disruption is not a silver bullet and will not make a disastrous situation appreciably better. NOW treatments will still be needed and should be timed to the hull split. If you were to not complete winter sanitation, a mummy spray, which is typically made in the latter half of April, may be necessary. While no one wants to introduce an additional treatment early in the season, this is the first opportunity to reduce the population that will ultimately attack the new crop at hull split. Properly timing the hull split application is vital, but remember, the pollinizers split at a different time than Nonpareils. This may seem like common knowledge, but a second hull split application to target pollinizer varieties may be needed, especially if populations remain high. All these practices will help reduce damage from NOW. The last question you may ask is “How am I supposed to afford those practices ? ” I’d say you may not be able to afford not to do them. Orchard input costs have been high, which has led growers to make difficult financial decisions. You will see in the chart above that just going from a reject level of 2% to 3% you lose an extra $224.16 per acre. At the current reject percentage of 4% for the 2023 crop year, growers could have possibly lost $632.64 per acre. That is a good amount of money that can be used to control NOW and improve a grower’s bottom line. Is NOW going to be an issue for the 2024 crop year ? The short answer is yes, but it’s more complicated than that. As growers you know NOW is going to be in your orchards, so the real question is what are you going to do about it ? The answer to that question can be the difference between meeting quality standards and leaving money on the table.
Plan for Good NOW control in 2024 • Be sure to mummy shake and destroy mummies. • Consider if mating disruption fits your orchard. • A “mummy spray” can provide an added level of control. • Well timed hull split sprays are essential. • Consider the losses incurred by not investing in control. • Develop a plan for NOW control with your PCA for 2024. Be sure to review these best practices with your PCA and develop a plan for 2024. Good planning and timing will go a long way to achieving higher quality premiums, which are much needed in this current market environment. NOW has already caused enough distress and lost profit; do not let it take more from you this year.
Trent Voss, Regional Manager, Blue Diamond Member Relations
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MARCH–APRIL 2024
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