Hybrid Rootstocks Our well-branched roots will be the anchor to your orchard success.
Webbing caused by spider mites. Photo credit: Mel Machado
leftover remnants of damage are easily blown out by the harvester and during the hulling process. Just as with plant bugs and stink bugs, monitoring ant colonies is the best strategy to control them. This year, many growers dealt with mites . Due to the mites’ webbing habits, many orchards looked like they were ready for Halloween in August. Mites do not specifically cause any rejects in almonds, but they can reduce your production for the following year. The webbing can cause early defoliation, which reduces the chances of the tree producing and storing carbohydrates for developing fruiting buds. To put it simply: No leaves = fewer almonds. Mites should be treated when populations are excessive. Before an application is made, you must monitor your beneficial insect populations, such as the six-spotted thrip, and see if mite populations are increasing or spreading. Six-spotted thrips are ferocious feeders and will keep mite populations from exploding. If you are not seeing an increase in mite population, it may be your beneficial insect population that’s keeping them in check.
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There are more pests that cause rejects than I listed above, but these are the few that cause the majority of the damage. If you faced any of these pests this year, now is the time to start planning your control measures for 2025. The best plan of action is to arrange a meeting with your Pest Control Adviser (PCA) and review your grower statements to see where the majority of your rejects came from. I like to say that next year’s crop starts when the last nut from this year’s crop leaves the field. So, it’s time to start protecting your crops now!
Trent Voss, Regional Manager, Blue Diamond Member Relations
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SEPTEMBER–OCTOBER 2024
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