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for the past few years are thought to be a combination of things. Processors want NOW numbers down to 0.5% or growers lose their premium. This has resulted in better sanitation and better nut integrity going later into the summer. Winter sanitation is more difficult in pis- tachio ground because it’s not traditionally as smooth as an almond orchard. There are a lot more gopher holes and textural ground issues. Pistachios are also very difficult to dis- lodge, and rain causes them to get stuck in the mud. But it’s important to get mum- mies out of the tree and tree rows. Winter sanitation is the cornerstone to NOW management. Nothing else comes close. It’s the most cost effective manage- ment tool to reduce NOW populations from the previous year and reduce NOW from building up in the current year. Any dollar spent working in sanitation is better than any other management dollar spent.
In general, numbers of navel orange- worms, or NOW, in pistachios have been lower than previous years. But the appear- ance of early splits in early July could make NOW challenging, especially if early splits allow them to build up. Early splits are related to the crop size and variety. Pistachios have alternating yields—high yields in “on” years and lower years in “off” years. The Kerman variety has more early splits in an on year compared to the Gold Hills or Lost Hills varieties. When orchards start with smaller popu- lations of NOW, there is an increased prob- ability of having better outcomes 100% of the time. But when early splits show up too early, it allows NOW a full month to a month and a half to build up. Even if good sanitation was done, too many early splits can be problematic, and growers should check to make sure they’re not getting infested with NOW. The low navel orangeworm numbers
PEST CONTROL ADVISOR
How do early splits in pistachios affect NOW management?
Justin Nay Integral Ag Services, Durham
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8 Ag Alert August 14, 2024
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