jan-feb-2021

An additional threat imposed by excessive reject levels comes in the form of potential increases in aflatoxin levels resulting from excessive worm damage. Aflatoxin is a carcinogen by-product of the fungus Aspergillus flavus, which can be introduced into the kernel by the navel orangeworm. Controlling reject levels can have a definite effect in reducing aflatoxin levels within the crop. All growers should employ the services of a professional PCA to provide the best opportunities for a successful Integrated Pest Management program. When dealing with NOW, proper treatment timing and complete coverage are critical components of proper insect management. There is no substitute for orchard sanitation during the dormant season. Clearly, poor mummy shaking conditions can contribute to the rising reject levels. Orchard sanitation, mating confusion, population monitoring, and proper application are the keys to maximizing quality and value. Chipped and Broken Chipped and broken levels in meat deliveries probably earn the lowest degree of a grower’s attention. Most growers believe that they have the greatest direct effect on foreign material and reject levels and the least on the chipped and broken percentage. However, chipped and broken levels have been earning an increasing degree of scrutiny by Blue Diamond ’s buyers in the past few years and growers’ practices in the orchards can play a role in the amount of damage their almonds sustain. Grower deliveries are scored on the basis of a 1/4-inch chip, where a total of one quarter square inch of the kernel beneath the peel has been exposed. However, the buying community has been increasingly shifting their standards to a 1/8-inch chipped level. At Blue Diamond , we continue to use the USDA Standard of the 1/4 chip as the basis for grading grower deliveries. Our research has shown that there is a seven to one relationship between 1/8-inch and 1/4-inch chipped and broken levels. That means that for every percentage point of 1/4-inch chipped and broken, there will be approximately seven percentage points of 1/8-inch. The buying community is interested in 1/8 chipped levels at and below the middle teens, which translates into 1/4-inch chipped levels at or below 2.0 percent. This was the driving force behind the Q+ Grade category for Nonpareil meets implemented several years ago, which set a maximum chipped and broken level of 2.0 percent. While it may seem that the bar continues to be set higher and higher, many growers have met the challenge and have been able to deliver a significant proportion of their Nonpareil meats with a chipped and broken level at or below 2.0 percent. Driving Quality Higher and Chipped Damage Lower What can a grower do to improve chipped and broken levels ? • Proper harvest timing is the best place to start. Harvesting too early while the nuts are still “green” can create significant difficulties for the sheller operator as they hull and shell the crop. Shear roll technology used to shell almonds must have enough space between the inside of the shell and the kernel to crack the shell cleanly without damaging the kernel. Green or wet kernels do not provide sufficient space, resulting in increased damage. Embedded shell is also a serious problem that increases dramatically when almonds are shelled at excessive moisture levels. • Foreign matter in the crop can increase damage. Rocks from the orchard floor and wood that falls from the trees during the harvest can increase damage to the kernels. Obviously more wood falls from older trees and we see increased damage levels from older orchards. Sheller operators have reported reduced damage levels where growers pull wood from the crop by conditioning windrows just after sweeping, by employing de-sticker equipment during the harvest, or both. Simply pulling wood from the windrows can also help to reduce the level of chipped and broken kernels. As the old saying goes, “garbage in, garbage out”. • Stockpiling. Not all almonds are stockpiled at harvest, nor should they be. But stockpiling almonds, even for a few days allows moisture 3 5 J A N U A R Y – F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 1