Jhalendra Rijal1 CommentMarch 22, 2017Insects

Seasonal Insect Pest Monitoring Updates in Almonds

This year has been a challenging year to conduct any winter cultural practices due to constant rainstorms and flood situations. By now, however, mummy nut removal from the trees and ground should have been completed. Orchard sanitation is a very effective cultural method to control navel orangeworm (NOW) in nut crops. Almond mummies not only harbor overwintering larvae (Fig. 1), but also serve as the resource for egg laying (Fig. 2) by NOW females in the spring, during which new nuts are not yet vulnerable to NOW infestation. For insect monitoring in almonds, we already passed the trap placement timing (February 15) for Oriental fruit moth (remember the biofix of OFM was February 16 last year). Put navel orangeworm egg traps out by March 15 (South San Joaquin Valley) or by April 1 (North San Joaquin and Sacramento Valleys). Use black egg traps filled with the almond meal + 10% crude almond oil. Hang the traps at head height on the north side of the Nonpareil tree, at least 5 trees in from the edge. Put one trap per 10 acres with at least 4 traps per orchard. Remember to change the bait frequently as wet and lumpy bait is not effective in attracting females for egg laying. The biofix of NOW egg laying was April 18 last year. Follow the link for the details. Pheromone traps and lures are available to monitor male NOW activity. Although the relationship between egg and pheromone traps has not been fully understood, pheromone trap capture data still helps in making NOW control decision. In the orchard with NOW mating disruption, use of the pheromone trap is strongly recommended to assess whether the mating disruption is working. Negligible to no moth capture is expected if the mating disruption is working properly. For San Jose scale,

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Jhalendra Rijal0 commentsDecember 22, 2015Insects

Role of Winter Sanitation for Navel Orangeworm Management

Written by: Jhalendra Rijal, Area IPM Advisor, UC-Cooperative Extension (San Joaquin, Stanislaus, Merced) Navel Orangeworm (NOW) is a primary pest of almonds, pistachios, and walnuts, with other significant crops hosts such as fig, citrus, pomegranates. This pest was first introduced in southern California in 1942 potentially from Central and/or South America. Because of the wide host range, this pest was quickly spread to the entire Central Valley within 5-7 years of its first introduction, established and had become a major production threat in almond and other nut crop production. Adults are greyish-brown moths (about ½ inch long) with grey markings on wings. Eggs are laid in mummy nuts or in the nuts with initiation of hull-split. Tiny first instar larvae bore into the nutmeat and all stages of larva feed on nuts producing large amount of webbing and feces (i.e. frass). Larvae are white to pink with a reddish-brown head, and with a typical crescent-shaped markings on the second segment of the body just behind the head. The mature larvae (5th instar) can grow upto ¾ inch in size. Besides direct damage on nuts, NOW larval damage can lead to fungal infections, such as the mold that produces aflatoxin, known to cause carcinogenic and mutagenic effects on human. The larvae overwintered in mummy nuts that are in trees or on the ground. Among non-chemical ways of reducing NOW populations or damage include early harvest and winter mummy removal (i.e. sanitation).  Winter Sanitation of orchards during the winter is the most effective way to reduce the damage in upcoming season. Mummy nuts should be removed from the trees before bud swelling stage (late January/early Feb.) by shaking the trees or by hand polling. The nuts should then be destroyed on the orchard floor by discing or flail mowing by March 15. UC IPM

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David Doll3 CommentsApril 27, 2013Insects

NOW Biolure – 2 Different Moths in Trap

I have been hearing multiple reports of high counts of Navel Orangeworm (NOW) moths trapped with the new Suterra Biolure. We have placed our traps and have had high trap counts as well. In our liners, however, we have found two different moths – one being NOW  (Amyelois transitella) and the other being a meal moth (Pyralis farinalis). Both of these moths are within the same family (Pyralidae) and can be confused. 

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Franz Niederholzer0 commentsAugust 17, 2012Insects

Hull split spray(s) for pollinators

Nonpareil harvest has been going for more than a week in the south Sacramento Valley. The third generation of navel orange worm (NOW) eggs are beginning to appear on egg traps in the region. As the Nonpareil nuts hit the ground, NOW female moths will find other places such as pollinator variety nuts to lay their eggs. So, pollinator nuts, especially in varieties like Monterey, can be damaged by NOW once hull split begins in that variety. In areas with high NOW populations, it may be worth considering spraying one or more pollinator varieties when hull split begins to reduce worm damage (click here to see an earlier post on hull split spray timing).        Spray timing for pollinators depends many factors including timing of NOW egg laying, Nonpariel harvest timing, and material choice. The county ag commissioner’s office tells me that, for purposes of determining spray timing based on PHI, harvest begins when the crop leaves the tree and ends – for that variety — when that crop leaves the orchard. If a pollinator variety is showing hull split before the Nonpareil are shaken, NOW are laying eggs, and the decision to protect the pollinator nuts is made, a spray should go on before the Nonpareil nuts are harvested – at the legal PHI – to give the best possible worm damage reduction. Previous spray history (Were the Nonpareils sprayed? When was that? What was the material?) will influence the spray timing as well.   Almond growers have a variety of pesticides available to reduce NOW damage and those materials have a wide range in PHI (see table below). Short PHI pesticides generally have shorter residual in the field, but those materials may have a fit in NOW management in pollinators, especially when working around Nonpareil harvest. Short residual

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David Doll4 CommentsJuly 15, 2012Insects

Timing of Hull-Split Spray – IGRs v/s Pyrethroids

There have been a few questions about the timing of hull-split sprays with the various products available. Our suggested timing for the spray depends on the product planned to be used. Insect growth regulators (IGR) (i.e. Intrepid, Success, Altacor, Belt, etc) should be applied at the onset of hull-split – just as the suture becomes defined and the nut pops open when force is applied. This is about the same time that the blanks begin to split in the tops of the trees on the outside rows. This timing is in contrast to the application of pyrethroids. These products (i.e. Asana, Pounce, Warrior, etc.) should be applied later than an IGR, around 2-5% hull split. The timing difference is due to the differences in activity and persistence of the products. IGRs tend to be more effective in controlling eggs, neonatal and developing larvae, while pyrethroids do a better job in knocking down adults moth populations. The activity of the IGRs also tends to persist longer in the field. Since the IGR has longer persistence and tends to target the developing larvae, it has to be present on the almond surface before the egg hatches/larvae continues to develop. Since these sprays are going out earlier than in the past, bracket sprays may be needed within areas with high NOW pressure. This is an important consideration if dealing with later harvesting varieties which will be exposed to the later flights of NOW.

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David Doll2 CommentsOctober 28, 2011Insects

Late Season Varieties and NOW Infestation

I am getting several reports from consultants, growers, and processors of high percentages of Navel Orange Worm (NOW) damage on the late harvested almond varieties. These reports have varied, but in all cases, damage has exceeded the targeted rejection rate of 2%. This has caught many people off guard. So, why did this occur? The cooler spring weather experienced meant a delayed hullsplit and harvest. This delay was most pronounced within Monterey and Fritz, which were about two to three weeks behind the “normal” harvesting time.  Harvest was delayed further by the early-October rain event. This increased “hang time” of the almonds within the tree provided the opportunity for more NOW damage. These varieties were exposed to the 2nd flight (during hullsplit), the 3rd flight (during harvest and drying), and 4th flight (during drying) of NOW which led to a greater rate of infestation. Since most growers applied a single NOW spray timed at 5% of Nonpareil hullsplit, these varieties were not only exposed to high populations of NOW, but were left without any type of chemical protection. A second NOW spray timed for the hullsplit of the Monterey and Fritz would have provided effective NOW control.  Egg trap monitoring would have indicated the need to spray at this time. Keep in mind that NOW develops more quickly on new crop than on mummies. It is also important to note that almonds are still susceptible to NOW infestation even after shaking. Increased time on the ground from poor drying conditions have also played a part in increasing the levels of infestation. Shook almonds were also exposed to the 3rd flight of NOW as well as a partially emerged 4th flight, and may partly explain the high number of young larvae within the hulls and kernels. Earlier this year, Walt Bentley, UC

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David Doll0 commentsJuly 14, 2011Insects

Timing of Hull-split sprays for Navel Orange Worm

Written by Walt Bentley, UC IPM Specialist, San Joaquin Valley. Hullsplit of Nonpareil almond, the most susceptible cultivar to navel orangeworm (NOW), is almost 2 weeks behind schedule in the central San Joaquin Valley.  Interestingly, the development of the second generation of NOW is not behind schedule with eggs being laid during the first week of July (see figure below).  This presents an interesting situation.  I believe many of these eggs will result in suicidal emerging larvae, not being able to infest the nut meat until hullsplit occurs.  This, however, doesn’t mean we are home free concerning NOW infestation.  It points to the importance of timing sprays to the development of the susceptible stage of the nut (initiation to 5% hullsplit).  Such timing will optimize the effects of any insecticide applied with the residual remaining through the complete second generation egg laying.  I believe a good portion of the early second generation eggs will hatch and be unable to infest the nut.  The remainder of the generation, that can reach the nut meat, will be shorter in time duration than normal.  If sprays are timed correctly, excellent chemical control should be achieved.  The same scenario that could optimize control of NOW in Nonpareils may result in making later splitting varieties such as Carmel, Sonora and Price more susceptible.  This is a scenario that we see from time to time.  Here the third generation eggs may be timed to Carmel hullspit resulting a greater potential for infestation.  Try to focus on early harvest of any late soft shell variety.  It may still be a good idea to monitor egg traps to see how NOW egg laying coincides with the hullsplit of these later soft shell varieties.  This can give you an idea if additional chemical control may be needed. 

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David Doll1 CommentJune 27, 2009Insects

Hull Split is Approaching…

Hull split is approaching the the central San Joaquin Valley. In Kern COunty, hullsplit of almonds has been observed on the edges of blocks and tops of the trees, and will progress rapidly from this point forward. Hullsplit is a traditional time of making an application of insecticide to reduce navel orange worm damage and late season mite pressures. Blanks, or unpollinated or aborted fruit, will split first before the rest of the crop. So, as a grower, what do we need to keep in mind during hull split? 1. Insect pest management, which includes Navel Orange Worm and Spider Mites. 2. Water Management to reduce the incidence of hull rot. We will cover point 1 today, and the disease hull rot later this week. 1. Insect Pest Management practices for Hull split. Spider Mites: A miticide will be necessary if a pyrethroid was used within the orchard. Pyrethroids target both spider mites and predator mite populations. Once the predator mites are reduced, the faster reproducing problematic spider mites can flare up, causing tree defoliation. It is essential to include a miticide tank mixed if spraying a pyrethroid. If not using a pyrethroid, scouting the trees can give you an idea if you need to include a miticide. Scouting for mites is simple, should be done in the morning when it is cool, and can give a good idea about the ratio of predator mites to spider mites in your orchard. Please refer to the University of California Integrated Pest Management page for information on how to scout for mites: UC IPM Scouting for Spider Mites. There are several miticides to choose from at hull split. The most commonly used include Acramite, Envidor, Fujimite, Kanemite, Oil, Omite and Zeal. Each of these products can be effective, depending upon populations of

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