Franz Niederholzer, UC Farm Advisor, Colusa/Sutter/Yuba Counties   Hull split is not far off. Where needed, an effective hull split spray can be the difference between good and bad (costly) reject numbers. Spray timing and pesticide selection are important parts of a good worm (and mite) control at hull split, but so is spray coverage. A bad spray job can waste time and money. In recent research conducted by Dr. Ken Giles (UC Davis Dept of Ag and Biol Engineering) and funded by the Almond Board of CA, hull split spray coverage and navel orange worm control was less in the tops of mature almond trees compared with that in the lower canopy. Here are a few things to consider when setting up your sprayer(s) for hull split spraying that should help improve spray coverage in the tree tops. Airblast sprayers are air carrier sprayers. The pesticide droplets go where the air from the sprayer’s fan goes. Increasing the spray volume per acre will not change coverage in the parts of the canopy – usually the tops – where sprayer air doesn’t reach. How can a grower make sure that good spray coverage is being obtained throughout the tree? Usually this means driving slow, giving the air from the sprayer fan time to reach the tree tops. How slow? Slow enough to give good coverage in the tops of the trees. In 2011, Dr. Giles and his team found that 2.0 MPH compared to 2.5 MPH sprayer speed significantly improved navel orange worm control at hull split. Slower was better. Not sure what speed to drive in your orchard(s) with your sprayer(s) for the best spray coverage? Check ground speed and spray coverage in the orchard just before hull split. Here are some examples of how to do this: Watch the