2.
Before February 1:
Remove mummy
nuts from trees before bud swell,
typically before February 1, by
mechanically shaking the tree or
hand poling, or both.
• Wetter conditions – drizzly,
wet and foggy weather – help
nuts come off the trees more
easily. Overly wet weather
may discourage growers from
completing sanitation because
of access with shakers, as was
the case in the 2016-17 winter.
However, in that case, it is
recommended that growers
give serious consideration to
hand poling. In the 2016-17
winter, reluctance to sanitize
contributed to the high
percentage of NOW damage
– meaning bigger headaches in
the long run.
3.
Before March 1:
Blow or sweep
fallen mummy nuts to the row centers
and destroy them by flail mowing,
especially where ground cover is
not present or in years with dry
winters. This timing is critical as
mid-March is when the NOW
flights begin.
Growers who have been implementing
these cultural practices in their
orchards and who still experience
rejection levels greater than two
percent should seriously consider
other NOW management practices
including more focus on timely harvest,
in-season sprays and NOW mating
disruption.
Responsible Practices Maintain
Open Markets
Mummy nuts have been identified
as the link between one season to
the next for overwintering NOW. It
becomes an insidious cycle if mummies
are left in the orchard, as they become
a food of subsistence for NOW.
Therefore, growers are strongly
encouraged to minimize or break
down this link to prevent continued
pest damage and should continue
practicing winter sanitation for years
to come.
The European Union, one of the
biggest importers of California
almonds, has tight regulations and a
low threshold for aflatoxin levels. To
maintain open market opportunities
in Europe, the Almond Board of
California created the Pre-Export
Checks (PEC) program for handlers
planning to ship almonds to Europe.
The PEC program is a systems
approach to aflatoxin mitigation,
based on the handler using specified
procedures to sample, test and ship
almonds to Europe.
To maintain these market opportunities,
growers must do their part and
be intentional in practicing winter
sanitation to ensure the best product
is being produced for industry
consumers.
To learn more about winter sanitation
and minimizing navel orangeworm,
visit
. Also
visit the UC IPM site,
.
edu, and click on ‘Agricultural Pests,’
then ‘Almonds.’
Article contributed by Almond Board
of California
Mummy nuts can be removed by hand
poling or mechanically shaking – or both.
Image courtesy of the Almond Board of
California.
Winter is a key time to practice winter
sanitation and prevent NOW outbreak
later in the year. Image courtesy of the
Almond Board of California.
Remove mummy nuts from trees before
bud swell, typically before February 1.
Image courtesy of the Almond Board of
California.
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