IN YOUR ORCHARD
TIME TO CONSIDER
As I’ve said many times before, next year’s crop starts when the last almond leaves the field this year. In almond farming there is never really a “down time” as growers go from orchard task to orchard task. The only change is what those tasks consist of and when you do them. Now that the final almond has left the field, growers will begin working on post-harvest and dormant tasks. In this article, I will cover some important tasks that, when done right, can lead to a successful year. Water is the most important task post-harvest. I know that this article will be coming out when a lot of district water is out of canals, but I want to reiterate the importance of post-harvest watering. After harvest, it is vital to return to watering at the full rate of Evapotranspiration (ET). ET is the amount of water being used by the crop in a given time period. Reduced water post-harvest may result in reduced bloom and crop the following year. The latter half of summer and fall is when the trees are going through bud differentiation, which means they are deciding how many buds will become fruiting or develop into vegetative buds. If the tree does not have enough energy stored or is not strong enough to support an abundance of fruiting buds, the result will be more vegetative growth, which leads to lower crop potential the following year. While most orchards these days employ drip or micro-sprinkler irrigation, some growers have retained existing flood irrigation systems and may opt to use flood irrigation to fully refill the rootzone. As we all know, water availability is different for each grower — but if you have it, use it! When water is applied weeds will follow. Benjamin Franklin said, “Nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.” I think almond farmers would add weeds to that statement! The UC Davis IPM website Introduction to Weeds photo gallery — UC Statewide IPM Program (ucanr.edu) has an excellent photo gallery to help you identify which weeds you have. If weeds are something
you have struggled with in the past, remember that taking care of them early is key. If there is a big flush of winter weeds, a “clean-up” application may be needed. This will create clean strips for a pre-emergent application later in the dormant season, leading to reduced weed pressure into the summer months.
Postharvest Irrigation
Orchard Sanitation! Enough said, right ? Removing nuts that did not fall during shaking at harvest, also known as mummies , greatly reduces the pest population. It is an accepted industry standard to have no more than two mummies per tree, though some in the southern San Joaquin Valley target one mummy per tree. Winter shaking can be done throughout the dormant season and is most successful when conditions are right. Foggy conditions are usually considered the best when removing mummy nuts. The moisture from the fog and dew is absorbed by the hull of the nut, making it heavier thus softening the connection. So, when shaking is done, they easily detach from the tree. Moisture is the key to success but can also be an issue. The lack of moisture can lead to postponing the shake, while too much can make it difficult to get back in the field.
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ALMOND FACTS
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