Protect Your Almonds from Root to Fruit

Throughout the course of the almond growing season, there’s always the potential for disease to strike, damaging not only your quality yield potential, but also the overall health of your trees if not properly controlled.

It Starts at the Roots

Like the foundation of your home, the roots of your almond trees play a critical role in the support of your orchards. It’s important to protect your roots so that diseases like Phytophthora root rot and crown rot don’t creep in during dormancy. The soil and roots are important drivers for plant processes that can’t continue if the roots are compromised. To help ensure the long-term health of your orchard, you should be scouting often and applying effective fungicides at the right time to achieve the best yield potential.

The wet and warm conditions during the growing season can create the perfect environment for diseases. Phytophthora root rot is an infection that occurs around the lateral part of the root system of crops, which causes a gradual waning of tree health and productivity that can linger for years. Phytophthora crown rot is an infection that occurs close to the base of the tree, underground, which plugs the vascular system leading to a ghostly death in as early as a week.

Orondis^® fungicide is a solution that promotes overall tree health and longevity by combatting multiple Phytophthora pathogens. An application of Orondis during spring root flush can set you up for success in the following season by helping to improve root mass, leading to better nutrient and water intake. It is also recommended to make a second application post-harvest to prevent Phytophthora pathogens from making an appearance when temperatures are high and the soil is damp in the late summer.

Protect Buds and Blooms

Tree nuts are susceptible to a variety of early-season diseases that can be harmful to growing nuts, detrimental to yield and impact the overall health of the plant. Blossom blight is one of the most devastating diseases an almond tree might encounter because it can kill an entire stem.

Warm, humid climates with extended periods of wetness, as well as previous year infections, foster the pathogen that causes disease. Infected fruit mummies on the orchard floor and left in the tree produce spores. The pathogen infects blooms which turn brown and collapse. Infections can extend to the twig and young leaves resulting in gumming and cankers on the stem.

To prevent infections, prioritize good orchard sanitation and make the first recommended fungicide application just before bloom at the pink bud stage. An application of Miravis^® Prime fungicide will help dial up your defense against the most damaging diseases like blossom blight. Powered by ADEPIDYN^® technology, Miravis Prime offers long-lasting disease control to keep trees healthy and improve almond quality.

Optimize for Growth

As spring transitions into summer, your almond trees are hard at work maturing kernels to full size. As the outer hull begins to develop, diseases like Alternaria leaf spot can creep in and rob you of your profit potential.

Alternaria leaf spot disease is typically prevalent from spring to summer and causes large brown spots on leaves that turn black as the fungus produces spores. Like many diseases, it can overwinter in plant debris from the previous year and favors high humidity and wet springs. Keep an eye out for leaf spots to prevent potential yield loss and defoliation.

A preventative application of a strong, broad-spectrum fungicide during this critical growth period is the best way to protect your trees from devastating disease and improve the longevity of your crop. Miravis Duo fungicide targets and prevents these tough diseases using a combination of ADEPIDYN technology and difenoconazole, giving your trees the best chance at potentially producing a quality yield for many seasons to come.

A Season-long Approach

Don’t wait for diseases to strike your almond orchards. Syngenta offers a season-long approach to help you manage disease not only in the current growing season, but in future seasons to come. Contact your local representative to develop an effective management plan that works for you.