Irrigation Initiation

What a difference a year makes! Last year, growers were well into the irrigation season by March 1st, while this year, we will need to be careful not to initiate irrigations too soon. Wet Spring conditions, particularly saturated soils, are conducive to early disease...

Early Season Nitrogen Strategies in a VERY Wet Year

Almond nitrogen needs are now in full swing, but with the extremely wet conditions, there is no need for irrigation, thus no ability for fertigation, which is the primary means of delivering nitrogen to the 1.3 million acres of almonds grown in California. Wet weather...

Bee Activity with Wet Conditions

With an exceptionally wet winter carrying into the almond bloom period combined with the onset of unseasonably cold temperatures, almond producers are understandably concerned about bee activity and almond pollination.  Are there any tools to help us better understand...

Importance of Potassium After Historic Rainfall

Over the past several years, growers and other Ag producers have been wishing for rain, and this winter Mother Nature tried to drown those wishes with historic rainfall. Growers are much better positioned this spring from a water supply perspective, but the heavy...

Nitrogen Planning for the Season

Using UCD Sampling Guidelines for Nitrogen Planning   Most of us are familiar with the 4R’s of fertilizer: Right place, Right rate, Right source, Right time. These rules are not only beneficial for the sake of efficiency but also to make sure the grower’s money...

Irrigation Strategy and Soil Health

Irrigation water quality is easy for growers to overlook but could have significant yield and orchard growth implications if not managed properly. Years of drought and water supply issues over the past few years have had a deleterious effect on many growers’...