More Effort in Bee Protection

The Current Bee Buzz with CAPCA CEO Ruthann Anderson

By Mikenzi Meyers, Associate Editor

With spring right around the corner, it is crucial that farmers and beekeepers are working together to ensure bee protection. Ruthann Anderson, CEO for the California Association of Pest Control Advisers (CAPCA) is adamant about the communication between the two.

Anderson has been in correspondence with Ag Commissioners to create a reliable system in response to the AB-2468 law signed last year.

“The registry will come through a few different portals, but it will all go into CalAg Permits, into their sensitive site layer,” Anderson said.

She further explained that through this layer, the applicator can access beekeepers within a mile and request information.

Ruthann Anderson, CAPCA CEO

“That communication in the field is so important for us, especially during almond bloom, but even beyond that, it is just education of beekeepers. Helping them understand what the rules and regulations are and how they are set up to provide them the privacy they are requesting,” Anderson said.

California Ag Today2019-02-06T16:42:52-08:00February 6th, 2019|

Pollinator Bee Nutrition

**Collaborators on Pollinator Bee Nutrition: Bayer’s Bee Care Program and Project *Apis m.***

By Patrick Cavanaugh, Deputy Editor

The North American Bayer Bee Care Program which, according to director Becky Langer, has invested more than $12 million to maintain pollinator health, has been working closely with Project Apis m. (PAm), which funds research to enhance the health and vitality of honeybee colonies while improving crop production.

“We have enjoyed working with Apis m,” said Langer, “because foraging nutrition is one of the top factors affecting bee health today. Our ‘Feed a Bee’ program, launched in March 2015, has the goal to partner with 50 different organizations as ‘Feed a Bee’ partners, and PAm, dedicated to pollinator health, and is one of the “Feed a Bee” partners.”

Langer explained that PAm really focuses on crops growers can plant around their orchards to provide for the bees when they arrive in California before the almond bloom, as well as after the almond pollination just before the bees move on to their next job. “Because PAm distributes free wildflower seeds and other to growers,” Langer said, “we see it as a great partnership that really helps pollinator health thrive and move forward.”

California Ag Today2021-05-12T11:05:57-07:00March 18th, 2016|

Merivon Fungicide Registered for Almonds in California

Merivon Fungicide Registered For Almonds with improved disease control and Advanced Plant Health benefits for almonds

Today, Merivon fungicide from BASF was registered for use on almonds in California. This advanced fungicide helps to maximize yield potential by offering improved control of key diseases, proven Advanced Plant Health benefits, and the longest-lasting protection available. Almond growers in California now can use this powerful fungicide to prevent and control a broad spectrum of almond crop diseases.

“Merivon fungicide will give growers more consistent performance for maximum crop potential,” said Nick Schweizer, Product Manager, BASF. “The introduction of Merivon fungicide into the California almond market creates a new standard of disease control for almond growers.”

Field trials demonstrate that Merivon fungicide controls key diseases such as blossom blight, almond scab, shothole and Alternaria better than other products on the market. Optimal application timing is at full bloom to control early season diseases such as brown rot and blossom blight. Controlling these early season diseases means healthy blooms, and healthy blooms bring the potential for more almond meat yield.

Merivon fungicide is a 1:1 premix of F500^® – an active ingredient in Pristine^® fungicide – and Xemium^® fungicide. Xemium fungicide continuously distributes its chemistry throughout the plant to deliver disease control with extended residual protection.

The combination of active ingredients in Merivon fungicide can also lead to Advanced Plant Health benefits. These include enhanced photosynthesis, which increases energy production in almond trees and ultimately contributes to increased yield potential.

A second application can also be made later in the growing season to keep diseases including scab, shothole anthracnose, rust and Alternaria in check effectively. Merivon fungicide can also be mixed with other products, including insecticides.

“Almond trees that don’t need to fight disease have more energy available to produce healthy blooms. And healthy blooms lead to the opportunity to have higher almond yields,” said Schweizer.

The registration of Merivon fungicide for almonds in California demonstrates the commitment BASF has to bringing innovative products to the specialty market to fight disease, insects and weeds. BASF continuously researches and develops new solutions to help growers increase yield and profits.

For more information about Merivon fungicide, please visit http://www.agproducts.basf.us/products/merivon-fungicide.html.

For more information on BASF Crop Protection products, visit http://agproducts.basf.us, like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

Patrick Cavanaugh2016-05-31T19:38:52-07:00March 5th, 2014|

Sign Up For Our Newsletter!

California Ag News…
At Your Fingertips!