mar-apr-2020

can adjust fertilizer N rates up or down with a ballpark summer leaf N target of 2.5 percent N. Private labs also offer proprietary spring leaf sampling protocols developed in-house. Pest Management Warm weather speeds up insect and mite development. Earlier than normal monitoring will be key to avoiding pest surprises this season. If good weather continues, biofix for both NOW and PTB should be weeks ahead of last year. If spring temperatures fluctuate and NOW egg trap data bounce around, use the first-catch timing to plan NOW program. Mating disruption for NOW should be up in late March or early April based on manufacturers’ recommendations. A spring spray (mid-April through early May) targeting PTB and NOW can provide good control. Consider your spray budget and outside-the-orchard moth pressure when deciding on a spring spray against NOW versus adding another spray in hull split. Time the spring NOW control spray for 100 DD past biofix. The timing for PTB control is 300 to 400 DD, depending on the pesticide. Some years, the two line up fairly well and good control of both pests is possible. Dr. Frank Zalom, with UC Davis, suggests using first egg “catch” to establish biofix in the northern San Joaquin Valley and Sacramento Valley. This practice works well in predicting appearance of second-generation egg laying in late June/early July in my experience. Plant bug (stink bugs and leaffooted bugs) adults should be carefully monitored to limit crop damage. The adults are strong flyers and can do a lot of damage, quickly, if undetected. It’s too late when you see gumming nuts on the orchard floor. Pyrethroids (Brigade ® , Warrior ® , etc.) are the most effective materials for leaffooted bug control. Spider mites often appear early in warm dry years. The UC IPM guidelines (ipm.ucanr.edu/agriculture/almond/ Webspinning-Spider-Mites/) suggest starting to scout for web-spinning mites in May, but in water-stressed blocks, spot checks prior to May could be valuable. If the spring weather goes through high and low temperature patterns, beneficial insects such as 6-spotted thrips (ipm.ucanr.edu/ PMG/NE/sixspotted_thrips.html) can keep the population under control, at least before the steady heat sets in. See mite monitoring info at the UC IPM website listed above. Spring/Summer Diseases Rainfall is a key driver for diseases, but dew can also contribute to infection. Diseases for consideration in the spring are leaf rust, scab and anthracnose with shot hole and bacterial spot pressure generally fading (but not gone from concern) and alternaria becoming more of an issue. Details for control of all of these diseases are available at www2.ipm.ucanr.edu/agriculture/almond and ipm.ucanr.edu/PDF/PMG/fungicideefficacytiming.pdf. Rust can be especially damaging to future yield if not controlled as it can cause leaf loss at harvest and reduced The New Schmeiser V-Blade Roller combines all the advantages of a durable V-Blade with a Rear Roller to provide groove-free smoothing and reduced loose dirt at the row ends. Contact us for complete details. GET EVERY NUT ‡ ZZZ WJVFKPHLVHU FRP Because every nut counts! C M Y CM MY CY CMY K TGSV-Blade20154.5x5FINAL.pdf 1 12/12/14 2:42 PM 3 7 M A R C H – A P R I L 2 0 2 0