Protecting Almonds At Full Bloom

Protecting Almonds At Full Bloom

Patrick Cavanaugh
Patrick Cavanaugh
Almonds are approaching full bloom in many areas of the state. That means that growers should be protecting those blossoms. Leigh Ann Harrison Technical Service Rep for BASF, and her territory is California's Central Valley. She discusses Merivon Fungicide with us.

“Merivon fungicide is a very strong product, efficacy-wise against the really important diseases in almonds, during bloom. Where we recommend Merivon being applied is going to be at that full bloom timing or the early pedal fall timing,” Harrison said. “And that's going to provide good protection against Brown Rot, Blossom Blight, as well as Jacket Rots and potentially some of the other diseases that come around the pedal fall timing, including Shot hole.”

Harrison said that the full-bloom timing is essential, “Which is right about now for several of our growers in California,” she noted.

And, of course, you need to have it on in a preventative way. “We certainly do recommend that you apply preventatively prior to the actual disease infection from occurring. Just like the vast majority of the fungicides that we have registered in almonds in California,” Harrison said.

“It's going to work much better if you do apply it prior to any potential infection. Usually, those infection timings are when we have rainfall occurring, which certainly we've been seeing quite a bit of rainfall throughout many areas of the state within the last week or so. And we're forecasted for some more in the near future,” she noted.

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