season-irrigation-do-we-know-when-to-start/
More information on advanced pressure chamber use in almond: sacvalleyorchards.com/manuals/stem-water-potential/advanced-swp-interpretation-in-almond/
Thank you to the Almond, Pistachio, Prune, and Walnut Boards of California for their kind donations. Thank you to Muriel Gordon for the music.
The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed are the speaker’s own and do not represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of the University of California. The material and information presented here is for general information purposes only. The "University of California" name and all forms and abbreviations are the property of its owner and its use does not imply endorsement of or opposition to any specific organization, product, or service.
Follow us on Twitter! @SacOrchards and @SJVtandv
Elizabeth Fichtner, UCCE Tulare County, shares information on managing nitrogen in olive orchards. Careful management is required, as excess nitrogen can negatively impact olive quality.
Thank you to the Almond, Pistachio, Prune, and Walnut Boards of California for their kind donations. Thank you to Muriel Gordon for the music.
The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed are the speaker’s own and do not represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of the University of California. The material and information presented here is for general information purposes only. The "University of California" name and all forms and abbreviations are the property of its owner and its use does not imply endorsement of or opposition to any specific organization, product, or service.
Follow us on Twitter! @SacOrchards and @SJVtandv
UC Davis Plant Science Professor Astrid Volder sits down with Phoebe and Luke to talk irrigation and fertilization implications of our improved understanding of tree crop root systems.
Thanks to the Pistachio Board of California and Almond Board of California for their generous financial support. Music by Muriel Gordon.
In our 1-minute challenges Luke and Phoebe describe key almond, pistachio, prune, and walnut orchard tasks for the month of March.
Dr. Roger Baldwin (UCCE Specialist in Human-Wildlife Conflict Resolution) discusses orchard management of pocket gophers, including control options and timing based on environmental conditions and reproductive cycles.
Resource links:
UC IPM notes on pocket gophers
UC ANR video on how to set gopher traps
Vertebrate Pest Control Handbook Chapter on Controlling Pocket Gophers
Thank you to the Almond, Pistachio, Prune, and Walnut Boards of California for their kind donations. Thank you to Muriel Gordon for the music.
The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed are the speaker’s own and do not represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of the University of California. The material and information presented here is for general information purposes only. The "University of California" name and all forms and abbreviations are the property of its owner and its use does not imply endorsement of or opposition to any specific organization, product, or service.
Follow us on Twitter! @SacOrchards and @SJVtandv
In part two of the navel orangeworm (NOW) mini-series, Luke Milliron sits down with farm advisor David Haviland to discuss the efficacy of mating disruption for managing NOW in almond!
This interview takes place in December 2017 after the Almond Conference. Research on the efficacy of mating disruption for NOW by UC researchers is ongoing in 2018. Haviland mentions three available mating disruption products: Suterra, Pacific Biocontrol and Semios (all aerosol dispensers, none are organic). A fourth product, the Trécé MESO are passively emitting “strip” dispensers (registered spring 2018, organic).
For a summary of Haviland’s 2017 NOW mating disruption findings (Trécé product on slide 16 has since been registered), as well as almond integrated pest management updates from other UC researchers, please see: http://www.almonds.com/sites/default/files/content/attachments/Th-308%201045am%20SESSION%20Slides_0.pdf
Mention of a trade name is not an endorsement or a recommendation.
Music by Muriel Gordon.
Phoebe sits down with three guests (the first in Growing the Valley history!) to discuss what climate adaptation in California agriculture might look like. She’s joined by Gurreet Brar (CSU Fresno), Katherine Jarvis-Shean (UCCE Sacramento), and Tapan Pathak (UC Merced).
Thank you to the Almond, Pistachio, Prune, and Walnut Boards of California for their kind donations. Thank you to Muriel Gordon for the music.
The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed are the speaker’s own and do not represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of the University of California. The material and information presented here is for general information purposes only. The "University of California" name and all forms and abbreviations are the property of its owner and its use does not imply endorsement of or opposition to any specific organization, product, or service.
Follow us on Twitter! @SacOrchards and @SJVtandv
In our 1-minute challenges Luke and Phoebe describe key almond, pistachio, prune, and walnut orchard tasks for the month of February!
Upcoming meeting dates:
Feb 7: 2022 Quad-County Walnut Day
Feb 8: 2022 North San Joaquin Valley Almond Day
Feb 22-23: UCCE Virtual Statewide Walnut Series
Feb 24: Northern Sac Valley Prune Day (Register by Feb 15)
Mar 1: Southern Sac Valley Prune Day
Mar 3: North Sac Valley Walnut Day (Register by Feb 15)
Mar 7-11: 2022 Principles Of Fruit And Nut Tree Growth, Cropping and Management (Register by Mar 6)
Ask your trees when they need water – invest in a pressure chamber
Useful February Walnut Links:
Counting Winter Chill
Nursery Products and Early Tree Training
The No Heading Tree Training Method
Delayed Dormant Pest Management Cost-Saving Strategies
Useful February Prune Links:
Preventing Cytospora Cankers in Prune
Long-pruning in prunes for early yields
Thank you to the Almond, Pistachio, Prune, and Walnut Boards of California for their kind donations. Thank you to Muriel Gordon for the music.
The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed are the speaker’s own and do not represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of the University of California. The material and information presented here is for general information purposes only. The "University of California" name and all forms and abbreviations are the property of its owner and its use does not imply endorsement of or opposition to any specific organization, product, or service.
Follow us on Twitter! @SacOrchards and @SJVtandv
Dr. Helen Dahlke (UC Davis Department of Land, Air and Water Resources) discusses the principles of groundwater recharge in California, where and in which crops it can occur, and its effects on overall water quality.
Link: Soil Agricultural Groundwater Banking Index mapping tool.
Thank you to the Almond, Pistachio, Prune, and Walnut Boards of California for their kind donations. Thank you to Muriel Gordon for the music.
The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed are the speaker’s own and do not represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of the University of California. The material and information presented here is for general information purposes only. The "University of California" name and all forms and abbreviations are the property of its owner and its use does not imply endorsement of or opposition to any specific organization, product, or service.
Follow us on Twitter! @SacOrchards and @SJVtandv
Dr. Samuel Sandoval (UCCE Specialist in Water Management and UC Davis Land, Air & Water Resources) discusses five factors that influence water availability throughout a year and his outlook for the 2022 water year.
Be sure to also listen to the podcast episode with Daniel Sawain (UCLA Climatologist) for more on California’s water future.
Thank you to the Almond, Pistachio, Prune, and Walnut Boards of California for their kind donations. Thank you to Muriel Gordon for the music.
The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed are the speaker’s own and do not represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of the University of California. The material and information presented here is for general information purposes only. The "University of California" name and all forms and abbreviations are the property of its owner and its use does not imply endorsement of or opposition to any specific organization, product, or service.
Follow us on Twitter! @SacOrchards and @SJVtandv
Dr. Ted DeJong (UC Davis Plant Sciences and UC ANR Cooperative Extension emeritus) provides a vision for the future of prune orchards, discussing how light interception, tree physiology, and fruit development impact orchard management.
Thank you to the Almond, Pistachio, Prune, and Walnut Boards of California for their kind donations. Thank you to Muriel Gordon for the music.
The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed are the speaker’s own and do not represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of the University of California. The material and information presented here is for general information purposes only. The "University of California" name and all forms and abbreviations are the property of its owner and its use does not imply endorsement of or opposition to any specific organization, product, or service.
Follow us on Twitter! @SacOrchards and @SJVtandv
In our 1-minute challenges Luke and Phoebe describe key almond, pistachio, prune, and walnut orchard tasks for the month of January!
Mention of pesticide use does not constitute a pesticide recommendation, merely the sharing of research findings. Always follow the pesticide label. The label is law. Find out more at ipm.ucanr.edu.
Thank you to the Almond, Pistachio, Prune, and Walnut Boards of California for their kind donations. Thank you to Muriel Gordon for the music.
The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed are the speaker’s own and do not represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of the University of California. The material and information presented here is for general information purposes only. The "University of California" name and all forms and abbreviations are the property of its owner and its use does not imply endorsement of or opposition to any specific organization, product, or service.
Follow us on Twitter! @SacOrchards and @SJVtandv
In this encore episode: Luke and Phoebe sit down with Joe Connell, farm advisor emeritus for Butte County. Joe goes over the differences between advection and radiation frosts, ways to protect your orchard from frost protection, and the best irrigation systems for protecting against frosts. While we usually worry about frosts during bloom, early frosts can also damage orchards, particularly in the northern part of the state and in the foothills.
With uncertainty regarding COVID – the January 5 North Valley Nut Conference in Orland, California is being rescheduled to June and the California Walnut Conference on January 13 to 14 in Yuba City, California is being rescheduled to April. Dates will be up early in the new year on wcngg.com/upcoming-events.
On November 19 and 20 – UC’s Statewide Pistachio Day is being held online. Register at: ucanr.edu/sites/pistachioday.
On February 1 and 2 – CAPCA Spring Summit in Napa, CA – Luke will be speaking during the event on the latest best practices for combating fungal cankers in almonds and prunes. More information at: capca.com/spring-summit.
On February 3 we are currently still hoping to hold UC’s Tehama Prune Day in-person in Red Bluff, CA. Details at: cetehama.ucanr.edu.
Thank you to the Almond, Pistachio, Prune, and W
In the final installment of the rootstock series, farm advisors Franz Niederholzer and Luke Milliron talk about considerations for selecting a rootstock for prune production, particularly the exciting advantages with Krymsk 86 and Viking.
Thank you to the Almond, Pistachio, Prune, and Walnut Boards of California for their kind donations. Thank you to Muriel Gordon for the music.
The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed are the speaker’s own and do not represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of the University of California. The material and information presented here is for general information purposes only. The "University of California" name and all forms and abbreviations are the property of its owner and its use does not imply endorsement of or opposition to any specific organization, product, or service.
Follow us on Twitter! @SacOrchards and @SJVtandv
UCCE Advisor Dr. Elizabeth Fichtner (Tulare and Kings Counties) discusses the history of pistachio rootstock development and the benefits of the rootstock options available today.
Thank you to the Almond, Pistachio, Prune, and Walnut Boards of California for their kind donations. Thank you to Muriel Gordon for the music.
The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed are the speaker’s own and do not represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of the University of California. The material and information presented here is for general information purposes only. The "University of California" name and all forms and abbreviations are the property of its owner and its use does not imply endorsement of or opposition to any specific organization, product, or service.
Follow us on twitter! @SacOrchards and @SJVtandv
Brittney Goodrich joins Growing the Valley again to discuss the bee outlook for the 2022 almond pollination season.
Thank you to the Almond, Pistachio, Prune, and Walnut Boards of California for their kind donations. Thank you to Muriel Gordon for the music.
The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed are the speaker’s own and do not represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of the University of California. The material and information presented here is for general information purposes only. The "University of California" name and all forms and abbreviations are the property of its owner and its use does not imply endorsement of or opposition to any specific organization, product, or service.
Figs, like many other fresh fruit, suffer from postharvest loss due to fungal pathogens and shrivel. Leili Afsah Hejri, a scientist working in food safety, has been examining the use of ozone as a post-harvest treatment for sanitation as well as improving fruit quality. In this episode, she discusses the results of a recently published trial with Phoebe.
Thank you to the Almond, Pistachio, Prune, and Walnut Boards of California for their kind donations. Thank you to Muriel Gordon for the music.
The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed are the speaker’s own and do not represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of the University of California. The material and information presented here is for general information purposes only. The "University of California" name and all forms and abbreviations are the property of its owner and its use does not imply endorsement of or opposition to any specific organization, product, or service.
UCCE Advisors Katherine Jarvis-Shean (Yolo-Solano-Sacramento Counties), Roger Duncan (Stanislaus County), and Joe Connell (Emeritus Butte County) come together to discuss current available almond rootstocks and the importance of selecting rootstock for growers’ orchard-specific challenges.
Video from the Almond Board of California showcases the Boron tolerance rootstock trial in Yolo County. Additional information on almond rootstock trials conducted in Yolo and Butte counties can be found on SacValleyOrchards, as well as an overview of alternative rootstocks on SJV Tree and Vine.
Thank you to the Almond, Pistachio, Prune, and Walnut Boards of California for their kind donations. Thank you to Muriel Gordon for the music.
The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed are the speaker’s own and do not represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of the University of California. The material and information presented here is for general information purposes only. The "University of California" name and all forms and abbreviations are the property of its owner and its use does not imply endorsement of or opposition to any specific organization, product, or service.
This episode was originally intended to be part of the climate change series, but ended up being more appropriate as a stand alone episode. Phoebe and Mae Culumber (UCCE Fresno County) discuss the importance of carbon in soil quality, as well as explains some research she’s doing on the role of nitrogen in whole orchard recycling.
Thank you to the Almond, Pistachio, Prune, and Walnut Boards of California for their kind donations. Thank you to Muriel Gordon for the music.
The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed are the speaker’s own and do not represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of the University of California. The material and information presented here is for general information purposes only. The "University of California" name and all forms and abbreviations are the property of its owner and its use does not imply endorsement of or opposition to any specific organization, product, or service.
Brad Hanson has been looking at increasing the efficacy of grass herbicides and details his work using sequential applications for better weed control.
Mention of trade names is to report research results and is not an endorsement or recommendation. Always check the label before applying.
http://www.sacvalleyorchards.com/events/
www.sjvtandv.com
Thank you to the Almond Board of California, the California Pistachio Research Board, the California Prune Board, and the California Walnut Board for their support. Music is by Muriel Gordon.
In our 1-minute challenges we describe key almond, pistachio, prune, and walnut orchard tasks for the month of October.
On SacValleyOrchards.com (SVO) there is an article on post-harvest pest surveys for walnut and almondto improve your pest and disease management for next year.
Mention of pesticide use does not constitute a pesticide recommendation, merely the sharing of research findings. Always follow the pesticide label. The label is law. Find out more at ipm.ucanr.edu.
Thank you to the Almond, Pistachio, Prune, and Walnut Boards of California for their kind donations. Thank you to Muriel Gordon for the music.
The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed are the speaker’s own and do not represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of the University of California. The material and information presented here is for general information purposes only. The "University of California" name and all forms and abbreviations are the property of its owner and its use does not imply endorsement of or opposition to any specific organization, product, or service.
Janine Hasey (UC ANR Cooperative Extension Farm Advisor Emerita) discusses sudden freeze events, their effects on walnut, and necessary steps to mitigate future freeze damage.
We encourage you to take our survey on walnut freeze, which is available until Dec 1, 2021.
The purpose of this survey is to gain greater understanding of freeze damage in walnuts. For the purposes of this survey, freeze damage is defined as damage observed in spring yet incurred during the previous fall from cold temperatures below 32 degrees Fahrenheit.
The results from this survey may be used to develop further surveys and research projects regarding freeze damage in walnuts, and will be shared via peer-review publications, extension talks and articles, and/or conference presentations. No personal information will be shared.
Thank you to the Almond, Pistachio, Prune, and Walnut Boards of California for their kind donations. Thank you to Muriel Gordon for the music.
The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed are the speaker’s own and do not represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of the University of California. The material and information presented here is for general information purposes only. The "University of California" name and all forms and abbreviations are the property of its owner and its use does not imply endorsement of or opposition to any specific organization, product, or service.
Follow us on Twitter! @SacOrchards
Janine Hasey (UC ANR Cooperative Extension Farm Advisor Emerita) synthesizes decades of collaborative research to deliver key grower considerations for all the commercially available walnut rootstocks in California.
Click the links for additional information from SacValleyOrchards.com about Selecting the Right Clonal Rootstock and Planting Potted Clonal Rootstock, and for our episode on Walnut Blackline with Kari Arnold (aired July 21, 2021).
Thank you to the Almond, Pistachio, Prune, and Walnut Boards of California for their kind donations. Thank you to Muriel Gordon for the music.
The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed are the speaker’s own and do not represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of the University of California. The material and information presented here is for general information purposes only. The "University of California" name and all forms and abbreviations are the property of its owner and its use does not imply endorsement of or opposition to any specific organization, product, or service.
Dr. Ted DeJong (UC Davis Plant Sciences and UC ANR Cooperative Extension emeritus) discusses the physiology of dwarfing rootstocks and their influence on orchard management. DeJong provides some key considerations for growers when selecting a rootstock for their next orchard.
Thank you to the Almond, Pistachio, Prune, and Walnut Boards of California for their kind donations. Thank you to Muriel Gordon for the music.
The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed are the speaker’s own and do not represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of the University of California. The material and information presented here is for general information purposes only. The "University of California" name and all forms and abbreviations are the property of its owner and its use does not imply endorsement of or opposition to any specific organization, product, or service.
In our 1-minute challenges we describe key almond, pistachio, prune, and walnut orchard tasks for the month of October.
On SacValleyOrchards.com (SVO) there is an article on harvest damage evaluation in walnuts to improve your pest and disease management for next year. For a healthy prune orchard next spring, follow through on late season irrigation and consider protecting pruning wounds with Topsin®-M.
Mention of pesticide use does not constitute a pesticide recommendation, merely the sharing of research findings. Always follow the pesticide label. The label is law. Find out more at ipm.ucanr.edu.
Thank you to the Almond, Pistachio, Prune, and Walnut Boards of California for their kind donations. Thank you to Muriel Gordon for the music.
The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed are the speaker’s own and do not represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of the University of California. The material and information presented here is for general information purposes only. The "University of California" name and all forms and abbreviations are the property of its owner and its use does not imply endorsement of or opposition to any specific organization, product, or service.
Dr. Amanda Hodson (UC Davis - Dept. of Entomology & Nematology) discusses her lab’s research on the soil health benefits of olive pomace and olive pomace compost. There are numerous potential benefits of this olive oil co-product!
Thank you to the Almond, Pistachio, Prune, and Walnut Boards of California for their kind donations. Thank you to Muriel Gordon for the music.
The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed are the speaker’s own and do not represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of the University of California. The material and information presented here is for general information purposes only. The "University of California" name and all forms and abbreviations are the property of its owner and its use does not imply endorsement of or opposition to any specific organization, product, or service.
Sat Darshan Khalsa explains nitrogen dynamics in the soil, including mineralization, gaseous losses, and answers some questions that Phoebe has regarding nitrogen uptake and a new kind of nitrogen fertilizer.
Thank you to the Almond, Pistachio, Prune, and Walnut Boards of California for their kind donations. Thank you to Muriel Gordon for the music.
The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed are the speaker’s own and do not represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of the University of California. The material and information presented here is for general information purposes only. The "University of California" name and all forms and abbreviations are the property of its owner and its use does not imply endorsement of or opposition to any specific organization, product, or service.
Encore airing of a 2018 episode: Phoebe Gordon sits down with farm advisor David Doll (with UCCE Merced at the time) to discuss tested strategies to overcome the replant problem, with a focus on almond production.
Mention of a pesticide or applied rate does not constitute a pesticide recommendation, merely a discussion of research findings. Always follow the pesticide label.
Thank you to the Almond, Pistachio, Prune, and Walnut Boards of California for their kind donations. Thank you to Muriel Gordon for the music.
The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed are the speaker’s own and do not represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of the University of California. The material and information presented here is for general information purposes only. The "University of California" name and all forms and abbreviations are the property of its owner and its use does not imply endorsement of or opposition to any specific organization, product, or service.
Music by Muriel Gordon.
In part five of the climate change series, Phoebe sits down with Tapan Pathak and Jhalendra Rijal to discuss the results of a study they published, examining the effects of climate change on Navel Orangeworm. While the study is based off of climate and insect models, like Daniel Swain mentioned in Part 3, these models are based on fundamental physical (and in the case of navel orangeworm, biological) properties.
Thank you to the Almond, Pistachio, Prune, and Walnut Boards of California for their kind donations. Thank you to Muriel Gordon for the music.
The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed are the speaker’s own and do not represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of the University of California. The material and information presented here is for general information purposes only. The "University of California" name and all forms and abbreviations are the property of its owner and its use does not imply endorsement of or opposition to any specific organization, product, or service.
In our 1-minute challenges we describe key almond, pistachio, prune, and walnut orchard tasks for the month of September.
On SacValleyOrchards.com (SVO) there is an article on walnut freeze (see the “How to prevent future damage” section). In walnut production – September is also a critical month for managing mold and for ethephon applications to either hasten or tighten up nut maturation. For a healthy orchard next spring, follow through on late season irrigation in your prune orchard. For other key September tasks in prunes see the management considerations on SVO.
Thank you to the Almond, Pistachio, Prune, and Walnut Boards of California for their kind donations. Thank you to Muriel Gordon for the music.
The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed are the speaker’s own and do not represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of the University of California. The material and information presented here is for general information purposes only. The "University of California" name and all forms and abbreviations are the property of its owner and its use does not imply endorsement of or opposition to any specific organization, product, or service.
Our concerns about how climate change will affect agriculture don’t just extend to crop performance; pest species will also be affected. In this week’s episode, Lynn Sosnoskie returns to talk about implications for weed management.
Thank you to the Almond, Pistachio, Prune, and Walnut Boards of California for their kind donations. Thank you to Muriel Gordon for the music.
The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed are the speaker’s own and do not represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of the University of California. The material and information presented here is for general information purposes only. The "University of California" name and all forms and abbreviations are the property of its owner and its use does not imply endorsement of or opposition to any specific organization, product, or service.
Daniel Swain, a climate scientist with UC Los Angeles’ Institute of the Environment and Sustainability, discusses climate models and California’s climate with Phoebe in this week’s episode. He shares what we’ve already seen, what climate scientists know will continue to happen, and clarifies a common misconception about what the future of precipitation will look like in California.
If you would like to learn more about the work that Daniel does, as well as get monthly (or so) updates on California’s climate, visit his blog at https://weatherwest.com/.
Thank you to the Almond, Pistachio, Prune, and Walnut Boards of California for their kind donations. Thank you to Muriel Gordon for the music.
The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed are the speaker’s own and do not represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of the University of California. The material and information presented here is for general information purposes only. The "University of California" name and all forms and abbreviations are the property of its owner and its use does not imply endorsement of or opposition to any specific organization, product, or service.
Arnold Bloom, a Distinguished Professor of plant sciences at UC Davis, shares a brief overview of the science of climate change and does a deep dive into how it will affect plants, with an emphasis on crops.
You can find his online, free class on climate change here: https://www.climatechangecourse.org/
Thank you to the Almond, Pistachio, Prune, and Walnut Boards of California for their kind donations. Thank you to Muriel Gordon for the music.
The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed are the speaker’s own and do not represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of the University of California. The material and information presented here is for general information purposes only. The "University of California" name and all forms and abbreviations are the property of its owner and its use does not imply endorsement of or opposition to any specific organization, product, or service.
In our 1-minute challenges we describe key almond, pistachio, prune, and walnut orchard tasks for the month of August.
On SacValleyOrchards.com (SVO) there is a roundup of the top almond orchard management considerations for August. David Haviland (UCCE Kern) also has a great article on almond hull split spray considerations in a tight fiscal year. In walnuts, consider the latest best practices to reduce walnut mold, particularly in a year with lots of sunburn. On SVO there is also a walnut article on insect & mite management on a budget, as well as considerations for whether to use ethephon in a lean price year. Be sure to carefully time prune harvest, to maximize profitability. Finally in prune production, be sure to follow through on late season irrigation to ensure a healthy orchard next spring.
Thank you to the Almond, Pistachio, Prune, and Walnut Boards of California for their kind donations. Thank you to Muriel Gordon for the music.
The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed are the speaker’s own and do not represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of the University of California. The material and information presented here is for general information purposes only. The "University of California" name and all forms and abbreviations are the property of its owner and its use does not imply endorsement of or opposition to any specific organization, product, or service.
The effects of climate change are already here, and unless we cut down on carbon emissions, things will only get worse. Agriculture is an industry that is incredibly vulnerable to this threat, and is an area of intense research among scientists. While we know a lot about current and future affects, the complexity of this problem means that we won’t fully understand the impacts until they are already here. Because of this, this series is focused more on speculations based on modeling, as well as research on insect and plant responses to changes in carbon dioxide, temperatures, and earlier transitions from winter into spring (which results in less chill accumulation and earlier emergence of pests).
This introductory episode with Tapan Pathak will lay the foundation for the series. You will hear some things multiple times in different episodes, but from different perspectives.
Thank you to the Almond, Pistachio, Prune, and Walnut Boards of California for their kind donations. Thank you to Muriel Gordon for the music.
The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed are the speaker’s own and do not represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of the University of California. The material and information presented here is for general information purposes only. The "University of California" name and all forms and abbreviations are the property of its owner and its use does not imply endorsement of or opposition to any specific organization, product, or service.
Dr. Kari Arnold (UCCE Orchard and Vineyard Systems Advisor) discusses both the history and current state of walnut blackline in California. You can learn more about blackline at UC IPM.
Thank you to the Almond, Pistachio, Prune, and Walnut Boards of California for their kind donations. Thank you to Muriel Gordon for the music.
The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed are the speaker’s own and do not represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of the University of California. The material and information presented here is for general information purposes only. The "University of California" name and all forms and abbreviations are the property of its owner and its use does not imply endorsement of or opposition to any specific organization, product, or service.
Dr. Kari Arnold (UCCE Orchard and Vineyard Systems Advisor) discusses both the history and future goals for growing apricots in California.
Thank you to the Almond, Pistachio, Prune, and Walnut Boards of California for their kind donations. Thank you to Muriel Gordon for the music.
The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed are the speaker’s own and do not represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of the University of California. The material and information presented here is for general information purposes only. The "University of California" name and all forms and abbreviations are the property of its owner and its use does not imply endorsement of or opposition to any specific organization, product, or service.
In our 1-minute challenges we describe key almond, pistachio, prune, and walnut orchard tasks for the month of July.
Guides to advanced pressure chamber use in almonds, walnuts, and prunes. Article on walnut freeze recovery. Article on managing blue prune drop.
Thank you to the Almond, Pistachio, Prune, and Walnut Boards of California for their kind donations. Thank you to Muriel Gordon for the music.
The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed are the speaker’s own and do not represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of the University of California. The material and information presented here is for general information purposes only. The "University of California" name and all forms and abbreviations are the property of its owner and its use does not imply endorsement of or opposition to any specific organization, product, or service.
Dr. Greg Browne (USDA-ARS Plant Pathologist based at UC Davis) shares his expert insights on the diagnosis and management of Phytophthora in almond and walnut orchards.
You can learn more in a recent article “Resurgence of Perennial Phytophthora Canker Disease of Almonds” on sjvtandv.com.
Thank you to the Almond, Pistachio, Prune, and Walnut Boards of California for their kind donations. Thank you to Muriel Gordon for the music.
The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed are the speaker’s own and do not represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of the University of California. The material and information presented here is for general information purposes only. The "University of California" name and all forms and abbreviations are the property of its owner and its use does not imply endorsement of or opposition to any specific organization, product, or service.
Then graduate student, Bob Johnson (UC Davis) discusses Phellinus, the cause of heart rot and wood decay in prunes, and the potential of biocontrol as a treatment.
Thank you to the Almond, Pistachio, Prune, and Walnut Boards of California for their kind donations. Thank you to Muriel Gordon for the music.
The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed are the speaker’s own and do not represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of the University of California. The material and information presented here is for general information purposes only. The "University of California" name and all forms and abbreviations are the property of its owner and its use does not imply endorsement of or opposition to any specific organization, product, or service.
Craig Ledbetter shares the goals of his Prunus and Vitis breeding programs with Phoebe Gordon, as well as some information on the four varieties he included in the Regional Almond Variety Trial. This includes Yorizane, a recently released self compatible and self fruitful almond variety.
If you would like to listen to the most recent RAVT episode: https://www.growingthevalleypodcast.com/podcastfeed/ravt2
Thank you to the Almond, Pistachio, Prune, and Walnut Boards of California for their kind donations. Thank you to Muriel Gordon for the music.
The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed are the speaker’s own and do not represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of the University of California. The material and information presented here is for general information purposes only. The "University of California" name and all forms and abbreviations are the property of its owner and its use does not imply endorsement of or opposition to any specific organization, product, or service.
An effective foliar spray depends on picking the correct product for the job, applying at the right time, getting the concentration correct, and most importantly: making sure the product is applied correctly. The last step, despite being the most important, is often overlooked. Peter Ako Larbi, a new spray engineer based at Kearney Research and Extension Center in Parlier, discusses how to improve foliar spray applications in orchards.
Thank you to the Almond, Pistachio, Prune, and Walnut Boards of California for their kind donations. Thank you to Muriel Gordon for the music.
The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed are the speaker’s own and do not represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of the University of California. The material and information presented here is for general information purposes only. The "University of California" name and all forms and abbreviations are the property of its owner and its use does not imply endorsement of or opposition to any specific organization, product, or service.
In our 1-minute challenges we describe key almond, pistachio, prune, and walnut orchard tasks for the month of June.
June walnut and prune tasks are at Sacramento Valley Orchard Source.
Thank you to the Almond, Pistachio, Prune, and Walnut Boards of California for their kind donations. Thank you to Muriel Gordon for the music.
The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed are the speaker’s own and do not represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of the University of California. The material and information presented here is for general information purposes only. The "University of California" name and all forms and abbreviations are the property of its owner and its use does not imply endorsement of or opposition to any specific organization, product, or service.
On May 18 California hosted the virtual International Prune Association Congress. As part of the congress Luke moderated an orchard management panel. The panelists were Joe Turkovich (USA), Maud Delavaud (France), and Andres Olivos del Rio (Chile). The conversation sheds light on the struggles faced by prune production and orchard agriculture more broadly in three key global production areas. Many thanks to the panelists and to the California Prune Board for lettings us share this session as a podcast. To view the presenters’ slides, you can watch the this session and others at: https://prunesglobalgoodness.org/on-demand-sessions/.
Thank you to the Almond, Pistachio, Prune, and Walnut Boards of California for their kind donations. Thank you to Muriel Gordon for the music.
The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed are the speaker’s own and do not represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of the University of California. The material and information presented here is for general information purposes only. The "University of California" name and all forms and abbreviations are the property of its owner and its use does not imply endorsement of or opposition to any specific organization, product, or service.
In this encore performance of the premier episode of our irrigation series, David Doll and Luke Milliron dive into why skilled irrigation management is what separates the best almond farmers from the rest of the pack.
If you are a grower in need of CDFA Irrigation and Nitrogen Management credits you can receive 0.5 credits by listening to both this episode and a second, and then filling out this short quiz.
Thank you to the Almond, Pistachio, Prune, and Walnut Boards of California for their kind donations. Thank you to Muriel Gordon for the music.
The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed are the speaker’s own and do not represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of the University of California. The material and information presented here is for general information purposes only. The "University of California" name and all forms and abbreviations are the property of its owner and its use does not imply endorsement of or opposition to any specific organization, product, or service.
Phoebe, Luke, and Roger Duncan (UCCE Stanislaus) discuss the latest results out of their respective regional almond variety trial sites.
Additional resources:
The first podcast episode (2018) on the variety trial.
The research report of the most recent (2020) results, is the main source material for the conversation.
Finally, we compiled our results to-date in a more user-friendly article in 2020 (results through 6th leaf).
Thank you to the Almond, Pistachio, Prune, and Walnut Boards of California for their kind donations. Thank you to Muriel Gordon for the music.
The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed are the speaker’s own and do not represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of the University of California. The material and information presented here is for general information purposes only. The "University of California" name and all forms and abbreviations are the property of its owner and its use does not imply endorsement of or opposition to any specific organization, product, or service.
In our 1-minute challenges we describe key almond, pistachio, prune, and walnut orchard tasks for the month of May. Luke also discusses the extensive freeze damage that farm advisors are observing in walnut orchards. You can learn more about why we believe damage was so severe and what should be done in freeze affected orchards at sacvalleyorchards.com/blog/walnuts-blog/november-2020-freeze.
Additional resources:
Pulling the trigger for the start of irrigation in the spring: Too much too soon for walnuts?
Article on Thinning Prunes and the Prune Thinning Calculator
Irrigating with lower quality water? What to consider first.
Thank you to the Almond, Pistachio, Prune, and Walnut Boards of California for their kind donations. Thank you to Muriel Gordon for the music.
The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed are the speaker’s own and do not represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of the University of California. The material and information presented here is for general information purposes only. The "University of California" name and all forms and abbreviations are the property of its owner and its use does not imply endorsement of or opposition to any specific organization, product, or service.
Tom Devol of the Almond Board of California shares how leaks can quickly lead to large losses, complicating nutrient management as well as good irrigation system management. He shares tips on where to look for leaks and how to best maintain your irrigation system.
If you farm in Tehama, Butte, Colusa, Glenn, Shasta or Yolo counties you can apply for a free system evaluation from the Tehama Resource Conservation District Mobile Irrigation Lab. For more information, or to schedule a free evaluation, please contact: Kevin Greer (530) 727 – 1297, kevin@tehamacountyrcd.org. If you do not farm in those counties, your local RCD may also provide help.
Thank you to the Almond, Pistachio, Prune, and Walnut Boards of California for their kind donations. Thank you to Muriel Gordon for the music.
The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed are the speaker’s own and do not represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of the University of California. The material and information presented here is for general information purposes only. The "University of California" name and all forms and abbreviations are the property of its owner and its use does not imply endorsement of or opposition to any specific organization, product, or service.
Soil health is broad term that encompasses a important topic: functional soil that can support human activities, animals, and plants. Measuring soil health can be difficult even for soil scientists, but in today’s episode, Sarah Light shares some tools that growers, PCAs, and CCAs can use to judge soil health in their or their clients’ orchards.
Thank you to the Almond, Pistachio, Prune, and Walnut Boards of California for their kind donations. Thank you to Muriel Gordon for the music.
The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed are the speaker’s own and do not represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of the University of California. The material and information presented here is for general information purposes only. The "University of California" name and all forms and abbreviations are the property of its owner and its use does not imply endorsement of or opposition to any specific organization, product, or service.
Compost is a difficult soil amendment to understand. Its nutritional value varies depending on the source, and the nitrogen contributions vary widely. To top it off, there has been very little research examining its benefits when surface applying it to the tree rows. Sat Darshan Khalsa is hoping to change this. In today’s episode, he shares some of what he’s learned, such as the fate of applied compost, the nitrogen contribution, and effects on soil properties.
Thank you to the Almond, Pistachio, Prune, and Walnut Boards of California for their kind donations. Thank you to Muriel Gordon for the music.
The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed are the speaker’s own and do not represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of the University of California. The material and information presented here is for general information purposes only. The "University of California" name and all forms and abbreviations are the property of its owner and its use does not imply endorsement of or opposition to any specific organization, product, or service.
Phoebe and Luke square off on monthly orchard tasks once again. Spoiler alert: Phoebe goes WAY over time (again) and Luke wins (again). They also discuss more leafing failure, which has popped up again this year, and bloom conditions.
April prune tasks: https://www.sacvalleyorchards.com/prunes/year-round-management-prunes/april-2/
Walnut blight management: https://www.sacvalleyorchards.com/walnuts/diseases/walnut-blight-management/
Dust reducing pistachio fruit set: https://www.sjvtandv.com/blog/e190g5iux4hq92230l5c8g8xcid3a9
Thank you to the Almond, Pistachio, Prune, and Walnut Boards of California for their kind donations. Thank you to Muriel Gordon for the music.
The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed are the speaker’s own and do not represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of the University of California. The material and information presented here is for general information purposes only. The "University of California" name and all forms and abbreviations are the property of its owner and its use does not imply endorsement of or opposition to any specific organization, product, or service.
Before planting a new orchard, the soil is traditionally fumigated to reduce nematodes and the still not-yet-fully understood Prunus Replant Disease pathogen complex. Current fumigants are effective, but release volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which has resulted in township caps in some areas of the Central Valley. Anaerobic Soil Disinfestation (ASD) is being examined as a possible alternative, to soil fumigation, and it works by harnessing natural processes to reduce soil pathogens. Amisha Poret-Peterson and Greg Browne, two USDA-ARS research scientists share what they’ve learned on ASD’s effect on soil microbial communities and plant pathogens.
Thank you to the Almond, Pistachio, Prune, and Walnut Boards of California for their kind donations. Thank you to Muriel Gordon for the music.
The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed are the speaker’s own and do not represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of the University of California. The material and information presented here is for general information purposes only. The "University of California" name and all forms and abbreviations are the property of its owner and its use does not imply endorsement of or opposition to any specific organization, product, or service.
Dr. Bruce Lampinen (UC Davis) discusses canopy management through the lens of photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) or how much shade is on the floor of the orchard at midday. Increasing PAR is directly related to increasing yield in almond and walnut: ucanr.edu/sites/LampinenLab/Canopy_Management.
Thank you to the Almond, Pistachio, Prune, and Walnut Boards of California for their kind donations. Thank you to Muriel Gordon for the music.
The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed are the speaker’s own and do not represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of the University of California. The material and information presented here is for general information purposes only. The "University of California" name and all forms and abbreviations are the property of its owner and its use does not imply endorsement of or opposition to any specific organization, product, or service.
Dr. Bruce Lampinen (UC Davis) discusses the problem of overwatering in walnut and almond orchards, the health implications and how irrigation can be managed with root health in mind.
We have previous episode on the pressure chamber and start of irrigation in walnut. As well as on keeping root health in mind when irrigating. On SacValleyOrchards we have an article on the multiple approaches to timing the start of irrigation in almond, as well as the research in walnut.
Thank you to the Almond, Pistachio, Prune, and Walnut Boards of California for their kind donations. Thank you to Muriel Gordon for the music.
The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed are the speaker’s own and do not represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of the University of California. The material and information presented here is for general information purposes only. The "University of California" name and all forms and abbreviations are the property of its owner and its use does not imply endorsement of or opposition to any specific organization, product, or service.
Dr. Patrick Brown (UC Davis) discusses the efficacy of biostimulants and what orchardists should consider if they’re interested in trying these products. You can find more details in a recent talk Patrick gave on biostimulants.
Thank you to the Almond, Pistachio, Prune, and Walnut Boards of California for their kind donations. Thank you to Muriel Gordon for the music.
The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed are the speaker’s own and do not represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of the University of California. The material and information presented here is for general information purposes only. The "University of California" name and all forms and abbreviations are the property of its owner and its use does not imply endorsement of or opposition to any specific organization, product, or service.
In our 1-minute challenges we describe key March almond, pistachio, prune, and walnut orchard tasks. We also discuss the low almond bloom density following last year’s heavy crop, and the importance of making an informed start to the almond irrigation season. You can learn more about how to time the first irrigation in almonds at: https://www.sacvalleyorchards.com/blog/almonds-blog/early-season-irrigation-do-we-know-when-to-start/
Thank you to the Almond, Pistachio, Prune, and Walnut Boards of California for their kind donations. Thank you to Muriel Gordon for the music.
The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed are the speaker’s own and do not represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of the University of California. The material and information presented here is for general information purposes only. The "University of California" name and all forms and abbreviations are the property of its owner and its use does not imply endorsement of or opposition to any specific organization, product, or service.
Houston Wilson shares updates from the Sterile Insect Technique program, including what they have learned from trying to get a more energetic sterile moth, and his thoughts for the future of the research project. This project is currently being funded by the California Pistachio Research Board and the Almond Board of California.
Thank you to the Almond, Pistachio, Prune, and Walnut Boards of California for their kind donations. Thank you to Muriel Gordon for the music.
The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed are the speaker’s own and do not represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of the University of California. The material and information presented here is for general information purposes only. The "University of California" name and all forms and abbreviations are the property of its owner and its use does not imply endorsement of or opposition to any specific organization, product, or service.
Dr. Toby O’Geen (UC Davis/UCCE ) discusses a model that shows how understanding of soil texture and plant available water could allow for greater use of green water (soil stored precipitation) and save on blue water (surface and groundwater). The UC Davis/UCCE California Soil Resource Lab also have a list of SoilWeb Apps.
We discussed in a previous episode how the pressure chamber can be used to let walnut trees tell us when they need water in spring.
Thank you to the Almond, Pistachio, Prune, and Walnut Boards of California for their kind donations. Thank you to Muriel Gordon for the music.
The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed are the speaker’s own and do not represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of the University of California. The material and information presented here is for general information purposes only. The "University of California" name and all forms and abbreviations are the property of its owner and its use does not imply endorsement of or opposition to any specific organization, product, or service.
Bacterial blast and canker (same disease, different pathology) doesn’t always hit, but when conditions are favorable (cold, wet weather during bloom), it can be devastating. Jim Adascaveg with UC Riverside describes the conditions that lead to it, as well as work he’s done trying to combat it. This episode is focused on the blast portion of the disease.
For more information on bacterial blast and canker, please visit the episode page.
Mention of pesticide useage or trade name does not constitute a pesticide recommendation. Always follow the pesticide label and any supplemental labels. The label is law. Find out more at ipm.ucanr.edu/.
Thank you to the Almond, Pistachio, Prune, and Walnut Boards of California for their kind donations. Thank you to Muriel Gordon for the music.
The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed are the speaker’s own and do not represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of the University of California. The material and information presented here is for general information purposes only. The "University of California" name and all forms and abbreviations are the property of its owner and its use does not imply endorsement of or opposition to any specific organization, product, or service.
We’re back! And we’re sharing some things that you should keep track of for almonds, pistachios, prunes, and walnuts for February 2021.
Mention of a trade name is not an endorsement or recommendation. Always check the label before applying.
More information on fungicide efficacy and treatment timing tables can be found here:
https://www.sjvtandv.com/blog/other-resources-fungicide-treatment-timing-and-efficacy-tables
and here: www.ipm.ucanr.edu
Thank you to the Almond, Pistachio, Prune, and Walnut Boards of California for their kind donations. Thank you to Muriel Gordon for the music.
The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed are the speaker’s own and do not represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of the University of California. The material and information presented here is for general information purposes only. The "University of California" name and all forms and abbreviations are the property of its owner and its use does not imply endorsement of or opposition to any specific organization, product, or service.
Labor costs in California are high and continue to rise. Nut crops are less affected by this, since most operations are fully mechanized, however fruit must still be hand picked. Rachel Elkins and Stavros Vougioukas share some of the work they’ve done with picking platforms to reduce harvest costs for peaches and pears.
Thank you to the Almond, Pistachio, Prune, and Walnut Boards of California for their kind donations. Thank you to Muriel Gordon for the music.
The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed are the speaker’s own and do not represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of the University of California. The material and information presented here is for general information purposes only. The "University of California" name and all forms and abbreviations are the property of its owner and its use does not imply endorsement of or opposition to any specific organization, product, or service.
Dr. Richard Rosecrance (CSU Chico) talks oil olive production, particularly his experience with super high-density production in California’s Central Valley.
UC Davis Olive Center: olivecenter.ucdavis.edu/
Thank you to the Almond, Pistachio, Prune, and Walnut Boards of California for their kind donations. Thank you to Muriel Gordon for the music.
The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed are the speaker’s own and do not represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of the University of California. The material and information presented here is for general information purposes only. The "University of California" name and all forms and abbreviations are the property of its owner and its use does not imply endorsement of or opposition to any specific organization, product, or service.
Bob Beede, farm advisor emeritus, shares his knowledge on zinc fertilization in orchard trees, including timing and what products will cause issues with phytotoxicity.
Thank you to the Almond, Pistachio, Prune, and Walnut Boards of California for their kind donations. Thank you to Muriel Gordon for the music.
The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed are the speaker’s own and do not represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of the University of California. The material and information presented here is for general information purposes only. The "University of California" name and all forms and abbreviations are the property of its owner and its use does not imply endorsement of or opposition to any specific organization, product, or service.
Patrick Brown, professor of plant sciences at UC Davis, shares information on the uses of boron in plants and how to think about boron fertilization in orchards.
Boron as a toxic ion in almonds has been covered previously: https://www.growingthevalleypodcast.com/podcastfeed/borontox
Thank you to the Almond, Pistachio, Prune, and Walnut Boards of California for their kind donations. Thank you to Muriel Gordon for the music.
The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed are the speaker’s own and do not represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of the University of California. The material and information presented here is for general information purposes only. The "University of California" name and all forms and abbreviations are the property of its owner and its use does not imply endorsement of or opposition to any specific organization, product, or service.
Dr. Toby O’Geen discusses the powerful SoilWeb Apps available from the UC Davis/UCCE California Soil Resource Lab. List of SoilWeb Apps
Link to SoilWeb on your phone
Download the iTunes App
Download the Google Play (Android) App
Thank you to the Almond, Pistachio, Prune, and Walnut Boards of California for their kind donations. Thank you to Muriel Gordon for the music.
The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed are the speaker’s own and do not represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of the University of California. The material and information presented here is for general information purposes only. The "University of California" name and all forms and abbreviations are the property of its owner and its use does not imply endorsement of or opposition to any specific organization, product, or service.
We discuss dormancy and chilling with Katherine Jarvis-Shean, Orchard Systems Advisor in Yolo, Solano, and Sacramento Counties (AKA Yolanomento). She explains what we know about dormancy, how we calculate chill accumulation, and why we seem to be seeing more winters with poor chill accumulation recently.
This interview was recorded in March of 2018.
Mention of a product does not constitute an endorsement.
Music by Muriel Gordon.
Dr. Richard Rosecrance (CSU Chico) talks oil olive production, particularly his experience with super high-density production in California’s Central Valley.
UC Davis Olive Center: olivecenter.ucdavis.edu/
Thank you to the Almond, Pistachio, Prune, and Walnut Boards of California for their kind donations. Thank you to Muriel Gordon for the music.
The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed are the speaker’s own and do not represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of the University of California. The material and information presented here is for general information purposes only. The "University of California" name and all forms and abbreviations are the property of its owner and its use does not imply endorsement of or opposition to any specific organization, product, or service.
Mae and Luke discuss winter irrigation, especially in the context of leaching. Discussing the steps involved in leaching and whether you may need to amend your soils first.
Great information on leaching in the pistachio production manual: anrcatalog.ucanr.edu/Details.aspx?itemNo=3545
As well as in the publication “Agricultural Salinity and Drainage” anrcatalog.ucanr.edu/Details.aspx?itemNo=3375
If you don’t know your irrigation application rate (in/ac), you can calculate it at: sacvalleyorchards.com/et-reports/et-calculators/application-rate-calculator-drip-micros/
Thank you to the Almond, Pistachio, Prune, and Walnut Boards of California for their kind donations. Thank you to Muriel Gordon for the music.
The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed are the speaker’s own and do not represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of the University of California. The material and information presented here is for general information purposes only. The "University of California" name and all forms and abbreviations are the property of its owner and its use does not imply endorsement of or opposition to any specific organization, product, or service.
Allan and Luke discuss the considerations for irrigating during a dry fall and winter.
Thank you to the Almond, Pistachio, Prune, and Walnut Boards of California for their kind donations. Thank you to Muriel Gordon for the music.
The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed are the speaker’s own and do not represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of the University of California. The material and information presented here is for general information purposes only. The "University of California" name and all forms and abbreviations are the property of its owner and its use does not imply endorsement of or opposition to any specific organization, product, or service.
Leslie Holland, Assistant Professor at University of Wisconsin, Madison, shares the results of some of her work examining fungicides to suppress Botryosphaeria infections in almond pruning wounds as a Ph.D. student at UC Davis. Leslie shares what works, as well as the key tip to dealing with fungal infections in orchard crops: preventing the infection from occurring in the first place.
Mention of pesticide use does not constitute a pesticide recommendation. Always follow the pesticide label. Find out more at ipm.ucanr.edu/.
Thank you to the Almond, Pistachio, Prune, and Walnut Boards of California for their kind donations. Thank you to Muriel Gordon for the music.
The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed are the speaker’s own and do not represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of the University of California. The material and information presented here is for general information purposes only. The "University of California" name and all forms and abbreviations are the property of its owner and its use does not imply endorsement of or opposition to any specific organization, product, or service.
Brittney Goodrich, a Specialist in Economics at UC Davis, breaks down the major factors influencing bee prices in this week’s episode. She also gives an update on the current economic outlook on almond pollination in 2021.
Thank you to the Almond, Pistachio, Prune, and Walnut Boards of California for their kind donations. Thank you to Muriel Gordon for the music.
The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed are the speaker’s own and do not represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of the University of California. The material and information presented here is for general information purposes only. The "University of California" name and all forms and abbreviations are the property of its owner and its use does not imply endorsement of or opposition to any specific organization, product, or service.
Deciding whether to plant cover crops can be difficult, as many of their benefits are hard to quantify. How do you put a dollar value on improved infiltration rates or bee habitat? Recognizing this problem, Alyssa DeVincentis and Ellen Bruno sought to do just that, and share the results of their study in this episode.
You can find the calculator here: https://shiny.lawr.ucdavis.edu/shiny/cc_calculator/app.Rmd#section-overview
Thank you to the Almond, Pistachio, Prune, and Walnut Boards of California for their kind donations. Thank you to Muriel Gordon for the music.
The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed are the speaker’s own and do not represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of the University of California. The material and information presented here is for general information purposes only. The "University of California" name and all forms and abbreviations are the property of its owner and its use does not imply endorsement of or opposition to any specific organization, product, or service.
Cover cropping has been around for a long time, but there’s not much known about its benefits and drawbacks in California orchard systems. Amelie Gaudin and Katherine Jarvis-Shean share their different approaches in learning about this practice: Gaudin has been conducting research at several sites across the state, and Jarvis-Shean worked with other entities and growers to create the Cover Crop Support Group in the Sacramento Valley.
Thank you to the Almond, Pistachio, Prune, and Walnut Boards of California for their kind donations. Thank you to Muriel Gordon for the music.
The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed are the speaker’s own and do not represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of the University of California. The material and information presented here is for general information purposes only. The "University of California" name and all forms and abbreviations are the property of its owner and its use does not imply endorsement of or opposition to any specific organization, product, or service.
Phoebe breaks down the importance and best practices surrounding potassium nutrition in orchard crops.
Phoebe and Franz Niederholzer wrote an excellent article on K nutrition
CDFA – FREP Fertilization Guidelines
Thank you to the Almond, Pistachio, Prune, and Walnut Boards of California for their kind donations. Thank you to Muriel Gordon for the music.
The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed are the speaker’s own and do not represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of the University of California. The material and information presented here is for general information purposes only. The "University of California" name and all forms and abbreviations are the property of its owner and its use does not imply endorsement of or opposition to any specific organization, product, or service.
Dr. Florent Trouillas (UCCE Plant Pathology Specialist) discusses how abiotic causes and not diseases are often behind the problems he sees on farm calls.
As Flo describes, knowing when a problem might be abiotic begins with first understanding the symptoms of common pests and diseases. Find out more at ipm.ucanr.edu/.
Want to learn more? We have several closely related episodes!
Canker diseases with Florent Trouillas
Diagnosing Boron Toxicity in Almond with Mae Culumber
Diagnosis with Dani Lightle
Diagnosis with Dani Lightle pt. 2: Ants?!?
Thank you to the Almond, Pistachio, Prune, and Walnut Boards of California for their kind donations. Thank you to Muriel Gordon for the music.
The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed are the speaker’s own and do not represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of the University of California. The material and information presented here is for general information purposes only. The "University of California" name and all forms and abbreviations are the property of its owner and its use does not imply endorsement of or opposition to any specific organization, product, or service.
It’s been about two years since we last aired this episode, but the message hasn’t changed since then: sanitation is a critical component of a successful navel orangeworm management program. Emily Symmes shares her expertise in this episode.
Thank you to the Almond, Pistachio, Prune, and Walnut Boards of California for their kind donations. Thank you to Muriel Gordon for the music.
The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed are the speaker’s own and do not represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of the University of California. The material and information presented here is for general information purposes only. The "University of California" name and all forms and abbreviations are the property of its owner and its use does not imply endorsement of or opposition to any specific organization, product, or service.
Dr. Themis Michailides (UC Davis Plant Pathologist) discusses his lab’s advances against Cytospora cankers, a disease that can devastate prune orchards.
More about Cytospora cankers at: sacvalleyorchards.com/prunes/cytospora-cankers/
Mention of pesticide use does not constitute a pesticide recommendation. Always follow the pesticide label. Find out more at ipm.ucanr.edu/.
Thank you to the Almond, Pistachio, Prune, and Walnut Boards of California for their kind donations. Thank you to Muriel Gordon for the music.
The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed are the speaker’s own and do not represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of the University of California. The material and information presented here is for general information purposes only. The "University of California" name and all forms and abbreviations are the property of its owner and its use does not imply endorsement of or opposition to any specific organization, product, or service.
Kari Arnold discusses crown gall management, focusing on prevention, which is the best way to manage any disease. It’s especially important with crown gall, as removing it is tough and leaves a wound that can be re-infected… that is, if you successfully remove the gall in the first place. Listen to find out more! Follow the links below to find out more crown gall management in:
Walnuts https://www2.ipm.ucanr.edu/agriculture/walnut/Crown-Gall/
Almonds https://www2.ipm.ucanr.edu/agriculture/almond/Crown-Gall/
Peach http://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/r602101211.html
Mention of pesticide use does not constitute a pesticide recommendation. Always follow the pesticide label, as the label is the law.
Thank you to the Almond, Pistachio, Prune, and Walnut Boards of California for their kind donations. Thank you to Muriel Gordon for the music.
The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed are the speaker’s own and do not represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of the University of California. The material and information presented here is for general information purposes only. The "University of California" name and all forms and abbreviations are the property of its owner and its use does not imply endorsement of or opposition to any specific organization, product, or service.
Ben Faber discusses mulch application in avocado and citrus orchards, including things such as economies of scale, sources, and the need for close irrigation management.
Thank you to the Almond, Pistachio, Prune, and Walnut Boards of California for their kind donations. Thank you to Muriel Gordon for the music.
The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed are the speaker’s own and do not represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of the University of California. The material and information presented here is for general information purposes only. The "University of California" name and all forms and abbreviations are the property of its owner and its use does not imply endorsement of or opposition to any specific organization, product, or service.
Dr. Beth Grafton-Cardwell (UCCE Emeritus Entomology Specialist) discusses the wide variety of scale insects in citrus production in California and some of the great integrated pest management approaches available.
Recent talk from Dr. Beth Grafton-Cardwell on Citricola scale: youtube.com/watch?v=fsVtBPMWXQQ&t
And Red Scale: youtube.com/watch?v=3WUSyeYZAws&t
Citrus IPM information at: www2.ipm.ucanr.edu/agriculture/citrus/
Mention of pesticide use does not constitute a pesticide recommendation. Always follow the pesticide label. Find out more at ipm.ucanr.edu/.
Thank you to the Almond, Pistachio, Prune, and Walnut Boards of California for their kind donations. Thank you to Muriel Gordon for the music.
The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed are the speaker’s own and do not represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of the University of California. The material and information presented here is for general information purposes only. The "University of California" name and all forms and abbreviations are the property of its owner and its use does not imply endorsement of or opposition to any specific organization, product, or service.
Dr. Beth Grafton-Cardwell (UCCE Emeritus Entomology Specialist) discusses the basics of the insect and disease complex of Asian Citrus Psyllid and Huanglongbing that is impacting citrus production in California and globally.
UC ANR resources on ACP and HLB at:
ucanr.edu/sites/ACP/ and ucanr.edu/sites/scienceforcitrushealth/
Dr. Beth Grafton-Cardwell gives a deeper dive on YouTube:
For industry: youtube.com/watch?v=F_2GQG1Q3i8
For backyard: youtube.com/watch?v=axPwx95mj30
Finally, there are apps for seeing how close you are to HLB:
For industry: ucanr.edu/hlbgrowerapp
For backyard: ucanr.edu/hlbapp
Mention of pesticide use does not constitute a pesticide recommendation. Always follow the pesticide label. Find out more at ipm.ucanr.edu/.
Thank you to the Almond, Pistachio, Prune, and Walnut Boards of California for their kind donations. Thank you to Muriel Gordon for the music.
Dr. Themis Michailides has been seeing increased mold in walnut pathology samples in recent years. The UC Davis Plant Pathologist at the Kearney Ag Center discusses his lab’s research on the biology and management of the disease.
An article based on this episode, can be found at: sacvalleyorchards.com/walnuts/diseases/managing-mold
Mention of a pesticide does not constitute a pesticide recommendation. Always follow the pesticide label. Find out more at ipm.ucanr.edu/.
Thank you to the Almond, Pistachio, Prune, and Walnut Boards of California for their kind donations. Thank you to Muriel Gordon for the music.
James Schaeffer shared some research he’s done on alkaliweed during his master’s project. There’s still a lot we don’t know, but early research shows that it has definitely earned its common name due to its high salt tolerance.
Mention of a trade name is not an endorsement or recommendation. Always check the label before applying.
Thanks to the Pistachio, Almond, Walnut and Prune Boards of California for their generous financial support. Music by Muriel Gordon.
This is a UC ANR educational podcast. Any opinions or positions taken are those of the hosts and not the University of California. Use of this platform for and any advertisements connected with this podcast do not imply endorsement.
Dr. Lynn Sosnoskie may have moved across the country to Cornell, but she is still interested in finding new and better ways to kill field bindweed. We discuss tips and tricks for tackling this pesky invader, but don’t worry: if you can’t get in control, your orchard canopy will eventually shade it out. Eventually.
Mention of a trade name is not an endorsement or recommendation. Always check the label before applying.
Thanks to the Pistachio, Almond, Walnut and Prune Boards of California for their generous financial support. Music by Muriel Gordon.
This is a UC ANR educational podcast. Any opinions or positions taken are those of the hosts and not the University of California. Use of this platform for and any advertisements connected with this podcast do not imply endorsement.
Ben Faber (UCCE Ventura) and Luke Milliron (UCCE Butte) talk citrus and avocado nitrogen management. Including a discussion of how central irrigation management is to N management and CA orchard success more broadly.
This discussion does not constitute a recommendation, simply the sharing of research, experience, and personal opinion.
Thanks to the Pistachio, Almond, Walnut and Prune Boards of California for their generous financial support. Music by Muriel Gordon.
This is a UC ANR educational podcast. Any opinions or positions taken are those of the hosts and not the University of California. Use of this platform for and any advertisements connected with this podcast do not imply endorsement.
Franz Niederholzer (UCCE Colusa) and Luke Milliron (UCCE Butte) talk best practices for nitrogen management in prunes. Including with N in almond production, as well as considerations for organic production.
This discussion does not constitute a fertilizer recommendation, simply the sharing of research and experience.
The audio quality for our conversation is not ideal. However, Franz has really great information to share, so we appreciate your patience with the audio.
Thanks to the Pistachio, Almond, Walnut and Prune Boards of California for their generous financial support. Music by Muriel Gordon.
This is a UC ANR educational podcast. Any opinions or positions taken are those of the hosts and not the University of California. Use of this platform for and any advertisements connected with this podcast do not imply endorsement.
Phoebe continues the nitrogen series with a discussion on pistachio nitrogen needs with Craig Kallsen. Craig doesn’t just talk about the odd nutrient uptake patterns in the crop, and also brings a nuanced discussion of nitrogen management in low rainfall areas, as well as some of the drawbacks to spoonfeeding (hint: it’s related to cost!)
Thanks to the Pistachio, Almond, Walnut and Prune Boards of California for their generous financial support. Music by Muriel Gordon.
This is a UC ANR educational podcast. Any opinions or positions taken are those of the hosts and not the University of California. The use of this platform for and any advertisements connected with this podcast do not imply endorsement.
Phoebe talks to Zheng Wang about the basics of fertigation, including the importance of water temperature, how to keep clogs out of your system, and how to figure out when you need to time your injection.
Additional resources for fertigation: http://cemonterey.ucanr.edu/files/170985.pdf
Manual on fertigation with micro-irrigation: https://anrcatalog.ucanr.edu/Details.aspx?itemNo=21620
There’s one week left to evaluate the survey. Participation is optional, results are confidential and you can stop taking it at any time. We will share the results on the podcast and in articles. We will use the results to improve the podcast, so if you haven’t checked out the survey, have your voice be heard at ucanr.edu/podcastsurvey.
Thanks to the Pistachio, Almond, Walnut and Prune Boards of California for their generous financial support. Music by Muriel Gordon.
This is a UC ANR educational podcast. Any opinions or positions taken are those of the hosts and not the University of California. Use of this platform for and any advertisements connected with this podcast do not imply endorsement.
Franz Niederholzer discusses almond orchard pre-harvest preparations. Franz mentions some herbicide names, this does not constitute a pesticide recommendation, consult with your PCA and always read the label. Finally, the audio quality for our conversation is not ideal. However, Franz has really great information to share, so we appreciate your patience with the audio.
David Doll on hull split deficit irrigation: thealmonddoctor.com/2018/06/15/irrigating-summer-considerations-deficit-irrigation/
David Doll on avoiding shaker damage: thealmonddoctor.com/2019/08/20/almond-shaker-damage/
Almond Board resources on dust reeducation: almonds.com/almond-industry/orchard-management/harvest/dust-reduction
We have crested 100 episodes and our podcast survey will be closing at the end of July. Our goal with the survey is to evaluate the podcast as a teaching tool. Participation is optional, results are confidential and you can stop taking it at any time. We will share the results on the podcast and in articles. We will use the results to improve the podcast, so if you haven’t checked out the survey, have your voice be heard at: ucanr.edu/podcastsurvey.
Thanks to the Pistachio, Almond, Walnut and Prune Boards of California for their generous financial support. Music by Muriel Gordon.
This is a UC ANR educational podcast. Any opinions or positions taken are those of the hosts and not the University of California. Use of this platform for and any advertisements connected with this podcast do not imply endorsement.
First: this is our 100th episode. Thank you so much for listening, and we’re excited to add some new kinds of content after we’ve wrapped up the survey. In this episode, Luke goes over BOT control in walnut orchards, including what kinds of tissues can be infected, chemical, and cultural control.
For more on Botryosphaeria in walnut see: http://www.sacvalleyorchards.com/walnuts/diseases/botryosphaeria-canker-blight/
For more information on fungicide efficacy, consult the walnut tables at the end of this document: http://ipm.ucanr.edu/PDF/PMG/fungicideefficacytiming.pdf
These tables do not constitute a pesticide recommendation merely the sharing of research results. Always follow the pesticide label.
We're conducting a survey to evaluate the pod as a teaching tool. Participation is optional, results are confidential and you can stop taking it at any time. We would like to use this to improve the pod, so please consider participating! ucanr.edu/podcastsurvey
Thanks to the Pistachio, Almond, Walnut and Prune Boards of California for their generous financial support. Music by Muriel Gordon.
This is a UC ANR educational podcast. Any opinions or positions taken are those of the hosts and not the University of California. Use of this platform for and any advertisements connected with this podcast do not imply endorsement.
Katherine Jarvis-Shean (UCCE Yolo) discusses the latest walnut nitrogen management best practices. Dr. Jarvis-Shean thanks the California Department of Food and Agriculture and the California Walnut Board for supporting this research.
We are not providing fertilizer recommendations, instead we are sharing educational resources.
We're conducting a survey to evaluate the pod as a teaching tool. Participation is optional, results are confidential and you can stop taking it at any time. We would like to use this to improve the pod, so please consider participating! ucanr.edu/podcastsurvey
Thanks to the Pistachio, Almond, Walnut and Prune Boards of California for their generous financial support. Music by Muriel Gordon.
This is a UC ANR educational podcast. Any opinions or positions taken are those of the hosts and not the University of California. Use of this platform for and any advertisements connected with this podcast do not imply endorsement.
We are challenged to list July almond, pistachio, prune, and walnut orchard tasks. We also discuss the complexities of almond hull split regulated deficit irrigation.
We're conducting a survey to evaluate the pod as a teaching tool. Participation is optional, results are confidential and you can stop taking it at any time. We would like to use this to improve the pod, so please consider participating! ucanr.edu/podcastsurvey
Thanks to the Pistachio, Almond, Walnut and Prune Boards of California for their generous financial support. Music by Muriel Gordon.
This is a UC ANR educational podcast. Any opinions or positions taken are those of the hosts and not the University of California. Use of this platform for and any advertisements connected with this podcast do not imply endorsement.
Ganoderma adspersum is a wood rot fungus that isn’t behaving quite like other wood rot fungi. It’s bringing down trees at much younger ages than typical wood rot fungi do. Bob Johnson, Ph.D. candidate, shares what he’s learned about this fungus.
We're conducting a survey to evaluate the pod as a teaching tool. Participation is optional, results are confidential and you can stop taking it at any time. We would like to use this to improve the pod, so please consider participating! ucanr.edu/podcastsurvey
Thank you to the Almond Board of California, the California Pistachio Research Board, the California Prune Board, and the California Walnut Board. Music is by Muriel Gordon.
While the research isn’t quite ready for prime time, David Haviland and other UCANR IPM advisors are looking into using yellow sticky cards to monitor thrips populations. Thrips are an extremely effective spider mite predator and if populations are high enough, you probably don’t need to spray. For more on spider mite management, check out episode 40.
We're conducting a survey to evaluate the pod as a teaching tool. Participation is optional, results are confidential and you can stop taking it at any time. We would like to use this to improve the pod, so please consider participating! ucanr.edu/podcastsurvey
Thank you to the Almond Board of California, the California Pistachio Research Board, the California Prune Board, and the California Walnut Board. Music is by Muriel Gordon.
Today’s episode is focused on almonds, but have some validity for all tree crops. Nitrogen management in California is not quite as advanced as in other areas of the Midwest since we manage nutrition based on an entire irrigation block. Patrick discusses how this may change in the future, as well as the basics of predicting yield when actual yield is unknown.
We're conducting a survey to evaluate the pod as a teaching tool. Participation is optional, results are confidential and you can stop taking it at any time. We would like to use this to improve the pod, so please consider participating! ucanr.edu/podcastsurvey
Thank you to the Almond Board of California, the California Pistachio Research Board, the California Prune Board, and the California Walnut Board. Music is by Muriel Gordon.
Luke and Phoebe are challenged to list the major orchard tasks in a minute for walnut and prune, and almond and pistachio, respectively!
We're conducting a survey to evaluate the pod as a teaching tool. Participation is optional, results are confidential and you can stop taking it at any time. We would like to use this to improve the pod, so please consider participating! ucanr.edu/podcastsurvey
Luke discusses advanced pressure chamber reading interpretation, using bars below baseline you can learn more, for…
Walnut: sacvalleyorchards.com/manuals/stem-water-potential/pressure-chamber-advanced-interpretation-in-walnut
Almond: sacvalleyorchards.com/manuals/stem-water-potential/advanced-swp-interpretation-in-almond
Prune: sacvalleyorchards.com/manuals/stem-water-potential/advanced-swp-interpretation-in-prune
Thanks to the Pistachio, Almond, Walnut and Prune Boards of California for their generous financial support. Music by Muriel Gordon.
This is a UC ANR educational podcast. Any opinions or positions taken are those of the hosts and not the University of California. Use of this platform for and any advertisements connected with this podcast do not imply endorsement.
In the fourth episode of our nitrogen in tree crops miniseries David Doll discuss his research on fertilizing young almond orchards.
More tips from David at: thealmonddoctor.com/2011/03/25/fertilizing-young-almond-trees-a-few-tips/
Episode on fertilizing young almond orchards that were developed after whole orchard recycling at: growingthevalleypodcast.com/podcastfeed/n-wor
We are not providing fertilizer recommendations, instead we are sharing educational resources.
We're conducting a survey to evaluate the pod as a teaching tool. Participation is optional, results are confidential and you can stop taking it at any time. We would like to use this to improve the pod, so please consider participating: ucanr.edu/podcastsurvey
Thanks to the Pistachio, Almond, Walnut and Prune Boards of California for their generous financial support. Music by Muriel Gordon.
This is a UC ANR educational podcast. Any opinions or positions taken are those of the hosts and not the University of California. Use of this platform for and any advertisements connected with this podcast do not imply endorsement.
Phoebe spoke with Kris back in December on ant control in almonds. The good news is that it’s very easy and effective, but you need to stay on top of it. Mention of a trade name is not an endorsement or recommendation, and always check the label before applying.
Find out more about this pest at: https://www2.ipm.ucanr.edu/agriculture/almond/Ants/
We're conducting a survey to evaluate the pod as a teaching tool. Participation is optional, results are confidential and you can stop taking it at any time. We would like to use this to improve the pod, so please consider participating! https://ucdavis.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_8BOQCy5cvb7UyOx
Thank you to the Almond Board of California, the California Pistachio Research Board, the California Prune Board, and the California Walnut Board for their support. Music is by Muriel Gordon.
SWD is a serious insect pest of soft-skinned fruit, especially cherries. Jhalendra Rijal has been researching this pest and has some control tips for California cherry growers. Mention of a trade name is not an endorsement or recommendation, and always check the label before applying.
Find out more at: http://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/r105400311.html
We're conducting a survey to evaluate the pod as a teaching tool. Participation is optional, results are confidential and you can stop taking it at any time. We would like to use this to improve the pod, so please consider participating! https://ucdavis.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_8BOQCy5cvb7UyOx
Thank you to the Almond Board of California, the California Pistachio Research Board, the California Prune Board, and the California Walnut Board for their support. Music is by Muriel Gordon.
Phoebe and Luke discuss walnut, prune, almond and pistachio tasks for May, as well as reports of leafing failure issues in almond, pistachio, and walnut.
Montery leafing failure observations: sacvalleyorchards.com/almonds/cultivars-rootstocks/monterey-and-the-leafing-failure-2020-what-are-we-seeing/
What might be causing leafing failure in Monterey? sacvalleyorchards.com/almonds/cultivars-rootstocks/monterey-leafing-failure-what-could-cause/
Information on thinning prunes: sacvalleyorchards.com/prunes/horticulture-prunes/thinning-prunes/ and a prune thinning calculator: sacvalleyorchards.com/prunes/horticulture-prunes/prune-thinning-calculator/
The one-minute challenge discussion serves for informational purposes only and is not a pesticide or management recommendation. Find out more at ipm.ucanr.edu/.
This is a UC ANR educational podcast. Any opinions or positions taken are those of the hosts and not the University of California. Use of this platform for and any advertisements connected with this podcast do not imply endorsement.
Thank you to the Almond Board of California and the California Pistachio Research Board for their kind donations. Thank you to Muriel Gordon for the music.
In the third episode of our nitrogen in tree crops miniseries, I sit down over Zoom with Sebastian Saa with the Almond Board of California, to talk about his research in early leaf sampling of almonds, as well as several other tree crops.
Almond Board – CA Almond Sustainability Program online system with personalized nitrogen fertilization and other calculators: sustainablealmondgrowing.org
We are not providing fertilizer recommendations, instead we are sharing educational resources.
Thanks to the Pistachio, Almond, Walnut and Prune Boards of California for their generous financial support. Music by Muriel Gordon.
This is a UC ANR educational podcast. Any opinions or positions taken are those of the hosts and not the University of California. Use of this platform for and any advertisements connected with this podcast do not imply endorsement.
In the second episode of our nitrogen in tree crops miniseries, I sit down over Zoom with Franz Niederholzer (UCCE Colusa) to talk about nitrogen management in almond production.
More information on almond fertilization at: cdfa.ca.gov/is/ffldrs/frep/FertilizationGuidelines/Almonds.html
We are not providing fertilizer recommendations, instead we are sharing educational resources.
Thanks to the Pistachio, Almond, Walnut and Prune Boards of California for their generous financial support. Music by Muriel Gordon.
This is a UC ANR educational podcast. Any opinions or positions taken are those of the hosts and not the University of California. Use of this platform for and any advertisements connected with this podcast do not imply endorsement.
In the first episode of our nitrogen in tree crops miniseries, I sit down over Zoom with Phoebe Gordon to talk about the 4 R’s of nitrogen management.
When discussing the right rate, we talk about Liebig's law of the minimum, and how nitrogen isn’t necessarily what’s limiting yield in your orchard. The law can be pictured as a water filled barrel, where the shortest stave, whether it be light, water, a mineral nutrient, pest or disease could be the limitation.
We are not providing fertilizer recommendations, instead we are sharing educational resources.
Thanks to the Pistachio, Almond, Walnut and Prune Boards of California for their generous financial support. Music by Muriel Gordon.
This is a UC ANR educational podcast. Any opinions or positions taken are those of the hosts and not the University of California. Use of this platform for and any advertisements connected with this podcast do not imply endorsement.
I got the chance a few weeks ago to chat with Fred Hoffman of the KSTE Farm Hour about not tying too closely when staking walnut trees.
Our conversation is based on an article I wrote with Janine Hasey and Bruce Lampinen: sacvalleyorchards.com/photos-from-the-field/dont-tie-so-close-plus-other-walnut-staking-considerations/
Janine’s excellent article about the no heading approach to walnut tree training: sacvalleyorchards.com/walnuts/horticulture-walnuts/training-young-walnut-trees-minimum-pruning-vs-no-pruning-compared/
Tremendous thanks to Fred Hoffman who kindly shared the audio of his interview with me. You can listen to the KSTE Farm Hour each week on Talk 650 KSTE from 12-1 on Sundays and of course on the KSTE Farm Hour podcast. Thanks to Janine Hasey for the featured photo.
Thanks to the Pistachio, Almond, Walnut and Prune Boards of California for their generous financial support. Music by Muriel Gordon.
This is a UC ANR educational podcast. Any opinions or positions taken are those of the hosts and not the University of California. Use of this platform for and any advertisements connected with this podcast do not imply endorsement.
We hope everyone is safe and healthy during these trying times. We cover April’s tasks in this episode. Phoebe was having a hard time with a new recording method that involved delayed playback through headphones, so her one-minute challenge part was slightly edited for clarity.
Thank you to the Almond Board of California, the California Pistachio Research Board, the California Prune Board, and the California Walnut Board for their support. Music by Muriel Gordon.
Luke goes over walnut blight management in walnuts, which can be a significant issue in the Sacramento Valley. Listen to find out more about treatment timing, strategies, and resistance management. Mention of a trade name is not an endorsement or recommendation.
You can find out more at:
http://www.sacvalleyorchards.com/walnuts/diseases/walnut-blight-management/
https://www2.ipm.ucanr.edu/agriculture/walnut/Walnut-Blight/
Thank you to the Almond Board of California, the California Pistachio Research Board, the California Prune Board, and the California Walnut Board. Music by Muriel Gordon.
Lu Zhang provides an update on work published last year on the effect of dust on pistachio pollen, flowers, nut set, and blanking (it’s not good!). Please note that there are other physiological causes of blanking, such as incomplete pollination or aborted kernel development, and that we have not determined how much dust could contribute to blanking in the field. Also, the episode was recorded before the heavy rains in March in the southern San Joaquin Valley, so high dust conditions may not occur this year.
The American Society for Horticultural Science dropped its paywall, so you can read the article yourself at https://journals.ashs.org/hortsci/view/journals/hortsci/54/11/article-p1967.xml.
Thank you to the Almond Board of California, the California Pistachio Research Board, the California Prune Board, and the California Walnut Board for their support. Music is by Muriel Gordon.