IN THIS ISSUE: FIELD EVALUATION OF ALMOND VARIETIES 10 YEARS IN SEE PAGE 10
ARE NEMATODES A PROBLEM IN PISTACHIO? SEE PAGE 22
WESTLANDS COMPLETES PHASE ONE OF PASAJERO RECHARGE PROJECT SEE PAGE 44
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Contributing Writers & Industry Support
Andreas Westphal Dept. of Nematology, UC Riverside
Franz Niederholzer UCCE Farm Advisor, Colusa and Sutter/Yuba Counties
Gail Oberst Contributing Writer
Kristin Platts Digital Content Writer
Lori Fairchild Contributing Writer
Luke Milliron UCCE Orchard Systems Advisor, Butte, Glenn and Tehama Counties
Mitch Lies Contributing Writer
Phoebe Gordon UCCE Orchard Systems Advisor, Madera and Merced Counties
Renee Pinel President/CEO, Western Plant Health Association
Roger Duncan UCCE Pomology Farm Advisor Emeritus, Stanislaus County
Vicky Boyd
Writer
UC Cooperative Extension Advisory Board
Surendra K. Dara Entomologist, Oregon State University
Kevin Day County Director/UCCE Pomology Farm Advisor, Tulare/Kings Counties
Elizabeth Fichtner UCCE Farm Advisor, Tulare County
Katherine Jarvis-Shean UCCE Area Orchard Systems Advisor, Yolo and Solano
Steven Koike Tri-Cal Diagnostics
Jhalendra Rijal UCCE Integrated Pest Management Advisor, Stanislaus County
Mohammad Yaghmour UCCE Area Orchard Systems Advisor, Kern County
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TOP 10 THINGS TO LOOK FOR WHEN SELECTING A CALIFORNIA TREE NUT PROCESSOR
By JASON SCOTT, MS | CEO/Publisher, JCS Marketing Inc. and West Coast Nut
Choosing the right tree nut processor is one of the most critical decisions a grower can make. Not only does your processor impact the quality of your product, but they also influence your bottom line, market access and the long-term success of your operation. For California tree nut growers, whether producing almonds, pistachios, walnuts or pecans, partnering with the right processor can make a world of difference. Here are my top 10 things to consider when selecting a tree nut processor to sell your product.
1. Reputation and Industry Experience
The first thing you should evaluate in a processor is their reputation and experience in the industry. How long have they been processing tree nuts, and what is their standing within the industry? A processor with a long history of
successful partnerships with growers, who is respected for both quality and integrity, should be at the top of your list. Do your homework: speak with other growers, consult industry associations, and look for feedback on their track record for honesty and transparency.
2. Processing Capacity and Technology
Not all processors have the same capabilities. Ensure the processor you’re considering has the capacity to handle your volume efficiently. It’s important they’re using modern, advanced technology to clean, dry and sort nuts. Automation, precision sorting technology and optimized drying processes all affect the quality of your end product. A processor that invests in the latest technology ensures your product is handled efficiently and to the highest standards.
3. Food Safety and Certifications
Food safety should be a top priority when choosing a tree nut processor. In today’s market, buyers and consumers expect high standards for cleanliness and safety, and that starts with your processor. Look for processors who hold top industry certifications, such as Safe Quality Food (SQF) or BRC Global Standards for Food Safety. These certifications indicate the processor follows stringent safety protocols and has regular third-party audits. You want a processor who can ensure your nuts meet all food safety requirements and avoid the risk of recalls or contamination issues.
4. Product Quality and Grading
A processor’s ability to grade your nuts accurately and fairly can significantly impact your profits. Poor grading could result in lower prices or rejection of otherwise marketable products. Ask potential processors about their grading procedures and equipment. A processor with stateof-the-art grading technology and a history of consistent, fair evaluations should be a priority. Ensure they are transparent in their grading process and communicate openly about any issues they identify.
5. Competitive Pricing and Transparent Fees
Pricing is, of course, a key consideration when selecting a processor. However, it’s not just about the price they offer per pound; you also need to consider additional fees and charges that could eat into your margins. Ask for a breakdown of all potential costs, including transportation fees, cleaning, sorting and storage charges. The most reputable processors will offer a transparent fee structure with no hidden costs so you understand exactly what you’re paying for and how it impacts your net return.
(photo courtesy Mike Kelley, Central California Almond Growers Association.)
6. Market Access and Export Capabilities
Does the processor have strong relationships with both domestic and international buyers? For many tree nut growers, a significant portion of their crop is sold overseas. A processor with extensive export capabilities and established relationships in foreign markets can help you access a wider range of buyers, potentially leading to better prices. Additionally, processors who understand export logistics, tariffs and trade agreements can help mitigate risks associated with international trade.
7. Financial Stability and Payment Terms
A processor’s financial stability is crucial to ensuring you get paid on time and in full. Delays in payment or financial instability on the part of the processor can cause serious cash flow problems for your operation. Make sure you assess the financial strength of any potential partner. Look for a processor with a strong balance sheet and a history of timely payments. Additionally, understand the payment terms they offer, whether they pay upon delivery, after a set period or upon product sale. Clear and favorable payment terms are essential for maintaining the financial health of your business.
8. Storage and Handling Capabilities
How your nuts are stored after processing can affect both quality and pricing. A good processor will have advanced storage facilities that ensure your product remains in optimal condition until it is shipped to buyers. This includes temperature-controlled environments, proper humidity controls, and a focus on avoiding contamination. Storage mismanagement can lead to spoilage, pest infestations or mold, all of which will negatively affect your returns. Choose a processor who prioritizes proper storage and handling protocols.
9. Customer Service and Communication
A strong, ongoing relationship with your processor is built on open communication and exceptional customer service. Does the processor have a dedicated account manager for
each grower? Are they easily reachable and responsive to your needs or concerns? Whether it’s understanding processing timelines, providing updates on pricing, or offering insights on market trends, you need a partner who communicates clearly and consistently. Strong customer service can make the entire process smoother and give you peace of mind that your crop is in good hands.
10. Sustainability Practices and Environmental Responsibility
Sustainability is increasingly important in the agricultural industry, and more buyers are demanding environmentally responsible products. Working with a processor that embraces sustainability can be a significant advantage. Look for processors that use energy-efficient systems, minimize waste and implement sustainable practices throughout their operations. In some cases, processors with green certifications or participation in sustainability programs can even help position your product more favorably with buyers, particularly in international markets where sustainability is a priority.
Choosing the right tree nut processor is about more than just finding someone who will buy your nuts; it’s about selecting a partner who will help you maximize quality, efficiency and profitability. By focusing on these 10 critical factors (reputation, capacity, food safety, product quality, competitive pricing, market access, financial stability, storage, customer service and sustainability), you’ll be well positioned to make the best decision for your operation.
Take the time to thoroughly vet potential processors, speak to fellow growers about their experiences, and never hesitate to ask questions. The right processor can make a significant difference in the success of your farm, ensuring your nuts are processed to the highest standards and sold at the best possible price.
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With leafing disorder, the vascular tissue is green and alive if you cut into affected branches or shoots (all photos by L. Milliron.)
A REAL ‘HEAD-SCRATCHER’
Maladies in Certain Almond Varieties May Be Linked to Watering Issues
By VICKY BOYD | Contributing Writer
For the past eight years or so,
the Monterey almond variety has exhibited an increasing number of maladies in scattered Northern California orchards. Although researchers have yet to conduct replicated trials to pinpoint the causes, anecdotal reports and observations point to overwatering as a possible instigator, said Luke Milliron, UCCE orchard advisor for Glenn, Tehama and Butte counties.
“It’s really a head-scratcher. It’s a really difficult thing to study,” he said.
J.R. Gallagher, a PCA for Butte County Rice Growers Association in Richvale, said he’s found symptoms similar to what Milliron described but in the Carmel variety. But he didn’t see them in the Nonpareil or Aldridge trees that were in the same orchards.
Gallagher even had Milliron out several times to look at the orchards. He wondered if part of the issue with Carmel is they’re related to Monterey. Both were chance seedlings from Nonpareil-Mission crosses.
“I don’t have Monterey, but I’m just seeing similarities and I’m concerned,” he said. “What Luke was explaining about the Monterey, I was seeing last year with Carmel on Krymsk. The leaves were yellow.”
The common denominator among the troubled orchards is Krymsk 86 rootstock. Growers in the northern Sacramento Valley have widely adopted it because of its vigorous root system and strong anchorage.
“Many varieties behave poorly on Krymsk, especially if there’s too much water, and Monterey is one of those,” Milliron said.
But he said rootstock doesn’t explain the issues entirely with Monterey, since growers in Australia are experiencing some of the same challenges with the variety and they don’t use Krymsk 86.
For growers and PCAs dealing with Monterey maladies or issues such as Gallagher has seen, Milliron recommended adopting pressure bombs or automated technology like FloraPulse to ensure they’re irrigating to meet the trees’ needs and not under or overapplying water.
Gallagher did just that last year and worked with the grower of a problematic orchard to use a pressure bomb in the worst area of the block. The weekly pressure bomb readings were a tremendous help, he said. The grower was able to use that real-time data to fine tune the irrigation cycles to improve tree vigor.
In orchards that may have water-penetration problems, Milliron also suggested
planting a cover crop or applying gypsum to help open up the soil.
List Continues to Grow
The four issues seen so far in Monterey are yellow curled leaf/yellowing, leafing failure, flowering failure and Botryosphaeria/Phomopsis dieback.
Milliron said he hasn’t heard from UC colleagues about Monterey problems outside the northern Sacramento Valley, but he pointed out this region receives significantly more rainfall than the north and south San Joaquin valleys. In addition, many newer Sacramento Valley orchards were planted on marginal or heavy soils with poorer drainage that were former rice fields.
Gallagher also cited the larger number of solid-set sprinklers used in the northern Sacramento Valley. Farther south, most orchards are on drip or microsprinklers, which allow more precise water application.
Drip irrigation also allows growers to irrigate immediately after shaking, reducing potential water stress to the trees. Growers with microsprinklers or solid-set irrigation typically wait to irrigate until the nuts are picked up to avoid wetting the crop. By doing so, they may be stressing the trees.
Leaf Yellowing
Farm advisors began receiving calls in 2018 about unique foliar symptoms (yellowing, rolling leaves with marginal necrosis and poor growth) in Monterey. The symptoms, seen in young trees grafted onto Krymsk 86 or Rootpac-R, were like those seen in union mild etch disease. The latter problem is typically seen in Monterey, Butte and a few other varieties grafted onto Marianna 2624 plum.
Research into union mild etch found overwatering was a contributor, and it appears the same may be true for the most recent leaf yellowing with Monterey, Milliron said.
But unlike union mild etch, there’s no report of etching at the bud union with the most recent cases with Monterey on Krymsk 86. Based on his observations, Milliron said the same treatments apply to both issues: don’t overirrigate, limit fertilizer and let the trees recover naturally. The severely affected trees may die, but he said many others will recover.
Flowering failure also appears to be tied to excess water the previous year. The problem appears more prominently lower in the canopy where water status is the wettest.
Leafing Failure
In 2018 and again in 2020, UCCE farm advisors received calls about leafing failure in several varieties but most notably Monterey. These were not the first reports, with symptoms being noted periodically even before 2000. More recently, farm advisors also reported the issue in 2000, 2006, 2010 and 2017.
The earlier reports came not only
Farm advisors began receiving calls in 2018 about unique foliar symptoms (yellowing, rolling leaves with marginal necrosis and poor growth) in Monterey on Krymsk 86.
from the Sacramento Valley but also the San Joaquin, and they involved several different rootstocks.
While most of the symptoms were on mature trees, some were also seen in young orchards. Symptoms ranged from a few trees on the orchard’s edge to one mature Northern California orchard that had about 50% of Monterey pollinizers affected. Not every
The newest and least understood malady in Monterey is sudden branch dieback due to Botryosphaeria and Phomopsis cankers.
orchard with Monterey has experienced the issue either, and Milliron said he’s also seen perfectly healthy orchards with Monterey pollinizers.
Leafing failure differs from non-infectious bud failure, seen predominately in Carmel but also in other varieties, including Nonpareil. With leafing disorder, the vascular tissue is green and alive if you cut into affected branches or
shoots. Vegetative buds may be late in pushing or push from some parts of a branch but not another.
With bud failure, on the other hand, flower buds typically bloom normally but may be delayed a few days. It’s the vegetative buds that never emerge and likely died the previous fall.
In an earlier trial, UCCE irrigation specialist Bruce Lampinen was able to induce delayed leafing in Monterey in plots that received more than 100% of evapotranspiration. In other words, they were overirrigated.
Milliron said the leafing malady also has been documented both in California and Australia following wet years. In California, bad leafing disorder years of 2018 and 2020 followed the wet years of 2017 and 2019 spring. In addition, the 2024 season followed an unusually wet 2023.
Flowering Failure
Flowering failure also appears to be tied to excess water the previous year. The problem appears more prominently lower
in the canopy where water status is the wettest. Smaller Monterey trees can easily be overirrigated if the grower is managing applications for larger Nonpareil trees.
Flower buds begin forming about nine months prior to bloom, so any type of stress, including overwatering, may have a negative effect on the following year’s bloom.
Although he doesn’t have research data, Milliron said he suspects wide swings in soil moisture during the season also may put undue stress on Monterey, possibly contributing to the maladies.
“These trees go from too wet in the spring from weather or overwatering and simply too much water, and you get root damage,” he said. “Then the trees are experiencing water stress late in the season.”
Spring is typically when trees push roots critical for water uptake. But too much soil moisture can kill fine roots, which reduces the trees’ ability to take up water. This may become apparent in the fall during harvest when trees appear stressed but there’s adequate soil moisture.
Milliron said these situations are when a pressure bomb is invaluable to determine plant water status.
Newest Issue
This spring, Milliron said he answered several calls about sudden branch dieback of Monterey due to Botryosphaeria and Phomopsis cankers. This is the least understood of the maladies.
But he pointed to an observation from a Glenn County producer who said his Montereys on heavier ground with nuts stayed green through hull split. These trees, presumably the wetter ones, now have severe dieback compared to trees that experienced typical hull split and harvest water stress.
To help Milliron and his colleagues learn more about these maladies, he asks growers and PCAs who may have related valuable information to text him at 530-828-9666.
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FIELD EVALUATION OF ALMOND VARIETIES 10 YEARS IN
By PHOEBE GORDON, UCCE Orchard Systems Advisor, Madera and Merced Counties, ROGER DUNCAN, UCCE Pomology Farm Advisor Emeritus, Stanislaus County and LUKE MILLIRON, UCCE Orchard Systems Advisor, Butte, Glenn and Tehama Counties
UCCE personnel have been evaluating new almond varieties for decades. Several of these efforts have been trials comparing experimental varieties or advanced selections against industry standards. To date, there have been four variety trials funded by the Almond Board of California, two of which are in the ground today. This report
Table 1. Rootstocks and spacings of the regional almond variety trials by location.
Bloom evaluations ended after 2022. Full bloom dates of most varieties were similar to Nonpareil (all photos courtesy P. Gordon.)
details results from the third trial.
The third-generation variety trial was planted at three sites down the Central Valley in winter 2014 at the Chico State Farm in Butte County, a commercial orchard near Salida in Stanislaus County and in a commercial orchard near Chowchilla in Madera County. The three trial sites have different tree spacing and rootstocks (Table 1). There have been no observations of rootstock incompatibility at any of the sites.
The trials were designed to allow statistical analyses of yield; each variety is planted in 12-tree stretches (11 in Salida) and repeated four times. In total, each site had 44 to 48 trees of each variety, split up into groups of four and randomly arranged within the trial, and bordered by Nonpareil rows.
Variety or selection
Eddie Bright's
Capitola Burchell
Supareil Burchell
Booth Burchell
Sterling Burchell
Bennett-Hickman Duarte
Nonpareil
Durango Fowler
Jenette Fowler
Aldrich
Winters partial UC Davis
Sweetheart partial UC Davis
Kester UC Davis
UCD18-20 UC Davis
UCD8-160 yes UC Davis
UCD8-201 yes UC Davis
Y117-86-03 yes USDA
Yorizane (Y116-161-99) yes USDA
Y117-91-03 yes USDA
Folsom Dave Wilson
Wood Colony (Butte and Madera sites only)
The varieties under evaluation are listed in Table 2. Many are traditional, self-sterile varieties that require a pollinizer variety to set a commercial crop; however, about one-third are partially or fully self-fertile.
There are some limitations in interpreting the results in these trials aside from the small representative number of trees per variety. To avoid driving our cooperators insane, growers farmed the orchards based on the main variety (Nonpareil). This means that bloom sprays, hullsplit sprays, irrigation/fertilization rates and harvest timing may not have been ideal for each experimental variety. Because there are many varieties present, these trials do not fully evaluate how self-fertile varieties will do when planted on their own, though the breeders have tested for self-fertility. Varieties of small stature are starting to be shaded out by larger, adjacent Nonpareil trees, which may artificially deflate their yield. Acknowledging these limitations, we have been able to gather valuable information on early yields, kernel quality and insect and disease susceptibility as well as other attributes.
As of the 10th leaf (and eight harvests), we have eliminated nine varieties due to poor yields, poor kernel quality and/or poor harvestability, which we defined as the number of nuts left per tree after harvest.
Table 3. The number of days before (-) or after (+) full bloom (when 80% of the flowers were open) for each variety relative to Nonpareil, 2016-2022.
One cultivar from this trial has been released so far: Yorizane. Another highly promising, self-fertile variety from the USDA, Y117-91-03, will hopefully be available to nurseries by fall 2025.
Bloom
Bloom evaluations ended after 2022. Full bloom dates of most varieties were similar to Nonpareil (Table 3). While the bloom dates of all varieties are included in the same table, we stress overlap is not important for self-fertile varieties, and inclusion is simply to convey when typical bloom time occurs.
Hullsplit
Unlike bloom, there is a wide variation among varieties in hullsplit dates and the length of time a cultivar spends in hullsplit. We defined a variety as starting hullsplit when approximately 1% of the nuts had an open suture (which is when the first NOW spray should occur), and hullsplit ending when all the nuts on a tree had open sutures. This is the earliest point a variety would be harvested. Rootstock influences hullsplit timing and the length of time it takes for a cultivar to complete hullsplit; the relatively long hullsplit durations at the
Table 2. Varieties still under evaluation in the third generation of the almond variety trial.
Madera location are likely due to the trees being planted on the high-vigor Hansen 536.
Yields
Nonpareil has been the top-yielding variety in the Butte and Madera County trials and the sixth highest in Stanislaus (Table 4). While a self-fertile variety with Nonpareil kernel quality, high yields and relatively low disease susceptibility is the almond breeder’s holy grail, it is remarkable to see just how good Nonpareil is. 100+ years of breeding efforts still haven’t been able to do better than random chance (sorry, almond breeders).
We also evaluate light interception, or photosynthetically active radiation (PAR), which is the percentage of the ground shaded by the canopy. Another way to think about PAR is canopy size. While there are some trees with skinny profiles like Aldrich, in general trees that have a higher PAR are larger trees. Research done by Lampinen et al. (2012) showed every percentage of light intercepted by an almond canopy resulted in an average of 50 lbs. of yield. However, this relationship was generated predominantly using Nonpareil data, and this trial shows the 50 lbs. per % light inter-
cepted isn’t true for all varieties. In this trial, we can look at a measurement called “yield efficiency,” which is essentially looking at how many pounds of nuts are produced per percentage of light intercepted. Again, small varieties may be negatively influenced by the larger Nonpareil tree on either side. However, it does reveal large-canopied varieties that yield relatively poorly, like Supareil, Folsom and Sterling. It also shows some cultivars that have low cumulative yields in comparison to Nonpareil actually do pretty well for the amount of real estate they use; UCD 8-160 and Yorizane actually beat Nonpareil in terms of yield efficiency and may shine more in a field where they aren’t being shaded by larger neighbors.
While Nonpareil has proven to be a high yielder in these trials (Table 5), there are some other varieties that have also done very well. Unfortunately, two of them, Booth and UCD 18-20, have high rates of doubles. It is fairly common to have double percentages higher than 20% for both cultivars.
Yorizane is the first variety to be released from these regional trials. It is self-fertile, has excellent kernel quality and has shown few insect or disease problems, although we have seen an undefined staining on the kernel pellicle in
Table 4. Average hullsplit start date and the length of time a variety spends in hullsplit. Hullsplit start is defined when approximately 1% of the nuts have an open suture, and hullsplit ends when all the nuts have an open suture.
intercepted (PAR) and average yield/PAR.
some years. The Yorizane tree is smaller than a Nonpareil but has shown to be one of the most yield-efficient varieties in the trials. Yorizane blooms and harvests about the same time as Nonpareil and shakes very well. Because this variety was developed by USDA, it is available from all nurseries with no proprietary fees.
Kester has yielded well and has exhibited few problems. However, it blooms too late to be a good Nonpareil pollinizer and harvests too early to be harvested with Butte, so it is difficult to see how this variety fits.
Y117-91-03 has consistently been one of the highest-yielding varieties in these trials and has excellent kernel quality, although it is smaller than Nonpareil. It shakes well, has had very few insect or disease problems, and harvests before Nonpareil. This promising selection is currently being processed by Foundation Plant Services at UC Davis to create budwood that is certified to be free of viruses and will hopefully be released to nurseries soon.
To see more in-depth information on yields, visit sjvtandv.com. To see the latest annual report, including quality data and the statistical breakdown of yields, light interception and more, see: fruitsandnuts.ucdavis.edu.
Thank you to the Almond Board of California for funding this trial, and to Creekside Farming Company, Salida Unified School District and California State University, Chico for hosting these trials.
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Table 5. Average annual yield for the first eight harvests, canopy size measured as light
Drones Catching on in Tree Nut Orchard Applications
By MITCH LIES | Contributing Writer
Hazelnut grower Ken Baker was looking to treat for filbert worm as the spray season was winding to a close in mid-August, but he was hesitant to run the air blast sprayer through the orchard.
“The limbs are heavy this time of year, and I didn’t want to take the tractor and air blast sprayer through the orchard and knock them off,” Baker said.
Baker looked at helicopters and airplanes, but ultimately decided to go with Pratum Co-op’s drone application program.
“I think this is great technology,” Baker said. “I use the air blast as long as I can, but this deep in the growing season, this just makes sense.”
Baker is one of many Oregon hazelnut growers turning to Pratum Co-op’s drone program these days, a program that has grown rapidly over the last year and a half. The company started with one drone and one pilot in February 2023. Today, it has four drones and a crew of five operating the systems.
“When we first set it up, we didn’t know how much work we were going to get,” said Chris Kaiser, manager of the Ag Services Department at Pratum Coop, a Salem-based full-service agricultural retailer. “Now we have more work than we know what to do with.”
Growers utilize drones to apply preventive sprays against eastern filbert blight (EFB) in the spring and for hazelnut filbert worm in the summer, Kaiser said. And growers are finding good success.
The technology offers several advantages over ground applications, Kaiser said, including an ability to apply materials when wet soils prevent applications with ground equipment.
“For growers, in the March and April timeframe, it can be nearly impossible a lot of times to go out with a ground rig because it is still pretty muddy,” Kaiser said. “And a lot of times, airplane companies get overbooked, so the growers don’t get the applications on like they should be doing.”
Also, Kaiser said, growers can achieve better coverage when applying sprays by drone than applying by airplane, in part because drones are able
A Pratum Co-op drone piloted by Lane Marsh prepares to treat a hazelnut orchard near Canby, Ore. for hazelnut filbert worm on August 20 (all photos by M. Lies.)
to reach areas airplanes can’t. And, he said, drone applications are faster than by ground and require less labor, an issue that is top-of-mind for many growers as Oregon’s agricultural overtime rules take effect.
EFB Sprays
One development that has helped spur interest in the use of drones in hazelnuts over the past year is the fact that a new strain of the EFB fungus has entered the Willamette Valley and is infecting hazelnut trees previously thought to be resistant to the disease.
“From last year to this year, we’ve seen quite a few more acres being sprayed because of that,” Kaiser said. “And I think the trend is going to continue to go that way because it is a major concern.”
Filbert worm pressure also appears to be high this year, at least in Baker’s orchard, which is near Canby, Ore.
“The last two years, we’ve been able to just spot spray for it,” Baker said. “This year, we just have to stay after them. I’m hoping this is the final spray.”
Counting all crops, Kaiser said the company treated about 19,000 acres in Oregon with drones last year. That includes several thousand hazelnut acres; about 7,000 acres of blueberries and blackberries; specialty seed crops, such as sugar beets and cabbage; vegetable crops, such as beans and spinach; and clover and grass seed crops.
“We’ve done a decent amount of herbicide applications in clovers and grass fields in the wintertime, and we’ve done some slug bait and vole bait applications as well on grass fields,” he said. “We’ve done a little bit of everything.”
The company’s work in hazelnuts has been solely on co-op member orchards, but Kaiser said the company is willing to branch out if asked. In blueberries and blackberries, he noted, Pratum Co-op has worked with growers outside the co-op for sprays targeting the spotted wing drosophila.
Adding Drones
Pratum’s emergence into the drone application market started with one 7.5-gallon-capacity drone the company purchased in winter 2023. The company added a second 7.5-gallon drone a few months later to meet demand during the summer season, and it added two 13.5-gallon drones this year.
Under most application mixtures, Kaiser said the company can treat between 25 and 30 acres an hour.
“The drones have to be brought back and get their batteries replaced every time they refill, but it only takes a minute and a half to get up in the air again. So, it is a pretty quick turnaround,” he said.
“It is a lot faster with a drone or an airplane
Orchardist Ken Baker, left, and Chris Kaiser, manager of the Ag Services Department at Pratum Co-op, discuss use of drones in hazelnuts.
Pratum Co-op drone pilot Lane Marsh fills a drone in preparation for treating a hazelnut orchard for the filbert worm, August 20 in Canby, Ore.
Pratum Co-op drone pilot Lane Marsh changes the battery on a drone during an application for hazelnut filbert worm. Downtime for refilling drones and changing the batteries during an application takes about 90 seconds.
than with a ground rig,” Kaiser added.
Oregon State University Plant Pathologist Jay Pscheidt said the university hasn’t tested drone applications in hazelnuts to date, but a team of OSU researchers has tested air application technology against ground rig air blast sprayers. The testing involved collecting buds at the top and bottom of the canopy at bud break and two months later.
“In both cases,” Pscheidt said, “the air blast was able to do a better job with coverage and amount of fungicide on the top and bottom of the canopy.”
Still, Pscheidt said hazelnut growers have had good success with air applications against EFB and the hazelnut filbert worm, and he suspects the benefits of air applications will continue to drive their usage. “Growers know [the sprays are working] when they see good control in the middle of the orchard, but poor in places the aircraft can’t get to, like next to structures and roads,” he said.
He added drones can have an advantage over airplanes in their ability to improve coverage in areas of an orchard where airplanes have trouble reaching. “I suspect a drone will do a good job and maybe can get into those hard-to-reach areas a fixed-wing aircraft can’t,” Pscheidt said.
Baker said he has noticed from experience that airplanes have not been able to treat one corner of his Jefferson orchard that is abutted by oak and fir trees. “This will be able to get into those areas,” Baker said while watching Kaiser’s crew at work. “That is one benefit of this I like.”
Baker also said it was cheaper to go with the drones, given the minimum charge of the airplane application. Generally, Kaiser said applying sprays by drones run less than helicopters but more than by airplane.
Looking ahead, Kaiser said he wouldn’t be surprised if Pratum Co-op adds more drones and more pilots. Particularly in spring months, when demand is high for EFB applications, having more drones on-hand could be beneficial, he said.
“We’re a little bit limited in the springtime in that it doesn’t get daylight until about 7 p.m., and so you’re losing about two hours in the morning
compared to the summertime,” Kaiser said. “And so, that definitely has an impact on how many acres we can treat.”
With more drones, he believes the coop could easily treat over 25,000 acres in fiscal year 2024-25, a 20% increase over its 2023-24 usage.
“The way the business is going, that wouldn’t surprise me one bit,” he said. From there, the sky’s the limit.
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A drone piloted by Pratum Co-op drone pilot Lane Marsh sprays a hazelnut orchard outside of Canby, Ore., for hazelnut filbert worm on August 20.
INDUSTRY EFFORTS QUELL PRODUCT CONTAMINATION RISK
By CECILIA PARSONS | Associate Editor
Climate that promotes growth of fungi and insect feeding that provides openings for fungal infection are major drivers of aflatoxin contamination in almond and pistachio. According to Safe Food Alliance, aflatoxins are chemical compounds created by fungi or mold. Aflatoxins are toxic and carcinogenic and are produced by two species of Aspergillus fungi: flavus and parasiticus. Pistachio and almond growers can take steps to prevent growth of Aspergillus fungi in their orchards and control the insect pests that increase the risk of crop contamination. Processors and handlers have the responsibility of removing contaminated nuts from shipments.
Josette Lewis, chief scientific officer for Almond Board of California, said aflatoxin contamination in almonds is a serious industry concern and an expensive problem if found in a shipment of raw almonds destined for export. The Pre-Export Check (PEC) program, which is voluntary, is a tool to manage costs and uncertainty of aflatoxin before export. The program provides an aflatoxin analysis certificate if the shipment meets the criteria established by the importing country. This program works well for shipments to the EU, but the almond Board is working to get agreement with Japan to recognize PEC. Rejected shipments in Japan must be returned to California.
A similar program for pistachio exports, The Pistachio Export Aflatoxin Reporting (PEAR) program, was initiated as
a combined effort between industry professionals and regulatory officials in the early 2000s. PEAR includes setting a shipping tolerance that equals or is more restrictive than the EU aflatoxin tolerance depending on crop year, sampling by the pistachio handler, testing in USDA-approved analytical laboratories and auditing of the shipping process by USDA-Specialty Crop Inspection.
Insect Damage Link
Lewis noted aflatoxin contamination in almond orchards “is not a problem every year in every orchard.” While more insect damage is linked to aflatoxin, it is difficult to predict contamination levels.
Last year’s harvest, which had a higher percent of insect damage, still had no increase in the number of export rejections, Lewis said, a testament to the work of handlers to remove damaged nuts and to the success of PEC.
Almond handlers pay growers on a scale based on quality, incentivizing growers with lower levels of damaged kernels, Lewis said.
Lower-quality almonds have higher processing costs and carry a higher risk of contamination. Sorting out damaged kernels also reduces risk of a shipment testing above the limits for aflatoxin.
Crop contamination percentages have been low as long as growers perform good orchard sanitation, decreasing the risk of aflatoxin contamination, Mel Machado of Blue Diamond Growers said. Normal nuts with good seals have little risk of contamination, but he noted with the spread of the Carpophilus beetle in almond orchards, that could make a difference as they can chew into shells.
Reducing Potential Risk
Researchers note that reducing the potential for contamination begins in the orchard. Delaying harvest after hull or shell split allows insects to cause more damage and elevates the risk of aflatoxin contamination. Climate, drought stress and high populations of navel orangeworm (NOW) are correlated with insect damage and thus can elevate aflatoxin risk. Other prevention strategies include cleaning handling equipment to avoid cross-contamination. Using surface
Sorting out suspect nuts at the processor.
Processors and handlers have the responsibility of removing contaminated nuts from shipments (all photos courtesy Almond Board of California.)
disinfectants like ethanol, hydrogen peroxide, acetic acid and peracetic acid can be used to reduce mold.
Warm weather and the humidity that comes with irrigation present ideal growing conditions for Aspergillis fungi in orchards. Those conditions can be compounded by delayed harvests and poor orchard sanitation, allowing high levels of pest pressure. NOW has taken the blame for creating the physical damage that leaves openings for aflatoxin contamination on nuts. Carpophilus beetle is also causing kernel damage that opens kernel surfaces to aflatoxin contamination.
Rejection of almond and pistachio shipments for direct consumption by export markets and risk to human health led the almond and pistachio industries to take potential aflatoxin contamination of nuts seriously. Biocontrol agents were developed and testing protocols for exports were established.
In research funded by the California Pistachio Research Board, UC Plant Pathologist Themis Michailides said that aflatoxin contamination is unpredictable and is linked to NOW population in the orchard. The two biocontrol agents registered for almond and pistachio work by displacement of the toxigenic Aspergillus isolates, the fungi-causing molds and aflatoxin by the atoxigenic strains of the mold. In his trials, an 80% displacement will be considered successful. The average displacement for pistachios in California has been around 70%, he noted.
The two biocontrol products, AF36 PrevailTM and Afla-GuardTM GR, are used to outcompete the Aspergillus fungi in orchard soils. Since the registration of AF36 in 2012 and Afla-Guard in 2021, many almond and pistachio growers who adopted these biocontrol tools minimized contamination. Michailides noted adoption of biocontrol is higher in pistachios than almonds.
AF36 Prevail and Afla-Guard GR are applied in almond and pistachio orchards from late May through early July.
Results from a 2022 trial showed the percentage of fungi displacement was significantly different depending on the time of applications and the product used. Michailides said the use of products sporulating at higher rates under low temperatures and soil moistures earlier might help increase the efficacy of the atoxigenic A. flavus strain. Displacement data of toxigenic strains by AF36 and Afla-Guard at different times indicate the Afla-Guard might be more efficient in earlier applications as it
Pistachio and almond growers can take steps to prevent growth of Aspergillus fungi in their orchards and control the insect pests that increase the risk of crop contamination.
sporulates at lower temperatures and moisture levels. Starting with Afla-Guard and finishing with AF36 might be a strategy to use, he said. The populations of either product decline after one year since application; therefore, the application of the biocontrol products needs to be done annually.
Michailides said further studies on prevention of aflatoxin contamination by either product are in progress.
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Pistachio rootstock UCB1 D90 in May of the third growing season in microplots with sand: left picture no RLN, right picture: many RLN.
Are Nematodes a Problem in Pistachio?
By ANDREAS WESTPHAL | Dept. of Nematology, UC Riverside
Pistachio has enjoyed decades of limited reported damage from plant-parasitic nematodes. This contrasts with other tree nut crops as almond and walnut. While almond and stone fruits were long encumbered by root-knot nematodes, these crops have benefitted from protection against these culprits by the introduction of peach rootstock ‘Nemaguard.’ This fascinating rootstock carries sustainable resistance since the 1960s. Only more recently has the detection of the peach root-knot nematode (PRKN) illustrated the vulnerability of this and other rootstocks with resistance to southern root-knot nematodes other root-knot nematode species. The distribution of PRKN is not documented yet. Both walnut and almond are efficient hosts of the walnut root lesion nematode (RLN). These crops have long-term challenges with RLN, especially its primary
host walnut that gets damaged by only one nematode per 250 cc of soil. No sustainable resistance and tolerance to RLN is currently commercially available in rootstocks of these crops.
The interaction of plant-parasitic nematodes and their hosts is two-fold. The one component is the response to nematode infection; some genotypes respond with no damage independent of the nematode reproductive potential on their roots (i.e., they are tolerant). Others may get hurt from only a few nematodes (i.e., they are sensitive/intolerant). As the second response, the roots may allow for nematode reproduction (susceptible) or they may prevent such (resistant). Both parameters are very important for the field performance of plants. Genotypes that are resistant but sensitive will cause tolerance without any resistance and can lead to build-up of nematode population densities that may cause
In more recent screens with the most widespread nematode species... susceptibility of different UCB1 clones was confirmed under field conditions [in pistachio].’
problems for the following plantings.
Pistachio seemed free from these issues, likely based on a 1980s survey where no typical plant-parasitic nematodes at meaningful numbers were found on pistachio roots. In those days, the developing pistachio industry frequently used Pistacia atlantica as rootstock for the nut cultivars. Genotypes of this species were known to be on average resistant to RLN. In fact, some researchers used it as a resistant standard in their resistance determining studies. Growing P. atlantica rootstocks may have protected plantings from nematode infections.
While such rootstocks were useful regarding plant-parasitic nematodes, they were highly susceptible to Verticillium dahliae , the causal agent of Verticillium wilt that threatened the industry in the late 1980s. This crisis required major changes in the management of pistachio. While
Pistachio rootstock UCB1 D90 in May of the third growing season in microplots with sand. On left, no root lesion nematodes. On right, many root lesion nematodes.
DETERRENT FOR SMALL MAMMALS
• Protects elds and orchards from damage by small mammals
• Suitable control of gophers, ground squirrels, voles, moles and similar pests
• Eliminates fencing requirement
• Safeguards irrigation equipment from damage
• Encourages small mammal pests to vacate the premises
• Promotes small mammal population control
• Helps limit the (potential) spread of wildlife-borne disease
• Shown to be e ective even after precipitation
• Odorless and non-toxic to humans and animals
SMALL MAMMAL DETERRENT
Each year small ground mammals cause extensive damage to farm elds, crops and equipment. Besides foraging on eld crops, many are burrowing animals, whose mounds and holes create hazards for livestock, obstacles for farm equipment and inhibit crops from growing on disturbed land. In other instances, these small mammals can get into stored grain or damage agricultural infrastructure (i.e. causing damage to drip irrigation lines).
Penergetic b ZV’s purpose is to act as a deterrent by discouraging these pests from inhabiting treated areas. Since the target species often live under ground and have developed elaborate networks of tunnels, with multiple entrances, when using penergetic b ZV it is important to carry out a fairly land-expansive spraying program to ensure adequate coverage of the area they occupy.
some optimization in cultivation of the crop could mitigate severe damage, ultimately, plants were required that would not be impacted by this soil-borne disease. Crosses of Pistacia atlantica and P. integerrima were identified as being resistant to Verticillium wilt.
Some hybrid rootstocks were used as seedlings (e.g., PG II or UCB1), but with the capacity of clonally propagating the genotypes in tissue culture, clonal rootstocks became more abundant. The name UCB1 is used for any clones out of that specific directed cross. Yet, there are distinct differences among UCB1 rootstocks. This is indicated by some nurseries by providing additional identification of specific clones. With this change in rootstocks, the genetic protection from plant-parasitic nematodes may be obsolete. In fact, screens of experimental UCB1 clones conducted by Dr. M. McKenry illustrated large variability of nematode susceptibility. In more recent screens with the most widespread nematode species at the Kearney Agricultural Research and Extension Center (KARE), susceptibility of different UCB1 clones was confirmed under field conditions.
In addition to the changes in rootstock genetics, pistachio is now frequently planted to fields that were used for
Plant diameter of pistachio rootstocks UCB1 D71 and UCB1 D90 at the end of two growing cycles grown in microplots infested with increasing population densities of Pratylenchus vulnus. The threshold level is indicated by the red line. This is a modified reprint of a figure from Eur. J. Hortic. Sci. 89 (3).
the production of other perennial crops hosting plant-parasitic nematodes. In screens of pistachio, limited susceptibility to root-knot nematodes, nematodes feared after grape or cotton, was ascertained. In contrast, susceptibility to RLN was on a similarly high level as under other known tree nut crops. The build-up of these populations took long, but the principal susceptibility was confirmed. Such finding creates the potential challenge when pistachio is planted after almond and in particular after walnut. The latter crop is going through a phase of ample removal because of water restrictions, fumigant restrictions, and poor market conditions. Walnut rootstocks liable to have been used for decade-old walnut orchards are notoriously leaving behind concerning RLN population densities. This creates a potential risk for planting pistachio.
Current Threat of Root Lesion Nematode
Considering this background information, the question remains: How damaging is RLN to today’s pistachio plantings? The classical way to examine the damage potential of a plant-parasitic nematode on a specific crop is to expose the plant to increasing levels of the target nematode and measure growth response of the plants. In microplot experiments at KARE, such differing population densities were created by fractional fumigation that left behind varying population densities of RLN. Such plots were then planted to two different UCB1 clones that had tentatively shown different susceptibilities to RLN, and different overall vigor.
These trees were grown for two years. At the end of
the second year, plant growth was measured and related to the initial population densities of RLN. With higher numbers of RLN, plants were weaker at this evaluation time, this was proportionally true for both rootstocks. In statistical analysis with the so-called “Seinhorst function,” the threshold level was determined where nematode numbers started causing damage to the trees. This level was around 13.3 vermiform nematodes per 250 cc of soil. Similar confirmatory results were found in a second microplot experiment (a more technical report of this study can be accessed at pubhort.org/ejhs/ahi/1420/1420.pdf.)
Such population densities can be frequently found after a walnut orchard. So, care needs to be taken when pistachio follows walnut. Similar numbers can also be found after almond. Sampling is mandatory when
replacing a tree nut crop with another. RLN infects the nut crops and the presumed benefits of “crop rotation,” or better crop change, do not encompass this nematode pest. It infects all three nut crops with differing damage potential. The recommendation is to sample fields for nematode detection holds (more soil sampling information and tips are found at youtube. com/watch?v=U7x0xHoKqC8.)
When diagnosing nematode problems in the field, those may often be overlooked. Pistachio orchards are cultivated under a rigorous pruning and training regimen. Some of the variability from tree-to-tree that would be a typical first indication of tree health issues may go unnoticed because of that. In addition, other soil differences may overlay areas where nematode infections are damaging and may lead to unwarranted con-
clusion of their responsibility for the differences detected. To bring more clarity to this topic, more field work is necessary. Especially the threshold level experiments require confirmation under commercial conditions. If readers were interested in participating in such studies, they are encouraged to reach out to the author Dr. Andreas Westphal at andreas.westphal@ucr. edu or 559-646-6555 to learn more on what is involved in such studies.
In summary, pistachio is not home-free from the risk for nematode damage. Vigilance and care need to be exercised when planning a new orchard planting. Soil sampling for nematode detection should be an instrumental procedure in this process.
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Invasive Carpophilus Valley Orchards Beetle Marching into
By CECILIA PARSONS | Associate Editor
When PCA Justin Nay began finding fine, powdery frass in Peterson traps set to monitor navel orangeworm (NOW) activity in June, he suspected the invasive Carpophilus beetle was making inroads in pistachio orchards in Kern and Tulare counties.
Early split nuts are vulnerable to infestation by this species of beetle, and Nay said in early August that he expected beetles would also be found at hull slip, damaging kernels of split nuts.
“With early splits, we would crack them open and see adult beetles, larvae and sometimes both in the same nut,” he said. The powdery frass produced by the beetle may resemble ant feeding, but Nay said the frass is much finer. It is also distinguishable from NOW frass.
Carpophilus beetle (Carpophilus truncatus) was first reported in almond and pistachio last year in the Central Valley. Jhalendra Rijal, statewide UC IPM specialist, said this pest is capable of inflicting serious damage to almond and pistachio and could prove to be a worse pest than NOW in some years. Carpophilus beetle has been a serious insect pest in Australian almond orchards and has caused damage in tree nut crops in Italy and Argentina. Houston Wilson, entomology specialist at UC Riverside, in a recent grower notice, wrote that, in Australian almond production, 2% to 5% crop damage can be attributed to Carpophilus beetle. Damage levels can reach 30% to 40% in some years. The beetle is also known to spread fungi that can lead to aflatoxin production.
Infestations of Carpophilus beetles are common this year in the northern San Joaquin Valley almond orchards where they were observed last year, and
Rijal said they are spreading.
The black adults are tiny at 2.5 millimeters in length. Adult females lay eggs (a lot of eggs, Rijal said) on hull split almond and pistachio. They can damage both early and regular and hull slip pistachio. The larva and adults feed directly on the kernels. Rijal noted both larvae and adults can be found inside kernels through late fall.
Egg Identification
Beetle eggs are tiny, white and oblong in shape. The larva is creamy white in color with a brown head and forked tail. Adults survive the winter in mummy nuts. Beginning spring, they lay eggs on those mummy nuts on the ground. Newly emerged adults move into split nuts to lay eggs. High temperatures, moisture and food sources can push new generations in as little as three weeks.
Presently, there are no commercial traps or lures for monitoring Carpophilus beetle populations. A Carpophilus beetle team including Rijal is testing pheromone lures. He said nut sampling at hull split, damage assessment at harvest and mummy nut sampling after harvest can help determine the infestation levels in an orchard. In almonds, the soft shell varieties seem to be more vulnerable to infestation.
Rijal said Carpophilus beetle and NOW may infest nuts separately or co-infest. Feeding damage by the larvae and adults may appear similar, but it is important to distinguish between the two, along with ant damage in almonds. Softer-shell almond varieties are most vulnerable to beetle infestation. Nay said in pistachio, it appears the beetles
Carpophilus beetle is capable of inflicting serious damage to almond and pistachio and could prove to be a worse pest than NOW in some years (all
Carpophilus beetle and larvae feed on the kernels, leaving the kernel skin mostly intact. They leave a fine, powdery frass with some webbing.
photos courtesy Amanda Farquharson, Integral Ag Inc.)
More than 10 adults and larvae can be found feeding on a single kernel.
wait until the shell splits open and exposes the kernel.
Carpophilus beetle and larvae feed on the kernels, leaving the kernel skin mostly intact. They leave a fine, powdery frass with some webbing. They typically infest in large numbers, and more than 10 adults and larvae can be found feeding on a single kernel.
NOW damage leaves thicker frass and silky webbing with a darker brownish appearance. Only larvae are present, typically one to three per kernel.
Overwinter in Mummy Nuts
Both pests overwinter in mummy nuts, with beetles tending to prefer ground mummies. This is where both Rijal and Nay stress orchard sanitation is the best control tactic at present. During the winter, most adult beetles are found in the ground mummies, Nay said, making orchard sanitation paramount if evidence of beetle infestation was found at harvest. Pistachio growers need to attain an almond standard of sanitation, with smoother orchard floors making it possible for more mummies to be gathered, Nay recommended. After the mummy shake, nuts should be swept, not blown, into windrows in the centers, away from shade and moisture. It would be ideal to grind the mummies to remove beetle overwintering sites, Nay said, but machinery to do that job isn’t currently available. Flail mowers can be used, he said, but they tend to kick nuts out of the windrows.
No commercial traps or lures to monitor Carpophilus beetles are available, but Rijal noted promising pheromone lures specific to C. truncatus that Australian colleagues developed are being tested. Because this pest is new to California, UCCE advisors are working on biological and chemical control strategies.
In Australia, focus is on an entomopathogenic fungi which can kill adult beetles. Chemical control with insecticides is limited due to challenges with spray coverage. Most of the beetle’s life cycle is spent protected inside nut shells and there is only a short window of opportunity for control.
In a UC webinar, David Madge of Agriculture Victoria noted that, in
some years, almond growers in Australia are losing tens of millions of dollars due to beetle damage. Industry feedback on efficacy of pesticide applications is mixed given difficulties hitting the hull split target.
Orchard sanitation is the key to all control approaches, but Madge noted ground mummy removal can be difficult. In trials, the mummies were buried in trenches, but adults were emerging from 30 to 60 centimeters. Australian almond grower Ben Brown confirmed the burying trials failed to stop adults from emerging. Burning mummies did not work. Growers have also tried a spray application of the entomopathogenic fungi. A mechanical solution, the “Almond Terminator,” is being tested to finely grind mummies.
A true area-wide IPM approach will be needed to control beetle populations, Joshua Fielke of Almond Board of Australia said.
Proposals for control measures in California include study of seasonal phenology, temperature thresholds and degree-day guidelines similar to NOW. Researchers are also proposing to determine spring emergence and confirm beetle distribution in tree canopies. Pheromone lure and trap development and mass rearing for sterile insect technique are included in the 2024 research proposals.
Currently, Nay said he is monitoring flight activity and has used a pyrethroid with a hull split spray to knock down adult populations.
“It’s an interesting dynamic,” Nay said of the twin threat of NOW and C. truncatus vying for the same food resources. Both insects directly attack kernels, but the species that consumes more at a faster rate will win the competition.
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LEGISLATIVE IMPULSES ARE ERODING THE SCIENCE THEY DEMAND
By RENEE PINEL | President/CEO, Western Plant Health Association
All Californians can agree we want productive farms producing healthy foods while also ensuring the safety and protection of workers and communities. But how do we get there when the legislature continues to pass mandates that require regulatory agencies like the California Department of Pesticide Regulations (DPR) to undertake more rigorous scientific evaluations and monitoring programs to identify and address concerns about pesticides, but then introduces one-off bills to restrict specific pesticides based on allegations from any one group’s perception of that pesticide? While we respect legislators’ intention to address the concerns of stakeholders to ensure safe products, it seems we are caught in a non-productive cycle of the “tail wagging the dog” when it comes to achieving constructive pesticide policies.
Some legislators and stakeholders want answers fast. At the same time, they want more rigorous scientific analysis of pesticides. The thing is more rigorous scientific analysis takes time; you can’t really have it both ways. You can’t say you want the most rigorous analysis in the country and possibly in the world done, using the most recent scientific methods and incorporating new data as it’s developed, and then criticize DPR that they didn’t have the reevaluation done in one year. And it’s not fair to punish the agricultural community by removing tools based on allegations, not facts, because you’re unhappy that the reevaluation isn’t getting done fast enough to satisfy any one legislator.
To address the concerns and requests of some stakeholders and leg-
islators to have DPR identify “priority products” for review and, in theory, to bring some consistency or understanding to agriculture of what products will be prioritized for reevaluation, DPR developed the Sustainable Pest Management (SPM) Roadmap.
Sustainable Pest Management Roadmap
DPR spent years holding advisory meetings, primarily comprised of environmental justice stakeholder groups and supported by the legislature to develop the new SPM Roadmap. The SPM system was developed to bring greater transparency to the registration and reevaluation process so the public could better understand the scientific process for product registration and reevaluations, ensure DPR maintains the highest scientific thresholds to assure the public that DPR didn’t cut any corners in their product evaluations and help streamline the registration process so new softer products can be provided to growers and consumers. Like any new system, it will be a lengthy process, but a process that community representatives who were part of the SPM Advisory Committee were fully involved with and endorsed.
Western Plant Health (WPH) is sympathetic to residents concerned about the health and safety of farm workers and rural communities. We support efforts to improve and protect human health and assure the environmentally safe use of pesticide products. However, we also support solutions that can address concerns based on facts. Other sectors of the community, like growers, should not be damaged as an
outcome of non-fact-based assumptions. This is why we have supported DPR efforts to develop and establish a functional SPM system.
And yet, one year after DPR began implementing the SPM system to bring certainty and consistency to the regulatory process, we saw a record number of bills to ban or further restrict specific pesticides or classes of pesticides. These bills were introduced by legislators who voted in support of a more thorough and transparent pesticide regulatory system. We saw bills to eliminate rodenticides and specific herbicides (and herbicides in general) to increase restrictions on general-use pesticides around schools, even though those products already can’t be used within 24 hours of when children are present, and to require a pesticide notification system for every road and highway in California. That’s almost 200,000 miles of roads. And none of these bills were based on scientific studies peer-reviewed by any recognized scientific body.
Legislative Bans Now, Science Later
What is the justification for all this legislation? Some legislators felt DPR took too long to reevaluate products. So, rather than waiting for a determination based on sound science, those legislators decided to move forward with legislation banning or restricting products based on allegations and worry about the science later. At times, some legislators seem determined to ignore a scientific outcome to address pesticide safety concerns. The result is a nonsensical matrix of pesticide policy that agriculture and DPR are left to deal with.
‘...LEGISLATORS SHOULD BECOME MORE AWARE OF WHAT [DEPARTMENT OF PESTICIDE REGULATION] IS DOING TO ADDRESS THEIR CONCERNS AND ACT AS THE OVERSIGHT AUTHORITY RATHER THAN TRYING TO BE SCIENTISTS.’
The current situation leads to the tail wagging the dog scenario. If the legislature hops from one “hot topic” piece of legislation to the next and makes decisions based on assumptions, are they actually helping anyone? If growers are deprived of a tool because it feels good to eliminate a product, aren’t we simply contributing to pest and weed resistance because the growers’ toolbox just got reduced? The reality is if growers can’t protect their crops from the effects of climate change and the introduction of new pests because they have fewer tools due to legislative bans, they will be wiped out, and food prices will go up for consumers. How does that help anyone? How does a legislator think public policy based on mandates from the latest head line helps provide a protective environ ment for communities?
Again, WPH is sympathetic to the concerns of disadvantaged communi ties. But we want real solutions that are practical and based on sound science. If the legislature wants to remove pesticide products to better assure communities that they are safe, rather than introducing random bills, perhaps they would be better served to do what they are intended to do: Oversee the regulatory agencies that are charged with protecting human health and the environment. DPR is already rolling out the new SPM system, but it will take time to implement properly and meet its goals without causing unintended consequences. It's important to remember all the advisory groups involved in developing the SPM system, including representatives from disadvantaged communities, signed off on the process. Before assuming these
communities lack a voice with DPR, legislators should review the names of the organizations who participated on the Advisory Committee. If legislators want outdated products phased out, they should hold DPR accountable for accelerating the registration of new, safer products so growers can transition to better technologies.
We do not doubt legislators are sincerely interested in assuring pesticides are not impacting the health and safety
of communities. If we want to move California toward a thoughtful process to address concerns, we encourage before a bill is introduced, legislators should become more aware of what DPR is doing to address their concerns and act as the oversight authority rather than trying to be scientists.
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5 THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT WEED SUPPRESSION IN 2025 TOP
By CECILIA PARSONS | Associate Editor
Current observations are that seedlings of these weeds (hairy fleabane, left, and horseweed, right) are now found throughout the year. Minimum temperature for germination is more common. They do need light and moisture for germination, but once they have sprouted are drought tolerant (photos by Jack Kelly Clark, courtesy UC Statewide IPM Program.)
Tree nut orchards and noxious weeds are not a good combination for maximizing production. Uncontrolled weed populations can steal water and nutrients from trees, harbor vertebrate pests and hamper harvest operations. Controlling weeds in their orchards is an ongoing concern for growers who can face new weed challenges every year.
Looking forward to 2025, tree nut growers might experience new invasive weed species, increasing herbicide resistance, and new restrictions on some herbicides. Innovations in weed control include using electricity to zap weeds, planting hedgerows and using sheep to for weed control.
New Weeds, Weed Shifts
University of Arizona Cooperative Extension has put out a warning about
Stinknet, an invasive African annual weed, which is spreading in Maricopa, Pinal and Pima counties and has been found in California. Oncosiphon pilulifer, sometimes also known as globe chamomile, is a member of the sunflower family. This plant has spherical yellow flower heads consisting of many tiny flowers. Crushed foliage has a pungent, turpentine-like odor.
UCCE Weed Specialist Jorge Angeles in Tulare County said Stinknet has been found in Riverside County and has spread in Los Angeles and San Diego counties. There are no reports of this weed being present in the Central Valley. Angeles said herbicides, including glyphosate, are effective.
Angeles and Mandeep Riar, UCCE weed specialist in Kern County, said even if no new weed species that would affect tree nut orchards are currently
on the horizon, growers have plenty of known weeds to battle in orchards. Shifts in weed populations can occur from year to year, requiring changes in weed management plans. Angeles and Riar listed hairy fleabane, horseweed, Johnson grass, Bermuda grass, mallow and Palmer’s amaranth as the weed species causing the most problems in tree nut orchards.
“It can change from year to year, as weed populations shift, from broadleaf weeds to grasses,” Riar said.
Angeles said alkali weed, Cressa truxillensis, which popped up in orchards in the last few years, continues to plague pistachio growers in the southern Central Valley and is spreading. This native, perennial plant is part of the morning glory family. Standard orchard floor management practices and herbicide applications do not keep this weed in check. This weed can re-grow after herbicide treatments.
Silverleaf nightshade, Solanum elaeagnifolium, is a perennial weed native to South America, Mexico and the southwestern and southern U.S. It has become widespread in California, invading tree nut orchards and other agricultural systems. High temperatures, scant moisture and saline conditions have little effect on silverleaf nightshade growth. Pistachio trees planted in fields containing high volumes of seed can struggle to compete with this weed.
Little Seed Canary Grass and Common Chickweed are two new problematic weed species in small grain crops.
Herbicide Resistance
Rotating use of appropriate herbicides with different modes of action can slow the development of resistance in weeds. Relying heavily on one material or tank mix over time causes weeds to develop resistance in-season and from one season to the next.
UC Davis is collaborating with Oregon State and Cornell University researchers in testing a Zasso ElectroherbTM in an organic almond orchard and organic blueberry fields.
According to the International Survey of Herbicide Resistant Weeds, worldwide there are 523 unique cases of resistant weeds. Of the 269 species, 154 are dicots and 115 are monocots. Weeds are resistant to about 21 of the 31 known sites of action, affecting 99 crops in 72 countries.
Glyphosate resistance is well known in horseweed, fleabane, ryegrass and junglerice and suspected in Palmer amaranth, lambsquarters, threespike goosegrass and sprangletop.
UCCE Weed Science Specialist Brad Hanson noted in a UC Weed Science publication there are also resistance concerns with Paraquat and Glufosinate. There are populations of annual bluegrass (Poa annua), horseweed (Conyza canadensis), annual or Italian ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum), junglerice (Echinochloa colona),and hairy fleabane (Conyza bonariensis) that have developed resistance to glyphosate in California.
Angeles said watching for weed escapes, those not killed by herbicide applications, is important in reducing herbicide resistance. Management also involves scouting early and removing weeds before they produce seeds. Angeles said it will take an integrated approach to control resistant weed populations. Early detection and identification of weeds in their early stages of growth is key, Riar
said. Growers can check the UC Weed Research and Information Center to assist with weed identification.
New Herbicide Restrictions
While this restriction does not target specific products, beginning in 2025, California Department of Pesticide Regulation plans to launch a notification system for applying restricted use materials. This regulation creates an online map for public access of planned applications.
Although the herbicide Dacthal (DCPA) was banned for use in agriculture this year, Angeles said no major changes in herbicide use are on the horizon. Those materials with residual action are under scrutiny, he added, due to overapplications. Rather than stick with one herbicide, he said it is better to rotate chemistries.
Targeted Grazing in Orchards
Using sheep and goats to control weeds in orchards is not a new practice but is returning to the tool box. Julie Finzel, UCCE range, natural resources and livestock advisor in Kern County, said in organic systems and where management is seeking to reduce herbicide use, targeted grazing is now gaining more attention as a weed control tactic. Finzel, who has been conducting research on targeted grazing, said food safety concerns with livestock are addressed with removal of animals 120 days prior to first shake. Finzel also gathered data from growers and grazing providers to do an economic analysis of targeted grazing.
Typically, sheep are brought into orchards to graze down winter weeds. Vari ations in weather from year to year impact
demand for livestock weed control. In wet years, where there is more vegetation in orchards to control, livestock owners may have better choices for feeding their animals. In drought years, targeted grazing companies may be looking for scarce feed options. She also noted that at mature stages, silverleaf nightshade and amaranth would not be eaten by sheep.
Electric Weed Control
This weed control option involves power generated by a tractor PTO shaft that drives a generator which converts mechanical energy into electrical energy. An
Tong Zhen, a graduate student at UC Davis, said the UC Davis team is collaborating with Oregon State University and Cornell University researchers working on a similar machine on different crops. At Davis, Zhen said they are using a Zasso ElectroherbTM in an organic almond orchard and organic blueberry fields. In the two-year-old almonds, Zhen said they have found effective weed control, making passes in the orchard once a month during the growing season. No crop injury has occurred. Drawbacks they have confirmed include variable moisture levels, which
‘Watching for weed escapes, those not killed by herbicide applications, is important in reducing herbicide resistance.’
application unit uses electrodes to channel the current into plants as it moves through the orchard. As the high voltage passes through the plant and down to the roots,
can affect efficacy, and potential for fire in dry weed residue.
There is potential for commercial availability in the future, Zhen said, as
STEEL BUILDINGS
South Valley Conference
Offers Unique Opportunity and Growers, Industry Professionals and Processors
JCS Marketing Inc. will host the South Valley Conference for growers, handlers, processors and industry affiliates at the International Agri-Center in Tulare Nov. 7.
This conference will be a one-stop shop for the vertical specialty crops industry to learn about the latest innovations and technologies to help improve their productivity and profitability.
Three concurrent tracks of continuing education will be available (see tentative agenda.) The first will feature CEUs and other topics for almond and pistachio growers. The second will target citrus growers. And the third will target processors and handlers of common crops in the South Valley.
JCS Marketing Inc. Publisher/CEO Jason Scott said the new South Valley format is designed to reach a broad audience of industry leaders in the almond, pistachio and citrus industries in the South San Joaquin Valley.
“JCS Marketing continues to innovate during these challenging times so that growers and processors can innovate as well,” Scott said.
For more details or to register, log onto MyAgLife.com/events.
Industry Titan Award Presentation
During the South Valley Conference Industry Lunch West Coast Nut magazine will present its annual West Coast Nut Industry Titan Award to Roger Duncan, retired UCCE orchard advisor in Stanislaus and all County. Duncan retired from the Cooperative Extension this year after three decades of service to the industry. His research led to innovations in how orchards are managed and configured and also helped in the development of new almond varieties to address pressing production and yield issues.
This annual award recognizes a researcher, farm advisor, grower or industry leader who has made significant contributions to the production of almonds, walnuts, pistachios and pecans in the Western U.S.
Nominees are assessed based on a matrix of the following criteria:
• How the honoree’s research, innovation and field work have advanced nut production in the Western U.S.
• How the honoree has transferred new information to nut growers through field days, magazine articles, presentations and other vehicles of communication or through other significant industry leadership.
Recently retired UCCE Orchard Advisor Roger Duncan will be recognized as this year’s West Coast Nut Industry Titan at the South Valley Conference.
• How the honoree’s work has helped develop practical, longterm solutions to ongoing industry problems.
• How the honoree has helped advance sustainable nut production by reducing inputs, costs or increasing yields.
“These nominees are often the unsung heroes in the nut industry, and West Coast Nut wants to recognize the important contributions and achievements of these industry titans,” said West Coast Nut Publisher Jason Scott. “Roger is the ideal of what we are looking for in an individual to receive this award.”
The South Valley Conference will feature an industry trade show as well as education and networking opportunities.
SOUTH VALLEY
CONFERENCE
November 7, 2024
7AM-1PM
Corteva Building International Agri-Center
4500 S Laspina St. Tulare, CA 93274
ALMOND & PISTACHIO AGENDA
CDPR: 2.5, CCA: 3.5, FREP: 0.5
7:00 AM BREAKFAST & TRADESHOW
8:00 AM
Silverleaf Nightshade: Understanding, Controlling and Preventing its Spread in Orchards
Mandeep Riar, UCCE Restoration Ecology and Weed Science Farm Advisor, Kern and Tulare County
8:30 AM
Update on Personal Protection Equipment
Tom Tucker, Tulare County Ag Commissioner
9:00 AM
Preparing for Nematode Management in Almond with Changing Available Tools
Andreas Westphal, UC Riverside Professor of Cooperative Extension Nematology
9:30 AM TRADESHOW and BREAK
10:30 AM
Emerging Pest Management Challenges in Nut Crops: Red Leaf Blotch of Almond; Navel Orangeworm; Gill’s Mealybug; Carpophilus Beetle
Raymond Mireles, UCCE Fruit and Nut Advisor, Fresno and Tulare Counties
12:00 PM
Industry Lunch and Presentation of Industry Titan Award
Jason Scott, CEO and Publisher, JCS Marketing 1:00 PM Adjourn
FREE to Attend!
Growers, Applicators, PCAs, CCAs, and Processors Welcome!
Enjoy Networking, Exhibits, Industry Lunch, Co ee & Donuts, CEUs, Seminars, and Workshops.
TO REGISTER
CITRUS AGENDA
CDPR: 1.0, CCA: 3.5, FREP: 1.0
7:00 AM BREAKFAST & TRADESHOW
8:00 AM
Citrus Stubborn Disease vs Huanglongbing: Similarities and Differences
Ray Yokomi, Research Plant Pathologist, USDA-ARS
8:30 AM
Preserving Citrus and Avocado: Strategies for Combating Synergistic Dry and Phytophthora Root Rots Fatemeh Khodadadi, UCCE Specialist, Subtropical Plant Pathology
9:00 AM TRADESHOW and BREAK
10:00 AM
Appraising Uncertainties and Errors of Citrus Water Use Estimated with Satellite Remote Sensing Methods Daniele Zaccaria, UCCE Water Management Specialist
10:30 AM
Research on Possible Causes of Lemon Pitting
Ashraf El-Kereamy, Director, UC Lindcove Research and Extension Center
11:00 AM
Panel Discussion: Winter and Spring Fertility in Citrus Moderator: JW Lemons, CCA, CPAg Agronomy Manager
12:00 PM
Industry Lunch and Presentation of Industry Titan Award
Jason Scott, CEO and Publisher, JCS Marketing
1:00 PM Adjourn
PROCESSING AGENDA
This track doesn’t offer CEU
7:00 AM BREAKFAST & TRADESHOW
8:00 AM
Panel Discussion: Innovations in Ag Processing
Moderator: Jason Scott, CEO and Publisher, JCS Marketing
Panelists: Jeff Sargent, Satake; Zhongli Pan, Adjunct Professor, Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering, UC Davis
9:00 AM
Addressing Labor Issues in Ag Processing Alden Parker, Regional Managing Partner, Fisher & Phillips
9:30 AM
Using AI Technology to Improve Efficiency Saumitra Buragohain, CEO, Borde Inc.
10:00 AM TRADESHOW and BREAK
11:00 AM
Panel Discussion: Handlers and Processors Discuss What Keeps Them Up at Night
Moderator: Roger Isom, President/CEO Western Agricultural Processors Association
Panelists: Wade Van Hooser, Mid Valley Cotton Growers; Amy Sihto, El Dorado Almonds; Jim Razor, JG Boswell Company, Luis Katsurayama, Pandol Bros.
12:00 PM
Industry Lunch and Presentation of Industry Titan Award
Jason Scott, CEO and Publisher, JCS Marketing
1:00 PM Adjourn
PECAN INDUSTRY REVISES GRADES AND STANDARDS
By CECILIA PARSONS | Associate Editor
Controlling the aphid complex, judicious pruning and meeting water requirements are standard practices to ensure good yields and high quality in California pecan orchards. The entire U.S. pecan industry has also taken steps to assure customers receive the quality they expect.
According to the federal marketing order under the American Pecan Council, the revised USDA shelled grades and standards for pecans will help handlers more closely meet customer expectations and standardize terminology across the pecan industry.
The updated grades and standards which went into effect in July are not mandatory for sales but meeting them will allow for USDA certification which is often requested by foreign buyers. The USDA will also use the revised standards to evaluate the product. The grade standards are available for use by producers, suppliers, buyers and consumers. The update includes revised scoring guides for defects, creates new size parameters and offers revised definitions of color.
Process Began in 2018
Anne Warden, CEO of American Pecan Council, said the industry has been using 1969-era grades and standards for their products. The update efforts, a collaboration with the Nation-
The updated USDA grades and standards for pecans created new size parameters, revised scoring guides for defects and offers new definitions for colors (all photos courtesy American Pecan Council.)
al Pecan Shellers Association, began in 2018 and included two comment periods and several drafts before the final document was released. Stakeholders were also involved in the process.
“It was time for the industry to change,” Warden said.
Use of different terminology in product description did not allow customers to effectively compare products, Warden said. U.S. quality could not be differentiated from global competitors, and pecans were behind other nut competitors on improving standards in place.
Warden said industry stakeholders provided feedback for the revisions, expanding the quality grades for in-shell pecans and shelled product, aligning terminology within the standards for pecans in the shell and shelled meats. They also updated the minimum percentages under tolerances and moisture content restriction language.
The goal of the new grades and standards is to provide a universal language with more specificity on sizing for customers. Pecans are grown across southern and midwestern states, and with highly variable growing conditions, the industry was seeking to bring more consistency to the product.
For example, sizing of pecan halves under the old standards just listed them as No. 1 or commercial. The new standards provide more definition to help customers understand the sizes. The new U.S. Extra Fancy consists of kernels with a moisture content of not over 4.5%, uniform in color and not darker than light, free from damage and uniform in size. U.S. Fancy has similar requirements but is allowed a darker color.
In the revision, U.S. Choice shells are described as fairly uniform in color and free from damage. Kernels are not poorly developed, moisture content not
Goal of the new grades and standards was to provide a universal language with more specificity on sizing for customers.
more than 8% and not darker than amber. U.S. Standard has no requirement for fullness of kernel or uniformity of color for shells or kernels. This grade may also contain kernels that
halves have seven size classes compared to eight in the previous specifications. The number of pieces allowed is lower at 10% in premier halves compared with 15% in the U.S. No. 1.
Commercial halves and pieces to 5% in Fancy halves. Fewer
The council also emphasized as the standards and grades are implemented by the industry, ‘tweaks’ would be inevitable and made as needed. One change already made was to allow unsold
Helping Farmers Grow NATURALLY Since 1974
– Anne Warden, American Pecan Council
“ ” It was time for the industry to change.
The American Pecan Council reports the greatest chance of growing the U.S. pecan industry will come from remaining united across the supply chain and across all pecan growing regions.
“While the new standards will face a few hiccups, we can say with confidence to our customers we produce the best pecans in the world and we are a unified industry focused on growth,” APC reported.
California Consistency
While the bulk of U.S. pecan production is found in southern and midwestern states, California pecan growers can claim a consistent product due to management practices geared toward quality. California pecan growers
produce about 7 to 8 million pounds on approximately 6,000 acres annually while the entire U.S. pecan production is 250 to 300 million pounds.
Keith Larrabee of Chico-area Larrabee Farms said in mid-August it was a little too early to tell crop size, but the crop did appear light. He said pecan growers in the north part of the state have had three ‘pretty good’ years of production, so a lighter crop could be expected in 2024.
Pecan production in California is pretty stable, he noted, as not a lot of large-scale tree removals or new plantings are occurring. Production is increasing as new plantings begin bearing.
Josh Enos with pecan producer Carriere Farms in Glenn, Calif. said the reports on the 2024 California pecan
crop have been mixed, but a smaller crop is anticipated.
Enos said the crop quality this year appears to be good due to less aphid pressure. Kernels are expected to be larger and lighter in color. He said pecan growers in the Northern California area have been aggressive with aphid control and sunlight management to help with quality.
Carriere Farms has about 100 acres of pecans in production. Varieties are Pawnee, Shoshone and Wichita. Carriere has recently opened a processing plant with a new in-shell line for their pecans and for other growers.
Comments about this article? We want to hear from you. Feel free to email us at article@jcsmarketinginc.com
Pecan crop quality in California appears to be good with less aphid pressure.
Hazelnut Growers Gather in Oregon for Summer Tour
By GAIL OBERST | Contributing Writer
“People think I’m crazy,” said Matt Miller, whose family has farmed Miller Hazelnut Farms for five generations. The current president of the Nut Growers Society which promotes promoting nuts grown in Oregon, Washington and British Columbia, Miller said his innovative practices have changed the landscape of the farm’s 185 acres since his great-great grandfather staked a claim on the floor of the Willamette Valley.
More than 650 people who work in the hazelnut industry saw those changes first-hand during the Nut Growers Society Summer Tour August 7. Miller Farms was the one of the Tour’s four morning sessions.
His grandparents’ oats, hops and livestock gave way to his father’s grass
seed, and then hazelnuts. When Miller took over 12 years ago, he expanded orchards and began experimenting with techniques to reduce yield swings typical of hazelnuts, improve profits and promote tree health. He scrutinized hedging, pruning techniques, spraying technology, cover crops, soil health and sap analysis. As a result, his dryland farm is surviving the Eastern Filbert Blight, rising costs and the ups and downs of the markets.
There have been epic failures, Miller admitted, describing tiling problems, double-density hedging experiments and fertilization trials that left trees weak or unhealthy and unable to withstand weather disasters.
What has worked on the Miller farm? Among successful techniques are high
and low hedging and pruning specific to the variety and the age of the grove, and grinding the tree materials into organic mulch that is returned to the soil. As a result, instead of adding nitrogen, his fertilization program focuses on micronutrients that vary depending on the results of sap analyses.
On display throughout the Tour were the tools and techniques used on Miller’s farm and on orchards throughout the West. More than 200 experts, trade vendors and sponsors staffed nearly 80 booths and displays, taught credit courses or staged demonstrations of the latest technology, services and science aimed at improving all aspects hazelnut operations, from financing to fertilization.
In a festive atmosphere that com-
Matt Miller, president this year of Nut Growers Society, talked about the history of his family and farming practices.
Timothy King of Precision Aerial Application refills his T-40 sprayer drone during a demonstration (all photos by G. Oberst.)
Dr. Shannon Cappellazzi, research scientist with the Oregon Hazelnut Commission, discusses the importance of cover crops to soil health.
bined the elements of a family reunion and a county fair, society members and affiliates moved through the day’s events, asking questions of presenters, kicking machinery tires at the booths, catching up with friends and sharing their own hazelnut growing experiences.
“Growers were ecstatic to have the event back on the farm for the whole day, so hopefully we can do something similar next year,” said Colleen Nihen, executive director of the Hazelnut Industry Office. The Tour is one of several events the group sponsors throughout the year, including the Winter Meeting in January and regular networking called Catkins & Coffee. The society works in collaboration with the Hazelnut Marketing Board, Oregon Hazelnut Commission and other groups. Coming events are at members. oregonhazelnuts.org/.
Spraying Takes Off
Heading up the “awesome” category was the drone sprayer demonstration by Timothy King, pilot for Precision Aerial Application. With onlookers holding their hats against the air and dust, the drone, about the size of a large man with his arms spread wide, lifted off the trailer toting about 10 gallons of spray. Although King can operate the drone’s specific movements on a tablet, this custom work to spray Miller’s youngest orchard, planted to PollyO in 2020, has been preloaded into the T-40’s memory. While the drone buzzed over the trees, dropping and spraying according to a specific plan, King answered questions about capacity and maintenance. Within 10 minutes, the drone returned to its perch on the flatbed to be reloaded before it flew back to where it left off to continue its work. Flying at about 9 feet above the treetops, this T-40 can
spread liquid 30 feet wide and precisely cover approximately 15 acres of orchard per hour, delivering specific product according to the plant’s need.
That afternoon, equipment manufacturers also demonstrated new technology designed to reduce chemical use, airborne drift and run-off to optimize high-value crop yields and meet sustainability objectives.
Double-Density Tips
In the cooler and quieter shade of the older hazelnut trees, two grow-
ers, Jason Perrott of Coburg, and Dan Keeley of St. Paul, talked about their various experiences with double-density planting, a method used to plant two varieties or denser rows during the first few years of a new orchard. The method to overplant younger trees is used to hedge bets against unpredictable circumstances (e.g., disease, weather and markets). But the method also acts as an orchard production contest among two or more varieties.
Miller said his was a cautionary tale. When he took over the farm, he failed
Nik Wiman, OSU Extension orchard specialist, discusses the importance of young tree pruning.
Colleen Nihen, executive director of the Nut Grower Society, welcomes visitors to the 2024 Summer Tour.
to thin or properly hedge or prune a grove of his double-density trees until they were 17 years old, long after their canopies had grown together. After thinning, many of the trees were left weakened and some were uprooted by the heavy ice in the winter storm of 2021.
The lesson? “Don’t do nothing,” said Perrott.
Close observation in double-density trees is needed to determine which variety is best suited for the orchard. Doubling density can increase production for a few years, but eventually, the extra trees must be removed for the health of the remaining trees.
Despite the dip in production when the complementary trees are removed, Perrott warned, “You can’t be squeamish about taking them out. They have to go before they crowd and weaken the main variety.”
Barring disaster, interplanting a variety of trees was a good investment for him, Keeley said. He planted his McDonald trees in an equilateral triangle pattern, each tree the same distance from its neighbors, and used the smaller Yamhill as temporary trees. The upside to the honeycomb pattern is each tree has additional room to grow; the downside is the harvest row widths may not be uniform.
In addition to yield income, each grower must assess costs for interplanting, including removal of temporary trees, labor, mulching, fertilizer, spraying, sucker removal and other technology associated with double-density. Double-density doesn’t pencil out for everyone, Keeley said.
WALNUTS & ALMONDS
and Dan
Pruning and Hedging
Nik Wiman, an orchard specialist for Oregon State University’s North Willamette Research and Extension Center, said rotational pruning, such as the methods used at Miller’s farm, can eliminate hazelnut’s biennial crop tendencies by opening the canopy to more light, promoting flowering and renewing fruiting wood.
Hand work is needed for young trees in the first three or four years to grow stronger trees that can withstand environmental challenges, such as snow and ice storms, Wiman said.
The goal in those first years is to develop three to five major scaffold limbs, beginning in the first dormant season. Scaffolds should radiate out from the tree’s crotch in all directions. The limbs should be evenly spaced, about 2+ inches separating them along the trunk, and all other shoots should be removed. Heading (removing a part of a branch) is used to promote branching structure, and thinning (removing an entire branch) is done to make corrections in the first years, following the grower’s plan for final height and width.
• Receiving
• Precleaning
• Hulling
• Drying
• In-Shell
• Shelling
• Eletronic Sorting
• Hand Sorting
• Packaging
After five years or so, intensive hand work on young trees can turn to a mechanical and rotational hedging and pruning schedule depending on the cultivar, soil and factors peculiar to the farm. Increasingly, hazelnut growers are embracing mechanical hedging for some or all their annual pruning. Hedging and pruning are recommended for mature trees to reduce shade, promote accessibility and allow good spray coverage, Wiman said.
A detailed description of hazelnut pruning and hedging techniques is in OSU Extension’s 2023 catalog, publication 9078.
Soil Significance
At the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service booth, Kameron Nicholson drops two similar-looking handfuls of soil aggregate into the top of two colanders filled with water. The handful of dry, clay-like soil common to the Willamette Valley quickly disintegrates and sinks. The aggregate with bits of grass and other organic matter disintegrates slowly, holding its shape
Walnut Equipment
Almond Equipment
Jason Perrott
Keely, hazelnut growers, talk pruning and hedging during the Tour.
Attendees watch demonstrations of the latest smart herbicide and airblast sprayers.
after soaking for 10 minutes. Soils with structure are less susceptible to erosion and runoff, and are less likely to be lost to dust, Nicholson said.
In addition to keeping the soil where it is and adding structure, planting cover crops benefits the soil in other ways Dr. Shannon Cappellazzi told visitors in her morning session. Cappellazzi, Oregon Hazelnut Commission researcher, is former manager of OSU’s Central Analytical Laboratory and Soil Health Institute’s lead scientist for the North American Project to Evaluate Soil Health Measurements. The roots of cover crops dig into the soil, providing nitrogen and organic nutrients that they share with the trees, reducing costs for fertilizer and other chemicals. The living cover crop also keeps the soil temperature lower in the summer, reducing evaporation and increasing soil moisture.
The perfect cover crop will work for the grower’s specific needs and goals, such as reducing costs for water, fertilizer and labor, Cappellazzi said. Before planting a cover crop, growers should consider which species won’t interfere with harvest practices, the site’s soil type and slope, the best species for weather conditions, whether perennial or annual species work best for the site and the equipment needed to manage the system.
“There’s not a single fit for everyone,” Cappellazzi said.
In addition to the demonstrations and presentations, the Tour included Oregon
Department of Agriculture Pesticide Credit Courses for attendees who wanted to earn credits toward their pesticide license. Best Practices for Airblast Applications in Hazelnut Orchards was taught by Wiman, and Fungicide Refresher for EFB
Management was taught by Jay Pscheidt, of OSU Extension.
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Cameron Nicholson and Emma Scott of USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service demonstrate the importance of soil complexity to erosion control.
WESTLANDS COMPLETES PHASE ONE OF PASAJERO RECHARGE PROJECT
By KRISTIN PLATTS | Digital Content Writer
The first phase of a long-term project by Westlands Water District to double its groundwater recharge capacity and secure a sustainable water supply within the Valley’s largest irrigation district reached completion in late August. The milestone was celebrated on the final day of testing on the Pasajero Groundwater Recharge Basin, where approximately 420 acre-feet of water was recharged into a percolation basin.
Adjacent to Interstate 5 in Coalinga, Calif., the Pasajero basin includes
a new 30-cubic-feet-per-second conveyance turnout from the Coalinga Canal and six basins. Phase one can recharge up to 21,000 acre-feet of water annually, while phase two will add up to 10 dry wells, enhancing the recharge capacity by an additional 5,000 acre-feet, allowing surface water to be conveyed directly into the aquifer. The district last year was able to recharge nearly 400,000 acrefeet of water and is hoping to nearly double that capacity, up to 800,000 acre-feet.
Roughly the size of Rhode Island, Westlands Water District serves the western side of Fresno and Kings Counties and is the largest agricultural water district by irrigatable acres in the United States. Allison Febbo, general manager for the district, said the success of the project was dependent on the collaboration of many entities working together to protect agriculture
“I think we’ve recognized we all have to work together now and that agriculture in the Central Valley is
This blade valve commonly used in flood irrigation systems is solar powered and precise in the measurement of flow (photo by K. Platts.)
important for the state, and not just the state, our nation and global food supply,” Febbo said. “We are completely reliant on our surface water supply; it’s our lifeblood, and we have to have that to be able to continue farming here.”
She noted that other partnerships with the district have included signed memorandums of understating with Friant Water Authority, Metropolitan Water District, and Valley Water District.
Febbo said the decline in water supply reliability over the decades due to climate change and environmental issues has created "water wars" that have led to fierce competition for resources. To address it, she emphasized the importance of the district taking control by capturing excess water during wet years and storing it in recharge basins for use during dry periods to support growers.
“We had two 0% allocation years, and that almost decimated not just our growers, but the communities in our area,” she said. “So, this is taking
“WHEN WE HAVE THESE CRAZY STORMS WITH WATER WASHING AWAY TO THE DELTA, WE NEED TO FIND A WAY TO CAPTURE AND STORE IT SOMEWHERE FOR THE DROUGHTS, AND THAT’S WHAT THIS PROJECT AND THE OTHERS LIKE IT ARE DOING."
– JOHN WATTS, BUREAU OF RECLAMATION
control of our own destiny, taking that excess water when it’s flooding and there’s too much throughout the state and being able to recharge it here so that it’s there in the future.”
Water flows into a basin during final testing on August 22 (photo by K. Platts.)
Westside Subbasin GSP
As agencies establish groundwater sustainability plans (GSP) to comply with the State Groundwater Management Act, Febbo said the basin project fits into their Westside Subbasin GSP.
“Now, with the Sustainable Groundwater [Management] Act, we’ve learned we have to recharge those basins when it’s a wet year so water can be there and available in those dry years. We don’t want to continue overdrafting,” she said.
John Watts, Bureau of Reclamation senior counselor to the commission, said Westlands’ success of gaining close to 400,000 acre-feet of groundwater recharge in 2023 was
a feat to be acknowledged.
“When we hear in the news about all this excessive groundwater pumping and land subsiding, what Westlands did in 2023 was they got uplift,” he said. “The ground rose over 380,000 acre-feet of recharge, that’s a real accomplishment.”
Watts said we need to retool our infrastructure as well as our thinking, which he said the Pasajero project does by focusing on upgrading infrastructure and developing groundwater recharge systems, which are vital in adapting to climate change. He noted the region has already experienced extreme weather patterns such as the significant floods in late 2022 followed by a severe drought just months later, so it underscores the urgent need for improved water management.
“When we have these crazy storms with water washing away to the Delta, we need to find a way to capture and store it somewhere for the droughts, and that’s what this project and the others like it are doing,” he said. “We can capture these flows so when the droughts come, we have some more water.”
Stressing the need for innovation, Karla Nemeth, director of California Department of Water Resources, said Westlands wrote the book on it.
“It’s not at all surprising you all would be the early adopters of these new ideas to make sure we can sustain ourselves and create a water resilient future for growers of Westlands and communities in Westlands,” she said.
Implementation and Management
The logistics of launching a project of this magnitude required the involvement of irrigation companies to install specialized equipment. Eric Rothberg, sales manager for Rubicon Water, said his company specializes in canal automation, producing gates and other irrigation products critical for such projects at its Modesto, Calif. location just two hours north.
“There’s a huge market for automation of canals like you have in the valley, maintaining them full, avoiding spills, measuring the water, so that’s the big thing we do, we provide a very precise accounting of the water distribution,” he said.
A sign at the entrance to the Pasajero basin site in Coalinga gives a summary of the project and its supporters (photo by K. Platts.)
An automated trash rack installed at the Pasajero site will help keep pipes from being clogged by removing trash and debris from the canal (photo by K. Platts.)
For the Pasajero project, Rothberg said the focus wasn't on measuring water but on providing essential equipment designed for releasing flow, while the valves they provided are solar-powered and communicate via radio, making them ideal for remote locations like this one, where electric power isn't readily available.
“Because of that, you don’t have to actually come here to open the gate, you can do it from anywhere,” Rothberg said.
The week-long testing process leading up to the ribbon cutting ceremony ensured the pipes were working and that everything was graded correctly. Noting the landscape’s thirsty soil, Febbo said it was a testament to the project’s success that water wasn’t building up in the basins during the testing process.
“That’s what you want to see to prevent evaporated loss and other issues,” she said. “I believe we’ve seen success here. Just seeing the percolation rate is also a huge success.”
The entire project sits on just 29 acres of land, Febbo noted.
“It’s a very small footprint for such a substantial amount of recharge,” she said. “So, when we can use these as examples and build out, and we can get upwards of 800,000 acre-feet or a million acre-feet, that’s what makes this so exciting.”
Funding for the project included nearly $4 million from California Department of Water Resources' Sustainable Groundwater Management Proposition 68 Implementation Grant Program, along with over $2.6 million from the district. Additionally, Westlands recently received $25 million through the federal Inflation Reduction Act to support similar recharge projects,
which will further enhance collaborative drought resiliency efforts.
Phase two of the project will begin with the construction of the dry wells in the first half of 2027.
Going forward, Febbo said the project will be able to sustain agriculture into the future for the district, which she reiterated is first and foremost an agricultural water district.
“We know our farms support a lot
of communities in this area that are underserved, so we’re hoping with this and further recharge projects, that our agriculture is sustained into the future and that our communities are sustained into the future,” she said.
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An arial view of the Pasajero Basin Recharge Project (photo courtesy Westlands Water District.)
From the Orchard
Applies Hydrogeology Expertise to Farming RICH GEMPERLE
By LORI FAIRCHILD | Contributing Writer
Rich Gemperle of Gemperle Family Farms grew up on the family farm in Turlock, Calif. doing chores for the egg-producing side of his family’s operation. At 18, he left home for college then Switzerland where he worked as a hydrologic engineer for 10 years. But farming drew him back home in the late 1990s.
Since then, he has focused on the almond-growing side of the business. With 2,000 acres of orchards that include small crops of walnuts and olives in addition to almonds, Gemperle enjoys applying his hydrogeology background to farming.
The result is a more scientific approach to farming focused on running trials to determine what practices work best. In fact, the newest project for Gemperle and his daughter, Tanya, who is pursuing a Ph.D. in sustainable agriculture, is their LaGrange Ranch, a piece of land embedded in nature where they are creating orchards that work within the existing landscape. They have opened the ranch to universities to use for research projects in addition to their own projects.
We asked Gemperle to share with West Coast Nut his thoughts on the state of the tree nut industry and sustainable agriculture.
Q. Tell me a little bit about the history of your farming operation.
My dad immigrated from Switzerland in 1949. He studied poultry in Switzerland, so it started as an
We’re trying to create an on-farm research collaborative project where universities can come and conduct research. We learn, they learn, and we’re trying to make it a model ranch embedded in nature.”
Rich Gemperle of Gemperle Family Farms brings a scientific approach to his orchards. With a background in hydrogeology, Gemperle often runs trials to decide what practices work best (all photos by R. Gemperle)
egg-producing company, and it’s always been an egg-producing company. We have a legacy of over 70, close to 75, years with that. I had an uncle who came in 1960, my dad’s brother, and they both in tandem started almond production in 1960.
I have four brothers and three sisters, and we’re all involved in the company. I run the farming side, the almonds, and I have three brothers who run the egg production side. The sisters are involved in various public relations and operations, too.
My background is I didn’t actually go straight from college into the business. I was a hydrologic engineer, and I did a reverse immigration back to Switzerland when I finished grad school. It wasn’t until after living there for about 10 years and having kids over there that I decided, "Yeah, maybe the family business is a good idea." We were pretty far away from family.
So, I started in 1999, took over for my uncle on the almond side, and I’ve been doing almond farming for about 25 years now, after hydrogeology.
Now, the third generation is involved; my daughter is also working in the company on the almond side. On the egg side, there’s also a next generation working. She helps me with operations on the almond side, at least until September because she’s starting her Ph.D. in September, so she won’t have time for that anymore.
I have a background in geology, then hydrology and groundwater hydrology. She went into environmental sciences at Santa Cruz, did a master’s at Oxford, and now she’s starting at UC Davis on a Ph.D. track in sustainable farming.
Q. Does your background in groundwater hydrology help in the almond business?
Well, it’s an interesting question because I never knew that farming would be my field or profession later in life. But ironically, during my studies, I did a lot of soil chemistry, a lot of soils classes, a lot of hydrology classes.
As it turns out, hydrochemistry and soils come in pretty handy when
you’re doing agriculture. So, yes, I do think even though I didn’t take a lot of pomology classes, I was well-prepared.
In hydrology, you run projects, and there’s a lot of in-field, in-situ research that you do to see what works and what doesn’t work. We do a lot of trials. Tanya is also trained more as a scientist than a farmer, so we take a very analytical or scientific approach to farming just because of our backgrounds.
Q. How have farming practices evolved in the last 25 years?
Well, there are a lot of buzzwords in the industry now about sustainability and regenerative agriculture and organic.
I guess we’re on that soapbox where we’re trying to farm as gently as we can. That means a lot of [integrated pest management] is involved in our decision-making and how we’re treating our soil. For example, we’re pretty unique because we have, on one side of the company, egg production, which produces an infinite supply of organic amendments for our almond production. That means we have composted
Tanya Gemperle presents at a cover crop field workshop. Tanya is pursuing a Ph.D. in sustainable agriculture and works with her dad to run the nut side of Gemperle Family Farms.
manures that we apply to the fields, and we’ve been doing that for 40 years.
All the synthetic fertilizers, we really don’t need them. All the amendments that you would normally apply to soils, like potash, we don’t have to use on an annual basis. We’re just running our compost program and tracking how our soil nutrient levels respond to that, always tweaking that equation over time depending on our crop loads on an annual basis.
Q. Talk a little bit about sustainable and regenerative farming.
Our philosophy is pretty simple. It’s a simple question: we’re a family farm, so we don’t develop land, spin it off, and sell it for a profit. When we buy a parcel, we’re going to be the stewards of that parcel indefinitely.
I’m farming it for a generation, I’m handing it to the next generation, and I want to hand over something that is at least as good or better than how I received it. That means, are the farming practices sustainable, including our groundwater and surface water resources?
If we’re mining nutrients out of the soil, we want to track that and see if we’re depleting the soil or causing erosion on the property that’s irreversible. Every aspect of our farming operation is about looking at the long-term picture.
As far as fertility, organic matter and all the major parameters that look at soil health and habitat around it, we’re looking at the long-term projection: Is it improving or degrading?
I really like to emphasize that I feel like we’re really at the forefront of not just talking about sustainable farming but doing it, not just in our organic production but in our conventional production.
Tanya has been pretty aggressive at going after matching grants to help support those kinds of activities. We’ve done collaborative studies with American Farmland Trust (AFT), Community Alliance with Family Farmers (CAFF) and the Healthy Soils Program on the benefits of cover crops. As part of our sustainability plan, solar panel installations help offset our carbon footprint to as low as it can be.
Q. What is your proudest achievement?
Right now, I’d have to say the La Grange Ranch. This is a new ranch that we started five years ago. It’s a blank canvas, and it’s a beautiful ranch. We’re trying to create an on-farm research collaborative project where universities can come and conduct research.
We learn, they learn, and we’re trying to make it a model ranch embedded in nature. It’s a very unique ranch;
it has lakes on it, which makes it very sensitive in how we farm. We have to ensure we’re not affecting the riparian habitat around us. It’s challenging, but it’s also really rewarding.
So far, UC Merced has done work there. Stanford has done work there. I believe Davis has some work planned there. And we’re going to do a collaborative project with Fresno State on organic weed control.
Q. How did that idea come about?
When we purchased the ranch, my daughter and I thought this would be a great place to do collaborative research because we’re starting with a baseline on essentially virgin ground. We have a great baseline to start with, so we can look at the long-term effects of this change from pasture to agriculture into orchard systems and how the environment either accepts or rejects this proposition.
These are very sequestered fields. When you’re looking to do field trials in the valley, you have so much neighborhood effect because you might have a block surrounded by almonds under different regimes of management and programs.
Here, you have a very sequestered field separated by nature and riparian habitat. We also see a lot of other things that we just don’t experience in the valley, certain types of damage or insects that you wouldn’t normally think would be a problem. Lots of odd things happen when you farm embedded in nature.
If there are any researchers out there, we have an open-door policy. They can contact me directly or Tanya directly. Tanya will be reachable at UC Davis come this fall.
Q. What are the three things that keep you up at night about growing tree nuts?
One is the really poor prices over the last couple years. You do everything right, and you can barely break even. You’re lucky if you do that.
The second is there’s always something that blindsides you. Two years ago, it was a really wet spring, and we had new plantings going in. A tremendous amount of the newly planted trees developed Phytophthora. We had a
Gemperle Family Farms started the LaGrange Ranch five years ago as an experiment in creating "a model ranch embedded in nature." Gemperle opens the ranch up to universities to conduct field research. "We’re trying to create an on-farm research collaborative project where universities can come and conduct research," he says.
disaster going on, and this year it was an orchard that experienced serious salinity from a high water table, and it started defoliating the trees. That’s what’s keeping me up at night currently.
Then, of course, weather is a really strange thing. You either get too much rain or too little rain, it’s never just the perfect amount. It’s either drought or too much water, and you’re always dealing with the consequences of that.
Q. Talk a little bit about the water situation.
We’re really fortunate the majority of the valley is really coming to terms with the over-pumping of groundwater resources. In Stanislaus County, with the Tuolumne River and Turlock Irrigation District and Modesto Irrigation District, we’re in a fairly water-secure area relative to other areas. That doesn’t mean we don’t have our own battles going on with the state over water rights, but I think everybody does.
But SGMA is having a major impact in many other areas, and we’re already seeing the repercussions of that with some of the GSAs going into probation. That being said, as we expanded as a company, just with my background in hydrogeology, we paid attention when purchasing new property about how resilient the water supply is or how robust it is in terms of reliability. So, most of the acres that we farm, the 2,000 acres we’re farming, are all in pretty good, water-secure areas of Merced and Stanislaus County.
Q. What do you think needs to happen to put the industry on the best possible route for the future?
I think in terms of growing commodities, I just feel like almonds, as a commodity, are a superfood. Sometimes it gets a bad rap; people say it’s an abuser of water. There’s been a battle in the media about almonds and their impact on the environment.
But when you look at an almond orchard and how we farm, and when you look at everything we’re doing for pollinators with our cover crop programs and our hedgerow programs, there’s a big emphasis now on pollinator health. We’re so reliant on them as a commodity.
I think the consumer needs to understand that almonds are pretty much on par or an average water user. We’re not over the median or under the median. It just takes water to grow food, and almonds aren’t any different.
Also, I think it would be great if farmers were in a situation where they got a fair price for their commodity. I feel bad for some of the walnut, grape or almond growers. Everything right now is kind of taking a beating as far as where production costs are, either above what our revenues are or maybe you break even. But it’s been a tough few years for the farming community.
The one thing is you have to be diversified. We’re diversified because we have an egg production side of our company, an almond production side and other entities. We’re not putting all our eggs in one basket, and that helps out in the long run, unless they all tank at the same time.
Q. What do you think the solution is to improve almonds’ reputation with the public?
I think the Almond Board is doing a commendable job trying to combat the bad press they get every once in a while. I think it’s more about educating consumers on the facts about water use and almond production’s impact on the environment. When you go into an almond orchard, even though it is a monocrop, in spring, it doesn’t look like a monocrop.
We’ve got cover crops that are four feet tall with mustard in the middles. We’ve got hedgerows along the edge of the orchards that provide beneficial habitat. We’re really trying to make it a sustainable environment.
We do a lot of joint research projects with local universities on a lot of our properties, specifically in that area of sustainability. There are certain pests that you just don’t want around, like ground squirrels; we don’t promote habitat for ground squirrels because they’re so damaging.
But deer come in, and we just kind of say, “Okay, we can tolerate a little bit of deer damage in our orchards.” They cause a little bit of problems, but it is what it is. Some of our blocks are embedded in nature, surrounded by
habitat, so there’s not much you can do about that.
Q. What do you think are the biggest assets of the tree nut industry in California right now?
We’re growing a superfood, and we should be proud of that. It’s not like we’re growing tobacco (no offense to anyone growing tobacco), we grow a superfood. It’s wanted globally. We have a unique valley that supplies 80% of the global production. California should embrace this is a good quality product we’re producing. That’s the biggest asset, and I think we’re doing it as holistically as we can.
Q. Other than the LaGrange Ranch, how do you give back to both agriculture and the community?
We have a pretty strong philanthropic program in our company. We’ve given back quite a bit to the local university, Stanislaus State. We’ve got some endowed chairs there in the business department and the ag department. We’re also donating a lot of products to the local food shelters, like United Samaritan.
And also on the arts side, the Turlock Community Theater, the Carnegie Arts Center, we’ve donated to them as well. In addition, we donated 10 acres of land for soccer fields in Turlock.
Q. What kind of advice do you have for a young person interested in getting into the tree nut industry today?
If you’re going to get into the industry, I would say go through a four-year university or start with a junior college and get to the four-year level. Get the academic background. If you’re not growing up on a farm, then get the academic background. With that, you’ll probably get immersed in the local university farms. Make sure it’s something you’re passionate about because it’s a lot of work, but if you’re passionate about it, it’s fun. It’s really rewarding because as a farmer, you have to wear a lot of hats. You have to be a plant pathologist, a soil chemist, a nutritionist, there are so many different things. If you’re working on the sales side, you’ve got your sales hat on.
I would say the future is going to be much more automated. We’re doing that in our operations where labor is so expensive that we have to have as minimal hand labor as possible.” – Rich Gemperle, Gemperle Family Farms
But I think it’s really rewarding. I went away from farming for over 20 years, but when I came back, I found it interesting because there are never two days that are the same. You always seem to be working on something completely different, and you have to be willing to get your hands dirty. Farming is a hands-on job; you’re down in a trench sometimes trying to fix a pipe one day, and you didn’t expect that to be your job that day.
Q. Who was the biggest influence or mentor for you?
I would have to say my Uncle Walter. He was the one I shadowed at the very beginning just to get an understanding of almond farming. As a kid, I worked in the egg business, I
did every dirty job you can imagine. I picked eggs, shoveled manure, poured concrete, built chicken houses, mostly on the poultry side. There are no child labor laws when the boss is your dad! Pretty much at 18, I went away from farming for over 20 years. When I came back, I had to come up to speed fairly quickly, so I worked with Walter for a couple of years. He would have been my farming mentor.
Q. What do you think the biggest advancement has been in the field of tree nut growing in the time you’ve been doing it?
I would say probably the crop protection products that are out there compared to 30 years ago. There’s been a lot of new chemistries and more scientific
approaches. There’s definitely been a lot of R&D put into these new products. Unfortunately, organics are only about 1% of production, so there’s not a lot of R&D on the OMRI-certified products, but it would be great if there were more. If there was more of a market to back up the R&D, that needs to happen on the organic side. But even on the conventional side, there’s been a lot of progress in the type of products they’re putting out that are maybe a little safer for the environment.
Q. What advancements do you think will have a big impact on the future?
I would say the future is going to be much more automated. We’re doing that in our operations where labor is
so expensive that we have to have as minimal hand labor as possible.
Every decision we make, whether it’s in the harvest process or in pruning, all the jobs that require a lot of hand labor, we’re trying to automate those. There are already autonomous tractors being prototyped, and there’s an autonomous shaker out there. We’ve even invested in some of the autonomous companies that are doing some of this work as a different type of diversification.
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A Northern Perspective: Nickels Update
By FRANZ NIEDERHOLZER | UCCE Farm Advisor, Colusa and Sutter/Yuba Counties
The changes are real; weather events are stronger, weather-driven pest pressures are up, market prices are more volatile and regulatory and market pressures are growing. Many of these changes (weather, markets, regulation) are largely out of growers’ control. What can growers do to respond and stay in business? What good growers have always done: Be alert, discuss op-
tions with as many creditable sources as possible and adjust plantings and practices in response to changes. Credible sources include trusted friends, advisors (PCAs and CCAs), processors, industry leaders, manufacturers and cooperative extension advisors and researchers.
A valuable source of information for Sacramento Valley tree crop growers is the Nickels Soils Lab (NSL) in Arbuckle (Colusa County). The following are recent research results from work at Nickels broken out into sections on production, cost savings and successful practices addressing long-term regulatory trends.
Almond Production
Results from long-term research at the Nickels Soil Lab may help growers understand factors affecting yield and
plan for the most resilient plantings to contend with changing weather patterns and volatile markets.
Consistent production keeps cash flowing and farms in business. However, recent variable spring weather has meant inconsistent production for many Sacramento Valley almond growers using traditional Nonpariel and pollinizer plantings. The last seven years included
Note: Data in each column followed by the same letter are not significantly different (95% certainty).
Table 1. Comparison of yield per unit light interception (kernel lbs/% PAR) for four almond varieties in a trial at Nickels Soil Lab, 7th to 9th leaf (2019-21). Since bigger trees often produce more nuts, comparison of yield by light interception standardizes production potential across different-sized trees.
two bloom seasons with excellent bee activity and nut set (2020 and 2024), two February frosts (2018 and 2022) and two years with cold and/or wet springs and reduced bee activity (2019 and 2021).
Set against the variable spring weather, a solid Independence variety planting at Nickels yielded more consistent crops compared to a 50% Nonpareil/25% Aldrich/25% Sonora planting. While the real “yo-yo” variety production was from Sonora, Nonpareil yields varied by 500 to 900 lbs/acre/year while Independence production varied by much less (200 to 400 lbs/acre/year). Given this planting is on the moderately vigorous Viking rootstock and the Independence trees are a third smaller than the Nonpareil trees, Independence yields in this trial would have looked even better if the Independence and Nonpareil trees were similar sized. Many growers in the Sacramento Valley are now planting Independence on vigorous peach/almond hybrids (Hanson, etc.) to grow a bigger tree and increase yields per acre.
The take-home suggestion from this research is Independence plantings, allowed to fill their space with proper rootstock selection and tree spacing, have a good chance of delivering more consistent production over time than Nonpareil/ pollinizer plantings. This could be more important for growers in Sacramento Valley with, on average, cooler and wetter springs compared to the San Joaquin Valley. It remains to be seen if these results are repeated in other growing regions of the Sacramento Valley.
Plantings with the potential for occasional very high yield and value also can have a place in a grower’s planting port-
folio. Nonpareil is still the highest-priced nut on the market, and Nonpareil-focused plantings (≥50% Nonpareil) can bring windfall returns with excellent bloom weather, depending on market conditions. Therefore, information on how to get the best return from Nonpareil in a great production year (think 2020) can have value to growers.
In a tree spacing trial planted at Nickels in 2017, Nonpareil on ‘Titan’ peach/almond hybrid (with Aldrich and Kester pollinizers) produced significantly greater yields (10% to 15% more crop) at 12-ft or 14-ft spacing down the row compared to 16-ft or 18-ft down the row, but only in years with good bloom weather (2020, 2023). In years with wet/ cool springs, no yield differences existed regardless of tree spacing.
Pollinizer selection is also critical to the success of Nonpareil/pollinizer orchards, not so much as a pollen source for the Nonpareil, but as an income source. In a comparison of Nonpareil production and income between three pollinizer choices planted at Nickels by John Edstrom, retired UCCE orchard advisor in Colusa County, the 50/25/25 combination of Nonpareil/Winters/ Monterey tended to produce more value than 50/25/25 Nonpareil/Fritz/ Monterey or 50/25/25 Nonpareil/Aldrich/Winters. The differences, though minimal, are due to the occasional ‘off’ years for Aldrich and/or Fritz and the generally more consistent production from Winters and Monterey.
For a single farming operation with multiple orchard sites in the Sacramento Valley, a mixture of Nonpareil/ pollinizer and solid Independence (or
Walnut pickup, Chandler block at Nickels. Oct. 15, 2023.
other self-fertile varieties?) plantings in separate orchards may provide a better long-term income result compared to multiple plantings of the same varieties. If future weather is as variable as the last decade, combinations of different orchard systems (self-fertile and traditional Nonpareil/pollinizers with tighter spacing) may deliver the best returns over time compared to just plantings of one system. At least it’s food for thought, supported by local research results. Individual farming operations must decide planting plans based on local conditions (location, income needs, etc.).
Walnut Production
Changing weather is also a risk to walnut production. Walnuts need a lot of chilling. Warmer winters mean less chilling resulting in delayed or erratic bloom. Nickels is hosting one of several rest-breaking trials conducted by Dr. Katherine Jarvis-Shean, UCCE orchard systems advisor in Sacramento, Solano and Yolo counties. In the first year of the Nickels trial (2023), walnut yield was increased by several treatments applied in early March, but additional years of work will be needed to determine if the rest-breaking treatments will pay.
Managing Costs
Reducing grower costs while maintaining quality production is an immediate priority for growers. The success of the Independence trial at Nickels and the reduction in bee stocking rate in Independence (one hive/acre for Independence compared to two hives/acre for plantings of Nonpareil and pollinizers) saves growers about $200/acre. See more information on bee stocking rate research by UC Davis’ Dr. Elina Niño for Independence almonds in the link at the end of this article (this research documented an increase in yield when one hive/ acre was used compared with no added bees.)
Pruning trials in almond and walnuts, conducted at Nickels in almonds by John Edstrom and Bill Krueger and in walnuts by UC Davis’ Dr. Bruce Lampinen along with UCCE Advisors Edstrom, Janine Hasey and Caroline DeBuse demonstrated pruning is not needed (after the first dormant season) to deliver excellent yield of high-quality nuts. This amounts to significant savings to growers in labor and brush removal over
the years. In young walnuts, no pruning after the first leaf increased cumulative yield in the 4th leaf by 1 ton/acre over heavily pruned trees. From the 5th leaf onward, cumulative yield was no different between the pruning treatments.
Whole Orchard Recycling
What to do with old orchards in the future? Before long, field burning may be significantly limited in the Sacramento Valley (it already is in the San Joaquin Valley.) Co-gen options are limited, too. One option to dispose of an orchard is to grind the old trees and spread the chips across the site, then rip and disc to prep the site and incorporate the chips. This practice is called “whole orchard recycling” or WOR.
Aerial view of Nickels Soil Lab (photo courtesy Ali Pourreza, UC Davis.)
A shaker in the almond whole orchard recycling block at Nickels, August 2024
A WOR trial was planted at the Nickels Soil Lab in 2019. To date, the addition of 25 to 50 tons of chips per acre, pre plant, has not impacted new orchard tree growth or yield in this 20-acre trial. The orchard was fallow for two years before planting in 2019 and a vigorous rootstock (Nickels peach/almond hybrid) was used. While some growers have tried this practice on their own in the Sacramento Valley, besides Nickels Soil Lab, there are no sites where growers can see the trees and compare yield between chipped and no chipped.
Airblast Spraying
Trials at Nickels measured 50% loss in spray coverage in upper (15 to 20 ft) canopy of mature trees when sprayed in late morning (11 a.m.) compared to spraying in the early morning (6:30 a.m.) on the same day in June. Spraying when relative humidity is above 50% (no lower than 40%) is recommended to deliver maximum spray coverage in the upper canopy and worm and mite control during the summer months.
In addition, the use of low-drift nozzles (TeeJet AITX Conjet or Albuz TVI 80) in hull split sprays did not harm navel orangeworm control in several years of trials compared with conventional nozzles (TeeJet disc+core, TeeJet TXR Conejet, or Albuz ATR 80) when used at full spray volume (150 to 200 gallons per acre). Controlling pests and drift is critical to successful orchard production. Finally, tracer studies showed using higher water rates did not reduce spray deposition even though the spray solution was diluted. That is, using 200 gallons per acre (gpa) of spray compared to 100 gallons per acre at the same rate per acre of product in the tank did not reduce the amount of chemical reaching the nuts at hull split. More spray reached the nuts at the higher rate compared to the lower spray volume, balancing out the fact that twice the water per acre meant the tank concentration at 200 gpa is half of what it is at 100 gpa. High spray volume with materials such as Intrepid and Altacor, which require excellent coverage on the nuts at hull split, delivers the best navel
Whole orchard recycling block at Nickels in late March 2024. To date, adding 25 to 50 tons of chips/acre has not impacted new orchard tree growth or yield in a 20-acre trial at Nickels. The orchard was fallow for two years before planting in 2019 and a vigorous rootstock (Nickels peach/almond hybrid) was used (all photos by F. Niederholzer.)
orangeworm control in multiple tests up and down the Sacramento and San Joaquin Valleys, including at Nickels. These are a few of the research results coming from the work at Nickels Soil Lab in the last decade. Keep up with Nickels research by checking the poster at the Almond Board Conference in Sacramento on December 11 and by watching for announcements of the Nickels Field Day in early May 2025. Best wishes for a safe and successful harvest for all.
References
Rest breaking trials in walnut by Dr. Katherine Jarvis-Shean: fruitsandnuts.ucdavis.edu/collaborators/california-walnut-board/reports sacvalleyorchards.com/walnuts/ horticulture-walnuts/winter-chill-dormancy-and-walnut-management-20232024-update/
Bee stocking rates in self-fertile almonds by Dr. Elina Niño: beeculture.com/research-at-the-e-lnino-bee-lab-at-uc-davis-part-2/
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