In today’s Almond Matters, brought to you by Valent, navel orangeworm (NOW) monitoring is well underway as growers see hull split on the horizon. High levels of NOW moths are being reported in multiple areas of the state, emphasizing the importance of protective action. Field Market Development Specialist with Valent USA, Todd Burkdoll said one of the most important aspects of preventing NOW damage is timeliness when making material applications.
“Getting product there, killing any potential eggs, or taking out any larva that have hatched before they enter into that nut is crucial,” said Burkdoll. “Again, it’s preventative. It’s a prophylactic treatment. There’s a lot of good chemistries out there that work.”
Almonds are most susceptible to NOW during hull split, allowing females access to lay eggs in the hull to subsequently eat the nutmeat inside. Preventative measures are essential for starting hull split in a good position to limit NOW issues through harvest. Burkdoll said that DiPel can be a very effective and economical tool for growers to address NOW without disrupting beneficials.
“Getting DiPel on pre-hull split is critical. I’d say five to seven days before hull split is good and then at hull split, again, another application. I’ve seen that do a really good job of preventing Navel orangeworm at harvest and having an infected mess,” Burkdoll noted. “But it’s a timing issue and something you’ve got to stay on top of.”
Growers will want to pay close attention to their orchards for signs of hull split, to make sure that applications go on in a timely manner. Burkdoll explained that some of the early varieties may be experiencing hull split sometime within the next 10 to 14 days. “We’ll see what the weather does, but it’s supposed to heat up so that should amplify things a little bit. But it also amplifies the pests,” said Burkdoll.
Listen to the report below.