FIELD NOTES with MEL MACHADO
Crop Quality Once again, growers suffered excessive rejects in many areas of the Central Valley. The charts below show 2025 Nonpareil and Monterey reject levels compared to those in the 2024 crop. • Green counties: reject levels lower than in 2024 • White counties: similar reject levels to 2024 • Pink to red counties: increasingly higher reject levels than 2024 Navel orangeworm continues to be a dominant cause of rejects in nearly all varieties. However, brown spot, the result of the feeding by plant bugs (predominately stink bugs), is on the rise. While brown spot is found in all varieties, Independence, Price, Fritz, Butte, Padre and Aldrich are affected most.
The discovery of carpophilus beetles in California orchards two years ago concerned University of California researchers. Several species of carpophilus beetles exist within California orchards, but Carpophilus truncatus is the single species that feeds on almonds. This species has caused significant damage to almonds in Australia. While the insect has been reported in every Central Valley county, identifying Carpophilus truncatus is not easy for the casual observer. Despite the damage reported in Australia, our records show that damage from these beetles has been quite low. Orchard sanitation is the best method for reducing damage with total destruction of the almonds on the ground being the most critical. The condition of mower blades and the speed of travel must be slow enough to fully destroy the affected nuts. It’s vital that you step off the tractor to confirm that the nuts are destroyed. Looking Ahead to 2026 Observing growers over the years has taught me a very simple principle: Master the Basics. Producing the top yields and highest quality doesn’t happen by accident. Paying attention to the details and mastering the basics of crop production are key to optimizing production and profitability. NOW Management Sanitation: Mummy shaking and destruction is the foundation of NOW management. Many growers deal with orchards planted on heavy soil that are inaccessible when wet. However, moisture (preferably fog), is critical to successful mummy removal and destruction. Timing the shaking is not particularly critical, but moving equipment into the orchards between rain events can be tricky. Some growers find that they simply “run out of time” to complete the shaking before bloom, and do not want to shake too late for fear of removing buds from the trees. Studies conducted in Merced County by Wes Asai, a former University of California farm adviser, and a
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ALMOND FACTS
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