In today’s Almond Matters, brought to you by Valent, growers still have a chance to get ahead of peach twig borer and other harmful pests. With temperatures on the rise again, pest pressures are also likely to increase. Field Market Development Specialist for Valent USA, Todd Burkdoll explained there is still an opportunity to get ahead of pest problems.
“If you can get them before they get inside the plant you can effectively kill them. If you’ve got traps out there you know when the flights are happening and so you can time your applications to coincide with those flights,” said Burkdoll. “I highly recommend DiPel as a very good choice to keep things in balance as far as your predator pest population and at the same time knock out unwanted lepidopteran pests like navel orangeworm and peach twig borer.”
Each grower and PCA has their own set of criteria for when an application needs to be made in an orchard. Burkdoll noted that once adult moths are found it traps, it is a good indicator that an orchard has reached the biofix threshold. After a warm start to spring, cooler temperatures for much of California helped to provide a window of opportunity for growers. “That kind of slows things down a little bit. Actually, it gives you an advantage to get in there and get some spraying done before populations can really take off and explode,” said Burkdoll.
Now with weather conditions expected to warm up again, it puts pressure on growers looking to get ahead of pest populations. Pests such as peach twig borer can reproduce rapidly once the high temperatures bring the appropriate heat units. Producers may want to get going now with their pest control applications before another wave of warm temperatures hits.
“When it gets hot and things are growing and blowing really fast it can take people by surprise,” Burkdoll explained. “Once you get warmer temperatures and conditions are right you will see population increases and egg laying taking place. That’s when you want to apply your applications of DiPel is right after those eggs have been laid before they hatch, or right when they hatch.”
Listen to the report below.