Monitoring millions of almond trees in the Central valley, California, gives us a bird's-eye view of almond crops current status and what's to come in terms of irrigation demands.
We're happy to share our AlmondBeat Report for 6-27ᵗʰ April as the season warms up in the Valley.
6-20ᵗʰ April :Early signs of stress in pollinators
With rising temperatures last week, pollinator varieties experienced first season tree water stress, as was indicated by yellow and red colors on Phytech's plant app.
Following their plants' indication, many growers applied short timed irrigation. This surgical, localized response, raised moisture in the soil's first foot (deeper layers are still relatively soaked from weeks of rain) giving pollinators a much needed boost of water, while not washing down important nutrients in the soil.
20-27ᵗʰ: Preparing for the first significant heat wave of the season
This week we're looking at 25% increase in ETo, with temperatures reaching 85-90 ℉ during the upcoming weekend, in different parts of the valley.
From Phytech's past experience, growers should make sure that the soil's upper part has enough moisture, so trees can withstand the coming heat shock.
Transition season is tricky.
Checking plant-status, getting alerts and using Phytech's recommendation and planning tool allow growers to be better prepared for this time of year and have more confidence in their irrigation strategy. Stay tuned for our next AlmondBeat Report