Adopting Softer Pest Control Programs in Almonds

Adopting Softer Pest Control Programs in Almonds

Patrick Cavanaugh
Patrick Cavanaugh
It’s part of the Almond Board's Almond Sustainability Program for 2025, and it’s a big goal. Kent Stenderup is an almond farmer and Kern County and also sits on the board of the Almond Board of California. He said, he's doing what he can and adopting more environmentally friendly pest control.

“One of the four goals was to increase adoption of environmentally friendly pest programs. So we all realize that more pesticides are not the answer in this case,” Stenderup said. “If we can use techniques such as a mating disruption, mating confusion, or some type of sterile insect technology, it's good for our future, a sustainable future, which is our goal,” he said.

“Using from pheromone puffers and sterile insects is what we need to do more. We're looking into that as we speak and hopefully by 2025, we will have increased adoption of these techniques,” Stenderup said.

Using softer materials allows the conventional materials to stay around longer. “That's exactly right. There's always the threat of resistance. Insects tend to become resistant. That's always a fact. And also another factor is I don't think there are any of the big pesticide companies working on new pesticides for our navel orangeworm,” Stenderup said.

And if needed navel orange worm would require conventional products.

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