- Author: Michael Hsu
![Gold, amber and burgundy gum balls on an almond tree](https://ucanr.edu/blogs/food/blogfiles/104430small.jpg)
Wet winter, El Niño create favorable conditions for aerial Phytophthora pathogen
With heavy rains in the forecast amid strengthening El Niño conditions, almond growers should be on the lookout for a rare disease that can cause severe damage to their orchards, according to Florent Trouillas, a University of California Cooperative Extension specialist in fruit and nut pathology.
Phytophthora, soilborne microorganisms dubbed “water molds” because of their dependence on water, typically...
/h3>- Author: Houston Wilson
- Author: Jhalendra Rijal
- Author: David Haviland
![Beetles inside of an almond](https://ucanr.edu/blogs/food/blogfiles/102986small.jpg)
Crop sanitation will be key to controlling the invasive carpophilus beetle
Growers and pest control advisers (PCAs) should be on the lookout for a new pest called carpophilus beetle (Carpophilus truncatus). This pest was recently found infesting almonds and pistachios in the San Joaquin Valley, and is recognized as one of the top two pests of almond production in Australia. Damage occurs when adults and larvae feed directly on the kernel, causing reductions in both yield and quality.
Populations of carpophilus beetle were first detected in September in almond and pistachio orchards by University of California Cooperative Extension Specialist
/h3>- Author: Emily C. Dooley, UC Davis
![Scientist examines a cherry tree for disease](https://ucanr.edu/blogs/food/blogfiles/99435small.jpg)
Outbreaks similar to El Niño-influenced issues of the 1990s
The wave of atmospheric rivers that swept across the state this winter has created the right conditions for plant pathogens that haven't been seen for decades in California. University of California, Davis, plant pathologist Florent “Flo” Trouillas is getting more calls from growers and farm advisors concerned about potential crop damage.
“Generally, whenever you have rain events, you're going to have...
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