It's Crunch Time: Almond Conference Dec. 9-11

It's crunch time.

Officials organizing the 42nd annual Almond Conference are gearing up for their three-day event, which takes place Tuesday, Dec. 9 through Thursday, Dec. 11 in the Sacramento Convention Center.

In a message to the attendees, Richard Waycott, president and CEO of the Almond Board of California (ABC), says the industry is facing unprecedented challenges, as California's severe drought continues.

The agenda encompasses a variety of topics, including

• "State of the Industry"
• "Almond Quality: Everything You Want to Know About Retaining Almond Crunch and Flavor"
• "Pest Management Update and Sampling: Insects and Weeds"
• "Exporter Overview: Regulations Keep on Coming"
• "Digital and Traditional Media Outreach Techniques"
• "Pollination Update"
• "Research Grant Topics and Speakers"

The UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology will be represented by Frank Zalom, distinguished professor and integrated pest management specialist (he just finished a term as president of the 7000-member Entomological Society of America); Neal Williams, associate professor; and Extension apiculturist (emeritus) Eric Mussen.

Zalom and Williams will discuss their ABC-funded research while Mussen will address honey bee issues. In addition, Mussen will be honored at the Dec. 10 noon luncheon for his 38 years of service to the almond/bee industries. He retired in June.

Mussen will be among the four speakers at the Pollination Update on Thursday morning, Dec. 11. Others are Dennis vanEngelsdorp, University of Maryland; Gabriele Ludwig, ABC; Christi Heintz of Project Apis m; and Gordon Wardell of Paramount Farming.  Bob Curtis of ABC will moderate.

They will expand on this text (from the agenda): "Bees, along with other pollinators, have consistently been in the media, particularly in the past two years. Almonds, as the largest user of pollination services, are often mentioned as possibly impacted by compromised honey bee health. Are almond growers doing everything possible to ensure that almonds are a good and safe place for honey bees? This session will provide an overview of the research and issues affecting honey bee health, how ABC has and continues to be engaged in this issue and an introduction to the updated best management practices for honey bees in California almonds."

That afternoon, research takes front and center in a panel moderated by Gabriele Ludwig of ABC. For more than 40 years, ABC's research programs have advanced yields, quality, and environmental stewardship, contributing to the growth and success of the industry, Ludwig points out. ABC-funded research has helped "to identify areas of opportunity and success through all parts of the growing life cycle."

Researchers will discuss their ongoing projects:

• "Insect and Mite Research," Frank Zalom, UC Davis
• "Pheromone and Host Plant Volatiles for Navel Orangeworm Monitoring," Ring Cardé, UC Riverside
• "Host Plant Volatile Blend to Monitor Navel Orangeworm Populations," John Beck, USDA-ARS, Albany, CA
• "Integrated Pest Management Studies," Kris Tollerup, UC Cooperative Extension IPM advisor
• "Leaffooted and Stink Bugs in Almond," Andrea Joyce, UC Merced
• "Honey Bee Nutrition: ProteinSupplements vs. Natural Forage," Gloria DeGrandi-Hoffman, USDA-ARS, Tucson, Ariz.
• "Assessing the Value of Supplemental Forage During Almond Pollination, Ramesh Sagili, Oregon State University
• "Forage and Integrated Almond Pollination," Neal Williams, UC Davis
• "Quantifying Varroa Resistance to Miticides," Dennis vanEngelsdorp, University of Maryland
• "New Chemistries for Varroa Mite," Troy Anderson, Virginia Tech

See agenda (download PDF)