Additional profiles and abstracts will be posted weekly, with links provided in the Table of Contents . California produces approximately 200,000 dried tons annually on 81,000 bearing acres. California prune production is primarily in the Sacramento and San Joaquin Valleys. Prune orchards vary from 121 to 134 trees per acre and can be productive for 40 years. Approximately 50 acre-inches of water are applied annually, typically with flood irrigation systems.
Weed control is accomplished with a combination of discing, mowing and herbicide use.
Trees are pruned annually during the dormant season. Annual applications of 100 pounds of nitrogen per acre are common as well as frequent potassium applications. Harvest occurs from August through September. Prunes are harvested by shaking the fruit onto catching machines and then dried in dehydrators to 18 to 21 percent moisture. A variety of insect, disease, nematode and weed pests attack California prunes.