Growers have a new tool available to help guide decisions related to navel orangeworm (NOW) management. A new NOW integrated pest management (IPM) economic calculator has been developed, evaluating the costs and returns of different IPM approaches.
“Right now, I just have it for almond production,” explained Brittney Goodrich, Assistant Cooperative Extension Specialist of Agricultural and Resource Economics with UC Davis. “I hope to expand it to pistachios and walnuts down the road.”
The economic calculator incorporates the costs of various IPM practices to allow growers to make comparisons. Goodrich cited the example of mating disruption. A grower can see what the average cost of mating disruption would be versus what kinds of returns might be expected with its implementation.
“There will be increased costs associated with some of these new IPM programs. But then you’re also going to have increased revenues due to the lower damage rates, which increases your yield and also potentially gets you a price premium on your almonds from the handler,” said Goodrich. “So, you can kind of use this calculator to actually look at – to compare – the increased costs with the increased revenues and see which IPM program is potentially going to make the most economic sense.”
Listen to the report below.
Brian German
Ag News Director / AgNet West