Growing the Valley

Growing the Valley episodes:

• 06.04.2024

  Why woodchip size may matter with whole orchard recycling

  Incorporating large amounts of woody biomass into soil, such as in whole orchard recycling (WOR), can promote carbon sequestration, nutrient recycling, and ecosystem health in agricultural fields. Yet uncertainty regarding the effects of WOR on soil carbon and nitrogen dynamics...

  
• 05.28.2024

  Encore: Sarah Light on Soil Health

  Soil health is broad term that encompasses a important topic: functional soil that can support human activities, animals, and plants. Measuring soil health can be difficult even for soil scientists, but in today’s episode, Sarah Light shares some tools...

  
• 05.21.2024

  Florent Trouillas on the 2023 aerial phytophthora outbreak in almonds

  In 2023 UCANR advisors and specialists got an unusual number of farm calls on branch cankers in almonds, many of which turned out to be aerial phytophthora. Florent Trouillas with UC Davis goes over the pathogen, its lifecycle, and the...

  
• 05.14.2024

  Monterey Almond Maladies

  Luke Milliron discusses the growing list of problems with the Monterey almond variety in the northern Sacramento Valley. Leafing failure (what is it) Leafing failure (what might be causing it) Flowering failure Come to an upcoming...

  
• 04.16.2024

  Amisha Poret-Peterson on soil microbiome basics

  This week, we share an episode that was TWO YEARS IN THE MAKING (if you count continually rescheduling episode recording sessions due to various conflicts and then forgetting about it for a year as making an episode). Phoebe interviews...

  
• 04.03.2024

  Encore: Lu Zhang on Dust During Pistachio Bloom

  Lu Zhang provides an update on work published last year on the effect of dust on pistachio pollen, flowers, nut set, and blanking (it’s not good!). Please note that there are other physiological causes of blanking, such as incomplete pollination...

  
• 03.26.2024

  Daniele Zaccaria on cover crop research in pistachios

  Cover crops! They’re not just for almonds (despite the bulk of California orchard cover crop research being in that crop). Daniele Zaccaria has been conducting research on cover crops in California pistachio orchards and shares what he has found, including...

  
• 03.20.2024

  When to Start Irrigating Walnuts

  Luke Milliron and Ken Shackel (UC Davis) sit down to talk about the decade plus of research investigating when to start irrigation in the spring for walnut orchards. If you want to learn more about incorporating the pressure chamber to...

  
• 03.13.2024

  Carpophilus truncatus with Houston Wilson

  In a world where it feels like we have a new invasive pest every month, sometimes it’s hard for an arthropod to stand out. Last year, the nut industries were put on notice by Carpophilus truncatus, a tiny beetle that...

  
• 03.05.2024

  Pecan Basics with Dr. Richard Heerema

  Phoebe talks with Richard Heerema, the pecan specialist for New Mexico State University, about pecan botany and physiology, and why it may not be as good of a choice for areas prone to flooding as you think it might be....

  
• 02.27.2024

  Florent Trouillas on the use of Orondis in pistachios

  Florent Trouillas, a professor of Cooperative Extension in plant pathology at UC Davis, describes how pistachios become infected with phytophthora and how to manage it. He also describes his research on this newly registered product.Come to an upcoming extension meeting!Sacramento...

  
• 02.21.2024

  New UC Davis Prune Varieties Prove Promising

  Sarah Castro (UC Davis) discusses how new prune varieties can improve a grower’s bottom line!scastro @ ucdavis.eduInsta: @cali.prunebreederInitial episode on the prune breeding program with Sarah Come to an upcoming extension meeting!Sacramento Valley San Joaquin Valley (scroll to the bottom)...

  
• 02.06.2024

  2024 water outlook with Sam Sandovol Solis

  Phoebe and Sam discuss the water outlook for 2024. Some things have changed since last year, but some things have stayed the same. Listen to the entire episode to hear a public service announcement about tequila and agave production in...

  
• 01.30.2024

  Encore: Pistachio Dormancy with Craig Kallsen

  While we posted this episode all the way back in 2018, we thought we would dust it off since the information is still timely.Phoebe interviews Craig Kallsen, the now emeritus subtropical and pistachio tree crop advisor for Kern County, to...

  
• 01.23.2024

  2024 Bee Outlook with Brittney Goodrich

  Brittney Goodrich provides an update on what almond growers can expect in the 2024 pollination season. You can find the economic calculator here.Come to an upcoming extension meeting!Sacramento Valley San Joaquin Valley (scroll to the bottom) Mention of an agrichemical...

  
• 01.09.2024

  The War Against Navel Orangeworm in 2023-2024

  Navel Orangeworm (NOW) wreaked devastating impacts on the California almond industry in 2023. I sat down with Dr. Franz Niederholzer (UCCE Colusa) after harvest to discuss what had happened and what needs to be done to win the war against...

  
• 09.27.2023

  Nematode Management in Walnut: 2023

  Dr. Andreas Westphal provides an update on tightening regulations and the latest research progress for nematode management in walnuts and other orchard crops. Dr. Westphal’s upcoming nematode management field days will be on Tuesday November 28 (walnut), and Wednesday November...

  
• 09.01.2023

  Encore: Almond Harvest Timing with Mel Machado

  Mel Machado (Blue Diamond Almond Growers) discusses important considerations for timing almond harvest, including grower objectives, varieties, and nut quality. Resource links related to almond harvest: When do you shake almonds?Maintaining Quality with Pick Up & Stockpiling Best PracticesThank you...

  
• 08.08.2023

  Evapotranspiration of pistachios in saline conditions with Daniele Zaccaria

  Pistachios are very salt tolerant, at least compared to most of the other orchard crops that are grown in California. However, this does not make them immune to the effects of salinity. Daniele Zaccaria recently wrapped up a four year...

  
• 07.26.2023

  Encore: Postharvest Weed Survey & Management with Drew Wolter

  Drew Wolter (now former UCCE farm advisor intern) and Luke Milliron discus why the postharvest weed survey helps form the backbone of an integrated weed management program.Mention of a pesticide does not constitute a pesticide recommendation. Always follow the pesticide...

  
• 07.12.2023

  Whole orchard recycling: application, fertilization, and diseases with Brent Holtz

  Whole orchard recycling is thepractice of incorporating recycled wood chips from oldorchards into soil priorto planting a new orchard. While this can change or improve howthe new orchard grows and the soil properties for the site, there are still various...

  
• 06.28.2023

  Navel Orangeworm mating disruption neighbors program

  Mating disruption has been found to reduce NOW damage in almonds by, on average, 50%, however we think it is most effective when it is applied in blocks that are 40 acres or larger. This means that a lot of...

  
• 06.13.2023

  Pacific flatheaded borer update with Jhalendra Rijal

  Pacific flatheaded borer has recently become a pest of concern in walnuts, though it has been known to damage walnuts for a long time. Jhalendra Rijal has been researching its biology and control methods and has provided us with an...

  
• 05.10.2023

  Ganoderma adspersum update with Daisy Hernandez

  Daisy Hernandez has been conducting research on Ganoderma adspersum as part of her doctoral dissertation. She shares some more things that she’s learned since our last episode on this wood decay fungi, as well as a few tips for growers...

  
• 04.25.2023

  Whole orchard recycling in walnuts with Luke Milliron

  Whole orchard recycling (WOR) is becoming commonplace in almonds, and we have several research trials scattered across the state examining best practices and potential benefits from this practice. It has not been looked at as extensively in walnuts, which will...

  
• 04.11.2023

  Phosphorus fertilization in newly planted almonds with Phoebe Gordon

  Phoebe discusses some research she has conducted with Greg Browne (USDA plant pathologist) on examining phosphorus fertilization in newly planted almond orchards. Upcoming Extension Meetings:Sacramento Valley San Joaquin Valley (scroll to the bottom) The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed are...

  
• 03.16.2023

  Testing Treatments for Low Winter Chill in Walnut

  Dr. Katherine Jarvis-Shean (UCCE Yolo, Solano, and Sacramento) and Luke talk about the early testing of treatments for low winter chill in California walnut orchards. Upcoming Extension Meetings:Sacramento Valley San Joaquin Valley (scroll to the bottom) Mention of an agrichemical...

  
• 03.06.2023

  Sacramento Valley March Orchard Tasks in 2023

  Franz Niederholzer (UCCE Colusa and Sutter-Yuba) and Luke talk about March almond, prune, and walnut tasks in the Sacramento Valley.  Sac Valley Meetings: https://www.sacvalleyorchards.com/events/ Cover Cropping in Conventional Orchards and Vineyards: Arbuckle Area Tour March 8 @ 1:00 pm -...

  
• 02.14.2023

  2023 water outlook with Sam Sandovol Solis

  In this episode, Phoebe talks with Sam Sandovol Solis, a professor of water management at UC Davis, about the 2023 water outlook. It’s looking a lot better than the previous years, but we aren’t out of the woods yet. A...

  
• 02.03.2023

  2023 Bee outlook with Brittney Goodrich

  Phoebe discusses the 2023 bee outlook with Brittney Goodrich, an agriculturlal economics Professor of Cooperative Extension at UC Davis. Like in previous years, there are some issues affecting the health and size of the bee colonies in the United...

  
• 01.10.2023

  2022 Orchard IPM Retrospective

  IPM Advisors David Haviland, Dr. Jhalendra Rijal, and Dr. Sudan Gyawaly look back on the 2022 almond, walnut, and pistachio highlights from the south, middle, and north of the Central Valley respectively. Learn from these IPM Advisors and other great...

  
• 12.13.2022

  Leaffooted Bug Lure update with Houston Wilson

  Leaffooted bugs are a sporadic pest in orchards, but when they appear they can cause serious damage. There are few management guidelines as it is believed that this insect was less of a pest in the past due to...

  
• 12.06.2022

  Compost May Not Improve Orchard Performance with Roger Duncan

  Roger Duncan discusses his research over several years showing that in some situations compost may not improve orchard performance and grower bottom line. Roger’s article on how “Compost May Not Improve Orchard Performance”.  The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed are...

  
• 11.23.2022

  Encore: Leslie Holland on Botryosphaeria in Almonds

  Leslie Holland, Assistant Professor at University of Wisconsin, Madison, shares the results of some of her work examining fungicides to suppress Botryosphaeria infections in almond pruning wounds as a Ph.D. student at UC Davis. Leslie shares what works, as...

  
• 11.17.2022

  Bacterial canker with Mohammad Yaghmour

  Bacterial canker can be a serious disease affecting young Prunus species. It is closely connected to weather and tree health. Mohammad Yaghmour discusses what conditions lead to bacterial canker and what growers can do to lessen its severity.Thank you to...

  
• 11.07.2022

  November 2022 1MC

  Call or text 530-487-5991 to ask questions for Phoebe and Luke to answer or provide feedback about adapting the 1 Minute Challenge Upcoming Field meetings:Introduction to Orchard Irrigation Management in three locationsMadera: Monday, November 7, 2022, 7:30 AM—12:00 PMBakersfield: Monday, November...

  
• 10.26.2022

  Walnut Freeze with Luke Milliron

  Luke discusses the recent history of sudden autumn walnut frost events in California’s Central Valley, how to prevent damage ahead of the next sudden frost, and how to rehabilitate damaged orchards. Recorded Zoom webinar: Practical Canker Management in Almond and...

  
• 10.19.2022

  Encore: Irrigation Part 4. Soil Moisture Monitoring with Allan Fulton

  Measuring soil moisture by hand with the “feel” method, or with modern senor technology can be a powerful irrigation management tool. I sit down with Allan Fulton (UCCE Irrigation Advisor) to discuss how to measure and interpret orchard soil moisture.You...

  
• 10.11.2022

  Cover crops on NOW mortality with Kadie Britt

  Kadie Britt discusses research results from a project examining the effects of cover crop on overwintering NOW larvae mortality. Upcoming meetings: Introduction to Irrigation Management series to be held in Madera (Nov 7), Bakersfield (Nov 14), and Modesto (Nov 16)....

  
• 10.04.2022

  October 2022 1MC

  It’s October, the year is almost over! Phoebe and Luke compete to see who can go over the month’s tasks, using whatever metric they feel is the best way to declare themselves the winner. They then discuss current activities....

  
• 09.28.2022

  Heat Mitigation with Ben Faber

  Dr. Ben Faber (UCCE Ventura County) discusses the effects of heat damage in orchard crops and practices to help manage high temperatures that are occurring more frequently with climate change. Upcoming events: Zoom webinar: Practical Canker Management in Almond and...

  
• 09.20.2022

  Encore: Managing Mold in Walnut with Themis Michailides

  Dr. Themis Michailides has been seeing increased mold in walnut pathology samples in recent years. The UC Davis Plant Pathologist at the Kearney Ag Center discusses his lab’s research on the biology and management of the disease.An article based on...

  
• 09.13.2022

  2022 SIT for NOW Update with Houston Wilson

  Houston Wilson (Entomology Specialist with UC Riverside) gives Phoebe an update on a project examining whether sterile NOW moths can be an effective addition to navel orangeworm management. Upcoming webinar: “Practical Canker Management in Almond and Prune” Thursday, September...

  
• 09.06.2022

  September 2022 1MC

  Phoebe and Luke discuss important tasks for September, orchard observations, and other thoughts.Upcoming webinar: “Practical Canker Management in Almond and Prune” Thursday, September 29 from 9 – 10:30 AM PST. The webinar will feature UC plant pathologists Florent Trouillas and...

  
• 08.31.2022

  Mechanical Hedging of Prunes with Rich Rosecrance and Becky Wheeler-Dykes

  Dr. Rich Rosecrance and Becky Wheeler-Dykes (CSU Chico) discuss their latest findings on the mechanical pruning of prune trees. You can learn more at: sacvalleyorchards.com/prunes/year-round-management-prunes/mechanical-pruning-in-french and sacvalleyorchards.com/photos-from-the-field/box-hedging-decrease-prune-sunburn.This critical research is made possible by generous support from the Prune Board of...

  
• 08.23.2022

  Encore: Cytospora in Prune with Themis Michailides

  In this encore episode Dr. Themis Michailides (UC Davis Plant Pathologist) discusses his lab’s advances against Cytospora cankers, a disease that can devastate prune orchards. Upcoming webinar: “Practical Canker Management in Almond and Prune” Thursday, September 29 from 9 –...

  
• 08.19.2022

  Encore: Irrigation Part 9: Irrigation Pumps with Jon Chilcote

  Phoebe discusses irrigation pumps, including their capacity and maintenance, with Jon Chilcote, a USDA NRCS team engineer for the Southern San Joaquin Valley.The website for the Department of Water Resources groundwater data: http://wdl.water.ca.gov/waterdatalibrary/There are several additional resources you can find...

  
• 08.16.2022

  Black Fig Fly with Kadie Britt

  Despite it’s fun acronym (BFF), the newly introduced Black Fig Fly is no friend to figs. Native to the Mediterranean, it’s recently been found in Southern California and causing damage to fruit there. Kadie Britt, a postdoctoral scholar...

  
• 08.04.2022

  August 2022 1 Minute Challenge

  Phoebe and Luke talk about best management practices in almonds, pisachios, walnuts, and prunes, as well as the problems they’re diagnosing out in the field. More information on managing walnut blight: https://www.sacvalleyorchards.com/walnuts/diseases/managing-mold/Thank you to the Almond, Pistachio, Prune, and Walnut...

  
• 07.26.2022

  Almond Harvest Timing with Mel Machado

  Mel Machado (Blue Diamond Almond Growers) discusses important considerations for timing almond harvest, including grower objectives, varieties, and nut quality. Resource links related to almond harvest: When do you shake almonds?Maintaining Quality with Pick Up & Stockpiling Best PracticesThank you...