Just within the last twelve months, oregon hazelnut growers have weathered wildfires, ice storms and heat waves. While some have been more impacted than others, there are some important lessons to be learned to prepare for future disasters which inevitably will occur. Watch this brief interview with OSU Hazelnut Extension Specialist Nik Wiman as he explains, and read more about it in Pacific Nut Producer Magazine. Don’t currently receive the magazine? Subscribe for free at: https://malcolmmedia.com/subscribe/
The third edition of a booklet to help identify noxious and invasive weeds in New Mexico is now available.
“Noxious and Troublesome Weeds of New Mexico” provides information on about 67 plant species that are ranked in five categories – noxious weeds categories A, B and C, watch list, and troublesome weeds not included on the noxious weeds list.
New Mexico State University’s College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences Cooperative Extension Service has published the third edition of this booklet in cooperation with the New Mexico Department of Agriculture, Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Forest Service, New Mexico Vegetation Management Association, U.S. Department of Agriculture and New Mexico State Highway and Transportation Department.
“It has been more than a decade since the booklet was updated,” said Leslie Beck, NMSU Extension weed specialist. “We tried to include a wide spectrum of plants within different families so when people use the booklet, they will have a starting point for identification.”
The booklet includes species common and scientific name with description of the plant, including its stems, leaves and flower appearances; various names it is known as; how it reproduces; and the do’s and don’ts for managing the plants.
“The state map has been updated to indicate which counties each species is found,” Beck said. “Also we have included photos of each of the plants to help with the identification.”
First published in 2006, and revised in 2010, “Troublesome Weeds of New Mexico” has been a popular tool for identifying the plants.
“Since the last revision a lot of the species have shifted into new noxious weed categories, or the plant may have been taken off or added to the list,” Beck said.
The 41 noxious species are divided into three categories in regards to how prevalent they are across the state from currently limited distribution, to severe infestation, to widespread.
Six species that have the potential of becoming problematic are on the watch list.
“This is the part of the publication that has changed the most,” Beck said. “More data is needed to determine if these species should be considered a problem. We ask people to document the location of these plants and contact appropriate authorities, such as their local county NMSU Extension offices or NMDA.”
In addition to the noxious weed and watch list species, the 2021 edition includes 20 species that are considered troublesome weeds.
“These are plants that have been commonly observed as invaders of multiple cropping systems, such as landscapes, gardens, agriculture, rangelands and pastures,” Beck said. “They may be native to the Southwest but commonly invade certain cropping systems as a weed.”
This list does not include every plant species with the potential to negatively affect the state’s environment or economy.
“These species were selected because they have frequently been sent to me for identification,” Beck said. “Some of them are a little bit more common than others.”
The PDF version of the publication is available at https://aces.nmsu.edu/pubs/_circulars/CR698.pdf. A printed copy of the booklet, sized to fit in a back pocket, will be available soon. — By Jane Moorman, New Mexico State University
Researchers at the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agricultural Research Service (ARS) have found that a component in almond nectar and pollen can reduce honey bee viruses and gut parasites, which are some of the leading threats to bee health and colonies.
The study, published in the journal Insects, showed amygdalin – a naturally-occurring chemical compound found in the nectar and pollen of almond trees – decreased levels of chronic bee paralysis virus, black queen cell virus and deformed wing virus. The bees also showed increased levels of beneficial gut bacteria and lower levels of the gut parasite Lotmaria passim.
“We have found nectar chemicals can work as an antibiotic in bees, even against important viruses,” said Jay Evans, USDA-ARS research entomologist. “We were interested in amygdalin as a possible inhibitor of bee disease, because it is so important to the diet of honey bees.”
The bees were fed natural concentrations of amygdalin over a two-month period as part of the study conducted in a bee yard at the Bee Research Laboratory in Beltsville, MD. In the treatment group, bees received a sugar solution supplemented with dissolved amygdalin from a supplier. The control group just received sugar water.
The findings showed that amygdalin, which was previously reported to cause malaise in bees when fed sugar syrup, did not cause any negative effects to bee behavior.
Amygdalin is not only found in the nectar and pollen of almond trees, but in a variety of other crops, such as cherries, nectarines and apples. During almond pollination season, western honey bees inevitably consume the natural compound since almond crops are almost exclusively pollinated by honey bees.
The Agricultural Research Service is the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s chief scientific in-house research agency. Daily, ARS focuses on solutions to agricultural problems affecting America. Each dollar invested in agricultural research results in $17 of economic impact.
Do you suspect some big black birds are damaging your irrigation lines, pecking at your newborn calves or eating your developing crop? You may have a problem with crows or ravens. But how do you tell the two apart, and how can you legally control them? Watch this brief interview with Brian Popper from USDA-APHIS Wildlife Services to learn more (special thanks to Hardshell Labs for providing some of the video b-roll footage).
Please thank this video’s sponsor Suterra for their industry support.
Almond experts say there is only one proven way to know when hull split begins: inspect your trees from the top down, starting in the southwest corner of the canopy.
The importance of knowing precisely when hull split occurs is critical because it signals the proper timing for treatments to control navel orangeworm (NOW) and, as appropriate, hull rot. Whether growers use a ladder, climb atop a pruning tower or lop off a few high branches with extension pruners, the goal is to understand what’s happening in the top of the tree, where nuts mature at a faster rate.
Simply looking up into a tree’s canopy from the orchard floor is a sure fire way to miss the advent of hull split. When hulls split, a scent is released into the air, attracting female NOW moths to lay their eggs on the suture of the splitting hull. As the hull splits, fungal spores also can enter and spawn hull rot infections.
Missing the beginning of hull split and allowing NOW or pathogens to gain a toehold in an orchard can wreck a grower’s entire season and reduce the value of the crop, costing growers in returns if nuts are rejected after harvest.
Summer split invites unwanted guests
Growers can determine if hull split has occurred – and if it’s time to spray – if, when they squeeze the end of the hull, the entire suture opens up, exposing the shell within. Almond hulls split as the fruit ripens, and timing varies based on weather conditions and variety. For instance, the variety Nonpareil typically splits in early- to- mid-July, earlier than some other varieties.
However, it’s at the stage before this, when the hull is split in a deep “V,” that susceptibility to NOW and wound pathogens that cause hull rot (Rhizopus, Aspergillus, and Monilinia) increase, making it vitally important that growers actively monitor their trees.
Vice President of Member Services for Blue Diamond Growers Mel Machado advises growers to look for blank nuts – those without a kernel inside – as those hulls are the first to split, several days ahead of the “sound” nuts (those with a full kernel).
Mel Machado, Blue Diamond Growers
“The blanks are like the warning shot, signaling the start of hull split,” he said. “When full hull split does occur, the nuts at the top of the canopy will open up first.”
Experts say growers should pay attention to trees on the edge of their orchards as they often ripen more quickly. Growers should also closely monitor the upper and outer portions of the canopy, particularly the southwest quadrant of the orchard block where the hot afternoon sun aids in the splitting and drying process.
“Better to be too early than too late”
Hull split applications should be made no later than at 1% hull split. This is the most effective time to spray for NOW as it often coincides with initiation of the second NOW flight.1
Once growers identify hull split in their orchard, their next step should be to initiate timely treatment. Experts warn that waiting too long to begin spraying will cost growers, as will performing a poor spray job.
Machado advised, “It’s better to be a bit on the early side than late” when spraying. Once hull split begins, he recommended the entire orchard be sprayed in five days or less. “If it takes 10 or 15 days, that’s too long,” he said.
Planning ahead – especially for smaller growers who rely on custom applicators – is essential.
“Watch your fields closely and be in contact with your operator early on,” Machado advised.
In larger orchards, Machado advises growers consider starting with aerial sprays, recognizing that ground-based sprays don’t always provide complete coverage at the tops of the trees.
“We’re seeing growers effectively incorporate aerial applications into their treatment programs for the first application in order to cover the acreage in a timely manner,” Machado said.
The best time to spray is early in the morning or at dusk.
“Do not spray in the heat of the day – your application will evaporate into thin air and you won’t get the material where it needs to go. That’s a waste of time and money, as you’re not only wasting spray material but you also won’t achieve the coverage necessary to combat crop damage,” Machado said.
Finally, growers should ensure their ground-based sprayers are properly calibrated, the nozzles are unplugged and that air flow isn’t restricted. Once it’s time to spray, growers should remind applicators to drive no more than two mph through orchards to ensure optimum coverage and to drive down each row to ensure the trees are equally covered.
“There are some guys who spray every other row, and that’s not a good idea,” Machado said. “There are two sides to the tree; you need to spray both of them.”
Machado reinforced that hullsplit sprays offer the final chance to manage NOW populations before harvest. Still, these applications are only part of a coordinated, year-round, integrated pest management plan to combat NOW that also must include winter sanitation and mating disruption, both of which are performed earlier in the crop year. — By the Almond Board of California
Traditional navel orangeworm monitoring tools have proven less effective in the presence of mating disruption technology in the orchard. Watch this brief video with UC IPM Advisor Jhalendra Rijal as he addresses the issue and shares about some new technology that can help growers more effectively monitor this tree nut pest. Read more about it in Pacific Nut Producer Magazine.
Please thank this video’s sponsor Trece for their industry support.
The third edition of a booklet to help identify noxious and invasive weeds in New Mexico is now available.
