By John Wood, Regional Manager, CA South Central Valley
As you are finishing up harvest, your trees are going through a unique process called root flush. Because they know their fruiting days are behind them for this growing season, your trees will soon begin to store the sugar that is produced through photosynthesis. To generate a new place to store this starch, they will put on critical new roots so they are ready for next spring’s growth flush.
These new roots have a tremendous amount of impact to the strength of your crop for next year. At the same time, though, they are a huge target for attack by nematodes. When nematodes infect tree roots, they live within the root tissues and the water film that surrounds roots and feed on them, stealing the carbohydrates that are being stored over the winter.
Last week, we stressed the timing of a post-harvest application of MeloCon® WG biological nematicide.
MeloCon WG boasts great efficacy for the nematodes that threaten these young roots. It also has a number of other great advantages like its ease of use, application flexibility, ability of use in both conventional and organic acres and its low REIs and PHIs.
Really, you cannot beat the power of MeloCon WG for your root health during this flush time.
If you think you have a significant problem with nematodes or if you want an extra dose of insurance, you might consider a one-two punch of biological power.
Before you apply MeloCon WG, you can add a chemigation application of biofungicide Double Nickel® LC. Double Nickel has five modes of action that will add a protective layer for your roots even at low use rates. Double Nickel’s active ingredient, a naturally-occurring strain of beneficial bacterium, will colonize on roots and provide a barrier against harm that lasts as long as the roots are in the flush zone, protecting against soil-borne diseases and even nematode attacks.
Double Nickel LC is OMRI-Listed® and has a 4-hour REI and a 0-day PHI, which is important as you are doing your other post-harvest chores.
It’s important to remember, if you decide to use both Double Nickel LC and MeloCon WG to protect your roots, they must be in separate applications. MeloCon is a live fungus and Double Nickel is a fungicide so they cannot be successfully tank-mixed. To make the most of your MeloCon treatment, ensure it has a week in the soil before adding Double Nickel.
At Certis Biologicals, we know that bio-based solutions can help you protect your crops when they need it most, like during post-harvest root flush. Together, we can ensure that your permanent tree plantings thrive as they are working to strengthen themselves for the next growing year.
Reach out to us at asktheexpert@certisbio.com for advice on how to maximize Double Nickel and MeloCon for nematode protection and any other questions or concerns you have during this important time in your growing season.
This series is part of a partnership with Tree Nut Farm Press. You can read the original here.
