A trio of University of California extension and farm advisors will offer tips and provide the latest developments in cotton across in the San Joaquin Valley during a Tuesday, July 24 field day in Mendota. Open to all growers and pest control advisors, the free event starts at 9:30a.m. at Pik-A-Lok Farms on Bass Avenue in Mendota. Featured speakers are:
Dan Munk, UCCE Fresno County farm advisor and cotton specialist, who will discuss monitoring cotton for improved yield performance.
Bob Hutmacher, UCCE extension specialist of the Westside Research and Extension Center, who will provide an update cotton diseases and plant development issues.
Jeff Mitchell, associate vegetable crop specialist at the Kearney Ag Center, will talk about going beyond the hype of soil health and doing something about it.
The field day is sponsored by the San Joaquin Sustainable Farm Project, which provides farmers with valuable strategies to improve yields while becoming better environmental stewards in today’s challenging economic and regulatory climate.
SJSFP is a state and federally funded program under the direction of the Sustainable Cotton Project, a California nonprofit that has worked with Valley growers to produce environmentally friendly Cleaner Cotton™ for the consumer market. Funding for this project has been provided through an agreement with the State Water Resources Control Board and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency – Clean Water Act Section 319.For more information about the field day, contact Project Director Marcia Gibbs at (530) 370-5325.
Field Day Covers Pesticide Rules, Alfalfa Pest & Field Management
University of California extension advisors and a county official will update farmers about the latest trends in alfalfa field and pest management and pesticide regulations during a Tuesday, July 31 field day in Firebaugh.
Open to all growers and pest control advisors, the free field day will be from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Firebaugh-Mendota United Methodist Church, 1660 O Street, Firebaugh. Featured speakers are:
Lynn M. Sosnoskie, agronomy and weed science advisor, for the University of California Cooperative Extension in Merced and Madera counties, who will discuss weed control in alfalfa and the chemical, cultural and biological factors that can affect success and failure.
Tom Casey, pest control operations official for the Fresno County Agricultural Commissioner’s Office, who will cover current pesticide use and regulations.
Nicolas Clark, agronomy and nutrient management advisor at UCCE Kings, Tulare and Fresno counties, who will offer tips about insect pest management in San Joaquin Valley alfalfa hay.
Continuing education credits have been approved and include one hour of regulations.The field day is sponsored by the San Joaquin Sustainable Farming Project, which provides farmers with valuable strategies to improve yields while becoming better environmental stewards in today’s challenging economic and regulatory climate.
SJSFP is a state- and federally funded program under the direction of the Sustainable Cotton Project, a California nonprofit that has worked with Valley growers to produce environmentally friendly Cleaner Cotton™ for the consumer market.Funding for this project has been provided through an agreement with the State Water Resources Control Board and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency – Clean Water Act Section 319.For more information about the field day, contact Project Director Marcia Gibbs at (530) 370-5325.
Spring is in full swing and summer is right around the corner. If you work in agricultural, turf, landscape, or structural settings, you are probably at your busiest. If you handle pesticides as part of your work, you most likely wear some sort of personal protective equipment (PPE). However, do you know if you are wearing the right type for the job that you do? Wearing the appropriate PPE, taking it off the right way, and correctly cleaning it prevents unnecessary pesticide exposure to yourself and others. Learn the steps so you don’t expose your family members or those around you to pesticide residues by viewing a brand new online course on Proper Selection, Use, and Removal of Personal Protective Equipment from the UC Statewide IPM Program (UC IPM).
The course is approved by the California Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR) for 1.5 hours in the Laws and Regulations category. This course is designed for all pesticide handlers with the goal to provide them with information on pesticide labels and the California Code of Regulations (CCR) to help them select, wear, remove, and dispose of or store PPE.
In California, all pesticide handlers (applicators, mixers, loaders, those who transport pesticides, or those who fix application equipment) are legally required to wear PPE. However, in order to get the most protection from PPE, it must be used correctly. Violations involving the incorrect use of PPE were the second most commonly reported type of agricultural-use violation in 2017 as reported by DPR(PDF).
The new PPE online course opens with a scenario describing a real example of an accident reported to DPR that led to an incident of pesticide exposure because the correct eye protection was not worn. The content that follows is divided into six instructional modules, highlighting types of PPE, how to select it, and when certain items should be worn. Answer short questions about the different types of PPE. Open pesticide labels to learn how to select the right PPE and learn when certain items should be worn. Short how-to videos and animated sequences demonstrate the proper way to put on or remove items such as gloves, coveralls, respirators, and eyewear. You must pass a final test with 70% or higher to receive your certificate of completion and continuing education hours.
If this is the year to renew your license with DPR, get a jumpstart on it. Take this new course and all the other UC IPM online courses to refresh your knowledge and get the CEUs you need. There is a $30 fee for taking Proper Selection, Use, and Removal of Personal Protective Equipment. You are welcome to view the content for free on YouTube, but without the activities, final exam, and continuing education credit. For more information about license renewal, visit DPR.
Navel Orangeworm (NOW) continues to increase its presence in California right alongside the growing number of orchard hosts for this pest. Many nut growers experienced significant levels of NOW damage in their orchards last season, in spite of their ongoing pesticide spray programs. So what’s a grower to do? Watch this interview with Zach Raven from Keenan Farms, who shared his experience in utilizing several key tools in to control this pest and keep Aflatoxin levels down, going from 3% damage to nearly zero from one season to the next. Read more about it in Pacific Nut Producer Magazine.
Enjoy our Ag video news? Be sure to let our sponsor Duarte Nursery know & thank them for their industry support!
UC Cooperative Extension will host a Small Grains and Soil Health Field Meeting on Tuesday, June 5, 2018, from 9:30am to noon, on Staten Island in the San Joaquin County Delta. The agenda is pasted below and attached. The attached version includes a map and directions. We have applied for CCA continuing education credits, and light refreshments will be provided. RSVP is not required. Hope to see you in the field!
9:30am Meet at Staten Island grain silos to caravan to field trial location
10:00am Welcome and Meeting Overview
Michelle Leinfelder-Miles and Brenna Aegerter, UCCE, San Joaquin County
Dawit Zeleke, Conservation Farms and Ranches
10:15am Small Grains Variety Testing – Statewide and Delta Trials
Mark Lundy, UC Davis
10:30am Soil Nitrate Quick Test Demonstration
Mark Lundy, UC Davis
10:45am Introduction to Cover Cropping Project (funded by CDFA Healthy Soils Program)
Michelle Leinfelder-Miles and Brenna Aegerter, UCCE, San Joaquin County
11:00am Cover Crop Trial Results
Valerie Bullard, USDA-NRCS Plant Materials Center
11:15am Demonstrations and Evidence – Why the Hype Over Soil Health Really Matters
Jeff Mitchell, UC Davis
11:30am Walk through small grains trial, participate in soil health demonstrations
Weed scientists at the University of California are offering the Diagnosing Herbicide Symptoms 2018 course on July 10-11, 2018. This 1-1/2 day course will focus on how an herbicide injury situation can arise, what types of information can help diagnose herbicide problems during field investigations, and what herbicide symptomology tools are available to you.
The course provides a rare opportunity for professionals to update their understanding of herbicide symptoms and injuries and interact with experts in this field. Cooperative Extension specialists Kassim Al-Khatib and Brad Hanson along with farm advisor John Roncoroni are a few of the course instructors.
Topics include herbicide mode of actions :: how symptoms develop and progress :: recovery from herbicide injury :: relationship between symptomology and economical damage :: symptoms from several classes of amino acid synthesis inhibiting herbicides :: symptoms from herbicides that mimic plant hormones and the synthesis of fatty acids :: symptoms from herbicides that affect photosystem I, photosystem II, or that act by disrupting cell membranes :: biotic and abiotic symptoms that resemble herbicide symptoms :: herbicide symptomology tools :: what happens during a field investigation :: what happens in an herbicide injury legal case.
This program is intended for pest control advisers, sales representatives for chemical companies, field investigators, and insurance adjusters.
Take advantage of the early-bird registration fee ($465.) The fee goes up after June 10 to $495 and then to $525 after June 26. The registration fee includes lunch, refreshments and course materials.
The course is approved for DPR and CCA continuing education credits–PCA, QAC, QAL, Private Applicator: 8.0 Other; Certified Crop Adviser: 7.0 IPM, 1.0 PD
More information, visit the UC Weed Research & Information Center website (http://wric.ucdavis.edu/) and click on DIAGNOSING HERBICIDE SYMPTOMS.
Davis, Calif., (April 30, 2018) – Pests have always been a bane of human existence. Modern society has developed effective pest management, “but there is no kind and gentle way to kill things,” said Brian Leahy, the director of the California Department of Pesticide Regulation, in remarks at the April 2018 IPM Summit.
The ever increasing incidence of invasive pests and the concerns about how to manage them will be a continuing challenge. Leahy said society is on a pest treadmill; and the best way to address it is with integrated pest management (IPM).
The concept of integrated pest management emerged 60 years ago when scientists recognized that imposing a harsh chemical on a natural system threw it off kilter, often causing unexpected, usually negative consequences. They realized that combining an array of pest control methods – such as careful supervision of insect levels, promotion of beneficial insects, and using less harsh products – would be more effective, safer for families and farmworkers, and kinder to the environment in the long run.
And yet, pesticides are still widely used in agricultural, horticultural and structural systems.
“We need to make IPM more robust,” said Pete Goodell, UC IPM advisor emeritus who spent 36 years as an IPM researcher, leader and teacher. “We need to make IPM easier to adopt.”
Director of the California Department of Pesticide Regulation, Brian Leahy, listens as an IPM Summit participant shares ideas.
The meeting in Davis brought together nearly 200 people engaged in the science, business and regulation of pest management. They were assembled to address the tensions around pesticides and their alternatives, and usher in a new generation of researchers and practitioners to maintain and expand on six decades of progress in integrated pest management.
The IPM Summit is the final chapter of a collaborative effort titled “The Pests, Pesticides & IPM Project,” which was funded by DPR to enhance dialog about pest management. The project leader is Lori Berger, UC IPM academic coordinator.
“This project addresses the challenges pests pose to society,” Berger said. “We want to increase adoption of IPM practices on farms, and also in schools, homes, museums and golf courses. We’re all in this together.”
One example of urban IPM efforts was presented by the IPM Summit keynote speaker Kelly Middleton, director of community affairs for the Greater Los Angeles County Vector Control District. She outlined the substantial public health concerns associated with pest control in California’s largest urban area. A primary target is mosquitos.
“In the early 1900s, vector control started with concerns about malaria and mosquito populations,” Middleton said.
Over decades, the vector control district worked behind the scenes to keep mosquito populations in check. But in recent years, new species of mosquitos capable of spreading Zika, West Nile encephalitis, chikungunya and yellow fever have made their way to LA, intensifying concerns.
A key IPM tool in Los Angeles is minimizing standing water where mosquitos can breed. With year-round water flow irrigating vast landscapes and concrete drainages that inhibit infiltration, the vector district is faced with mosquito breeding grounds created by “urban drool,” Middleton said.
Trash rife with nutrients – such as discarded food and plant materials – are perfect nourishment for immature mosquitos, a condition referred to as “urban gruel.”
Higher temperatures predicted because of climate change only threaten to exacerbate the problem.
“A warming world is a sicker world,” Middleton said.
An effective IPM approach to mosquitos is short-circuiting their reproduction opportunities by enlisting residents to maintain swimming pools, drain any receptacles that can capture rainwater or irrigation, and be vigilant about basins containing water in their environments.
These efforts are emblematic of the societal collaboration that can tackle pest problems without pesticides.
In his IPM Summit presentation, Goodell called for public sector investment in basic research, applied research, extension and education to find IPM solutions and encourage implementation. He appealed for IPM outreach to include community organizations, home owners associations and other non-traditional partners. He suggested agriculture take advantage of farmworkers’ presence in the field for early pest detection.
“Technical pest management skills are critical, but it’s connections with people that are key to bringing about change,” Goodell said.
With new pesticide regulations in effect this year, it’s important for growers to review the changes, as shared by Andrew Smith from the Sonoma County Ag Commissioner’s office back at the Sonoma Grape Expo. He shared some important things to know about the new regulations for pesticide use around school sites and the April 30th annual notification deadline rapidly approaching. Watch his brief interview for some key points.
Yuba City, Calif., (April 13, 2018) – Recent research has shown we may have a new tool to protect trees and vines from vole damage. However, this product is not currently registered for such a use. We need your response to know whether there’s enough interest in a new way to control vole damage to warrant seeking registration.
Voles are short, stocky rodents that often cause extensive girdling damage to a variety of tree and vine crops throughout California. Effective management has often relied on some combination of vegetation removal, exclusion using trunk protectors, and rodenticide application.
However, all these management solutions have shortcomings. Vegetation removal doesn’t always eliminate all problems in an area. Trunk protectors should be buried at least 6 inches below ground, increasing the labor required to protect trees and vines. Rodenticide applications are generally not allowable within an orchard or vineyard during the growing season, when it is most needed. See the following link for more details on voles and vole management: http://vpcrac.org/files/4314/7612/1259/Meadow_vole_chapter.pdf.
Clearly there is room for a new tool to be added to the proverbial IPM toolbox when it comes to managing voles in orchard and vine crops. In recent experiments with a chemical repellent, anthraquinone, on citrus trees, we found that anthraquinone was highly repellent following trunk application (sprayed or painted on), with a >90% reduction in girdling damage observed following application regardless of the season when it was applied. Anthraquinone exhibited substantial longevity, with no increase in girdling damage observed for the entire summer (5 weeks) and spring (6 weeks) sampling periods. This clearly indicates substantial repellency for anthraquinone applications, with repellency to last for at least two months, and likely for much longer.
These results clearly indicate effective repellency of voles following anthraquinone applications, but at this time, anthraquinone is not registered for use against any mammalian species. We are hoping to gauge the interest of growers for the registration of this repellent against voles in orchard and vine crops. This is where we need your help. We have developed a very short survey (will take less than 3 minutes to complete) to gauge this interest. Please take this very quick survey to assist in this effort:
A trio of University of California extension and farm advisors will offer tips and provide the latest developments in cotton across in the San Joaquin Valley during a Tuesday, July 24 field day in Mendota. Open to all growers and pest control advisors, the free event starts at 9:30a.m. at Pik-A-Lok Farms on Bass Avenue in Mendota. Featured speakers are:
SJSFP is a state and federally funded program under the direction of the Sustainable Cotton Project, a California nonprofit that has worked with Valley growers to produce environmentally friendly Cleaner Cotton™ for the consumer market. Funding for this project has been provided through an agreement with the State Water Resources Control Board and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency – Clean Water Act Section 319.For more information about the field day, contact Project Director Marcia Gibbs at (530) 370-5325.
