It has been a challenging year in regards to kernel quality within almonds. Several issues have emerged including insects, diseases, and deficiencies. Samples of each of these have been brought to the office for identification. In doing so, I thought it would a good idea to share what we have found with the accompanying figure. Each of these problems seem to have a set of circumstances that led to an increased observance of the problem in 2017. They include: Leaf-footed plant bug. These large bugs damage the kernel by feeding. There was a larger over-wintering population in 2017 which is thought to be due to the milder winter and increased vegetation that occurred from the increased rain. Damage was reported on nearly all varieties, but was particularly bad on ‘Aldrich’ and ‘Fritz.’ If the feeding occurs early in the season it will kill the kernel. Later feeding occurring as the shell hardens and the embryo matures will not kill the nut but cause staining and sometimes gumming. The defining characteristic is a sunken black spot located on the kernel. Boron deficiency. This deficiency can occur in areas with clean surface water and low soil boron and is observed regularly on the east side of the central valley. Boron deficiency can lead to gum that crystallizes on the end of the kernel and is not in response to a feeding wound. A hull analysis should be conducted to determine boron levels as leaf levels are not indicative of tree boron status. A hull analysis under 80 ppm indicates deficiency and boron should be applied to the soil to bring the trees to sufficient levels. Insect damage. Navel orangeworm (NOW) was high this year with reports as high as 40% in late harvesting varieties. Lack of winter sanitation due to the rains