2026 Prune Fruit Set, GDH30, and Cost of Thinning

In 2026 the Sacramento Valley prune industry is experiencing high fruit sets, high GDH 30, and a high cost of fruit thinning because of very diesel prices. Jaime Ott (UCCE Tehama), Domena Agyeman (UCCE Butte), and Franz Niederholzer (UCCE Colusa) break down prune grower crop management considerations given this tricky set of circumstances. Upcoming Orchard Meetings: The Almond Board of California also has four upcoming IPM meeting, tackling rodents, red leaf blotch, Carpophilus and other pests:Bakersfield: Thursday, April 30 Wednesday, June 16, if you’re an almond variety nerd like me you can’t miss the Almond Board’s Crackout Event at Merced CollegeIn the Sacramento Valley: Nickels Field Day is Tuesday, May 19 in ArbuckleI have two almond variety meetings at the Chico State Farm in June. Thursday June 11 and Thursday, June 25th. The Third Thursday on July 16 will be in Yuba City and cover Walnut MoldThe Third Thursday on August 20 will be in Orland and tackle labor economicsFollowing&nbsp; a harvest season hiatus, there will be a Third Thursday on November 19 in Yuba City recapping 2026’s IPM challenges and lessonsThe views, thoughts, and opinions expressed are the speaker’s own and do not represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of the University of California. The material and information presented here is for general information purposes only.&nbsp;The "University of California" name and all forms and abbreviations are the property of its owner and its use does not imply endorsement of or opposition to any specific organization, product, or service.Follow us on Twitter! @SacOrchards and @SJVtandvThank you to the Almond, Pistachio, Prune, and Walnut Boards of California for their kind donations. Thank you to Muriel Gordon for the music. The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed are the speaker’s own and do not represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of the University of California. The material and information presented here is for general information purposes only.&nbsp;The "University of California" name and all forms and abbreviations are the property of its owner and its use does not imply endorsement of or opposition to any specific organization, product, or service.Follow us on Twitter! @SacOrchards and @SJVtandvThank you to the Almond, Pistachio, Prune, and Walnut Boards of California for their kind donations. Thank you to Muriel Gordon for the music.<p data-rte-preserve-empty="t