In today’s Almond Matters, brought to you by Valent, management practices implemented now can help ensure a more successful harvest season. Field Market Development Specialist with Valent USA, Todd Burkdoll explained that pest and disease prevention measures go a long way later in the season. As growers apply navel orangeworm mitigation strategies at hull split, keeping orchards free of pathogens is another important consideration.
“I know this just adds to the cost for that spray, that preharvest application, but it can definitely be that ounce of prevention that’s worth a pound of cure, so you don’t have problems with hull rot going into the processor,” said Burkdoll. “Basically, it’s a sanitation issue, keeping the nuts clean of fungal pathogen and putting it on prior to hull split or right at hull split is really critical. Again, I like Quash because it’s systemic and it’s very broad spectrum. It’s the best triazole to put on for hull rot as far as triazole fungicides go.”
Growers will also be best served by keeping early pest management strategies in mind as harvest season begins to approach. Burkdoll said that early management strategies for ants will offer the best chance of success once harvest begins. Ant baits can take multiple weeks to achieve the desired results, but they can be very effective in keeping nuts free from damage.
“It’s better to knock them out early in the game, rather than have them out there when you’re putting nuts on the ground. Prior to shaking, you need to have some type of ant control in place. There are a lot of good products out there,” Burkdoll noted. “The baits typically work well because they take the bait back to the colony and the colony gets knocked out. One of the products that I like that I’ve been using is Esteem ant bait.”
Listen to the report below.