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 occ...
Apr 03, 2024•17 min•Ep. 83
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...
Mar 26, 2024•20 min•Ep. 246
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 an...
Mar 20, 2024•32 min•Ep. 245
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 upcomi...
Mar 13, 2024•20 min•Ep. 244
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 researc...
Mar 05, 2024•26 min•Ep. 243
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 i...
Feb 27, 2024•19 min•Ep. 242
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 f...
Feb 21, 2024•23 min•Ep. 241
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 ...
Feb 06, 2024•21 min•Ep. 240
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 an...
Jan 30, 2024•22 min•Ep. 239
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...
Jan 23, 2024•24 min•Ep. 238
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. ...
Jan 09, 2024•23 min•Ep. 237
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 abou...
Sep 27, 2023•40 min•Ep. 236
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...
Sep 01, 2023•23 min•Ep. 235
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 opinio...
Aug 08, 2023•22 min•Ep. 234
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 t...
Jul 26, 2023•19 min•Ep. 65
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 ...
Jul 12, 2023•4 min
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 tog...
Jun 28, 2023•34 min•Ep. 232
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 ...
Jun 13, 2023•23 min•Ep. 231
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 opi...
May 10, 2023•16 min•Ep. 230
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 expresse...
Apr 25, 2023•25 min•Ep. 229
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 "Uni...
Apr 11, 2023•34 min
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...
Mar 16, 2023•19 min•Ep. 227
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...
Mar 06, 2023•23 min•Ep. 226
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....
Feb 14, 2023•26 min•Ep. 225
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/e...
Feb 03, 2023•17 min•Ep. 224
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 ...
Jan 10, 2023•44 min•Ep. 223
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 ...
Dec 13, 2022•15 min•Ep. 222
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" na...
Dec 06, 2022•21 min•Ep. 221
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. Fin...
Nov 23, 2022•18 min•Ep. 220
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 op...
Nov 17, 2022•19 min•Ep. 219
