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 Resear...
Nov 07, 2022•17 min•Ep. 218
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-fre...
Oct 26, 2022•18 min•Ep. 217
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 su...
Oct 19, 2022•14 min•Ep. 216
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 th...
Oct 11, 2022•11 min•Ep. 215
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...
Oct 04, 2022•14 min•Ep. 214
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, respecti...
Sep 28, 2022•26 min•Ep. 213
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, P...
Sep 20, 2022•13 min•Ep. 212
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 lo...
Sep 13, 2022•34 min•Ep. 211
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 k...
Sep 06, 2022•20 min•Ep. 210
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 M...
Aug 31, 2022•22 min•Ep. 209
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 opportun...
Aug 23, 2022•11 min•Ep. 208
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....
Aug 19, 2022•17 min•Ep. 207
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 ...
Aug 16, 2022•14 min•Ep. 206
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 th...
Aug 04, 2022•17 min•Ep. 205
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...
Jul 26, 2022•23 min•Ep. 204
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 no...
Jul 20, 2022•13 min•Ep. 203
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 ...
Jul 11, 2022
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 presente...
Jun 30, 2022•23 min•Ep. 201
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 fo...
Jun 24, 2022•26 min•Ep. 200
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 Demonstrat...
Jun 14, 2022•48 min•Ep. 199
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 Boar...
Jun 09, 2022•10 min•Ep. 198
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 Pollutio...
Jun 01, 2022•47 min•Ep. 197
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 spea...
Jun 01, 2022•18 min•Ep. 196
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 ...
May 18, 2022•20 min•Ep. 195
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 ...
May 10, 2022•36 min•Ep. 194
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 recomm...
May 03, 2022•25 min•Ep. 193
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 ; htt...
Apr 26, 2022•47 min•Ep. 192
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...
Apr 19, 2022•20 min•Ep. 191
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 Almon...
Apr 12, 2022•31 min•Ep. 190
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...
Apr 06, 2022•13 min•Ep. 189
