By RICHARD T. ESTRADA
BEE STAFF WRITER
(Published: Saturday, February 10, 2001)
The Almond Pest Management Alliance has received a financial boost in its battle against bugs.
The alliance, which is developing techniques to reduce pesticide use, has received a $100,000 grant from the state Department of Pesticide Regulation. The department has awarded grants totaling $396,732 to the program during the last four years.
Funds are used to create and promote alternative, environmentally friendly products to control destructive pests. The program also conducts in-orchard demonstrations and grower education.
The alliance hopes that growers will be able to apply fewer chemicals to their orchards, yet maintain the same resistance to pests with voracious appetites.
"We strongly believe that it makes sense for the almond industry to be pro-active in this area," said Rodger Wasson, president and chief executive officer of the Modesto-based Almond Board of California. "The goal is to find the optimum situation where growers can reduce pesticide use, without going so far that it impacts their production," Wasson said.
Almonds are among California's most potent agricultural commodities, with annual revenues ranging from $700 million to $1 billion. Stanislaus County is the state's leading producer, while Merced County is third. Combined, the two counties produced $257 million worth of almonds in 1999.
The alliance has experimental orchards in Butte, Stanislaus and Kern counties that will allow growers to compare the results. The locations are important to the project's success because they represent different growing regions for California almonds.
University of California farm advisers are working with growers in those counties to gauge the effectiveness of new techniques.
"By pooling resources, we (are) reaching growers and pest control advisers at the grass-roots level," said Chris Heintz, research director for the Almond Board. "(They) are key to finding workable solutions."
The project has found that:
Monitoring for pests and predators is critical when reducing pesticide use. It also requires a time commitment by the grower and his pest control adviser.
The reduced input orchards show no sign of increased populations for navel orangeworm, peach twig borer and San Jose scale, primary pests for almonds.
Growers need to guard against secondary pests, such as oriental fruit moth and European fruit lecanium.
Economic analysis, weighing the cost of the program against the crop's value, is critical to attracting growers to the program.
"A fourth year of funding allows this project to continue to gather vital data about reduced risk scenarios," Heintz said. "The base of knowledge will be of great use to almond growers."
Information is also available through the Almond Board's Web site at www.almondboard.com.