sometime between the middle of June and hull split when one application of products such as Envidor, Zeal or Fujimite, that kill spider mites while preserving predatory insects, will usually be sufficient for the remainder of the season. Sixspotted thrips have become the most common insect predator of spider mites, they are highly mobile and both nymphs and adults feed on spider mites. However, movement of sixspotted thrips into orchards can be unpredictable and sometimes does not occur until mites have already exceeded treatment thresholds. If sixspotted thrips are present in an orchard, avoid using pyrethroid or spynosyn insecticides or miticides containing abamectin to preserve their presence and maximize biological control. Predatory mite releases should be made when mite infestations are relatively low, for they won’t put out a ‘fire,’ and more than one application may be necessary. Narrow range oil sprays at 2% may also
help reduce mite infestations in combination with predatory mite release. Dust management and avoiding water stress are also important in mite management. Dust can be controlled by watering or oiling roads and by driving below 10 mph. Water stress can be avoided by following proper irrigation recommendations and promoting practices that allow for good water infiltration. If soils tend to surface seal or become compacted, the use of gypsum, light tillage, or a cover crop growing in the row middles may enhance water infiltration. Hull rot is often observed in young vigorous almond orchards in the central and southern San Joaquin Valley. Symptoms are observed as dieback in lower limbs that can have less bloom the following spring. I believe hull rot enhances shading out as the tree abandons infected wood in the lower canopy for healthy wood receiving sunlight at the top of the tree.
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MAY–JUNE 2022
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