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Research and IPM
Almond Production in California:
A Study of Pest Management Practices, Issues, and Concerns
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UC Statewide IPM Program researchers surveyed
California almond growers in 2000 to learn more about specific pest management practices, and pest management
decision-making
for the 1999 growing season. The survey targeted growers who grew almonds as a primary crop or more than 20
acres.
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Part I: General pest management decision making for insects and mites, weeds,
diseases, and nematodes
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| Q1. Do you usually
have PCAs or other consultants who advise you or someone on your farm on pest management decisions? |
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Percent
(n=299) |
| NO PCA OR OTHER CONSULTANTS INVOLVED
WITH PEST MANAGEMENT DECISIONS |
9 |
| PCA OR OTHER CONSULTANTS ARE INVOLVED |
91 |
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Q2. For each of the following
pest management areas listed in the table below, please indicate
who usually has the most influence in the decision making in that
area.
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Areas of Pest Management Decision Making
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Person with Most Influence |
Percent
(n=274 to 285) |
| Mostly you,
the grower |
Mostly PCA or other consultant |
Jointly between you, the grower, and PCA or other consultant |
No pest management actions taken in this area |
| Practices used to monitor insects and mites |
14 |
41 |
44 |
0 |
| Practices involving the use of insecticides |
15 |
22 |
62 |
1 |
| Cultural or biological insect and mite management practices |
20 |
22 |
50 |
8 |
| Weed management practices involving
use of herbicides |
46 |
8 |
44 |
1 |
| Cultural and biological weed
management practices |
47 |
8 |
33 |
12 |
| Disease management practices |
13 |
25 |
59 |
2 |
| Nematode management practices |
19 |
15 |
31 |
35 |
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Q3. How many PCAs were involved in the
management of pests in your almonds in the last almond crop year,
postharvest season through harvest (November 1998-December 1999)?
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Percent
(n=271) |
| NO PCA INVOLVED, ONLY OTHER TYPES OF CONSULTANTS |
3 |
| ONE PCA INVOLVED |
72 |
| TWO PCAs INVOLVED
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22 |
| THREE OR MORE PCAs INVOLVED |
3 |
| Q4. (NOTE: Q4 allowed for multiple responses pertaining to types of PCAs who have been involved in
pest management; this question served as the lead-in to Q5.) |
| Q5. How would you best describe your primary PCA’s
relationship to almond production on your farm? (Primary PCA is the one the grower worked with most closely.) |
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Percent
(n=265) |
| INDEPENDENT, NOT AFFILIATED WITH AGRICULTURAL PRODUCT SUPPLIER |
31 |
| IN-HOUSE OR ONE OF YOUR EMPLOYEES |
5 |
| AFFILIATED WITH AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS SUPPLIER
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63 |
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SOME OTHER ARRANGEMENT
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1 |
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Q6. How often during the peak
season, bloom time through harvest (roughly March through October),
did your primary PCA or one of his or her employees visit your orchard
to inspect for insects, mites, weeds, or diseases? |
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Percent
(n=270) |
| LESS THAN ONCE A MONTH |
11 |
| ABOUT ONCE A MONTH |
11 |
| EVERY COUPLE OF WEEKS OR SO |
21 |
| ONCE A WEEK |
41 |
| TWICE A WEEK |
12 |
| MORE THAN TWICE A WEEK |
3 |
| Q7a. Did you receive status reports from your primary PCA showing
trap counts, mite levels, weed infestations, beneficial activity, or other indicators of what is happening
in
your orchard? |
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Percent
(n=277) |
| NO REPORTS RECEIVED |
22 |
| REPORTS RECEIVED |
78 |
| Q7b. For each type of status report, indicate how often you receive that type of report
from your primary PCA during the peak
season, bloom time through harvest (roughly March - October). |
| Types of Status Reports |
Frequency of Reports in the Peak Season
(Bloom Time through Harvest) |
Percent
(n= 217) |
| Not used at all |
At least once, but not more than once a month |
2-3 times a month |
About once a week |
Twice a week |
More than twice a week |
| VERBAL (in person or telephone) |
8 |
21 |
21 |
37 |
7 |
6 |
| WRITTEN REPORT (other than email or FAX) |
46 |
17 |
7 |
28 |
1 |
0 |
| EMAIL MESSAGE |
98 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
| FAX |
80 |
7 |
5 |
7 |
1 |
1 |
| Q8. (NOTE: This open-ended text question asked the growers if they wanted to say anything
else about their working relationships with their primary PCA.) |
| Q9. Among almond growers who use a PCA, on the average from 1997-1999 what % of the
time did you follow PCA recommendations for pest management actions in each of the main pest areas? |
| How often for each pest area** |
Insects and mites
(n=263) |
Weeds
(n=238) |
Diseases
(n=252) |
| Not at all* |
1% |
12% |
5% |
| Half the time or less |
10% |
17% |
7% |
| More than half to three quarters of the time |
9% |
12% |
10% |
| About 80 to 90% of the time |
30% |
26% |
25% |
| Nearly always or 91-99% of the time |
9% |
5% |
9% |
| 100% of the time |
41% |
29% |
44% |
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