Make spider mites bite the dust

Pest pressure impacts almond crop quality and yield

For almond growers, summer is the time to start implementing their pest control programs. Pest pressure from mites is not a given each season but is influenced by hot and dry conditions. Because the season’s weather patterns are often hard to predict, it is important to implement a pest management plan to handle any weather complications that might occur.

 

“Growers will have a different weather experience from season to season, ranging from extremely dry conditions that put more stress on the trees to wet conditions that increase disease pressure,” said Leigh Ann Harrison, BASF Technical Service Representative. “Any additional pressure, like mite feeding damage, would make it harder for trees to reach maximum yield and quality potential.”

 

No one can accurately predict the weather, which is why Harrison recommends a proactive approach to pest management. If pests are left unchecked, this can have a significant impact on crop quality and yield.

 

Strategies for controlling mites
Spider mites are a familiar pest to many almond growers and mite populations are highly dependent on weather patterns. To best manage mite populations, growers should establish a consistent pest management plan well in advance of any insect pressure that may occur.

 

“To manage spider mites, our primary recommendation is to include Nealta® miticide in your hull split application,” said Harrison. “Spider mite population spikes are most common at that time of the season.”

 

Field trials show Nealta miticide combines direct and indirect activity, allowing for rapid knockdown and effective residual control. Starting out on the right foot means less rushing to catch up with stressors later in the growing season.

 

Protecting a long-term investment
An orchard is a long-term investment, with its success depending on the longevity and health of a grower’s trees, no matter the weather conditions they encounter. Controlling spider mite populations prevents added stress to almond trees and further protects yield and quality. Sticking to a pest management program that rotates products to control a variety of pests helps protect your crop and your investment’s future.

 

To learn more about how Nealta miticide can benefit your orchard, visit GrowSmartAlmonds.com or contact your local BASF representative.

 

Always read and follow label directions.

 

Nealta is a registered trademark and Grow Smart is a trademark of BASF. © 2019 BASF Corporation. All rights reserved.

 

About BASF’s Agricultural Solutions division
With a rapidly growing population, the world is increasingly dependent on our ability to develop and maintain sustainable agriculture and healthy environments. Working with farmers, agricultural professionals, pest management experts and others, it is our role to help make this possible. That’s why we invest in a strong R&D pipeline and broad portfolio, including seeds and traits, chemical and biological crop protection, soil management, plant health, pest control and digital farming. With expert teams in the lab, field, office and in production, we connect innovative thinking and down-to-earth action to create real world ideas that work — for farmers, society and the planet. In 2018, our division generated sales of €6.2 billion. For more information, please visit www.agriculture.basf.com or any of our social media channels.

 

About BASF
BASF Corporation, headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, is the North American affiliate of BASF SE, Ludwigshafen, Germany. BASF has more than 20,000 employees in North America and had sales of $19.7 billion in 2018. For more information about BASF’s North American operations, visit www.basf.com. At BASF, we create chemistry for a sustainable future. We combine economic success with environmental protection and social responsibility. The approximately 122,000 employees in the BASF Group work on contributing to the success of our customers in nearly all sectors and almost every country in the world. Our portfolio is organized into six segments: Chemicals, Materials, Industrial Solutions, Surface Technologies, Nutrition & Care and Agricultural Solutions. BASF generated sales of around €63 billion in 2018. BASF shares are traded on the stock exchange in Frankfurt (BAS) and as American Depositary Receipts (BASFY) in the U.S. Further information at www.basf.com.