Post-harvest and Dormant Season IPM Activities for Almonds Gurreet Brar Farm Advisor Fresno & Madera Counties 06-12-2013 Integrated Pest Management for Almonds • Monitoring-based program to reduce pesticides and water quality issues • Involvement in orchard by the grower is a must • 5 different periods of growth: – Dormant Season – Bloom to Post-bloom – Fruit Development – Harvest – Postharvest Integrated Pest Management for Almonds • Post-harvest: Harvest to onset of dormancy • Dormancy- Period of time from leaf fall until leaf out in the spring – December 1st until buds begin to grow, around February 1st, or so. • Delayed Dormancy – Period of time of resumption of growth, indicated by bud swell until green tip. Integrated Pest Management for Almonds Integrated Pest Management for Almonds • Post-harvest: – Monitor for rust lesions. If present, apply ZnSO 4 – Shot hole leaf lesions- fruiting structures – Fall weed survey: • Winter annual weeds • Perennials – Time pre-emergence herbicide properly Integrated Pest Management for Almonds • Dormant Season Activities: – Count mummy nuts in the orchard – Remove, or knock, mummy nuts from trees – Let cover crop grow, and cut before bloom – Herbicide use for tree rows – Dormant spur sampling for scale and mites – Observe for other pests Integrated Pest Management for Almonds Count mummy nuts in the orchard - If more than 2/tree, remove nuts from tree. - Reduces overwintering larvae of Navel Orange Worm - Flail mow by March Integrated Pest Management for Almonds • Remove mummy nuts from rogue almond trees – Rogue trees typically have higher % of NOW infection – NOW moths can move over ¼ mile upon emergence Vegetation Management for Almonds Dealing with orchard weeds • Allow cover crop to grow but mow before bloom • In mature orchards, control problematic weeds that become established in tree rows