Pacific Nut Producer Magazine

Category: Pest/Disease Management

  • Irrigation Tips to Mitigate Almond Hull Rot & Bark Damage

    The posting of this video is a little belated as almond harvest has already begun, but if you’ve had hull rot issues this season, be sure to watch this brief video interview with Nut Crops Advisor Mae Culumber as she provides some tips to prevent hull rot and trunk damage through better irrigation practices, as explained at a mid-July Nut & Vine Irrigation seminar at the UC Cooperative Extension office in Fresno.  Read more about it in Pacific Nut Producer Magazine.  Culumber will also be addressing almond growers at the Annual Grape, Nut & Tree Fruit Expo coming up on November 13th at the Big Fresno Fairgrounds, so be sure to attend!

  • Three Tips on Managing Pocket Gophers

    Pocket gophers can be very detrimental for growers, especially those with young orchards.  So how do you minimize populations of these pesky critters?  Watch this brief interview with Julie Finzel from the UC Cooperative Extension as she offers growers three quick tips for effective management.  Julie will also be addressing growers on wildlife issues at the upcoming Grape, Nut & Tree Fruit Expo at the BIG Fresno Fairgrounds on November 13th, so be sure to attend.  Learn more about it on AgExpo.biz.

  • Dealing with Wild Pig Pests on the Farm

    Farmers are used to dealing with insect pest and small furry rodents, but how about wild pigs? Now, this is a more common issue in some areas more than others; nonetheless, pigs can wreak a lot of havoc in vineyards, orchards and field crops, so exploring your management options is key.  Watch this brief interview with Julie Finzel from the UC Cooperative Extension as she provides some recommendations for growers.

    Enjoy our Ag video news?  Be sure to let our sponsor Duarte Nursery know & thank them for their industry support!

  • Pistachio Bushy Top Approved for USDA TAP Program

    Pistachio Bushy Top Syndrome, New Mexico State University

    On May 31, the United States Department of Agriculture, Farm Service Agency (USDA-FSA) State Committee approved pistachio Bushy Top Syndrome as a natural disaster, thereby allowing pistachios to be included in USDA’s Tree Assistance Program (TAP).

    This means that eligible growers affected by the Bushy Top Syndrome could receive government assistance for the replacement of their affected trees. The program will be implemented in Fall of 2018 and will be retroactive to 2012.

    Growers from all states affected by Bushy Top Syndrome will be allowed to participate. Like a number of other Federal programs, TAP participation has a number of restrictions, including participation limited to entities with adjusted gross income below the federal cap of $900,000; and cost reimbursement only for the removal and replanting costs of the affected trees, not for the trees themselves.

    American Pistachio Growers (APG) has been diligently working on this issue for over a year attempting to qualify pistachios for this Federal program. We will keep you updated as more details are released.  This is a significant victory for our industry and it was accomplished through the perseverance of APG and our ongoing federal lobbying effort.

  • Four Tools to bring Navel Orangeworm Damage Down to Zero

    Special Thanks to This Video’s Sponsor

    Navel Orangeworm (NOW) continues to increase its presence in California right alongside the growing number of orchard hosts for this pest. Many nut growers experienced significant levels of NOW damage in their orchards last season, in spite of their ongoing pesticide spray programs. So what’s a grower to do? Watch this interview with Zach Raven from Keenan Farms, who shared his experience in utilizing several key tools in to control this pest and keep Aflatoxin levels down, going from 3% damage to nearly zero from one season to the next. Read more about it in Pacific Nut Producer Magazine.

    Enjoy our Ag video news?  Be sure to let our sponsor Duarte Nursery know & thank them for their industry support!

  • New Early ‘Gumdrop’ Pistachio Variety is Finally Here

    Special Thanks to This Video’s Sponsor

    What if you could have a pistachio variety that you could harvest earlier to reduce the chances of having Navel Orangeworm damage and concern for Aflatoxin levels?  Well, the new early ‘Gumdrop’ pistachio is here.  At the Annual American Pistachio Growers Conference, Bob Klein from the Pistachio Research Board talked about this new variety that is now available to growers on a small scale.  Read more about it in Pacific Nut Producer Magazine.

    Enjoy our Ag video news?  Be sure to let our sponsor Duarte Nursery know & thank them for their industry support!

  • Successes & Concerns for the American Pistachio Industry

    Special Thanks to This Video’s Sponsor

    Pistachio growers just enjoyed gathering for the annual American Pistachio Growers Conference last week. Watch this conference wrap-up interview with APG Executive Director Richard Matoian as he shares the current State of the Pistachio Industry, both the successes, and some concerns for the industry moving forward. Read more about it in the coming issue of Pacific Nut Producer Magazine.

    Enjoy our Ag video news?  Be sure to let our sponsor Duarte Nursery know & thank them for their industry support!

  • Sterile Insect Technology for Navel Orangeworm Control Field Trials Begin

    Special Thanks to This Video’s Sponsor

    Navel Orangeworm (NOW) continues to be a growing pest for almond, pistachio & walnut growers all over California.  Last year was an especially difficult year, as there were growers that experienced significant crop loss who have historically not had issues with the pest before.  Bob Klein with the Pistachio Research Board recently reported on a field trial they will be conducting utilizing sterile insect technology to minimize NOW populations in the orchard.  Watch this video and read more about it in Pacific Nut Producer Magazine.

    Enjoy our Ag video news?  Be sure to let our sponsor Duarte Nursery know & thank them for their industry support!

  • AF36, a New Tool for Controlling Aflatoxin Levels in Nut Crops

    Special thanks to Duarte Nursery for sponsoring this video. Please thank & tell them you saw this video!

    At the recent Almond Board Conference in Sacramento, Bob Curtis shared a new tool growers have to control Aflatoxin levels in nut crops, other than just effective Navel Orangeworm management. Known as AF36, watch this brief interview with Bob, and read more about it in Pacific Nut Producer Magazine.

  • 2018 Resolutions for Navel Orangeworm Management

    Special Thanks to This Video’s Sponsor

    Navel Orangeworm brought devastating levels of damage to many growers in the tree nut industry last year. At the annual Tree & Vine Expo, UC Farm Advisor Emily Symmes reviewed the cause of greater infestation in the 2017 season and what growers can do better moving into 2018. Watch this brief interview with Emily and read more on IPM in Emily’s upcoming Orchard Task list in the March issue of Pacific Nut Producer Magazine.