The American Pistachio Growers received a $1 million grant from the California Department of Food and Agriculture to explore regional integrated pest management for the navel orangeworm — which is considered the most damaging agricultural pest for the state’s tree nut industry.
The project, “Regional IPM for Navel Orangeworm (NOW),” will be conducted by APG in collaboration with Washington State University, UC Riverside, UC Cooperative Extension, USDA Agricultural Research Service, and other industry partners. It will pilot a data-driven network that combines real-time trap data, weather models, and crop development information to help growers make more informed pest control decisions.
“This is a major milestone for growers and for APG,” Joe Coelho, APG Director of Sustainability, said in a press release. “For the first time, we’ll have a tool that combines real-time regional analytics with grower coordination—helping reduce pesticide use, lower costs, and improve nut quality.”…