In today’s Almond Matters, brought to you by Valent, miticide applications will be ramping up in orchards as temperatures rise. Getting ahead of mite populations before they become established will help lower the likelihood of needing further action later in the season. Field Market Development Specialist with Valent USA, Todd Burkdoll explained that one of the biggest problems he sees in mite mitigation approaches is going too fast during applications. Trying to get across too many acres in a short amount of time can compromise the efficacy of treatments.
“Go slow, do a thorough job on the first application and you won’t have to spend so much time doing catch-up later on down the road. I’m a firm believer in really getting good coverage,” said Burkdoll. “To the degree that you get coverage is the degree you will get kill.”
The potential for mite propagation increases as the temperatures start to warm up, so growers will want to be actively monitoring their orchards. Adding a spreader in the tank can help enhance a spray application. Burkdoll also noted that spraying at night can help slow down the drying time for materials. “It’s always better to get that slower drying time and get the product into the plant, on the mites, on the leaves, and get a real good kill,” Burkdoll explained.
Coverage is critical for effective miticide applications because most products are contact materials. Burkdoll suggests application speeds of less than two miles per hour if it is possible, even though some growers have concerns about the increased time it takes to complete an application. “And I understand that with the increases in labor and time and diesel fuels at an all-time high; but going really slow really makes a difference on getting good coverage and getting good kill,” said Burkdoll.
Listen to the report below.