IN YOUR ORCHARD
Q: What if you have different soil types on a single
almond orchard? How can irrigation be controlled to
be most effective in all cases?
SC:
In an ideal world, your irrigation systems are
designed for soil type because different soils have
different water holding capacity. If there are different soil
types in a single orchard, growers have to manage to
the majority and, in these cases, irrigation management
becomes a judgement call. The pressure chamber tool
would be useful in this scenario because it can test the
trees in different areas and see how well-irrigated each
section was.
Q: How much can water use efficiency be improved by
moving up the Continuum?
SC:
Improvement in water use efficiency is site-specific.
I’ve worked with growers who have seen massive
improvements and others that have seen more minor
changes. However, by advancing within the Continuum,
growers may see benefits outside of their irrigation
management. There are so many other variables that can
be impacted when water management is improved. For
example, improvements could be gained in enhancing
overall tree health.
Q: Is there a return on investment from implementing
new irrigation technology on an orchard? Will there
be savings in the long run?
SC:
Many of the growers I’ve met have seen a positive
return on investment in new irrigation technology. There are
so many different variables to consider, and when water
use efficiency is improved, there are savings across a
range of orchard functions. For example, in the springtime,
there is a tendency to irrigate too early, but, by investing
and utilizing a pressure chamber — which allows you
to better monitor tree stress — there’s potential to hold
off on irrigation longer than originally anticipated. This
trickles down to an overall savings on irrigation costs for
the season. Savings can also come in other forms, such
as more efficient use of fertilizer from having more control
of the wetted front. As growers move up the Continuum,
a lot more data is acquired, which can help to pinpoint
particular strengths or weaknesses of the season. This, in
turn, helps to determine the best pathway forward.
Q: What do you find to be the thing growers struggle
with most when it comes to irrigation management
practices?
SC:
Successful implementation of irrigation technology.
Most growers understand that there is value in the data but
they may not know where to begin or which technology
is best for their farm.
Q: Why should an almond grower
complete the Irrigation Management
Module in the California Almond
Sustainability Program (CASP)?
What’s the value, and how does it feed into your
work in prescribing best practices to growers?
SC:
The benefits of completing the CASP irrigation
module have both an individual impact for each farm,
and one that impacts the greater California Almond
industry. Filling out the Irrigation Assessment allows a
grower to benchmark their current irrigation management
practices, and it also allows a grower to take a step
back and look at their operation from the 30,000-foot
level. Every grower is going to see value at a different
point in the process. For example, the question about
evaluating application rate is important, because over
time your emitters or sprinklers can wear causing the
application rate to change. A 10th of an inch extra during
each irrigation event during the season can add up
quickly, resulting in increased costs.
On the other hand, CASP provides an outlet for the
industry to share its story. The data gathered through self-
assessments provides statistically significant information
to help consumers, buyers and food companies better
understand the responsible practices used to put almonds
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A L M O N D F A C T S
