Growing the Valley

Red leaf blotch which was first detected in in the spring of 2024 has found its way to the Sacramento Valley in 2025. This summer the disease was confirmed in Yolo, Sutter, and Butte counties. To read an update on current understanding check the article https://www.sacvalleyorchards.com/almonds/red-leaf-blotch-finds-its-way-to-the-sacramento-valley-2025/ from Luke Milliron and Florent Trouillas on the Sacremento Valley Orchard Source.

Department of Plant Sciences, UC Davis

Photos used in post assumed credit to authors of article unless otherwise stated. Mention of a fungicide is not a pesticide recommendation. Merely the sharing of research results. Consult your PCA and the pesticide label. The label is law.

Leaffooted bug is a sporadic pest in , but damage can be significant in years when pest pressure is high. The pest may evade early detection by growers and PCAs because it overwinters as adults in vegetation outside of the orchard and tends to colonize the upper tree canopy, rendering it generally out of sight. As a result, pest pressure is often realized after damage has occurred. To read about how variety and neighboring crops are predictors of leaffooted bug risk in almond check the article at https://my.ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=61992 from Elizabeth J Fichtner and David Haviland on the Nut, Olive and Prune Programmatic News blog.

Photos of leaffooted bug and leafooted bugs on pomegranate and rose credited to W. Bentley. All other photos used in post assume credit to authors unless otherwise stated in article.

UC ANR Statewide Integrated Pest Management Program