California Navel Orangeworm Program Looking For More Participation

The Navel Orangeworm (Amyelois transitella) Program (NOW) is a cooperative project between the California Department of Food and Agriculture‘s Integrated Pest Control Branch, the United States Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and Plant Protection and Quarantine, and the California tree nut industry.

The goal of the NOW program is to develop an area -wide integrated pest management program that incorporates sterile insect technique, good sanitation practices, mating disruption, trap monitoring, and chemical applications to help reduce damage caused by NOW populations in California.

The NOW program currently implements SIT incongruence with pheromone, PPO, and pistachio meal baited trap monitoring in select almond and pistachio orchards in the San Joaquin Valley. The NOW’s program project site currently consists of six 640 -acre zones, three pistachio and three almond, and two 160 -acre zones, one pistachio and one almond. Trap monitoring is conducted year -round within all eight zones and daily aerial NOW SIT releases are typically conducted during the months of March to October.

Growers that are interested in participating in the NOW program can contact the California Department of Food and Agriculture.

I’m Lorrie Boyer reporting for AgNet West.