California Ag Network

Tag: UCANR

  • 42nd Carrot Conference Planned by UCANR

    UC Ag and Natural Resources will hold the 42nd International Carrot Conference, scheduled for June 2-3 at the Bakersfield Marriott Convention Center.

    The Carrot Conference is an opportunity to share and discuss research findings and a way for people to exchange ideas and concerns in all aspects of carrot production. Topics such as breeding, new products, production, and pest management are discussed in formal paper sessions, poster sessions, and a field tour, as well as other social gatherings.

    The conference also provides continuing education opportunities with 4.5 other DPR hours approved for June 2. More details and an agenda can be found here. For additional information please contact: Jaspreet Sidhu, Kern County Cooperative Extension, 661-868-6222, 661-304-8870. — Contributed by UC Ag and Natural Resources

  • Doubled Peaches Cause Double Trouble for Growers and Processors

    Two for one deals aren’t always a bargain growers are looking for. Doubles can occur in stone fruits like peaches when environmental factors like water stress impact the developing ovary and cause it to create a twin. This can result in off sizes and challenges for processors. UCCE Farm Advisor Cameron Zuber spoke about the issue at the Malcolm Media Tree & Vine Expo, and with Matthew Malcolm of California Ag Network. Watch this quick video and learn more in California Fruit & Vegetable Magazine.

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

  • 36th Annual Fall Desert Crops Workshop, Dec. 3

    Join UCANR on December 3rd for the 36th Annual Fall Desert Crops Workshop. Get up to date on the key issues affecting desert crops in our Valley through expert-led discussions. This FREE workshop offers a valuable opportunity to stay informed, connect with others and better understand the challenges facing our agricultural community.

    Topics to be discussed:

    • Irrigation
    • Soil Salinity Mapping
    • Pest & Disease Management
    • Pesticide Use Regulations
    • Other Agricultural Issues

    To pre-register use this link or join us onsite starting at 7:30am.

    Continuing Education Units will be offered with the following agencies: (Pending Approval)

    • California Department of Pesticide and Regulation
    • Arizona Department of Agriculture
    • Certified Crop Advisor (CCA)

    If you have any questions or need additional information on workshop, contact the office at (442) 265-7700.

    Document

    See the full agenda at: 36th Annual Fall Desert Crops Workshop_Agenda

  • Didn’t Get Much of a Cherry Crop This Year? This Might be Why…

    Some Central Valley cherry growers grappled with little to no yields this year. Cherries are notoriously a high risk crop, but can be highly profitable when they yield well. Unfortunately, that was not the case for some Central Valley growers this year. But how could this have happened? UC Cooperative Extension Fruit & Almond Advisor Raymond Mireles met with Matthew Malcolm on California Ag Network to explain. Watch this brief interview and read more about it in the coming issue of California Fruit & Vegetable Magazine.

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

  • Five Ways to Avoid Expensive Irrigation Repairs & DU Losses

    Irrigation systems today are amazing at getting just the right amount of water where it needs to be to meet a crop’s needs; however, if these systems are not well-maintained, things can go south pretty fast, resulting in distribution uniformity-related losses and expensive repairs. During his presentation at Malcolm Media’s recent Tree & Vine Expo, UC Cooperative Extension Irrigation & Soils Advisor Moneim Mohamed noted that regular and proper irrigation system maintenance can prevent expensive repairs.  Watch his video interview with Matthew Malcolm on California Ag Network for five key tasks for preventative maintenance.

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

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • Difficult Weed Stinknet Spreads Across the West

    Stinknet (Oncosiphon pilulifer) is an annual weed spreading aggressively in the southwestern US. This species was first found in North America the early 1980’s in Southern California and it continues to spread aggressively in California and Arizona and a few populations have been found in Nevada. It is expected to spread beyond these areas. With the above average rainfall in Southern California in the winters of 2023 and 2024 numerous new stinknet populations have been discovered recently. Some have been adjacent to areas where stinknet was previously found and it’s also been discovered in other areas that are far from known stinknet populations. We’ve also created a UC IPM pest note for managing stinknet that can be helpful as you build your IPM program for your lands.

    https://ipm.ucanr.edu/natural-area-pests/stinknet/#gsc.tab=0

    While it is somewhat easy to control individual stinknet plants, it is especially challenging to control stinknet patches or populations and to eradicate new infestations. The biology of stinknet makes it difficult to control populations for many reasons.

    First, stinknet has a highly variable size. Plants growing under poor conditions can be less than 6 inches tall, skinny, with just a few flowers at the end of the season. On the other hand, plants growing in optimal conditions can be 3 feet tall and wide with hundreds to even a few thousand flowers. It can be difficult to find all the stinknet plants in a population just due to the large differences in size between plants. It may also be difficult to find a few skinny stinknet plants growing among other vegetation.

    Second, stinknet re-sprouts after being cut. When cut or mowed during the growing season it can grow back. Which means, if using mowing as a control technique, it often takes multiple cuttings to control stinknet and in some cases after repeated cuttings the plants will grow low to the ground and still flower. Cutting closer to the surface is more helpful, but plants can still resprout from a low cut. This resprouting can occur also after using contact herbicides, such as organic herbicides, because established plants can grow out of these burn down treatments.

    Third, stinknet seedlings can grow in very dense clusters. Unlike some other weed species, stinknet seedlings can grow in dense clusters including up to 15 seedlings per square inch of soil surface. When plants are growing in such dense clusters it may be difficult to treat each individual plants. When trying to apply herbicides to each individual plant to control them all, it may take multiple treatments throughout the season to ensure applications reach each individual.

    Fourth, stinknet can germinate several times each year after fall winter or spring rains. In a single population of stinknet plants there may be several cohorts including large plants nearing maturity that germinated early in the season, others that are in early flowering stage, others that are medium sized and a few that may be seedlings.

    Fifth, before stinknet flowers it can be difficult to find. Early in the season stinknet is relatively small, grows low to the ground, and is often shorter than surrounding annual plants, including annual grasses. Just being one of the shorter plants makes it hard to search through taller vegetation to find. When stinknet is taller during flowering or near flowering it can be much easier to find, but then it might be too late in the season to muster effective control techniques.

    And sixth, and related to the last point, stinknet can be difficult to identify. The flowers are distinct round, globe-shaped yellow balls and when blooming can be a very easy and great way to identify stinknet. If you are not very familiar with this plant or where it might be located on your lands, it is highly recommended to monitor for stinknet in the early flowering season. However, before stinknet begins to flower, it is difficult to identify. The leaves are relatively small, they are finely divided (doubly pinnate), and are covered in fine hairs. There are many plants that look similarly at these early stages. The leaves do have a strong pungent odor, even when small, so using your nose can help to identify stinknet if you have an unknown small weed with slightly hairy, finely divided leaves.

    As mentioned earlier, to help control stinknet we’ve developed a stinkent pest note. This pest note details much of the current information on managing stinknet. The pest note covers how to identify stinknet, its biology and impacts in the environment, developing monitoring programs for stinknet, and covers the known successful management methods for stinknet, including nonchemical and chemical control methods and including a few options we have learned that are not effective.

    We are learning more and more about this species and trying new methods, as well as fine tuning successful methods to try to control it. — By Chris McDonald, UCANR

  • Startups Get Help to Speed New Tech to California Farmers, Apply Today

    UCANR Innovate, the innovation arm of the University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources, has opened applications for its VINE Connect program. Developed in partnership with Farmhand Ventures, the program empowers startups and established companies to scale their technologies in California, addressing key challenges for the state’s farmers. Deadline to apply is Jan. 8, 2025.

    California farmers are at the heart of global food production, but staying ahead requires constant innovation. To meet this challenge, VINE Connect bridges the gap between innovation and application by helping entrepreneurs tailor proven technologies for farmers to ease weed control, harvest and other farming tasks.

    Each year, the VINE Connect program runs three cohorts, each centered on different focus areas within California agriculture. More than 20 solutions are selected annually to participate in a three-month cohort designed to accelerate market adaptation. Participants benefit from a workshop series on field trial readiness, opportunities to present their technologies during a field demonstration day, and extended network opportunities to connect with key stakeholders in California’s agrifood sector. Eligible participants may also qualify for future innovation grants to support technology development, field trials or relocation to California.

    “VINE Connect is all about bridging the gap between innovative ideas and the real-world challenges facing agriculture,” said Hannah Johnson, industry lead at UCANR Innovate. “We’re helping great technologies find their place in California’s farms and fields, creating solutions that work for farmers and the entire food system.”

    “Programs like VINE Connect are critical for supporting entrepreneurs as they adapt their technologies to the unique needs of California’s agriculture industry,” said Connie Bowen, founder of Farmhand Ventures. “It’s about building solutions that are both impactful and sustainable while ensuring they have the potential to grow and attract future investment.”

    The VINE Connect program is part of UCANR Innovate’s broader initiative, The VINE, which is dedicated to advancing agricultural innovation across California. Through a market-driven approach, The VINE collaborates with farmers, industry leaders and community groups to identify practical challenges and develop targeted solutions specifically for California.

    The initiative operates through two complementary tracks: VINE Build and VINE Connect. VINE Build focuses on transforming early-stage University of California prototypes into viable startups, while VINE Connect supports the market adaptation of any proven technologies to meet California’s unique agricultural needs. Together, these programs promote collaboration, sustainability and inclusive growth across one of the world’s most essential agricultural regions.

    “The VINE is about connecting the dots between innovation and agriculture,” said Gabe Youtsey, chief innovation officer at UC ANR and head of UCANR Innovate. “Together, these programs form a complete ecosystem for transforming agricultural challenges into opportunities, helping farmers, startups and communities thrive in California’s dynamic landscape.”

    Applications for the VINE Connect program are open now and will close on Jan. 8, 2025. For more information or to apply, visit https://thevine.io.

    UCANR Innovate is the innovation arm of University of California, Agriculture and Natural Resources, dedicated to driving agriculture, food and biotechnology innovation in California. We connect people, ideas, and resources to tackle real-world challenges and drive progress that empowers entrepreneurs, strengthens industries and secures a thriving, inclusive future for California’s agriculture, its workers and its communities.

    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.