The weather varied around the country, with some growers having near-ideal conditions, with others dealing with extreme challenges. AgroLiquid agronomists Abe Isaak and Stephanie Zelinko shared their experiences with the growing season, answering the question – what did we learn in 2024?
Nuts in the West
For some regions, it was heat and more heat. For instance, the long-term heat California experienced had its good and bad impacts on crops. Of course, we need heat units for most crops to produce at optimum yields, and we irrigate with more water to counter the stress. Fortunately, we had a wet winter and in most areas of the state, the water was adequate. Almonds and walnuts had to deal with low market prices for most of the year until early fall when we started to see an uptick in prices.
Growers cut inputs to increase profit, and sometimes that means the fertilizer budget is reduced when prices get low, like they did in spring 2024. What’s the impact of cutting nutrition on the trees, and how much did it affect yields and quality of nuts?
“Yields are down in some places 20% to 30% in almonds, and walnuts up to 40%,” said Abe Isaak, West region sales agronomist. “I’ve talked with a lot of PCAs [Pest Control Advisers] and asked them what happened to the yield on nuts this year, and heat is the number one answer. But – we’ve had years in the past with heat, and the yield loss wasn’t as bad as it was this year.”
As a result, there’s an impact to cutting nutrition. The number one input growers use is nitrogen, so what’s usually cut first is potassium, phosphorus, and micronutrients. Yet when the heat hits hard and the tree is starting out with moderate to low levels of potassium, the tree calls for it from the soil – and it’s not there to help deal with the heat.
As a result, the tree will try to pull the next best thing – sodium. If you have high sodium instead of potassium, the plant builds cell walls using sodium instead of potassium. When the heat comes, pressure builds in the cells, they explode, and you get leaf burn and leaf death. The tree will then look tired, so you irrigate, and you may even give it more nitrogen (N). But, by the time August rolls around we see a lot of tired, defoliating trees.
Yield loss follows, since the tree can’t sustain the crop. As a result, it drops nuts to find a balance, and the remaining nuts are smaller and drier at harvest than normal.
“When running the numbers and you have a 2500 lbs. crop normally, and you lose 20%, that means 500 lbs. is gone,” Abe said. “Even at $1.30 that’s still a lot of money and pays for your potassium, phosphorus, micronutrients, and some calcium as well.”
This was AgroLiquid’s seventh year doing replicated trials on almonds in Newman, CA. The average for both NP and independent varieties is 2900 lbs. In 2024, we grew only the independent variety, which resulted in over 2900 lbs. per acre.
“We fed the trees according to what they needed, and got yield and quality ROIs that more than justified the inputs,” Abe said. “So, what did we learn in 2024? Heat will reduce the yield and quality, but heat compounded with shorting the nutrition kicks the butt of yield and quality even more. You can’t afford to save nickels and dimes when it is costing you dollars of unrealized income.”
New in 2025
We see some light at the end of the tunnel for almonds and walnuts, so perhaps this means we can return to better input levels and return to better yields. The 2025 crop year started in June of 2024, and the first big fertilization is post-harvest this fall. Fall is not the time for a lot of nitrogen, as much as phosphorus, and potassium, and micronutrients. The tree stores carbohydrates for the spring in the fall. If you put a tree to bed tired without a good meal, it will wake up hungry and stay that way till after the crop is set. The tree uses stored energy in the spring that it got in the previous fall.
“This is vital to getting things back on track and dealing with tree stress from this summer’s heat, and this will be vital for dealing with next year’s high heat,” Abe said. “If you’re short next year, you will see dramatic difference in tree health – and most importantly in your pocket.”
Abe recommends to growers that they hit post-harvest well, adjust in the spring and summer, take soil samples, and use them to develop a well thought-out program, as well as working with professional who can help interpret the samples results.
“I believe better days are coming to the nut industry, so let’s position ourselves to participate and maximize our returns,” Abe said.
Budget considerations
We have been in the low market situation for a few seasons now, and as the length continues, growers need to be more aware of their budget to make sure they have enough return to cover those expenses.
“One low market year you may still be able to get away with spending more, but as those years start to stack up budgets become more important,” said Stephanie Zelinko, sales agronomist.
Knowing your fertilizer budget is the best way, especially in these lower market times, to make sure growers are spending dollars on the nutrients that are giving the best return on investment. With this year’s lower markets AgroLiquid experts looked at building fertilizer programs to fit them.
“We found a current soil test and working with product win-rates was the best way to build a fertilizer program,” said Stephanie.
Starting off in 2025, we’re beginning with another year of low commodity prices, and it’s helpful for growers to spend based on potential income.
“Another concern is the change in weather patterns,” she said. “Many parts of the country are ending with lower than normal moisture, and a some have above-normal moisture. With most soil testing being done in the fall, growers need to be aware those results may be altered about if the soil moisture conditions are strongly different than in the past.”
Looking ahead
What did we learn? A balanced and responsive nutrient program can mitigate losses and deliver a strong ROI, even in the face of weather challenges. Looking ahead to 2025, it’s important to prioritize post-harvest nutrition to replenish depleted crops and prepare them for the upcoming season.
By combining soil testing, expert advice, and strategic nutrient management, growers can position themselves for success and capitalize on the potential market improvements. Despite economic difficulties, creating nutrient programs based on individual needs and potential income will be important for navigating these volatile times and maximizing returns.
For details on AgroLiquid’s trials, visit our research page.