Defending a Spotty Almond Crop from Plant Bugs

Spring means spraying for California almond producers and, as we go through the motions of what happens when, I spoke with James Schaeffer of Helena Agri-Enterprises this week to get a feel for where we’re at with this year’s crop. He said blatantly that it’s a bit spotty…

“We had some pretty devastating heat last summer and that exhausted a lot of the carbohydrates and resources in our crop and I think some of the trees are struggling to come back from that.”

Going with a sports analogy, he says it’s time for defense…

“Right now we’re seeing some shot hole and we’re seeing the plant bugs come on. The NOW – the navel orangeworms – are starting to fly, so really we’re trying to protect that crop and treat accordingly.”

And, he told me that thanks to new technologies, you can be a bit more targeted with what you’re spraying for…

“For example, if you’re looking to target just your worms, your NOW, selective chemistries like Troubadour from Helena target just those pests, so they’re not harmful to the bees and your beneficial insects like your predatory mice that are actually helpful to you in the field.”

James Schaeffer, Helena Agri-Enterprises.