Almond Pest Management Alliance

Almond Work Plan

Butte County 2000-2001

Year 3

Purpose:

This demonstration site will continue, for a third year, to serve as a central focal point for the Almond Pest Management Alliance (PMA) project in the Sacramento Valley. This project is twofold, the main site to be monitored all year and more intensely and a smaller satellite project to begin mid-season and conclude at harvest. The main site orchard will continue to demonstrate reduced risk practices that involves more in depth monitoring techniques for destructive pests. Pest levels will be compared across five treatments. These treatments will continue to consist of a grower standard, a reduced risk, an organophosphate applied in the dormant season, an organophosphate applied during the dormant season and again at hullsplit, and a no spray treatment which has been added for this growing season. The satellite project is determined by the Farm Advisor and is dependent on the most current needs. Costs of all treatments will be summarized at the end of the season. This information will be presented to the grower and at educational meetings.

Conducted by:

This demonstration project will continue to be under the leadership of Carolyn Pickel, Sacramento Valley Area IPM Advisor, and Joseph H. Connell, Farm Advisor, U.C. Cooperative Extension, Butte County. Nicole Darby is supervising the monitoring of the Butte County Demonstration project and writing the work plan and final report for the statewide project.

Cooperator:

The cooperator will continue to be Ben Bertagna of Bertagna Orchards, Inc., 3329 Hegan Lane, Chico, CA 95928.

Consultants:

• • Pest Management: Richard Gregor, Bio Scope, Hughson, CA
  • Fungicides and Fertilizers: Mark Mullens, Simplot,

Hamilton City, CA

• • Irrigation Scheduling: Jarald Davidson, Ag Vise, Chico, CA

Orchard and Location:

This Almond PMA orchard is located on Crouch Avenue in Chico. The orchard is in its seventh growing season. The orchard is planted in a hedgerow configuration with the tree spacing at 14 x 24 feet, equating to 130 per acre. The orchard is comprised of 50% Nonpareil, 16.6% Aldrich, 16.6% Sonora, and 16.6% Butte cultivars.

Main Site Details:

The demonstration site is 49.5 acres with a division splitting the block into a 27 acre western block and a 22.5 acre eastern block. The 27 acre block will be managed using the current techniques practiced by the grower. The Alliance will manage the remaining 22.5 acres. Of the 22.5 acres, 12.5 acres will be managed using a reduced-risk strategy, five acres will receive a dormant organophosphate application, five acres will receive a dormant organophosphate and an organophosphate hullsplit application, and a no spray treatment will be added. The size and placement of the no spray treatment area has yet to be determined.

Current Grower Practices (27 acres):

All pesticide, fungicide, miticide, herbicide, and fertilizer applications recommended to the grower by private consultants. Costs for this program will be documented.

• • Dormant Spray: copper with or without oil as needed
  • Winter Sanitation: pole mummies to less than 1 mummy per tree
  • Bloom and foliar disease program: based on bloom and foliar development. Every other row or solid spray based on disease pressure and weather with a fungicide mix.
  • Irrigation: solid set sprinklers. Scheduling based on neutron probe monitoring. A post harvest irrigation is applied.
  • Fertilization:
  • UN 32 through water in spring or early summer
  • Leaf analysis in early July
  • Post harvest 1.5 tons poultry manure per acre watered in

• • Insect and Mite Control

• • PTB: Bt sprays at bloom
  • NOW: based on sanitation, beneficial release, and early harvest
  • San Jose Scale: scale traps in summer and dormant oil if needed
  • Ant: monitor only, not a significant problem
  • Mite: oil sprays, Vendex every other row if needed, and predator mite releases

• • Strip Weed Control
  • Spray with Roundup in January-February and once in March
  • Spray Roundup twice in summer
  • No pre-emergent applied

• • Middles Management: Non-tillage with resident vegetation. Alternate row mowing until July, then Roundup entire area for harvest preparation.

Reduced-risk Approach (12.5 acres):

This area will be managed using techniques recommended by the Alliance team. Current grower practices will be used but modified with softer chemicals when applicable. Costs will be documented.

• • Dormant Spray: only as needed using dormant monitoring techniques
  • Winter Sanitation: mummy counts to less than 1 mummy per tree
  • Bloom and Foliar Disease program: FQPA friendly fungicides where applicable
  • Shot hole treatment based on monitoring

• • Insect and Mite Control
  • Traps for PTB, NOW, SJS, and SJS parasite
  • Hot dog traps for ants
  • Presence/Absence monitoring for mites

Organophosphate Dormant Spray(5 acres):

This treatment will be managed using techniques recommended by the PMA team. Five acres will receive an organophospate application during the dormant period. Costs will be documented.

• • Dormant spray with an organophosphate
  • Winter sanitation: mummy counts to less than 1 mummy per tree
  • Bloom and Foliar Disease program: FQPA friendly fungicides where applicable
  • Shot hole treatment based on monitoring

• • Insect and Mite Control
  • Traps for PTB, NOW, SJS, and SJS parasite
  • Hot dog traps for ants
  • Presence/Absence monitoring for mites

Organophosphate dormant and hullsplit Spray (5 acres):

This treatment will receive an organophosphate application during the dormant period and again at hullsplit as recommended by the PMA team. Costs will be documented.

• • Dormant spray and hullsplit spray with an organophosphate
  • Winter Sanitation: mummy counts to less than 1 mummy per tree
  • Bloom and Foliar Disease program: FQPA friendly fungicides where applicable
  • Shot hole treatment based on monitoring

• • Insect and Mite Control
  • Traps put in each block for PTB, NOW, SJS, and SJS parasite
  • Hot dog traps for ants
  • Presence/Absence monitoring for mites

No spray/Control Treatment (size is yet to be determined):

This treatment will be monitored as stated above but will receive no treatment throughout the season. This treatment will have the full compliment of pest traps and monitoring techniques as the other four treatment areas. It will help us to determine pest population levels without any sprays.

Monitoring and Data Collection:

Demonstration projects require more traps and this trap density is not reflective of commercial trapping practices. A higher trap density may provide more accurate information that will be shared at field meetings and other presentations. Each of the five treatments will be monitored for pests stated below.

Insects and Mites:

• • PTB dormant samples, traps, degree-day phenology models, shoot strike counts, and damage at harvest will be used in continuing to monitor this pest.
  • San Jose Scale and its parasite will be monitored using dormant sampling, pheromone traps, and phenology model.
  • NOW will be monitored using egg traps, degree-day phenology model, and damage at harvest.
  • Mites will be monitored using the presence/absence technique
  • Ant monitoring will be done using hot dog baits and counts of active hills

Diseases:

• Shot Hole forecasting
• Visual inspections for brown rot, green fruit rot, anthracnose, leaf blight, scab, rust, alternaria leaf spot, and hull rot.

Miscellaneous:

• Yields per tree on subsamples of tree in each block
• Crop quality evaluation at harvest
• Production costs

Satellite Project:

The satellite project is dependent on the pressing needs for information regarding pest management. The size and scope of this phase are determined by the Farm Advisor and the cooperator involved under the recommendations of industry and the Area IPM Advisor. Monitoring of the satellite project does not require a season long monitoring but does require harvest data to determine pest levels.

BUDGET:

Salaries

PGR II

6 months at 25% time 3873.00

6 months at 50% time 7746.00

Lab Assistant II

Approx. 16 hours/month ($10.27/hour) 2200.00

Benefits

6 months at 25% time 1278.00

6 months at 50% time 2556.00

Supplies 1000.00

Travel

1 trip per week for 9 months at 120 miles per trip 1382.40

2 trips per week for 3 months at 120 miles per trip 460.80

Subtotal 20,496.20

10% overhead charge for DPR funds 2,049.62

Total 22,694.54