Micro-irrigation is becoming more popular in the Pacific Northwest hazelnut industry. Watch this brief interview with Agricare agronomist TJ Hafner, as he shares what’s worked best in his experience. Read more about it in Pacific Nut Producer Magazine. Don’t currently receive this monthly publication. Subscribe for FREE at https://malcolmmedia.com/pacific-nut-producer-magazine-subscriptions/.
Oregon State University just released their 2019 updated hazelnut pest management guide for growers in the Willamette Valley, including pesticide and fungicide use guidelines (products, rates and application timing).
The chemicals, formulations, and rates listed for insect, mite, and disease control are among the best recommendations based on label directions, research, and orchard use experience. Only a thorough knowledge of the orchard, cultivar, tree size and density, canopy characteristics, pest complex, and past pest problems will enable you to correctly select chemicals, rates, water volume, and method of application for optimum pest control. Occasionally, different formulations of a product or like formulations containing a different amount of active ingredient also are registered and effective for use on the pests listed. These products also may be used; we do not intend to discriminate against them. You may wish to consult their labels and determine whether their use confers advantages over the products listed in this guide.
Always refer to the pesticide label as the legal document guiding product use. Two questions frequently asked about chemical control of insects and diseases are: “How much chemical do I use per acre?” and “What is the least amount of water I need to apply per acre?” The tables below suggests an amount of formulated product (not active ingredient [AI]) to use per acre. This amount is based on a “typical” middle-aged and density orchard with moderate pest pressure. It takes less spray to get good coverage on an orchard with immature trees with limited canopy, but this does not affect the rate of application by volume. For most ground-applied applications, apply products in a minimum of 100 gallons of water per acre (GPA). For larger canopies, 150 to 200 GPA of water can improve coverage and efficacy. Always calibrate sprayers to tree size to improve coverage, reduce waste, and avoid drift. Please be aware of recent regulations governing the application of pesticides outlined
in the EPA Worker Protection Standard (WPS), particularly the Application Exclusion Zone (AEZ), which is enforced by Oregon OSHA. Apply pesticides judiciously and promote good relationships with neighbors. Read more Here.
With all the new hazelnut acreage coming in in places where hazelnuts have never grown before, it is not uncommon to see some nutrient deficiencies in some of these young hazelnut trees. If you are seeing some interveinal chlorosis in some of the older leaves, you may be experiencing a magnesium deficiency. Check out this brief video interview with Aaron Heinrich from Oregon State University who shares how to identify and correct this deficiency in the orchard. Read more about growing hazelnuts in Pacific Nut Producer Magazine.
Many new acres of hazelnut trees are being planted in the Pacific Northwest, and growers may be wondering whether they should protect these young trees by painting the trunks or using trunk guards. Oregon State University Extension is currently conducting some research on the topic, as shared back at the Nut Growers Society Summer Tour. Watch this brief interview with Heather Andrews as she shares some of the pros and cons of using trunk guards vs. painting tree trunks.
Noticing some nutrient deficiencies in your newly planted hazelnut orchards? Check out this brief video interview with Aaron Heinrich from Oregon State University who shared some common nutrient deficiencies, and some ways to manage and even avoid it with some tips at planting. Read more about growing hazelnuts in Pacific Nut Producer Magazine.
Dennis Glaser of Tangent was the recipient of the Nut Grower’s Society’s Grower of the Year Award for 2018 during its 104th Annual Meeting mid-January. The award is presented to a grower that has been a leader in the industry. Jason Perrott, NGS Vice President presented the award. He began with some history. Dennis’s roots are in farming. Before becoming a grass seed farmer his father, Frank, was the largest bee man in the state. He also raised silver foxes for fur. After the war both businesses were sold and the family venture in grass seed began. The family always had a big garden and his mom would get a hundred chicks each spring. The lucky ones survived the axe and lived another year as egg layers. Dennis learned valuable lessons about hard work and where our food comes from.
Growing up on the farm everything was done by hand. Unloading railcars of fertilizer, bagging and stacking sacks of grass seed, and loading the railcars back again with grass seed was all done without even a forklift until 1963. Needless to say there was plenty of motivation to find better ways of doing things.
Dennis went to OSU where he graduated in 1969 with a degree in Ag Engineering and Crop & Soil Science. He took over running the farm in 1972 after his father had a very serious accident. As the 70’s progressed, He started growing clovers and wheat to try to develop some rotation and break up the monoculture of grass seed. The grass seed industry was under pressure to move away from field burning and farm incomes were fluctuating up and mostly down. The farm would make good money two out of five years, broke even about two out of five years, and tried to not lose too much money on the fifth year. The quest was on to find a mix of crops to even out the income pattern.
Paul Willard, owner of Meeker Fertilizer, was a field man, mentor and good friend to Dennis. He offered encouragement in trying alternative crops on their heavy soils. In 1979 Dennis acquired a new farm and was able to grow pretty good wheat on it. With Paul’s influence and the help of mentor Wayne Chambers, he made the decision to try hazelnuts in the flat south valley ground. The ground was tiled, pH was addressed, a well was drilled, and ‘Barcelona’ trees were planted.
According to Dennis, “everyone thought I was crazier than a pet coon. And they were probably right.” This was the only orchard on wet ground in the area. Dennis was told that trees would never be successful on his ground so he was determined to make a go of it. But times were tough. Interest rates were around 20%. Prices were 65 cents when he planted but had dropped to 30-32 cents by the time of the first harvest. For the first ten years, Dennis wasn’t sure if this was such a good move. But perseverance paid off and the orchard has been a great success and an inspiration for many of the more recent hazelnut farms that have popped up around his orchard.
Dennis always thought he would plant more trees but EFB came along shortly after they established the original orchard. However, with OSU’s outstanding work with newer varieties, Dennis and family have expanded on the original 140 acres planting with an additional 260 acres of Jefferson’s.
Dennis has always farmed with an eye towards a better way. Dennis and his son Ryan have been at the forefront of the hazelnut industry in drainage, pruning and mulching, irrigation, and nutrient management. During the NGS Summer Tour last year Dennis reported on how he began chipping his prunings long before it was an accepted practice. Inviting 1,000 growers to ones farm for a tour is a pretty big commitment to the industry.
And of course Dennis’s service to the industry has been outstanding. He is very generous with his time and resources, is always helping out the neighbors, and is willing to share his experiences good and bad. He has given generously in time and resources to ag research projects at Central Linn High School, the FFA program, and Ag in the Classroom as well as numerous field tours, trials, and yield studies.
Glaser and his family were featured in the January 2018 issue of Pacific Nut Producer Magazine for “Growing Hazelnuts Where No Hazelnuts Had Grown Before.”
“My family has worked with Dennis and his family since 1975,” shared Jason Perrott. “We were a startup drainage business that Dennis played a key role in getting started. Job #1 was on Dennis’s ground. We have continued to work with Dennis over the years and he has become a mentor to us for our own hazelnut farm. I have great respect for Dennis. He is progressive thinking, always looking to the future, adventurous in his farming practices and a first class human being. Please welcome Grower of the Year Dennis Glaser.”
Planting a new hazelnut orchard? Consider planting on berms. Check out this brief video interview with Aaron Heinrich from Oregon State University who shares some of the pros and cons of berms for hazelnut growers. Read more about growing hazelnuts in Pacific Nut Producer Magazine. Don’t currently receive the magazine? Don’t currently receive it? Subscribe for FREE today Here
With Eastern Filbert Blight taking a major toll on older hazelnut orchards in the Pacific Northwest, many growers are looking to replant their blocks with new blight resistant varieties. One of the newest of these varieties released by Oregon State University’s hazelnut breeding program is known as PollyO. Check out this brief interview with plant breeder Shawn Mehlenbacher to learn more about this new variety. Read more about growing hazelnuts in Pacific Nut Producer Magazine. Don’t currently receive it? Subscribe for FREE today Here
Sustainability, Market Opportunities Concerns Drive Increase in Organic Hazelnuts
Hazelnut growers looking for information and support for growing organically will have an opportunity to learn from experienced growers during a farm tour on August 15. The tour, hosted by Oregon Organic Hazelnuts cooperative, will showcase practices and tips from local farmers with certified organic and transitioning acreage.
Oregon Organic Hazelnuts (OOH, formerly the Organic Hazelnut Growers Association) is an agricultural cooperative comprised of organic farmers and food producers that formed in 2017.
“Our vision is to be the source of best practices in organic hazelnut production, through direct training and online resources. As part of our grower support focus area, this is our second tour that shares methods and lessons learned on effective production of organic hazelnuts in Oregon,” says Linda Perrine, owner of Honor Earth Farm and President of the OOH.
The member farms in this year’s tour include the Lackner Family Farm in Scio, with 27 acres of certified organic and transitioning hazelnut orchards, and Cold Springs Farm in Lebanon, with 40 transitioning acres. The Lackner family will discuss their methods of cover cropping, filbert worm management, harvest and drift protection. Don Hatai of Cold Springs Farm will discuss lessons learned during transition, and organic considerations for irrigation, cover crops, and pest and fertility management. The tour is organized by the Northwest Center for Alternatives to Pesticides (NCAP).
Perrine will discuss the cooperative’s focus areas in marketing/promotion, grower support, and viable long-term processing. Nik Wiman of Oregon State University (OSU) will discuss recent research finding on organic approaches to filbert worm, cover crops, and fertility. Drew Katz of Oregon Tilth will cover organic rules, the certification process, and transition, and Northwest Farm Credit Services will cover Whole Farm Revenue Insurance and other programs offered by the USDA to protect specialty crops from loss.
“We’re excited to see more hazelnut orchards transition to organic production,” says Sharon Selvaggio, healthy wildlife and water program director with the Northwest Center for Alternatives to Pesticides. “More and more, consumers want to know that their food is safe and their watersheds protected.”
The tour will be held August 15, 2018 from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m, starting at the Cold Springs Farm in Scio. Advance registration is required at
http://www.pesticide.org/organichazelnuts or 503-704-0327.
The tour is funded in partnership by USDA, Risk Management Agency and USDA, Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education program.
Background:
Oregon Organic Hazelnuts is a cooperative creating an equitable and healthy organic hazelnut industry. Our focus is to expand organic hazelnut production through marketing, grower education and processing development.
The Northwest Center for Alternatives to Pesticides (NCAP) works to protect community and environmental health and inspire the use of ecologically sound solutions to reduce the use of pesticides.
Announcement from Oregon State University:
Ziram 76 DF at 3 to 8 lb/A. Do not use after May. Group M3 fungicide. 48-hr reentry.
Ziram 76 DF (from United Phosphorus, Inc) was registered for use on hazelnuts on December 12, 2017. Growers must have the supplemental label on hand as well as the label from the product container before use. This material has been very effective on eastern filbert blight. Use this contact only material much like you would any of the chlorothalonil products such as Bravo or Echo. It does not have systemic activity and must be reapplied after significant shoot growth. As always, use at bud break and then every two weeks for two months for best control of EFB.
Testing has shown good efficacy but many of them were done during low disease pressure years. Rates at 1.5 lb/100 gal water resulted in an average of 88% control in two trials. Rates at 3 to 6 lb/100 gallons water have been 100% effective so far. Use of surfactants is recommended for improved handling if not efficacy. Tank mixes with other fungicides is allowed. Application by air is NOT allowed.
We expect more test result in the fall of 2018 when testing was done at high disease pressure. Results are expected to be less than 100% effective but still significant enough to recommend its use.
Strategies for Using Fungicides for Management of Eastern Filbert Blight
Fungicides are best used to protect susceptible tissue in the spring at bud break and for the next 8 weeks. Most fungicides will last 2 weeks before another application is needed. This means a total of 4 applications starting with the first at bud break. Although hazelnuts are still susceptible after this period, additional applications have not resulted in significantly better disease control.
Due to fungicide resistance issues and resulting label requirements, you may not be able to use the same fungicide for all 4 applications. Since the EFB fungus has a long 2-year life cycle the resistance risk is already low relative to other diseases (such as powdery mildew). Strategies to minimize this risk further include alternating and/or tank mixing fungicides with different modes of action. The modes of action for fungicides have been categorized, grouped and assigned numbers such as “group M5”.
Alternating fungicides with different modes of action has been effective to manage EFB. Research has not detected any one alternating strategy as better than any other strategy. We have 5 fungicide groups to choose from including groups 3, 11, M5, M3 and M1. It is suggested that the first application be chorothalonil or Ziram (group M5 or M3) followed by your choice of a group 3 or 11 fungicide. Each of the next two applications would be different from the last one. An example of this program might be to start with Bravo (group M5) at bud break, followed by Gem (group 11) two weeks later, then Tilt (group 3) two weeks after that and ending with Cabrio (group 11). Use of multi-site products such as chlorothalonil (M5), Ziram (M3) or copper-based (M1) products for all 4 applications would also be acceptable.
Do not just alternate fungicides with different trade names as they might have the same mode of action. Some fungicide premixes already are a combination of two fungicides with different modes of action, generally a group 3 and 11 fungicide. These products cannot be used for every application as they do not allow more than 2 sequential applications before switching to a different product with a different mode of action. If you use these premixes you must use an M5, M3 or M1 fungicide in the rotation. An example of this program might be to start with Bravo (M5) at bud break, followed by Stratego (3 + 11) or QuiltXcel (3 + 11) 2 weeks later, then the same product 2 weeks after that but ending with Bravo.
You can make your own tank mixes. Since this can be expensive growers have asked about reducing the rate of each product in the tank. Research to date has shown that a half rate of Echo 90DF (group M5) tank mixed with either Tilt (group 3) or Cabrio (group 11) is effective to manage EFB. Combining fungicide resistance theory and research on EFB in Oregon suggests we should use a half rate of chlorothalonil tank mixed with a full rate of a group 3 fungicide or a half rate of a group 11 fungicide. An example of this program might be:
1st Application – A full rate of Bravo (M5) at bud break.
2nd Application 2 weeks later – A mix of Cabrio (11) plus Echo 90DF (M5) each at half rates.
3rd Application 2 weeks later – A mix of Tilt (3) at full rate plus Echo 90 DF (M5) at half rate.
4th Application 2 weeks later – A mix of Cabrio (11) plus Echo 90DF (M5) each at half rates.
Research has indicated that the addition of a surfactant will provide better disease control than using a fungicide alone. Numerous products can break the surface tension of water to get better coverage of plant tissue. They also can help keep the fungicide solution in contact with the plant, reducing wash off during rain events. Unless otherwise stated on the label, it is recommended to add a surfactant with a fungicide. Copper-based products have traditionally been applied with horticultural mineral oil. Newer fungicides may be mixed with silicone-based or non-ionic surfactants. Be careful as several fungicides may already come formulated with a surfactant and specifically say NOT to add these products. For example, do not add a surfactant to Bravo, Echo or Quadris Top.