California Ag Network

Tag: UC Cooperative Extension

  • Dealing with Wild Pig Pests on the Farm

    Farmers are used to dealing with insect pest and small furry rodents, but how about wild pigs? Now, this is a more common issue in some areas more than others; nonetheless, pigs can wreak a lot of havoc in vineyards, orchards and field crops, so exploring your management options is key.  Watch this brief interview with Julie Finzel from the UC Cooperative Extension as she provides some recommendations for growers.

    Enjoy our Ag video news?  Be sure to let our sponsor Duarte Nursery know & thank them for their industry support!

  • UCCE Manure Nitrogen Study Update in Dairy Feed Crops

    It takes time for the nitrogen found in dairy manure water to become available to feed crops out in the field, and as dairy producers don’t want to under or over fertilize their feed crops, the UC Cooperative Extension is conducting a research trial to find out more regarding how manure water interacts in the soil with plant root systems. Watch this brief interview UC Agronomy Advisor Nicholas Clark as he summarizes a recent presentation he shared at the Golden State Dairy Management Conference. Read more about it in California Dairy Magazine.

  • Small Grains and Soil Health Field Meeting, June 5

    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

    12:00pm     Wrap up and evaluations

    More details Here

  • Diagnosing Herbicide Symptoms Course, July 10-11

    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.

    Attached Files

    press release Diagnosing Herbicide Symptoms course 2018

  • Introducing New UC Viticulture Advisor Karl Lund

    Special Thanks to This Video’s Sponsor!

    Great news for San Joaquin Valley grape growers!  The vacancy that was left after the sad departure of UCCE Viticulture Farm Advisor Lindsay Jordan has now been filled.  His name is Karl Lund and he will be covering Madera, Merced and Mariposa Counties.  Watch his brief introduction to the industry here, and read about his work in the coming months and years in American Vineyard Magazine.

  • Introducing New UC Viticulture Advisor Gabriel Torres

    Special Thanks to This Video’s Sponsor!

    Great news for grape growers in the Tulare and Kings Counties! The vacancy that was left after the sad departure of UCCE Viticulture Farm Advisor Allison Ferry-Abee has now been filled. His name is Gabriel Torres. Watch his brief introduction to the industry here, and read about his work in the coming months and years in American Vineyard Magazine.

  • New Early ‘Gumdrop’ Pistachio Variety is Finally Here

    Special Thanks to This Video’s Sponsor

    What if you could have a pistachio variety that you could harvest earlier to reduce the chances of having Navel Orangeworm damage and concern for Aflatoxin levels?  Well, the new early ‘Gumdrop’ pistachio is here.  At the Annual American Pistachio Growers Conference, Bob Klein from the Pistachio Research Board talked about this new variety that is now available to growers on a small scale.  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!

  • Sorghum Forage Helps Meet Required Nitrogen Management Plan in CA

    As fertilizer becomes more and more regulated in California, farmers are turning to other crops with lower nitrogen requirements. For this reason, sorghum may appeal to feed growers, as it doesn’t require near as much nitrogen to grow. Watch this interview with Bob Hutmacher from the UC Cooperative Extension and read more in California Dairy Magazine.

    Sponsored By:

    Calagnet & YARA

  • Mealybug Management – In or Out of Sync

    UC IPM Advisor David Haviland recently shared some tips on mealybug control. The goal is to lower mealybug populations, prevent movement, protect the cluster and keep the vines compatible for biocontrol (especially postharvest). Some insecticides effective against vine mealybug include: Chlorpyrifos (delayed-dormant treatment), Buprofezin (best against crawlers), Spirotetramat (foliar applied/systemic in the phloem and xylem), and Neonicotinoids (some soil, some foliar applied).

    Moving into 2018, Haviland recommended growers and PCAs consider how temperature and weather impacts pest populations. “Insect development is often driven by temperature,” he said. “When the temperatures are higher, the mealybugs are more active and develop more quickly. In some springs, temperatures gradually warm up over time, and mealybug development is fairly synchronized. This allows growers to use products or growth regulators geared toward controlling the crawler stage in the spring, and they are very effective when the insects are synchronized in their development stage.”

    “But in other years, early season temperatures vary from warming up to cold again with inconsistent weather patterns, and this confuses the pest as they start to develop. This puts them out of synchronization as far as development, leading to all stages of the pest present at the same time in the vineyard. In such a case using a pesticide that goes after one stage of the pest will be much less effective.”

    As we never know what the weather will bring, growers and PCAs need to pay close attention to weather patterns and spring mealybug populations to determine the most effective IPM approach to take for successful mealybug management.

    David Haviland to speak at Malcolm Media’s Annual Grape, Nut & Tree Fruit Expo

    Haviland will be presenting his latest research on vine mealybug management through mating disruption technology with sprayable pheromone at the annual Grape, Nut & Tree Fruit Expo coming up on November 14th at the Big Fresno Fairgrounds. The expo will run from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m., and Haviland’s presentation will begin at 10:30 a.m. Growers and PCAs are invited to attend with free admission. Don’t miss Haviland’s presentation, the many other informative grower seminars that will take place.  Pre-register for the expo here.

    -By Matthew Malcolm, American Vineyard Magazine

  • Don’t Miss the Grape, Nut & Tree Fruit Expo at the Fresno Fairgrounds

    Don’t miss the annual Grape, Nut & Tree Fruit Expo coming to the Big Fresno Fairgrounds on November 14th, put on by American Vineyard, California Fresh Fruit, and Pacific Nut Producer Magazines.  The Expo will feature educational grower seminars, and state of the grape, nut, and tree fruit industry addresses by Gary Schulz of the Citrus Research Board, Ian LeMay of the California Fresh Fruit Association, Cindy Plummer of the California Table Grape Commission, Nat DiBuduo of Allied Grape Growers, Barry Kriebel of Sun-Maid Growers, Richard Matoian of American Pistachio Growers, Jon Field of the Walnut Bargaining Association, Mark Hendrixson of the California Pecan Growers association and Kelly Covello of the Almond Alliance of California.  A complimentary breakfast and lunch will be provided.  These shows provide a great environment for the industry to get together, celebrate the harvest, enjoy some good food, get five hours of educational credits and have a great time.  Registration is FREE and will begin at 7:00 a.m., and the meeting will conclude at 2 p.m.  Learn more about the Grape, Nut & Tree Fruit Expo and pre-register at AgExpo.biz.