Modesto, CA
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The Yara North America Incubator Farm in Modesto, California is a center for research, solution trials and knowledge sharing. Through collaborative efforts with customers, partners, and various technology providers, Yara utlizes the farm to study and advance insights into all aspects of the cropping system.
Utilizing 40 acres of fertigated and established almonds, and 40 acres of irrigated and established walnuts, Yara and its partners will be able to gather many layers of data and intimate knowledge of every aspect of the cropping system over the coming years. The field scale research at the farm will provide valuable insight into the conditions and challenges that growers and advisors face.
In addition to research, the Incubator Farm will also act as a place for partnerships with industry organizations to develop long-term relevant solutions for growers through collaboration. The farm is available to Yara’s retail partners to give their customers the opportunity to see first hand the benefits of a complete crop nutrition solution.
Four-year Trial Review
For over four years, Yara has been implementing controlled practices with the goal to evaluate different crop nutrition management strategies that address site-specific demands to different degrees and evaluate the programmatic effect, crop response, and the associated economic and environmental impacts. These treatment protocols have been in place since the 2020 crop year with considerable variation in results due to factors like wildfire smoke, frost events, poor pollination conditions, and intense heat. We have managed these trials with the utmost care and have consistently produced valuable insights during our tenure at the Modesto Incubator Farm. We see this work as a critical service to the almond industry in light ever-evolving regulatory, environmental, and producer prosperity challenges facing our advisors and growers.
Click/tap on the booklet to view the Four-year Trial Review.
Find below some of the key results.
6% Increase in Nut Set
- 12,000 flowers buds surveyed per treatment
- Impacted by carbohydrate reserves, nutritional status, water management, and abiotic conditions response
24% Reduction of Hull Rot
- 4,400 nuts surveyed per treatment
- Impacted by water management, and nitrogen status early and at hull-split
18% Yield Increase
- Each row harvested individually
- Combination of all management factors
15% Increase in Grower Profitability
+$2,400/ac total over baseline
- Net profit after accounting for input costs
- True measure of economic viability for long-term implementation
Baseline Program
- Static program
- N from UAN-32™
- K20 from SOP™
- NPK+Zn foliars during development
- K+Zn & B foliar at hull split
Modified Program
- Static program
- N from YaraLiva® CAN-17™ & UAN-32™
- K20 from SOP™
- NPK+Zn foliars during development
- K+Zn & B foliar at hull split
Improved Program
- Reactive program
- N from YaraLiva® CAN-17™ & CN-9®
- K20 from SOP™
- NPK+Zn foliars during development
- K+Zn & B foliar at hull split
- Additional adjustments made during season to address deficiencies
MyAlmonds Program
- Dynamic & proactive
- Tailored to crop demand curves
- Addressing deficiencies before they occur
- Balanced ammoniacal and nitrate N sources
- High frequency/low vol strategy (16 fertigation events to deliver nitrogen vs. 4 in other programs)
- Comprehensive nutrition management
