may-jun-2019

IN YOUR ORCHARD days between shake and pickup, with the highest damage found where ant populations are high. Shaking nuts as soon as 100 percent hull split is reached helps limit NOW damage, but it can expose nuts to ants for an extended period of time compared to nuts allowed to dry longer on the tree. The more ant colonies are present and the longer the nuts are on the ground, the higher the nut damage. Make sure the material and labor used to control ants needs to be spent by checking for the presence of protein feeding ants. One option to check for protein feeding ants is to leave potato chips or slices of hot dog near ant mounds in the orchard. If the chips disappear, there is a good chance the mounds house protein feeding ants and the time/money needed for control is worth it. To avoid the loss of chips or hotdogs to dogs or other scavengers, some PCAs fold hardware cloth around the bait. I’ve also seen perforated PVC pipe, with caps on each end, containing a handful of almonds used as an ant monitoring tool. Ant bait is the most cost effective control practice. There are several active ingredient options in ant bait. Consult with your PCA about materials, timings and PHI. Insect growth regulator materials should go on four to eight weeks ahead of harvest. Mites Scout for webspinning spider mites. If you used abamectin early in the season, circle the calendar 45 to 55 days after application and start scouting in hot spots then as mites may start to move into the orchard as the miticide begins wearing off. Don’t let up on mite monitoring and management as leaf loss at harvest can reduce flowers (and crop) the next year and slow nut drying this year. More details on spider mite management/control as well as scouting details at www.ipm.ucanr.edu. Click on “Agicultural Pests” and then “Almonds”. Food for thought: there are natural predators of spider mites, including predatory mites and six spotted thrips, present in many orchards. Under certain situations and timings, biological control from these helpful friends can completely control mites. In other words, the predators can eat all the mites. This isn’t an option for NOW or peach twig borer Tell your dealer you want Fan-Jets. Contact us at 1-800-BOWSMITH or www.bowsmith.com AmericanMade.AmericanOwned. Fan-Jet Microsprinklers ® • Salt build up problem? - Fan-Jets will allow you to push salts down and away from the root zone. • Annual frost events? - Fan-Jets can help provide frost protection by raising the ambient temperature by 2-3 degrees. • Problem pushing pre-emergents into your soil? - Fan-Jets will help your pre-emergents penetrate the soil. Add a Fan-Jet ® line to existing dual line drip Why? Quality & Trust Since 1974 Quality & Trust Since 1974 4 6 A L M O N D F A C T S