A Look At Some Of The Challenges Of The 2015 Almond Season

This was a challenging year for growers. Here are some of the disease and pests noted in almond orchards this year:

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  • Rhizopus hull rot was noted in a number of orchards after the August rain. Twig dieback and more mummy nuts resulted.
  • Almond leaf scorch continues to be observed in a number of orchards around the Sacramento Valley. For more information visit this link.
  • Nutritional deficiencies are more common when soil profiles are too dry or too wet, resulting in reduced root activity.
  • Manganese and zinc deficiencies were noted last spring following the dry winter.
  • Navel orangeworm (NOW) began activity earlier this spring due to warm weather. NOW was able to complete an additional generation resulting in fourth generation egg laying this past fall. This additional worm pressure may increase the overwintering NOW infestation percentage in mummy nuts making winter sanitation even more critical.

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