Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/1218525
6 A L M O N D O R C H A R D 2 0 2 5 G O A L S PEST MANAGEMENT Lewis added that mating disruption is much more effective when smaller growers work together with their neighbors, as research shows that it is effective on orchard blocks of 40 acres or more. For other pests such as mites, Lewis said monitoring can help growers decide if spraying is necessary as natural predators can handle the job well in some cases, saving growers money on unnecessary sprays and time. Similarly, fungus outbreaks can be limited or controlled more effectively through cultural practices, such as deficit irrigation and nitrogen management, while monitoring can help growers decide when chemical tools are needed. (See table below for a complete list of key practices to address these five pests.) Sharing our victories "It isn't enough to improve — with growing interest around the globe in food production and sustainability, we as the almond community also need to be able to measure and report on our improvement," said Daren Williams, ABC's senior director of Global Communications. "Consumers, whether in the United States, Canada, Europe, India or China, are asking more and more questions about where their food comes from and how it's grown, and they want to know if it's sustainable," Williams said. "We define sustainability as environmentally responsible, socially responsible and economically profitable for growers," he added. "If it doesn't provide a return on investment, it doesn't make sense." Of course, to educate the broader community about the progress growers are making towards an increasingly sustainable future, the Almond Board needs sound data and information on how growers are not just talking the talk but walking the walk. That's why Williams, Lewis and others at ABC urge growers to participate in the California Almond Sustainability Program (CASP). Now in its 10th year, 3 CASP is a free, confidential assessment that growers can use to identify areas of improvement on their operations by completing modules that are both informational and educational, providing details on best practices and areas of improvement. CASP covers everything from IPM and cultural practices, to irrigation and water efficiency, harvest dust and more. To demonstrate the depth and breadth of the industry's sustainability efforts, the Almond Board takes CASP data, in aggregate to protect the identity of individual growers, and uses it to demonstrate trending areas of improvement, from increased water use efficiency to reductions in dust during harvest to greater adoption of environmentally friendly pest management tools. "CASP is an incredibly powerful tool to back up the credibility of our story about how sustainably we grow almonds," Lewis said. "I highly encourage growers to participate in CASP, not just to help tell our story, but to take advantage of the tools and opportunities it provides to optimize their own production practices." The Almond Board will use data from CASP to not only continue telling the industry's sustainability story but also to track the industry's progress towards the IPM goal, as well as the other three 2025 Goals. The more growers who participate in and track personal progress using CASP, the more the overall industry will benefit as it strives to achieve the 2025 Goals. "In order for our information to be truly representative of the industry, we need as many growers as possible to participate in CASP," Lewis said. "When growers get comfortable sharing what they are doing to adopt more environmentally friendly tools, buyers get to check a box in their own sustainability assessment — and consumers get even more excited about eating California almonds." Growers can create a CASP account and start tracking their in-orchard progress today at SustainableAlmondGrowing.org. 2 Growers can no longer purchase chlorpyrifos as of Feb. 6, 2020, and storing the product will be prohibited after the end of 2020. 3 For more information on the history of CASP, check out pages 11-12 in the Nov/Dec 2019 issue of How We Grow. Pest Problem Key IPM Strategies Navel Orangeworm Sanitation, mummy survey, timely harvest, mating disruption Mites Monitor natural predators, threshold-based spraying Alternaria leaf spot Monitor temperature and moisture levels to predict severity Hull rot Strategic deficit irrigation during hullsplit and precision nitrogen application Weeds Only spray in tree rows and then spot spray Get Involved! ABC's Pest Management Workgroup identifies opportunities for better implementation of integrated pest management techniques and programs utilizing advanced technology tools. Are you interested in attending an upcoming meeting? Visit Almonds.com/Events for more information.