Excellence In IPM In Almonds

A University of California (UC) team that developed a successful insect pest management program for almond growers, leading to substantial reductions in organophosphate use, has been honored by the Entomological Society of America (ESA). The Almond Pest Management Alliance Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Team was scheduled to receive the ESA’s “2008 Award for Excellence in IPM,” which is sponsored by Syngenta Crop Protection, on Nov. 16.

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The team includes IPM specialist Frank Zalom of UC-Davis; Walt Bentley, UC-Kearney Agricultural Center; Carolyn Pickel, UC Cooperative Extension (UCCE); UCCE farm advisors Mario Viveros, Kern County, Roger Duncan, Stanislaus County, and Joe Connell, Butte County; and scientist Barat Bisrabi, Dow AgroSciences.

The team has been instrumental in developing and delivering IPM to the almond industry of California, wrote award nominator Peter Goodell, interim director of the UC IPM Program. For example, the research showed that almond growers need not spray for peach twig borer, navel orangeworm, and San Jose scale every year, which helped lead to a 77% reduction in
pesticide use.

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