California Almond Trials Show Over 1,200 lbs. Per Acre Increase. Here’s What’s Behind It.

 By Dr. Lee Opdahl, Research and Development Manager

Almond growing has never been simple, but the last decade has raised the stakes considerably. Summers are hotter and drier across California, water restrictions are tightening statewide and almond prices have grown more volatile, making every input decision carry more weight than it used to.

The growers navigating this environment most successfully aren’t necessarily spending more. They’re getting more out of what they’re already putting in, and the difference shows up at harvest. That’s where nutrient and water-use efficiency become the most important numbers in an almond operation, and it’s where this conversation starts.

The Input Problem

Almond production is input-intensive by nature, and nitrogen is one of the largest variable costs in any almond program. Research shows that only 50 to 85% of applied nitrogen is actually utilized for almond production in a given season. (1) That means 15 to 50% of applied nitrogen goes unused by the crop, and diminishing returns set in when nitrogen loads exceed recommended levels. That unused fraction leaches, volatilizes (evaporates) or ties up in forms the almond tree can’t access when it needs them most.

Water tells a similar story. Irrigation management has improved substantially over the last two decades, with micro-irrigation, precision scheduling and carefully measured applications becoming standard practice across commercial almond production. But tightening water restrictions and increasingly hot summers mean there’s less margin for inefficiency than there used to be. It takes approximately one gallon of water to produce a single almond, and at that ratio every inefficiency in water uptake has a direct cost.

The opportunity isn’t in applying more nitrogen. It’s in making what’s already being applied work harder.

Why Almond Growers Are Looking at Biological Products

Biological products have become one of the most talked-about categories in specialty crop production in recent years, and for good reason. The promise is to improve nutrient uptake, support soil health and help the crop handle environmental pressure without piling on more conventional inputs.

The challenge is that the biologicals market has grown faster than the science behind many of the products in it. A lot of what’s on the shelf makes broad claims but delivers inconsistent results under real field conditions.

For almond growers specifically, the practical limitations of live biological products compound the problem. Most live microorganisms are sensitive to temperature extremes, and California’s Central Valley (which produces roughly 80% of the world’s almonds) is where summers routinely push well above 100°F. (2) So, a product that requires refrigerated storage or degrades on a hot trailer or warehouse shelf isn’t a reliable part of any production program.

Many products also can’t be mixed with the fungicides, herbicides or fertilizers already in a spray program, which means more trips across the orchard and more labor cost. And in a large-scale drip or microsprinkler system, products whose ingredients fall out of suspension or leave residue that clogs nozzles and filters create maintenance problems that quickly outweigh any agronomic benefit.

The result is a category with real potential but a lot of noise and obstacles to overcome. The right question isn’t whether biologicals belong in an almond program. It’s which ones actually hold up when conditions aren’t perfect.

Innovation Outside the Biological Category

Agnition’s Microbial Catalyst technology isn’t a biostimulant and it’s not a biopesticide. It’s a patented trace mineral technology that delivers highly soluble nutrients directly where the plant and soil biology need them most.

When applied to soil, it supplies micronutrients that are readily available to plants and supports native microbial populations by increasing enzymatic activity that unlocks nutrients already present in soil and from applied fertilizer. When applied foliar, it’s readily taken up through leaf tissue, putting the right nutrients in a plant-ready form at the moment the crop needs them.

Because it’s a stable chemistry rather than a living organism, the handling limitations that come with live microbial products don’t apply. It carries fewer storage restrictions, strong shelf stability and broad tank-mix compatibility with no establishment period to wait through. What’s in the jug is available to the plant from the moment it’s applied, regardless of whether soil conditions are ideal.

What the Almond Data Shows

In 2025, Helena R&D conducted two independent research trials evaluating Forge FX in commercial almond production across two California growing regions. Forge FX is an Agnition foliar product formulated with Microbial Catalyst technology that delivers highly soluble micronutrients during key vegetative and reproductive growth stages.

The first trial, conducted near Merced, CA, used two foliar applications of Forge FX across the season. Treated blocks (orchards) showed an increase of 11.3 lbs. per acre in almond production at harvest, which at a market price of $3.40 per pound of almond meat represents an additional $38.42 per acre in gross revenue from treated acres.

The second trial, conducted near Bakersfield, CA, used three applications of Forge FX. Treated blocks showed an increase of over 1,200 lbs. per acre compared to untreated blocks, representing more than $4,000 per acre in additional gross revenue at the same price point. Across two different growing regions and two different application programs, both trials returned positive results. A third trial with Helena is currently underway for the 2026 season, with harvest results pending.

Making Every Input Count

Almond growers are operating in a tighter margin environment than they were a decade ago, with higher input costs, more constrained water and enough price volatility that a strong yield year doesn’t always translate to a strong revenue year. In that environment, improving how efficiently a crop uses what’s already being applied isn’t a nice-to-have. It’s a core part of how an operation stays competitive.

Microbial Catalyst technology was built for exactly that, not to replace a fertility or irrigation program but to make it perform better. Getting more from the same inputs, with a product that’s consistent, stable and practical to use at scale, is the kind of return that shows up at harvest.

Ready to learn more about what Forge FX and Microbial Catalyst technology can do for your almond program? Talk to an Agnition representative today at 1-855-832-0613.

References

1. Brown, P.H., et al. University of California Cooperative Extension / CDFA FREP Project. Nitrogen Management in Almond Production. California Department of Food and Agriculture Fertilizer Research and Education Program.

2. Almond Board of California. (2022). Almond Almanac 2022 Annual Report.