Be AlmondWise: Protect Almond Yield During Peak Stress Season

Summer is upon us, and this part of the season brings both biotic and abiotic stress that will impact yield and quality. Almond orchards are susceptible to insect damage from the plant bug family, navel orange worm and spider mites. In addition to pest challenges, orchards are under stress from high temperatures and irrigation inefficiencies—all contributing factors impacting yield. Mitigating damage from any one of these factors takes planning and effort, and it usually isn’t easy. 

Insects can be both detrimental and beneficial. Predatory or beneficial insects can suppress other problematic insects and help maintain the status quo. When insect populations spike, the need for synthetic chemistries increase. Soft or selective chemistries can be used to preserve the beneficial populations and control some targeted pest, while other chemistries are none-selective and will impact most pest populations. Monitoring insect pressure is important when making this choice. When targeting worm species like the navel orange worm (NOW), selective chemistries like methoxyfenozide can be a great tool. Troubadour® from Helena is a worm-specific chemistry that controls worms by disrupting the molting process, preventing further feeding damage and starving the worm. Troubadour is safe on beneficials and has a seven-day pre-harvest interval on almonds. Controlling NOW is crucial during the hull-split stage when almonds are most susceptible to worm damage.  

Hull-split is also a vulnerable time for fungal disease, as hull-rot (Rhizopus stolonifera) can occur. It is documented that excess nitrogen present in the crop can increase hull-rot incidence. Hull-rot can damage an almond tree by killing fruit-bearing wood. Utilize® PK is a 0-3-2 foliar nutrient system that boosts plant performance and mitigates hull-rot incidence. Applications of Utilize PK increase the production of nitrate reductase, which assimilates nitrogen into proteins and amino acids. By doing this, excess nitrate will be redistributed and utilized within the tree. In addition to the promotion of nitrate reductase, Utilize PK also increases crop performance by mitigating the effects of stress from droughty conditions. Utilize PK is a great tank mix partner with Troubadour when applied during hull-split application timings.  

Droughty summer conditions create a harsh environment for all crops. Soil type and irrigation management play a vital role in limiting water stress. Standing water in heavy soils can evaporate before filling the soil profile completely and create an environment that promotes disease. Sandier type soils are prone to leaching and have less water-holding capacity. Water-use efficiency tools, like Resgenix®, are designed to boost irrigation efficiency in both sandy and heavy soils types. Resgenix is an easy-to-use polyacrylamide that increases both infiltration and water-holding capacity by improving soil aggregation and pore space. Effective water use can limit stress during high sustained temperatures and improve productivity.