Operational expense savings during almond bloom
The period of bloom has become increasingly expensive. Pollination services, fungicides, application expenses have increased rapidly over the past few years and this has impacted orchard profitability.
To manage and reduce costs, consider the following:
Cut surfactants in bloom sprays. Fungicides contain surfactants, and unless the label specifically indicates surfactant use, additional surfactants aren’t needed. Additionally, increasing research has shown that adding additional surfactants can impact honeybee health.
Reduce foliar nutrients. With the exception of boron, foliar nutrients applied at flowering have failed to consistently increase yield. Boron should be included if early sprays are made but can be excluded if sufficient hull boron has been found and postharvest or dormant sprays with boron have occurred. As bloom progresses, the value of added boron decreases. (Note that this refers to the timing of flowering. There may be some value to certain products applied at petal fall. Unfortunately, there are so many that it is difficult to know which one to choose!)
Only spray when it is needed. Diseases require wet weather with temperatures over 50-55°F. If there is no rain in the forecast, there is no need to apply a fungicide. This “just-in-time” approach should only be utilized if the ability to spray the orchard can be done within a few day’s notice of a rain event.
If making bloom sprays, reduce the rate of fungicide during bloom. Often labels provide a range of how much product to use. If planning multiple sprays within the short period of time, the mid- to lower labeled rate could be considered.
Often, using multiple single mode of action fertilizers is cheaper than a multi-mode of action product. If combining two different fungicides, they can be used at the lowest label rate. More on that here.
Use stronger, 9-10 frame hives instead of weaker beehives. Increased beehive strength means more foraging bees. Research has shown that one 10 frame hive collects nearly double the pollen than a 6-frame hive, and 25% more pollen than an 8-frame hive. Having additional frames often does cost more, but the premium is less than an additional beehive. Additionally, beehive stock rates can be adjusted to account for the stronger hives.
Application of fertilizers to the soil do very little until leaf out. Delaying these applications will reduce energy expenses and the risk of leaching or run-off of the fertilizer.
Nearly all soils within the central valley have sufficient phosphorus. Applying more during the winter most likely is not needed. A simple soil test can indicate the need. If compost has been applied, there is a good chance that a lot of phosphorus has also been applied.
I hope this helps. If you have any more tips that have been used successfully, please share!