Franz Niederholzer1 CommentSeptember 26, 2013Diseases

Almond Leaf Scorch

Written by Franz Niederholzer, UC Farm Advisor, Colusa/Sutter/Yuba Counties and Joe Connell, UC Farm Advisor, Butte County In the last month, several PCAs and/or growers have reported trees in almond orchards in the south Sacramento Valley with symptoms similar to those of almond leaf scorch (ALS) — a disease caused by the bacterium Xylella fastidiosa. Five of the six fresh leaf samples subsequently submitted to a lab for ALS evaluation tested positive for Xylella fastidiosa. Varieties that appear more susceptible in the field include Peerless, Sonora, Winters, Livingston, and Wood Colony.

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David Doll4 CommentsSeptember 19, 2013Diseases, Insects

Kernel Gumming – How Much Are You Seeing?

I have had several calls and sample submissions in regards to kernel gumming on ‘Nonpareil’ kernels. In one case, as much as 5% of the kernels have been rejected. Many farmers and consultants are speculating that it is leaf footed plant bug (LFPB) damage. I am unsure of the exact cause, but the observed symptoms do not always match LFPB. 

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David Doll0 commentsAugust 23, 2013Diseases

Almond Replant Problems: Fumigation Trial Results

BACKGROUND Collaborative trials. More than 10 almond replant trials were established under sponsorship of the USDA-ARS  Pacific Area-Wide Program for Integrated Methyl Bromide Alternatives (PAW-MBA).  The trials were made possible through collaboration and in-kind support from USDA-ARS, UC, UCCE, the Almond Board of California (ABC), TriCal Inc., Cal DPR, growers and many others.  For almonds, initial focus of the PAW-MBA was on fumigant alternatives to MB, which are highlighted in this summary.  More recently, with ABC support, the PAW-MBA program has focused on non-fumigant alternatives, which will be featured (along with fumigant alternatives) in an upcoming issue of the journal California Agriculture (Browne et al.).  

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Franz Niederholzer0 commentsJuly 30, 2013Diseases

The Wetness Within: Managing Moisture at Harvest and within Stockpiles

Delivering a quality crop to the huller requires attention to detail in many areas including field drying, stockpile layout and materials used for tarping stockpiles.   Recent research by Drs. Bruce Lampinen (Extension Specialist, UC Davis Plant Sciences Department) and Themis Michailides  (Professor, UC Davis Plant Pathology Department) provides important guidelines for post-shake handling, pickup and stockpiling of nuts. The following are a few take-home points from their recent research report.  Some are no-brainers, others are not so obvious:

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Roger Duncan13 CommentsJune 26, 2013Diseases

Bacterial Spot – A New Disease of Almond in the San Joaquin Valley

Written by: Roger Duncan, Brent Holtz, David Doll and Themis Michailides Earlier this spring, we received reports from growers and pest control advisors that they had observed a few San Joaquin, Stanislaus and Merced County almond orchards with large amounts of amber-colored gum balls exuding from the hulls.  The damage has been predominantly on ‘Fritz,’ but there are reports of similar damage on ‘Monterey’ and ‘Padre.’  In some orchards, Fritz is severely affected while the Nonpareil and other pollinators are very clean. 

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David Doll6 CommentsJune 6, 2013Diseases

Bacterial Spot on ‘Fritz’

Written by Brent Holtz, David Doll, Roger Duncan, and Themis Michailides We have visited and received samples from orchards in the counties of Merced, Stanislaus, and San Joaquin Counties that have been experiencing symptoms of amber colored gum exuding from almonds. The damage has been predominantly on the variety ‘Fritz,’ but reports are coming in of similar damage on ‘Monterrey’ and ‘Padre.’

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