Winter 2021 - 21

ORCHARD MANAGEMENT
Super high density almonds are harvested over
the row, so almonds never touch the ground.
New planting of a 700-acre super high density almond
orchard in Arvin, California. Photos: Agromillora
What makes it different
Instead of larger trees at around 132 trees per acre, super high
density orchards are planted at 1,089 trees per acre. Done at
10-foot row spacing and 4-foot tree spacing, the trees become
more like hedges, with a canopy height of about 9 feet and
width of 3 feet. This spacing maximizes light and is designed
for precision practices.
" It's really the only serious way to grow almonds anymore, "
said Cliff Beumel, president of Agromillora California,
located in Gridley, California.
Agromillora uses the self-fertile Shasta variety, owned and
patented by Burchell Nursery, on its proprietary rootstock
Rootpac-20, a dwarfing and precocious rootstock that's also
very adaptable and tough. It's salt tolerant, disease resistant
and was selected and bred to have a very compact root system.
The orchard design is geared toward mechanization.
Pruning is done quickly and mechanically, and without
expensive labor. Tree size means nuts can be harvested
straight from the tree with over-row harvesters, without the
nuts ever having to touch the ground, let alone lay on the
orchard floor for days to dry. This also means little to no
harvest dust.
Although the trees cost less because of their size, the initial
capital and establishment costs for SHD orchards is higher
than a standard orchard, as is often the case with intensive
systems. At a cost of over $11,000 an acre, according to
Beumel, the return on investment, however, comes sooner
because operating costs are lower, and growers are getting
bigger crops sooner because of the system's intensity.
The water question
For growers looking to put in SHD almonds, most of the
decisions and logistics of a new planting happen the same as
a standard orchard. The major question, however, is about
water, especially with California's Sustainable Groundwater
Act (SGMA) looming on the horizon.
" SGMA is coming, and (growers) have to make smart moves
based on all the possibilities of what happens, " said Beumel.
" We're trying to anticipate the problems in the future. "
Based on 15 years of experience in fields in Spain, irrigation
in SHD fields is designed to be applied very specifically in a
very small root zone for a short period of time to prevent, if
not eliminate, water waste. This also applies to other inputs.
With double line drip and a root system that stays within the
top 18 inches and is only 4 feet wide, irrigation will be often,
maybe even everyday, but for short periods of time.
" You're not irrigating for 24 hours once a week. You're
irrigating for what the tree and soil need to precision. The
NATIONALNUTGROWER.COM 21
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Winter 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Winter 2021
