Almond Pest Management Alliance
For Immediate Release: Dec. 3, 2003
Contact: Mark Looker (209) 604-9709 mllooker@ainet.com

Proposed almond dormant spray regulations, disease and pest control updates set for Dec. 11 Chico meeting


(Bakersfield) -Proposed state regulations for applying pesticides during the winter dormant season, along with updates on the latest pest and disease control measures, will be discussed Thursday, Dec. 11 at an almond grower meeting in Chico sponsored by the University of California Cooperative Extension and the Almond Pest Management Alliance.

The meeting will be held at the Elks Lodge, Manzanita Place, in Chico. The field day runs from 8:30 a.m. until noon.

Marshall Lee, senior environmental research scientist from the California Department of Pesticide Regulation (CDPR) will discuss the need for the proposed dormant spray regulations and outline the process for developing the regulations, with the goal of encouraging growers to participate in the public comment process.

Bob Elliott, Associate Environmental Research Scientist, CDPR, will outline the recently launched Pesticide Environmental Stewardship Project. This project is focused on helping growers understand the relationship between their pest management practices and the proposed state dormant spray regulations.

New state farm runoff regulations will also be discussed. Richard Price, Butte County Agricultural Commissioner, will discuss the recently adopted conditional waiver of waste discharge requirements for irrigated land and the local efforts to form a watershed coalition.

Other scheduled topics include:

* "What Caused the Damage in 2003 in the Almond PMA Orchard Or Would Dormant Sprays Have Reduced the Damage in 2003?" by Carolyn Pickel, Area IPM Advisor, UCCE, and Joe Connell, Farm Advisor, UCCE
* "Update on San Jose Scale Dormant Spur Sampling & Anticipating and Detecting Spider Mite Problems in Advance" by Walt Bentley, IPM Specialist, UCCE Kearney Agricultural Center.

Two hours of PCA credit have been requested.

The session is free and open to the public.

The PMA is a cooperative project funded by the Almond Board of California and CDPR to study a reduced risk system of almond production through use of alternative products and practices, on-site demonstrations and grower education. The Butte County PMA project is one of three sites statewide. The other demonstration orchards are located in Stanislaus and Kern counties. PMA partners include the Almond Board of California, the Almond Hullers and Processors Association, the University of California Statewide Integrated Pest Management Program, University of California Cooperative Extension and the California Department of Pesticide Regulation.

Further information about the PMA project is available from PMA Project Administrator Mark Looker at (209) 575-2094 or mllooker@ainet.com


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