Cover crop research review: How can it help almonds?

Although cover cropping is compatible with almond production and is often implemented in other orchard systems, this practice has never been widely implemented in California. The potential benefits are recognized by growers, especially their value for pollinator forage and soil health but operational concerns, lack of cost-benefit analyses and unclear best management practices have hampered wide adoption. As cover cropping can provide significant sustainability benefits, there is an urgent need to assess and develop feasible and beneficial cover crop systems for California almond production. This article published on the Almond Doctor extension website (thealmonddoctor.com) provides insight gathered by a research team assessing the impacts of multiple cover crop management strategies on: 1) soil health, 2) water use and dynamics, 3) bee visitation and pollination, 4) weed and pest pressure (NOW) and 5) almond yields in four orchards across the California Central Valley precipitation gradient.