Almond Crop Progress Report 30.07.24

The high temperatures forecast for the first week of July had a significant impact on California's agricultural community. Daily maximum temperatures frequently exceeded 100°F (38°C), with some areas experiencing highs over 110°F (43°C). This heatwave saw temperatures above 100 degrees for up to 14 consecutive days in the hottest locations. Adding to the discomfort, morning lows during the peak heat days only dropped into the upper 70s and lower 80s. A brief respite came in mid-month and towards the end of the period when temperatures fell back into the mid-80s.

Preparations for the upcoming harvest are irrigation dominated grower attention during the period. The high temperatures complicated orchard activities as growers laboured to prevent excessive stress while also completing required activities.

During this period, irrigation dominated preparations for the upcoming harvest. The extreme heat complicated orchard activities as growers worked to prevent excessive stress on their crops while completing essential tasks.

Many growers used "Regulated Deficit Irrigation" to mitigate the impacts of fungal infections on the splitting hulls. This practice involves limiting irrigation to half of the trees' consumptive use for two weeks at the start of the hull split, followed by two full irrigations. Best implemented in orchards with drip or micro-sprinklers, the method alters the micro-climate within the splitting hull enough to reduce the growth of Rhizopus (Bread Mold) spores, thereby lowering infection rates. However, the excessive temperatures increase the trees' water consumption, making proper irrigation management more challenging.

Observers reported significant stress in many orchards, exacerbated by the high temperatures. Orchards throughout the valley showed signs of excessive weed growth and water stress. Some appear abandoned, though workers could be seen mowing the areas between tree rows and applying limited irrigation.

Despite efforts to limit costs, pest management remained a primary focus during the month.

• Growers completed their first hull split treatment for Navel Orange Worm (NOW) early in the period and conducted the second treatment in the last full week of the month.
• Growers and Pest Control Advisors (PCA's) monitored orchards for Carpophilus beetle, a pest first reported in the 2023 crop, which has reappeared this year. This beetle has caused significant damage to almonds in Australia, prompting close monitoring by growers, PCA's, and university experts to determine the best methods for limiting damage and economic losses.
• Additionally, ant bait has been applied by growers to target problematic species before the shaking of susceptible varieties began.
• Vegetation management continued, especially in plantings where growers has previously reduced or altered control measures. Harvest operations require a clean, firm orchard floor for efficient crop removal. Weed growth in the orchard "middles" can be managed with flail mowers, but the area beneath the trees must be weed-free to facilitate moving the crop into the "middles" during sweeping.

Harvest operations on the earliest Nonpareil plantings began in the final days of the period. Observers reported shaking had startedin several orchards in western and Colusa counties. Others indicated they would begin shaking their most advanced Nonpareil and Independence plantings in early August. Huller managers also prepared for the harvest, with the collapse in hull value over the past year leading to increased hulling and shelling fees, adding further pressure on grower profitability.

via Blue Diamond Growers