In today’s Almond Matters, brought to you by Valent, educational meetings play an important role in keeping industry members informed. They also serve as important opportunities for product developers to hear from growers. Field Market Development Specialist with Valent U.S.A., Todd Burkdoll said they had a great response to a roadshow series they hosted in January. Burkdoll explained that it was an opportunity for growers and Pest Control Advisors to ask questions specific to their operation, to get a better understanding of the tools available for crop protection.
“Understanding the tool gives you broader use I think as long as you understand the basics of a tool. This is what it does, this is how it works in the plant, this is how this plant responds,” Burkdoll noted. “A lot of times, the product is developed by grower/PCA input. If you look at some products, especially like PGRs, where we evaluate a product and we develop a product for a certain use, but then growers actually find out, that ‘hey, what if I used it like this?’”
The six workshops were held throughout the state in January, from Colusa to Oxnard. Burkdoll noted that one topic of discussion of particular interest was their new insecticide Senstar. “It’s a combination insecticide with spirotetramat and pyriproxyfen. So, it’s a contact with a systemic in the same jug,” Burkdoll noted.
Educational meetings help to keep product developers informed about grower issues and concerns. Burkdoll highlighted the expansion of the gibberellic acid label over the past 50 years as being a good example of the value of industry feedback. Engagement between growers and product developers plays a critical part in research and development paths for crop protection materials. “We are working basically in a concerted arena. We need everybody to work together. Nobody has all the answers. There really are no silver bullets but learning to use the tools effectively is really up to the end user,” said Burkdoll.
Listen to the report below.