Aug 11, 1999
Bob Elliott, Contract
Manager
Department of Pesticide Regulation
830 K Street Mall
Sacramento, CA 95814
Re: Contract #97-0281
Dear Bob:
In accordance with the terms outlined in the grant awarded to the Almond Pest Management Alliance (PMA,) I have enclosed the fourth quarterly status report on the Alliance's activities for the period of May 1 through July 31, 1999.
All three regional sites are being monitored weekly by field scouts for insect pests, beneficial insects and diseases. These reports are posted to the almond PMA web site located at www.lookercomm.com/almondpma/almondpma.htm. The next series of field days are set for Nov. 23 in Kern county, Dec.15 in Stanislaus county and Dec. 16 in Butte county. A newsletter(enclosed) updating growers on the project was distributed in the latter part of May. Another newsletter will be produced in the Fall.
The next meeting of the PMA Advisory Team is set for Oct. 13, 1999, at 10 a.m. at the DANR building on the UC Davis campus. We look forward to seeing you there and updating you further on our progress.
As always, if you require further information regarding the status of this project, please do not hesitate to call on me.
Sincerely,
Mark Looker
Almond PMA Project Administrator
Enclosure: Quarterly Report
Cc: Almond PMA partners
Almond Pest Management Alliance
Quarterly Report August 6, 1999
The Almond Pest Management Alliance (PMA) project in May through July 1999 focused on monitoring by field scouts for insect pests, beneficial insects and diseases. Field days were held in May and June at each of the three regional project sites.
* Northern Project
Spring Pest Management Alliance Field Day Thursday, June 10, 1999,
Bertagna Orchard, Chico
* "Almond Pest Management Alliance overview" - Mark Looker, Project Administrator
* "Current Orchard Management Practices" - Ben Bertagna, PMA partner and Richard Gregor, BioScope, Hughson, CA
* "Overview of Pest Monitoring Methods in the PMA" - Carolyn Pickel, Area IPM Advisor, Sacramento Valley
* "Navel Orangeworm Status and Model" - Joe Connell, Farm Advisor, Butte County
* "Peach Twig Borer Status and Model" - Bill Krueger, Farm Advisor, Glenn County
* "Managing Mites and Ants" - Walt Bentley, Area IPM Advisor, Kearny Ag Center
* Central Project
Spring Pest Management Alliance Field Day
Arakelian Farms, Livingston, CA May 27, 1999
* Welcome, Lonnie Hendricks, Farm Advisor and David Arakelian,
Arakelian Farms and Del Rio Nut Company
* Overview of the Almond Pest Management Alliance (PMA) Program Chris Heintz.
* Dormant spray tests and insect monitoring in this orchard
Lonnie Hendricks, Farm Advisor Merced County
* Pesticide runoff studies
Frank G. Zalom, Statewide IPM Project
* Almond disease summary for 1999
Roger Duncan, Farm Advisor Stanislaus County
* Ants in almonds and 1999 ant control projects
Walt Bentley, Area IPM Advisor
* 11:15 Research on owl nesting boxes and owl feeding habits
Steve Simmons, Merced High ROP instructor
* Southern Project
Southern San Joaquin Valley Spring Almond Field Day
Wednesday, May 12, 1999
Almond Pest Management Alliance Orchard - Pond Rd, Bakersfield.
* Introduction and Welcome:
Darlene Liesch, Kern County Director
Mario Viveros, Moderator
* Overall Objective of the Almond Pest Management Alliance Orchard:
Plot Layout, Seeded Covercrops, Winter Sanitation and Importance of
Monitoring Pest and Diseases
Mario Viveros, Farm Advisor, UCCE Kern County
* Peach Twig Borer Emergence:
Method, Relationships Between Bloom and Temperatures, Control and
Treatments
Peggy Schrader, UCCE Kern County, Walt Bentley, Regional IPM Advisor,
Kearney Ag Center
* San Jose Scale: Monitoring - Bio-fix Treatments and Control
Marjie Bartels, UCCE Kern County, Walt Bentley, Regional IPM Advisor,
Kearney Ag Center
* Ants: Monitoring, Treatment and Control
Marjie Bartels, UCCE Kern County, Walt Bentley, Regional IPM Advisor,
Kearney Ag Center
* Mites and Water Stress:
Monitoring Mites and Their Relationship to Stem Water Potential, The Use of
the Pressure Bomb, Predator Mite Releases, Treatment and Control
Mario Viveros, Farm Advisor, UCCE Kern County, Peggy Schrader, UCCE Kern
County, Matt Billings, Billings Ranches, Walt Bentley, Regional IPM
Advisor, Kearney Ag Center
Kern County Almond PMA Status Report July 3, 1999
Submitted by Peggy Schraeder, Field Scout
We have been very busy in our trial. Marjie continues her trap reading for PTB, NOW and SJS. At this time, SJS are averaging 97 males per trap in the reduced input and 119 males per trap in the conventional blocks. PTB are averaging 94 males per trap in the reduced input and 96 males per trap in the conventional blocks. PTB strikes were counted on June 24, 1999. It is a little difficult to report on the numbers since we looked at two varieties, Butte and Nonpareil. NOW is present in only one conventional block. Mites are monitored for presence or absence each week. Since our numbers are still relatively low, our counts only indicate the number of leaves on which mites ere seen not the
number of mites. The grower in getting ready to treat with Imidan in the conventional blocks and Success in the reduced input blocks.
For the second time this season we have monitored the ant populations. We use the hot dog method with 45 vials in each block. Vials are placed on the berms and in the middles. Currently we are averaging 170 ants per vile in the reduced input and 120 ants per vial in the conventional blocks. No decision for ant control at harvest has been made at this time.
Pressure bomb readings are being taken. The grower had an irrigation survey done which showed some inconsistencies in the delivery of water. Now that this is corrected, pressure bomb reading will be taken on a weekly basis. Based on the current readings, the trees are not suffering any water stress.
Tissure samples were taken mid June and sent to the Davis lab for nutrient analysis. Samples are being analyzed for nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium and boron.
Starting next week we will check for hull split on a weekly basis.
The grower continues to treat the orchard floor in anticipation of harvest.
There has been no monitoring of diseases because Mario does not see signs of any problems.
The Kern Field Day is scheduled for November 23, 1999
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That concludes this quarterly report. Any questions or concerns about this project can be directed to the Almond PMA Project Administrator. Mark can be reached via voice mail at (209) 549-8262 ext. 108 or email at mllooker@ainet.com. Additionally, the PMA Web site is linked from the Almond Board Web site www.almondsarein.com or can be reached directly at www.lookercomm.com/almondpma/almondpma.htm.