Growing the Valley

Tom Devol of the Almond Board of California shares how leaks can quickly lead to large losses, complicating nutrient management as well as good irrigation system management. He shares tips on where to look for leaks and how to best maintain your irrigation system.

If you farm in Tehama, Butte, Colusa, Glenn, Shasta or Yolo counties you can apply for a free system evaluation from the Tehama Resource Conservation District Mobile Irrigation Lab. For more information, or to schedule a free evaluation, please contact: Kevin Greer (530) 727 – 1297, [email protected].  If you do not farm in those counties, your local RCD may also provide help.

Thank you to the Almond, Pistachio, Prune, and Walnut Boards of California for their kind donations. Thank you to Muriel Gordon for the music.

The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed are the speaker’s own and do not represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of the University of California. The material and information presented here is for general information purposes only.  The "University of California" name and all forms and abbreviations are the property of its owner and its use does not imply endorsement of or opposition to any specific organization, product, or service.

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 that growers, PCAs, and CCAs can use to judge soil health in their or their clients’ orchards.

Thank you to the Almond, Pistachio, Prune, and Walnut Boards of California for their kind donations. Thank you to Muriel Gordon for the music.

The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed are the speaker’s own and do not represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of the University of California. The material and information presented here is for general information purposes only.  The "University of California" name and all forms and abbreviations are the property of its owner and its use does not imply endorsement of or opposition to any specific organization, product, or service.

Compost is a difficult soil amendment to understand. Its nutritional value varies depending on the source, and the nitrogen contributions vary widely. To top it off, there has been very little research examining its benefits when surface applying it to the tree rows. Sat Darshan Khalsa is hoping to change this. In today’s episode, he shares some of what he’s learned, such as the fate of applied compost, the nitrogen contribution, and effects on soil properties.

Thank you to the Almond, Pistachio, Prune, and Walnut Boards of California for their kind donations. Thank you to Muriel Gordon for the music.

The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed are the speaker’s own and do not represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of the University of California. The material and information presented here is for general information purposes only.  The "University of California" name and all forms and abbreviations are the property of its owner and its use does not imply endorsement of or opposition to any specific organization, product, or service.

Phoebe and Luke square off on monthly orchard tasks once again. Spoiler alert: Phoebe goes WAY over time (again) and Luke wins (again). They also discuss more leafing failure, which has popped up again this year, and bloom conditions.

April prune tasks: https://www.sacvalleyorchards.com/prunes/year-round-management-prunes/april-2/

Walnut blight management: https://www.sacvalleyorchards.com/walnuts/diseases/walnut-blight-management/

Dust reducing pistachio fruit set: https://www.sjvtandv.com/blog/e190g5iux4hq92230l5c8g8xcid3a9

Thank you to the Almond, Pistachio, Prune, and Walnut Boards of California for their kind donations. Thank you to Muriel Gordon for the music.

The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed are the speaker’s own and do not represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of the University of California. The material and information presented here is for general information purposes only.  The "University of California" name and all forms and abbreviations are the property of its owner and its use does not imply endorsement of or opposition to any specific organization, product, or service.

Before planting a new orchard, the soil is traditionally fumigated to reduce nematodes and the still not-yet-fully understood Prunus Replant Disease pathogen complex. Fumigants have changed over time, as methyl bromide is no longer used because it depletes the ozone layer. Current fumigants are effective, but release volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which has resulted in township caps in some areas of the Central Valley. Anaerobic Soil Disinfestation (ASD) is being examined as a possible alternative, to soil fumigation, and it works by harnessing natural processes to reduce soil pathogens. Amisha Poret-Peterson and Greg Browne, two USDA-ARS research scientists share what they’ve learned on ASD’s effect on soil microbial communities and plant pathogens.

Thank you to the Almond, Pistachio, Prune, and Walnut Boards of California for their kind donations. Thank you to Muriel Gordon for the music.

The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed are the speaker’s own and do not represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of the University of California. The material and information presented here is for general information purposes only.  The "University of California" name and all forms and abbreviations are the property of its owner and its use does not imply endorsement of or opposition to any specific organization, product, or service.

Dr. Bruce Lampinen (UC Davis) discusses canopy management through the lens of photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) or how much shade is on the floor of the orchard at midday. Increasing PAR is directly related to increasing yield in almond and walnut.

Dr. Bruce Lampinen (UC Davis) discusses the problem of overwatering in walnut and almond orchards, the health implications and how irrigation can be managed with root health in mind.

Dr. Patrick Brown (UC Davis) discusses the efficacy of biostimulants and what orchardists should consider if they’re interested in trying these products.

In our 1-minute challenges we describe key March almond, pistachio, prune, and walnut orchard tasks. We also discuss the low almond bloom density following last year’s heavy crop, and the importance of making an informed start to the almond irrigation season.

Houston Wilson shares updates from the Sterile Insect Technique program, including what they have learned from trying to get a more energetic sterile moth, and his thoughts for the future of the research project. This project is currently being funded by the California Pistachio Research Board and the Almond Board of California.

Thank you to the Almond, Pistachio, Prune, and Walnut Boards of California for their kind donations. Thank you to Muriel Gordon for the music.

The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed are the speaker’s own and do not represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of the University of California. The material and information presented here is for general information purposes only.  The "University of California" name and all forms and abbreviations are the property of its owner and its use does not imply endorsement of or opposition to any specific organization, product, or service.