We would appreciate an RSVP to better plan for lunch at https://surveys.ucanr.edu/survey.cfm?surveynumber=42021

At this year’s Quad-County Walnut Institute we are partnering with the California Walnut Board and Commission to host a two-session event. The first session will have presentations from various experts and researchers and the second session will be for the board, commission, and attendants to discuss industry interests and other topics of importance. Growers, CCAs, PCAs, and other agricultural professionals who work with California walnuts are encouraged to attend.

The Institute will be on Friday, February 2nd, 2024 from 8:00 AM - 2:30 PM at the Robert J Cabral Agricultural Center, 2101 E. Earhart Ave., Stockton, CA 95206

Agenda is below and in the RSVP link.

Coffee and donuts in the morning. Lunch is being provided by the California Walnut Board and Commission. Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR) 2.5 continue education hour are pending approval. Certified Crop Advisor (CCA) 3.5 continuing education units are approved.

If there are question, please contact one of the organizers: Kamyar Aram (kamaram@ucanr.edu), Roger Duncan (raduncan@ucanr.edu), Jhalendra Rijal (jrijal@ucanr.edu), or Cameron Zuber (cazuber@ucanr.edu)

Agenda

Sign-in (7:30 AM to 8:00 AM)

First Session (8:00 AM to 12:00 PM)

·       8:00 AM to 8:15 AM - Introduction

·       8:15 AM to 8:45 AM - Managing walnut husk fly and scale insects in walnuts (Dr Robert Van Steenwyk): The talk includes multiple years of pest control research, including insecticide use, timing, and other aspects of integrated pest management. The talk also includes providing knowledge on basic biology and ecology of the pests relevant to IPM practices. New monitoring tools for walnut husk fly will be discussed as well.

·       8:45 AM to 9:15 AM - Principles of irrigation management in walnuts (Dr Abdelmoneim “Moneim” Mohamed): Efficient irrigation management is paramount for achieving optimal walnut yield, quality, and overall orchard sustainability. This presentation provides a comprehensive overview of the principles of irrigation management specific to walnut cultivation, aiming to help make informed and effective water management decisions in walnuts. Key principles discussed include the basics of plant-soil-water interactions, irrigation scheduling methods, selecting appropriate soil moisture sensors, and the impact of different irrigation strategies on walnut yield and quality.

·       9:15 AM to 9:45 AM - Orchard weed management updates (Dr Brad Hanson): The talk will provide an update on current herbicide and non-chemical weed management research and general updates on herbicide registrations and herbicide-related regulatory issues affecting orchard growers and pest control advisors.

·       10:00 AM to 10:30 AM - Dissecting the walnut mold problem of walnut and its management (Dr Themis Michailides): Various factor can affect walnut quality one being walnut mold. Investigations have been conducted to investigate walnut mold and this presentation will provide an discussion on possible pathogens that may cause it, problems it cause and affects to nut quality, and current recommendations on management.

·       10:30 AM to 11:00 AM - Cause, prevention, and treatments of crown and trunk galls in walnuts (Cameron Zuber): Overview of biological and management causes of galls, potential prevention, and current treatments methods. Primarily covers causes from Agrobacterium tumefaciens and prevention and treatment of galls on the trunk and crown of walnuts.

·       11:00 AM to 11:30 AM - Cover crop benefits and considerations for walnut orchards (Kamyar Aram): An overview of cover crop types and the practical management benefits that they can provide, as well as practical considerations for their successful use in walnut orchards.

·       11:30 AM to 12:00 PM - Research updates on borer and worm pests of walnuts (Jhalendra Rijal): In this talk, the speaker will cover the research advances in multiple walnut pests. The pests included flatheaded borer, walnut husk fly, and lepidopteran pests. We will discuss the biology, monitoring, and management options of these pests. Combination of biological and insecticidal control as a part of the integrated pest management (IPM) of these pests.

Lunch (12:00 PM to 1:00 PM)

Second Session (1:00 PM to 2:30 PM)

·       1:00 PM to 1:30 PM - Talk with Robert Verloop, Executive Director and CEO of California Walnut Board and Commission

·       1:30 PM to 2:30 PM - Panel and attendee discussion