Almond Facts, May-June 2021

IN YOUR ORCHARD amount of pheromone needed to disrupt a particular orchard depends on the number of NOW in the orchard. Current formulations are different from those studied from 2006 to 2015, but the results of those studies underline the importance of not using less than the label rate even though trap suppression occurs at lower rates. Consider Mating Disruption for Your Operation A survey conducted by UCCE farm advisor Phoebe Gordon shows that nearly two-thirds of growers say they have never used mating disruption as part of their NOW management program, though most have employed winter sanitization (91%) and many have used pheromone traps (69%) to gather data on moth population in their orchards. Wolter believes an effective NOW program combines monitoring with pheromone, PPO, egg and/or Peterson traps in addition to mating disruption and spraying. “A sound NOW IPM program should have three fundamental in-season components,” he recommended. “Between those three components, growers can track NOW flights and associated population size. Tracking NOW pressure, in turn, provides growers with a decision-making tool regarding if and when they should spray.” Blue Diamond Kern County almond grower Kent Stenderup began using mating disruption three years ago in his orchards and is convinced of its value. “The practice continues to prove itself and we’re adding acres as we go,” Stenderup said. “The bottom line is our handler is happier and so are our books.” v The Almond Board is in the early stages of producing a short video with Haviland in which he will explain how mating disruption works and offer growers a chance to assess its potential use in their orchards. This video will be released this summer. Navel orangeworm is one of the key pests industry members are dedicated to responsibly combat as part of the Almond Orchard 2025 Goal to increase adoption of environmentally friendly pest management by 25%. For more information on the 2025 Goals and to learn what practices within the goals may work for your operation, visit almonds.com/goals. 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-Bla e20154.5x5FINAL.pdf 1 12/12/14 2:42 PM 4 2 A L M O N D F A C T S