California Ag Network

Tag: UC Cooperative Extension

  • Stink Bugs Foul Up Central Valley Stone Fruit

    While growers hoped the invasive brown marmorated stink bug would stay out of California orchards, they seem to have taken a liking to stone fruit, along with other stink bug species, and caused problems for some growers this year. UC Cooperative Extension Fruit & Almond Advisor Raymond Mireles shared this at Malcolm Media’s recent Grape, Nut & Tree Fruit Expo in Fresno. Following his presentation, Raymond met with Matthew Malcolm on California Ag Network to explain. Watch this brief interview and read more about it in California Fruit & Vegetable Magazine.

    Please thank this video’s sponsor Simplot Grower Solutions for their industry support.

  • Why Do Some of My Peaches Stay Small and Never Fully Develop?

    Have you seen “nubbins” in your orchard? During a presentation at Malcolm Media’s recent Tree & Vine Expo, UC Cooperative Extension Farm Advisor Cameron Zuber described nubbins as occasional smaller sized fruit you may find on a peach tree that never fully develops. Watch this brief interview as Zuber meets with Matthew Malcolm on California Ag Network to explain nubbins and why you might be seeing them in your orchard.

    Please thank this video’s sponsor Simplot Grower Solutions for their industry support.

  • AI Tool to Help Farmers Measure Real-Time Crop Health from the Field

    Leaf Monitor, a new mobile tool backed by artificial intelligence and predictive modeling, could revolutionize how farmers monitor crops and make decisions by providing real-time nutrition and leaf trait information in the field.

    “Having this information is very valuable for the farmers,” said Alireza Pourreza, associate professor of Cooperative Extension and director of the Digital Agriculture Laboratory in the Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering at the University of California, Davis. “In five seconds, they can have a sense of how much nutrition they have in a leaf.”

    Development of the AI model was funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture’s HiRes Vineyard Nutrition multistate project and its Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, as well as the California Table Grape Commission.

    Maha Afifi, director of viticulture research at the California Table Grape Commission, said the tool could be a game changer for the table grape industry if it leads to faster decision-making about fertilizer use. The right amount typically leads to healthier vines that produce more grapes with optimal size, weight and color.

    “The evaluation of vine nutrient status is one of our top priorities,” Afifi said. “At the same time, exploring new technology tools like this project is a high priority for us because they will be important to the future of the table grape industry.”

    Field testing

    The Leaf Monitor tool uses a handheld spectrometer to measure leaf reflectance beyond the range of light visible to the human eye.

    Once a leaf is scanned, its spectral data is uploaded to a cloud-based machine learning system designed to predict leaf traits and nutrient content. This algorithm was developed and trained by the Digital Agriculture Laboratory over five years using a dataset of thousands of leaf samples collected from California’s specialty crops, primarily grapevines and almonds. The samples were chemically analyzed to determine nutrient levels and structural leaf traits, providing the data needed to build an accurate prediction model.

    “Nutrient deficiencies in plants often go unnoticed until late in the season, by which point the damage is already irreversible,” said graduate student Parastoo Farajpoor, who is running the project. “This is why early detection is essential. Spectrometry provides a rapid and reliable way to identify these deficiencies before visible symptoms appear.”

    After a recent demonstration, Bulleseye Farms Irrigation Manager Geoff Klein said the tool could help save money and improve yields. Bullseye grows walnuts, pistachios, tomatoes, corn, wheat, rice and sunflowers in Yolo and Solano counties.

    Tailored crop management

    Currently, farmers typically take leaf samples, dry them, grind them up and send the samples off to a lab for testing, which can take up to two weeks to return results. Bullseye samples leaf tissues about three times a year.

    “Right now, it doesn’t really make sense to go out and take tissues in every single corner just because it’s expensive,” Klein said. “It’d be really cool if I could just walk out there and test a couple of different places.”

    The Leaf Monitor tool helps farmers tailor management decisions to specific areas rather than an entire field. Calibrating fertilizer use to real-time data can prevent overuse and nitrogen runoff, a financial and environmental challenge that many growers face.

    “I feel like there’s a lot of times we do need to put less [fertilizer] on, where we end up putting more, because that’s what the nitrogen removal formula says,” Klein said. “But with this app we can use less because we know the actual conditions at the time. I think it opens a lot of doors in terms of getting data back in real time and also utilizing the level of control we have with the data.”

    The app can also aggregate the scans and map out spatial patterns over a large area.

    “What we know is every field has variability that is not necessarily visible to the farmer’s eye,” Pourreza said.

    The prototype Leaf Monitor tool is free and included in a set of tools that can be downloaded on the Digital Agriculture Laboratory website. A web-based version of the tool will follow while the team continues to feed new data into the algorithm to refine the predictions. On average, it achieves about 65% accuracy across all traits, with predictions for certain nutrients, such as nitrogen and phosphorus, performing better than the overall average. Users will need to pair it with a spectrometer.

    “We need to produce more food while using less resources so we need to have some kind of monitoring system to give us precise and accurate feedback on our management practice,” Pourreza said. “This technology is growing very fast.” — By Emily Dooley, UC Davis

  • How to Effectively Control Rats on California Farms in a State of Emergency

    Rats have taken an unusual interest in the specialty crop capital of the nation. Many attribute the cause to the pest multiplying unchecked in orchards and vineyards in the Central Valley that have been abandoned due to water restrictions and economic challenges. This becomes a real problem when the rats move into neighboring farms in active production, tearing up driplines, feeding on crops and damaging trees. Growers are in a state of emergency and have limited tools for managing this pest.  Malcolm Media Editor-in-Chief Matthew Malcolm met with UCCE Wildlife Specialist Roger Baldwin at the California Association of Pest Control Adviser’s annual conference to gain answers on how to knock down populations effectively and keep the pest at bay.  Watch this brief interview and learn more by attending Baldwin’s presentation on rat control at the Grape, Nut & Tree Fruit Expo at the Fresno Fairgrounds on Nov. 14 (register to attend at agexpo.biz).

    Please thank this video’s sponsor Simplot Grower Solutions for their industry support.

  • American Pistachio Growers Awarded $1 Million for Regional Pest Management Collaboration

    American Pistachio Growers (APG), in collaboration with Washington State University, University of California – Riverside, UC Cooperative Extension, the USDA Agricultural Research Service and regional nut industry partners, has been awarded a $1 million grant through the California Department of Food and Agriculture’s Biologically Integrated Farming Systems (BIFS) Program to develop a Regional Integrated Pest Management (IPM) network for Navel Orangeworm (NOW) — the most damaging pest in California’s tree nut industry.

    The project, led by Dr. Houston Wilson (UC Riverside), Dr. David Crowder (WSU), Dr. Jhalendra Rijal (UC IPM), and Dr. Charles Burks (USDA ARS) will pilot a groundbreaking Decision Aid System (DAS) that integrates real-time trap data, weather models, and crop phenology into a single communication platform. The goal is to improve the timing and precision of pest control decisions while fostering regional cooperation among almond, pistachio, and walnut growers.

    “This project moves us beyond the farm gate,” said Joe Coelho, APG’s Director of Sustainability and Member Outreach, who serves as Technical Agronomist and PCA on the project. “For the first time, growers across commodities will have access to shared regional data and communication tools that allow them to anticipate pest pressure before it hits their fields and ultimately make precise, timely treatment decisions. The outcome is fewer sprays, lower costs, and higher quality nuts.”

    Through field-level data acquisition, the system’s meta-analytics will identify regional flight trends coupled with crop-specific phenological development and enhance forecasting of NOW flights — critical steps in breaking the pest’s lifecycle across neighboring farms. Ultimately, the program is expected to help reduce pesticide use, improve nut quality, and lower aflatoxin risk associated with pest damage.

    APG will serve as the grower administration partner, coordinating grower participation and outreach. Carlee Branco, APG Grant Programs Administrator, will conduct on-farm grower coordination, engagement and data collection. “This is a major milestone for sustainable pest management,” said Coelho, “and it demonstrates APG’s leadership in advancing research that directly benefits growers.”

    The Regional IPM for Navel Orangeworm Project represents a pivotal step toward the state’s Sustainable Pest Management (SPM) Roadmap by providing a scalable, data-driven framework that can be expanded statewide.

    “This is exactly the kind of innovation California agriculture needs,” said Dr. Wilson. “Regional coordination is essential to long-term pest reduction, especially for highly mobile insects like the navel orangeworm, and this project will now put those ideas into practice at scale.”

    The program launches in early 2026, with pilot regions in West Fresno County and Modesto, serving as the foundation for a future statewide expansion. Growers within these territories who are interested should contact Carlee Branco for more information at cbranco@americanpistachios.org.

    American Pistachio Growers (APG) is a non-profit trade association representing more than 800 growers and processors across California, Arizona, and New Mexico. APG’s mission is to enhance grower profitability through global marketing, industry research, and sustainability initiatives that promote economically viable and environmentally responsible pistachio production.

  • World Ag Expo® Names Ron Clark as New Chairman

    World Ag Expo®, the largest annual outdoor agricultural exposition, is gearing up to make its return in February, naming Ron Clark as the 2026 Show Chairman.

    “It’s an honor to be selected by my peers in the community, and to follow a long line of respected leaders,” said Clark. “I look forward to representing the greatest ag show in the world and welcoming visitors to discover the latest in agriculture.”

    A Tulare native, Clark has been involved in agriculture from a young age, working on his family farm since third grade. Over the years, he has managed his own farming operation while providing custom farming and farm management services. Committed to agricultural education and innovation, he has run test plots for various organizations, including the UC Cooperative Extension. Clark has served as Vice Chairman of Mid Valley Co-op and as a board member of numerous Kaweah Water Associations and the Tulare Joint Union High School District Ag Advisory Committee. A generational volunteer, he carries on his family’s long-standing tradition of supporting World Ag Expo.

    The theme for the 2026 show, “Grounds for Innovation,” highlights both the 2.6 million square feet of exhibit space, and its role as a showcase for the latest in agricultural technology. From the Top-10 New Products Competition to a wide array of exhibitors featuring cutting-edge solutions, innovation is always at the forefront of World Ag Expo.

    “Our team is hard at work preparing for next year’s show,” said Jerry Sinift, International Agri-Center® CEO. “We are happy to continue providing a place for the agriculture community to connect, learn, and grow.”

    The annual show is produced by the International Agri-Center®, a non-profit focused on agriculture education, innovation, and business development.

    World Ag Expo® is the largest annual outdoor ag tradeshow of its kind. In 2025, the show saw over 100,000 attendees from 49 states and 80 countries. With more than 1,200 exhibitors and 2.6 million square feet of exhibit space, World Ag Expo® provides a platform for networking, education, and business in one of the most productive ag counties in the United States. Limited exhibit space is still available and can be requested at https://bit.ly/exhibitwae26.

    Tickets are on sale online now at https://bit.ly/ticketswae26, and attendees can plan their visit at www.worldagexpo.com. With a diverse lineup of agriculture companies, demonstrations, and seminars, there is something for every ag professional. World Ag Expo® 2026 will run Tuesday, February 10 through Thursday, February 12, 2026, at the International Agri-Center® in Tulare, CA.

    For more information, visit www.worldagexpo.org.

    The International Agri-Center® is home to World Ag Expo®, February 10-12, 2026 in Tulare, California. An estimated annual average of 102,000 individuals from 65 countries attend World Ag Expo® each year. The largest annual agricultural show of its kind, World Ag Expo® hosts more than 1,200 exhibitors displaying cutting-edge agricultural technology and equipment on 2.6 million square feet of show space. Learn more at www.worldagexpo.com.

  • SNAP-Ed-Supported Program Energizes Older Adults Through Gardening

    “I not only live here, I garden here,” said Karen Smulevitz, a resident of Palo Vista Gardens, a public housing complex for older adults in East Oakland. She was wearing sunglasses and sporting a white bucket hat, a red leather jacket over a red t-shirt and white pants as she roamed the community garden.

    “This is my plot behind the mesh,” Smulevitz said, gesturing to the tall plants growing behind a chicken-wire screen in a raised bed. “I grow tomatoes, Italian parsley, rosemary. My doctor told me to eat more leafy greens.”

    She’s growing vegetables and herbs with help from a “garden club” organized by CalFresh Healthy Living, University of California Cooperative Extension in Alameda County. Growing her own leafy greens makes it easy for Smulevitz to add them to her daily meals.

    “I can come out here every other day and pick some chard and some kale, throw it in some soup or stir-fry or whatever it is I’m cooking,” Smulevitz said. “I add kale to almost everything. I’m trying to get my leafy greens in.”

    CalFresh Healthy Living, UCCE provides free nutrition and wellness information to help people eligible for the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) develop healthier habits.

    Palo Vista Gardens is one of a few Alameda County partners enlisted by Mary Blackburn, UC Cooperative Extension nutrition, family and consumer sciences advisor emeritus, to reach older Californians. “It was really her pioneering efforts that inspired UCCE to work with seniors,” Tuline Baykal, CalFresh Healthy Living, UCCE supervisor for Alameda County, said of Blackburn, who recently retired from her 35-year UCCE career.

    Growing greens and a sense of community

    For the past 20 years, the CalFresh Healthy Living, UCCE team has provided nutrition classes and gardening classes for Palo Vista Gardens residents, according to Araceli Tellez, resident services portfolio manager at Oakland Housing Authority.

    “In my role for the past eight years, I’ve seen how the partnership we’ve had has provided our residents the knowledge to eat healthier, to save money, to socialize with their community while gardening, and it has allowed them to grow as individuals so they can be healthier and live a longer, healthy life,” said Tellez.

    Max Fairbee, a CalFresh Healthy Living, UCCE community nutrition educator for Alameda County, launched the garden club with Palo Vista Gardens residents. He specializes in serving older adults who live in public housing and adults living in transitional housing. In addition to providing them with nutrition advice, Fairbee shares tips to stretch their food dollars and meet goals for physical activity.

    “I love working with these residents,” said Fairbee. “Over the past 8-9 years, I’ve connected with each of them through this garden.”

    “When I first came to Palo Vista, it was as a nutrition educator and a few of the residents who garden came to my classes but not all,” he said. “You see, the residents speak at least six languages in the garden – English, Chinese, Spanish, Khmer, Vietnamese and Lao – and gardening is a way to communicate without words. Whenever I stop to see the garden, the residents take me to their plot to show me the produce they’ve grown or if there is a pest. Gardening is a common thread. They feel connected to each other even though they are from different cultures. I see how they light up and smile.”

    SNAP-Ed funding to end Sept. 30

    The federal reconciliation spending bill, signed into law on July 4, eliminates funding for SNAP-Ed beyond Sept. 30, 2025. CalFresh Healthy Living, University of California is one of the organizations implementing SNAP-Ed in California.

    Over his eight years of connecting with Palo Vista Gardens residents, CalFresh Healthy Living UCCE community educator Fairbee has left a positive impression.

    “Max is a part of our community,” said Olympia Vizcaino, assistant property manager at Palo Vista Gardens. “He has a wealth of information not only for our residents, but our staff as well. He always conducts nutrition classes, gardening classes, cooking classes. He’s constantly bringing supplies to our site, like Sluggo to keep the bugs away so that our plants can thrive. He brings us soil, he brings us calendars and he brings us baby plants, too, to plant in there.”

    The Harvest of the Month calendar contains images of colorful, seasonal fruits and vegetables highlighted each month with suggested recipes.

    According to Vizcaino, older people may forget to spend time outdoors, but gardening with Fairbee can be a powerful motivator.

    “He brings people out into the sun,” Vizcaino said. “Some people forget and don’t go outside. They’re elderly so when they have something to do, to come out into the garden to be with other people, to be in the sun, it makes them happy.”

    ‘I depend on Max’

    Recently participants who have worked with Fairbee reflected on how they have benefited from the CalFresh Healthy Living, UCCE program.

    “I depend on Max and his knowledge of gardening and food,” said Geneva Moore, who has lived at Palo Vista Gardens for eight years. She said Fairbee is a tremendous resource for the community.

    When she goes to the grocery story, Moore takes time to carefully read ingredient labels on food packages before buying a product – a skill she learned from Fairbee. Her awareness of nutritious fruits and vegetables has also expanded over the years.

    “I got mustard greens, tomatoes and all kinds of things going on right now,” said Moore, pointing to the raised garden plot behind her while steadying herself with a walking stick.

    Nutrition lessons learned in the garden follow participants into the kitchen. To encourage Moore to make use of her abundant, home-grown vegetables, Fairbee suggested a vegetable soup, a simple recipe that’s easy to digest.  “One good way for seniors to eat their vegetables is to make a soup,” Moore said. “You’re always going to drink that soup. And, whoo, you got vegetables!”

    Besides rewarding seniors with delicious meals, gardening pays off in terms of their physical health and mental health.

    “I always loved to garden. I used to garden when I owned my own house. I missed it, then I come to Palo Vista and Max,” Moore said. “He brings all these good things for me. He helps me. He helps us all the time.”

    Smulevitz listed many ways that the garden club enhances the quality of life for residents.

    “I just love gardening; we get so much aid from UC and from Max,” she explained. “He supplies us with soil and compost and all kinds of things. Gardening lifts one’s spirits a lot. Our particular garden helps to enhance our sense of community because we often work together. We share our crops with each other, like I’ll give some kale away or somebody will give me something else that they grew and it just strengthens those bonds we have as neighbors here.”

    “Max is the face of CalFresh Healthy Living, UCCE to them,” said Baykal, CalFresh Healthy Living, UCCE supervisor.

    Fairbee said, “It’s obvious to me, by the way they light up, that being here in the garden is good for their well-being. And it’s good for me too! It feels really rewarding to help them grow their own food.”

    Leaders at University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources, which oversees CalFresh Healthy Living, UCCE in 34 counties in the state, are reimagining the future of nutrition education and how the work of Fairbee and his colleagues can continue helping older Californians.

    “I can’t even put a price on what Max does,” Vizcaino said. “It’s so invaluable to our community. To watch our residents thrive in that manner makes us happy as well.”

    UC Agriculture and Natural Resources brings UC information and practices to all 58 California counties. Through research and Cooperative Extension in agriculture, natural resources, economic growth, nutrition and youth development, our mission is to improve the lives of all Californians. Learn more at ucanr.edu and support our work at donate.ucanr.edu.

    To read more UC ANR news, visit our newsroom at  http://ucanr.edu/News.

  • UC Releases Costs of Growing Cilantro, Parsley

    For commercial growers considering planting cilantro or parsley, the costs and returns of producing in Ventura County are outlined in a new study by the University of California Cooperative Extension, University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources Policy Institute, and UC Davis Department of Agriculture and Resource Economics.

    “These studies provide growers with a baseline to estimate their own costs, which can help if they need to apply for production loans, project labor costs or market their crop” said Etaferahu Takele, UC Cooperative Extension farm management advisor and agricultural economist and study co-author.

    The UC Cooperative Extension cost and return estimates are based on cilantro and parsley grown in Ventura County. Each study describes the cultural practices used for establishing, producing and harvesting the herbs, including land preparation, soil fertility and pest management, irrigation and labor needs.   

    Ventura County produces a diverse mix of vegetables and herb crops. Lately, the acreage in cilantro production has been increasing. Between 2002 and 2022, the cilantro acreage almost quadrupled from 1,257 acres to 4,065 acres, reflecting increases in demand for the herb often used in Latin American and Asian recipes.

    The total cost to produce cilantro in 2025, using a yield of 1,200 cartons per acre, is approximately $7,316 per acre. Sold for $9 per carton, profit for cilantro before paying management is estimated at $3,480 per acre.

    The total cost to produce parsley in 2025, using a yield of 2,200 cartons per acre, is approximately $14,759 per acre. Using a price received of $8.60 per carton, profit for parsley before paying management, is estimated at $4,713 per acre.

    The researchers based their studies on an 800-acre farm, which was the average farm size of the growers they interviewed. Double cropping is common in Ventura County so the total land farmed for this sample is about 1,600 acres per year. Because growers produce multiple crops each year, planting and harvesting vegetable crops are year-round activities.

    “Cilantro Production Costs and Profitability Analysis” and “Parsley Production Costs and Profitability Analysis” can be downloaded for free from the UC Cooperative Extension Ventura County website: https://ucanr.edu/county/cooperative-extension-ventura-county/vegetable.

    Government agencies such as the California Department of Food and Agriculture and the United States Department of Agriculture can use the information when developing and implementing agricultural policies and programs.

    The cost estimate studies were coauthored by Oleg Daugovish, UC Cooperative Extension strawberry and vegetable crop advisor in Ventura County; and Karen Jetter, research economist and associate director; Donald Stewart, staff research associate; and Fiona Ogunkoya, survey researcher, all of the UC ANR Policy Institute.

    For more information about cost studies, contact Takele at ettakele@ucanr.edu.

    These studies were funded by the University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources’ Thelma Hansen Trust. — By Pamela Kan-Rice, UCANR

  • Growers & Landscapers Invited to California Nursery Conference Sept. 10-11

    Nursery owners and landscapers – do you know about the latest invasive pest lurking in greenhouses? Are you getting the most efficiency out of your irrigation systems? What are you doing to protect your plants from the next record-breaking heat wave?

    Scientists from University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources will address these pressing questions and other research findings at the 2025 California Nursery Conference on Sept. 10-11 at the Museum of Ventura County Agriculture Museum in Santa Paula.

    For more than 40 years, this conference has assembled UC researchers to catch horticultural business owners up to speed on science that can influence their bottom line.

    The first day of the conference will feature seminars, demonstrations and poster sessions in English and Spanish. Day two will offer hands-on experiences, with attendees invited to tour local nurseries, greenhouses and landscapes. Stops will include Seaside Gardens, Boething Treeland and more.

    To see the agenda and register, visit https://ucnfa.ucdavis.edu/events/california-nursery-conference-2025.

    During last year’s California Nursery Conference, growers demonstrated plant propagation and pest management practices in greenhouses. Photo by Saoimanu Sope.

    Photo Caption: During last year’s California Nursery Conference, growers demonstrated plant propagation and pest management practices in greenhouses. Photo by Saoimanu Sope.

    Tapping into low-water landscaping

    Nursery agriculture is a billion-dollar industry in California, generating more value than processing tomatoes or broiler chickens. It’s also diverse in its products, including backyard citrus trees, flower bouquets or native plants used for habitat restoration.

    Despite the industry’s size and broad offerings, there are some challenges all nursery growers must contend with, says UC Cooperative Extension horticulture advisor and conference organizer Gerardo Spinelli. Water is at the top of that list.

    “Whether you grow a dieffenbachia in a big greenhouse, or you grow an agave outdoors, you need to irrigate it. There’s no way out of it in California,” Spinelli said. “Irrigation efficiency is something that is relevant for everybody.”

    “Low-water” plants and landscapes are a hot topic for discussion in this drought-prone state, and this conference taps into the issue. Seminar topics will include water retention in various substrates, managing pathogens in recirculating irrigation systems and advice on successfully managing a low-water landscape.

    Knowledge exchange goes both ways – input shared by horticultural professionals may inspire the next research projects taken on by UC scientists. Spinelli is looking forward to this social aspect of the conference and hopes to understand the market pressures growers may be facing. For example: which flowers are selling well this year? Which are out of fashion?

    “Nursery and floriculture is an industry that is always very dynamic…the trends are fast,” Spinelli said. “You are more picky when you choose something that has to do with beauty.”

    The event is intended to meet growers’ specific needs, while offering broad value to more general audiences as well. In fact, the conference agenda was developed to include issues facing landscaping professionals, according to Natalie Levy, UC Cooperative Extension soil health and organic materials management advisor.

    Levy is looking forward to the landscaping session, which will include a talk highlighting the market demands and extreme climate conditions weighing on nursery growers and landscapers alike. Growers may want to consider selling plants that have been evaluated through research as being high performing under low-water treatments, such as those Blue Ribbon Winners identified in the UC Landscape Plant Irrigation Trials. That recognition from scientists could be a marketable quality.

    “This information just gives another edge of marketability to the grower,” Levy said.

    The California Nursery Conference 2025 will have hands-on learning components, including demonstrations and field trips. Photo by Saoimanu Sope.

    Photo Caption: The California Nursery Conference 2025 will have hands-on learning components, including demonstrations and field trips. Photo by Saoimanu Sope.

    UC Agriculture and Natural Resources brings UC information and practices to all 58 California counties. Through research and Cooperative Extension in agriculture, natural resources, nutrition, economic and youth development, our mission is to improve the lives of all Californians. Learn more at ucanr.edu.

    To read more UC ANR news, visit our newsroom at ucanr.edu/News.

    Follow @UCANR on LinkedIn, Instagram, X (Twitter), Bluesky, Threads and Facebook.

  • UCCE Investigates New Marketable Potato Varieties that Suit California Growers Well

    While the University of California does not have an official potato breeding program, the cooperative extension has close ties and collaborations with other universities and private companies that do, and Kern County has become quite the hub for trialing new potato varieties to determine whether they are suitable for the warm and dry climate of the West.  Jaspreet Sidhu, Vegetable Crops Farm Advisor heads up these informative trials and spoke with Matthew Malcolm on California Ag Network about the most recent results at her annual Potato Variety Trial Field Day. Watch this brief interview and read the full results in the current issue of California Fruit & Vegetable Magazine.