Dry Season? Don’t Leave the Sprayer in the Barn.
Almond growers that want to maximize nut set, size and yield must embrace proper nutrition.
As California prepares for a dry spring and a potential drought intensified by La Niña’s impact, many almond growers are likely to experience less disease pressure. This often means reducing fungicide applications. While it can be tempting to leave the sprayer in the barn, almond growers’ nut set, size and yield depend on early-season foliar nutrition.
Minimal disease pressure translates into a less intense fungicide spray regimen. Growers that want to achieve maximum economic yield, however, would be wise to reinvest that money where they can get the best return. The value of a good nutritional program cannot be overstated. In fact, nutrient sprays are even more essential in a dry year. Dryness, desiccation is pollen’s worst enemy, as it makes the pollen less viable. It also shortens bloom, which in turn, reduces nut set and nut yield.
The right nutrients applied during the pink bud and bloom window can make all the difference. Seaweed can reduce stress at bloom, so the almond bloom is more receptive to pollination. Boron and molybdenum drive nut set. When delivered during cell division, calcium and phosphate work together to promote a larger and heavier nut.
Ultimately, almond growers that leave their sprayers in the barn will produce smaller, lighter nuts and lower yields. Reducing the number of dry-season fungicide sprays leaves more money in the budget for a science-driven foliar nutrition program. Reallocating these funds is a smart way to ensure the biggest benefits from less-than-ideal environmental conditions. After all, growers still need to maximize their economic yield, as their costs and expenses have not gone down.
While foliar nutrition is essential at the pink bud and bloom window to maximize economic yield, it is equally important throughout the season. A dry year requires almond growers to think critically about the key nutrients they apply at each growth stage to produce more nuts with less water. This approach equates to more pounds of nuts per unit of water available.
In the next article, Agro-K will discuss the science-driven nutrition growers should address from full bloom to petal fall. In a third article, Agro-K will discuss the importance of nutrition during rapid leaf expansion to increase almond tree efficiency and to minimize the negative impacts of drought and heat stress during bulking. Check out agro-k.com for more information throughout the growing season.