Diseases caused by Pseudomonas syringae can affect tissue throughout the entire tree, including bacterial blast of flowers, leaves, and shoots as well as bacterial cankers that develop under the bark in cambial and wood tissues of trunks, scaffolds, and branches. The pathogen commonly exists on plant surfaces in an orchard without causing disease, but cold, wet weather can trigger damaging infections. Bacterial canker/blast infections are most damaging, and potentially lethal, in stressed trees. Stress from ring nematodes or root-restricting hardpan predisposes almonds to blast and canker damage.
The wet, cold spring of 2023 promoted widespread Pseudomonas bacterial infections in almond. This pathogen is becoming a consistent problem in cold, wet springs as almond plantings increase across the state.
Currently, there are limited control options for bacterial canker/blast in almonds. The following list outlines factors influencing management practices and decisions.
Pseudomonas syringae is a damaging pathogen in cold, wet weather.
The pathogen is ubiquitous and occurs naturally on plant surfaces.
Infection risk varies with orchard site, rootstock, and variety selection.
Low spots (sites) are colder and thus, more prone to freeze damage.
Peach x almond hybrid rootstocks (Hansen, Nickels, Bright’s) are more vulnerable to ring nematode and subsequently to bacterial canker damage than Viking, Lovell, or Guardian rootstocks.
All almond varieties are susceptible to bacterial canker/blast infection, but some are more so than others. New self-fertile varieties are very susceptible to bacterial blast/canker.
Antibiotics can significantly reduce bacterial blast at bloom in almond, but none are currently labeled for almond. An effective, research-proven antibiotic (kasugamycin; Kasumin®) was available under Section 18 exception but is not currently labeled for almond.
Copper resistance is widespread in Pseudomonas syringae bacteria, making copper sprays ineffective.
Frost protection can help reduce damage.
What can growers do to manage bacterial canker/blast?
If approved for use, treat with labeled antibiotic (for example kasugamycin; Kasumin®) 1-6
days ahead of forecast freeze. Expect only a week of protection. Note that very cold weather will damage buds even if an antibiotic is applied. Greatest economic benefit should come from bloom treatment.
If antibiotics are not labeled before bloom 2024, growers have limited options. Spraying copper to control bacterial canker/blast is generally ineffective. Adding mancozeb to copper may overcome resistance. Unfortunately, copper is phytotoxic and may cause leaf damage. Biologicals (Actinovate, Botector, etc) are not registered for blast control in almonds, but if applied for other bloom pathogens may reduce blast damage if applied multiple times (4, 3, 2, and 1 week before bloom).
Run frost protection irrigation if water is available. This will help reduce both frost damage and blast risk.
High rates (100 lbs urea/acre) of foliar lo-biuret urea in October reduced bacterial canker growth by more than 90% in UC studies in peach orchards. Lower rates of urea were not tested.
In the long run, recognize bacterial blast and canker risk when selecting rootstocks and varieties for a colder site (valley floor, etc.). Almond variety and rootstock selections in the Sacramento Valley have changed, trending from more tolerant to more sensitive combinations. The traditional almond planting in the Sacramento Valley was Nonpareil and pollinators on Lovell peach rootstock – combinations generally tolerant to bacterial canker/blast. Trees on Marianna 2624 plum rootstock were much more susceptible to bacterial blast than those on Lovell peach. Newer rootstocks with a plum genetic background and newer varieties may also be more vulnerable to damage. Solid plantings of self-fertile varieties on certain newer rootstocks increase the risk of economic loss under cold, wet conditions.
University of California researchers, funded by The Almond Board of California, continue to study Pseudomonas syringae bacterial infections of almond. Updates will be available at The Almond Conference (almonds.com/about-us/programs-and-events/almond-conference) this December. — By Franz Niederholzer, UCCE Farm advisor, Colusa, Sutter, and Yuba Counties
Almond variety and rootstock selection is a quarter century investment. After choosing which crop type to plant, this is likely the most important decision you will make when planting a new orchard. The difference in results is massive. A poor selection could lead to the orchard failing to establish and needing to be removed or providing sub-standard yield for the life of the orchard. A successful selection could mean your trees are regularly yielding twice as much as a different variety-rootstock combination.
Variety and rootstock selections are typically thought of separately. Each rootstock is bred or selected to have different strengths and adaptations for different soil types, irrigation volumes, levels of anchorage, and ability to withstand adverse field conditions like nematodes, soil-borne pathogens, and toxic elements. Varieties are selected with self-fertility, pollen-compatibility and timing, marketing classification and price, quality and consistency, disease susceptibility, yield, and other factors in mind. However, evaluating the compatibility of different varieties and rootstocks together is critical to deciding whether a combination will be successful. A well-known nurseryman once said, “It takes 20 years to prove a rootstock”. We would add that it takes even longer to prove a variety, and a variety-rootstock combination. Why is the process as much as 30-40 years to provide growers with a winning variety-rootstock? Regional variety trials take the first 15-20 years but are only testing in three locations across the Central Valley and on only one rootstock per location. Once early adopters then plant the new variety-rootstock combination they become the researcher for another 20 plus years. If the grower decides to plant the same variety-rootstock combination for a second-generation orchard, we know we truly have a winner!
In the Sacramento Valley, Krymsk®86, a hybrid of peach and Myrobalan plum parentage, is enormously popular due to rock-solid anchorage and a relatively higher tolerance of “wet feet” (flooding or soil saturation) compared to peach seedling rootstocks such as Lovell and Nemaguard. Krymsk® 86 rootstock has only been widely planted for about 15 years: while it consistently lives up to its promise of strong anchorage and strong production potential with many varieties, especially Nonpareil, we are still learning about how it performs with other varieties in different field conditions. In wet springs, Monterey and Butte on Krymsk® 86 rootstocks have demonstrated a higher tendency to have slow, yellow growth, a disorder termed ‘Yellow Curling Leaf’ (YCL). YCL symptoms have also been observed in Monterey on Rootpac®-R (almond x plum) rootstock. Trees with YCL express foliar symptoms similar to the Union Mild Etch (UME) disorder affecting those same varieties and others on the Marianna 2624 plum rootstock with typical symptoms including poor tree growth and yellowing leaves that roll and produce necrotic margins. YCL like UME, occurs mostly in second leaf orchards, although both disorders have been observed on older trees. UME was clearly linked to excess soil moisture in the root zone in wet springs or with over-irrigation resulting in excess soil moisture in late spring/early summer. Under those conditions weak pathogens attacked the small feeder roots, affecting growth, but rarely killing the trees. Affected Krymsk® 86 rooted trees, like those on Marianna 2624 usually recover over time when excessive soil moisture is corrected.
More recently, some new self-fertile varieties have performed very poorly in the Sacramento Valley when grafted to Krymsk® 86. YCL symptoms for example have shown up in multiple seasons in some orchards – leading to a stunted orchard and the decision by the grower to remove the orchard entirely. Other orchards were removed early in the 2023 season after suffering massive tree losses due to suspected bacterial canker. Our current thinking is that like the UME issues on Marianna rootstock – the problems we are now seeing with certain varieties on Krymsk® 86 may have to do with the plum parentage of Krymsk® 86. Without testing each new variety that breeders produce on Krymsk® 86 over many years, we won’t know which varieties are more likely to have severe problems.
Low vigor and yellow curled leaf (YCL) symptoms on 2nd leaf Independence® on Krymsk® 86 rootstock. Photos taken July 2, 2021. Photo Credit: Franz Niederholzer.
Do you have a new variety struggling on Krymsk® 86?
Some growers have had success bypassing the rootstock and providing nutrition with foliar applications. However, this is very expensive, unsustainable, and doesn’t correct the fundamental problem for providing long-term nutrition.
Have ongoing discussions with your nurseryman, PCA, and farm advisor.
For future orchards using a new variety:
If you have historic almond orchard performance, start your variety selection process with what has performed best previously. Your local farm advisor is a great resource for these variety and rootstock selection conversations.
Talk with your processor about what varieties the market wants now and what future trends could look like.
Consider rootstocks other than Krymsk® 86 (article and comparison tool / podcast). Self-fertile trees planted on other standard rootstocks without significant plum parentage (e.g. Viking and Atlas) or the more vigorous peach-almond hybrid rootstocks (e.g. Hansen 536, Brights, Nickels, and Titan) have not exhibited the same symptoms as those seen on Krymsk® 86 in the Sacramento Valley.
Stay tuned for developments at the UC Butte County almond variety trials (all varieties on Krymsk® 86 rootstock, planted at the CSU Chico University Farm) to help inform your decisions about new almond varieties. — By Luke Milliron, UCCE Orchard Advisor Butte, Glenn, and Tehama Counties; Franz Niederholzer, UCCE Farm Advisor Colusa, Sutter, and Yuba Counties; Katherine Jarvis-Shean, UCCE Orchard Advisor; Sacramento, Solano, and Yolo Counties; Clarissa Reyes, UCCE Orchard Advisor Sutter-Yuba, Butte, and Placer Counties; & Evie Smith, Former UCCE Staff Research Associate, Southern Sacramento Valley
Efficient nitrogen fertilization management for all irrigated crops is gaining much attention as the Irrigated Lands Programs in the Central Valley and Central Coast begin efforts to minimize nitrate movement past the root zone of fruits, nuts and vegetables. The first in a series of seven educational videos on nitrogen fertilizer management is now available online. The video series is funded through a grant to CURES by the Fertilizer Research and Education Program (FREP) at the California Department of Food and Agriculture.
“The 4Rs of Nitrogen Management in Processing Tomatoes” features Zheng Wang, Vegetable Crops Advisor with the University of California Cooperative Extension (UCCE). Dr. Wang explains in the 30-minute video the current knowledge about efficient management of nitrogen in processing tomatoes by following the 4Rs: Right Rate, Time, Place and Product.
UCCE research supported by the California Tomato Research Institute shows that each ton of tomatoes requires approximately 4.6 pounds of nitrogen for efficient production. Nitrogen fertilizer injections into drip systems are best scheduled in the latter half of an irrigation set. Commercial and organic nitrogen fertilizers have varying levels of potential to move past the crop root zone. These and other agronomic and irrigation pointers are covered in the video, available in both English and Spanish. For those who want “just the facts,” 5-minute condensed versions of the video are also available.
Visit the BMP section of https://www.curesworks.org/nitrogen-management/ ; see Nitrogen Fertilizer 4R videos on canning tomatoes as well as walnuts. Coming soon in the CURES video series on the “4Rs of Nitrogen Management”: pistachios, almonds, citrus, high tonnage wine grapes, strawberries and lettuce. Sign up to be notified for all new video releases at www.curesworks.org “Contact Us.”
CURES was founded in 1997 to support educational efforts for agricultural and urban communities focusing on the proper and judicious use of pesticides and plant nutrients. Since its formation, the organization has focused its efforts on pesticide and nitrogen fertilizer stewardship and research projects, including studies on the effectiveness of management practices to minimize movement of farm inputs and sediment into surface and groundwater. A key goal is to implement educational programs, coordinate research and provide information and professional expertise to users and applicators of pesticides and nutrients to enhance and protect the environment, as well as public and worker health and safety. All its projects are implemented either by CURES staff or through partnerships with organizations such as commodity groups, water quality coalitions, private companies and the University of California.
Some plants thrive even in dry years, while others need wet years to really blossom. It’s no surprise, then, that this year the University of California Cooperative Extension (UCCE) Fresno office has received several inquiries about potentially toxic plants and how to deal with them. Even if these species have always been present in the seed bank or on neighboring land, this year was a good year for toxic plants to grow large where previously they grew very small – or didn’t grow at all.
Common plants that can cause livestock poisoning include annuals such as cockleburs, hairy fleabane, and yellow starthistle, and perennials like curly dock, larkspurs, and milkweeds. Annuals especially tend to respond vigorously to available soil moisture as they need to germinate a new generation each year from seed. Depending on how rapidly these plants develop roots, they may be able to produce a second generation (or more) even in the summer season. Populations of toxic plants may expand this year due to the good growing conditions.
Prevention
Maintaining healthy, diverse stands of forage to compete with toxic plants and to provide ample non-toxic options is the best prevention of plant poisonings in livestock. Grazing moderately is an important practice to maintain a healthy, diverse community of forage plants. Grazing too heavily can reduce desired species and allow toxic plants to become more common. Many toxic plants are not palatable, so they are avoided when other, desirable forage is available. However, animals may not be able to avoid harmful plants if a pasture is dominated by them. In those cases, it may be best to remove animals from that pasture and/or provide them with an alternate feed source until the toxic plant is reduced.
When managing fields for hay production, minimizing the population of toxic plants is critical. Animals can’t be selective around different plant parts in hay bales or flakes, and many toxic plants are harmful even in very small quantities.
Risk and monitoring
At this time in the summer, many common toxic plants in California are highly visible in contrast to dry, golden annual grasses. Monitoring could be as simple as driving or walking along fencelines and especially checking high-impact areas such as corrals, holding pens, water troughs, and mineral licks. Riparian areas are also important monitoring areas, such as the banks of creeks and streams. These can be key host sites for toxic plants, and animals like to spend time in those cooler areas during the summer. Animal exposure to toxic plants may be higher when the annual forages have dried up and lush green plants may be enticing.
When monitoring key areas on your property, take photos and/or samples of unfamiliar plants. You can send pictures or bring samples to your local UCCE office (find yours here) for assistance in identifying the plants and any necessary management strategies. If you bring a sample, please be sure to bag the whole plant, including the roots if possible. If you take pictures, try to have a photo that shows the full plant, as well close-ups of the leaf shape, flowers or fruits/seeds, and any other unique features such as spines or hairs.
Figure 2. Some examples of the photos that are helpful to successfully ID a plant: a picture of the whole plant, and close-ups of the leaves and flowers. This example is Asclepias cordifolia, heart-leaf or purple milkweed, photographed in eastern Fresno County.
You can also use the online weed ID tool at the Weed RIC website to narrow down possible plants yourself. Be sure to change the Search Location to California!
Management resources
To learn more about plants that are toxic to livestock, you can download the UC ANR publication, Livestock-poisoning Plants of California, for free by clicking HERE. This resource includes useful photos of common harmful plants as well as detailed information about the health impacts of different plants on cattle, sheep, goats, and horses.
Once you have a confirmed plant ID, you can find out what management practices can control the species you have. Weed reports from the UC ANR publication Weed Control in Natural Areas in the Western United States are one of the best resources that describe all possible control methods, and how well they can work. You can download specific weed reports here or purchase the full book from your local UCCE office, or online here.
If you have livestock with signs of plant toxicity, contact your veterinarian for support. If livestock have died, you can contact the CAHFS lab nearest you to get an estimate for a necropsy or other toxicology tests. — By Rebecca Ozeran, UCCE Livestock & Natural Resources Advisor
Siskiyou County rancher Jack Cowley, 91, joyfully recalled the special Christmas gift that delighted his seven children in the 1960s. Cowley, then a practicing eye doctor in Sacramento, and his late wife Barbara surprised the children with a white quarterhorse, which they named Silver.
“That’s how it all started!” exclaimed Cowley, reflecting on the gift horse that would eventually lead to a 40-year collaboration with University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources.
Silver was the impetus for his family’s involvement with the 4-H Youth Development Program, a part of UC ANR. Cowley also would later transition to a second career in cattle ranching, and collaborate with UC Cooperative Extension on research projects ranging from weed control to cow genetics.
“Jack has been an extremely committed supporter of UCCE,” said Grace Woodmansee, who became the UCCE livestock and natural resources advisor for Siskiyou County in 2021. “He has worked with UCCE extensively and contributed a lot of time and resources to supporting local and statewide projects.”
Lately Cowley and his son David have been working with Woodmansee and Gabriele Maier, UC Cooperative Extension specialist in the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, on a cow deworming study.
Not only has Cowley allowed UCCE scientists to study his cattle over the years, he has been willing to personally share information with scientists and cattle producers across the country and internationally.
“It is important to foster exchange and linkages, said Dan Drake, UCCE farm advisor emeritus in Siskiyou County, who collaborated with Cowley for 30 years. “He went to so many meetings, especially with the early and uncharted areas of cattle genetics. Jack was on a first-name basis with the leaders from other states and the relationships were important in both directions. Frankly, I think many of those folks were jealous of the great cooperator we had in California.”
Cowley has turned most of the cattle operations over to his children, but he keeps a hand in the business.
Breeding for better beef
After retiring from his Sacramento ophthalmology practice in the 1990s, Cowley settled in Montague in Siskiyou County, 246 miles north of the closest UC campus. There he met then-UC Cooperative Extension farm advisor Steve Orloff and Drake. Orloff advised him on alfalfa production and pasture management while Drake offered counsel on animal health records, organizing breeding, animal nutrition and water issues.
Drake explained to ranchers that by selectively breeding cows based on genetics, they could improve the production and quality of beef so that it’s healthier for humans.
“My medical background helped me understand animal genetics,” Cowley said. “We can modify the genetics to improve the quality of the beef to make it more heart-healthy.”
In 2009, Drake introduced Cowley to UC Cooperative Extension specialist Alison Van Eenennaam, who studies animal genetics at UC Davis.
“I was looking to set up a research trial where we would follow cattle from the ranch all the way through to the Harris Ranch processing plant in the Central Valley,” said Van Eenennaam, who worked with Cowley on a three-year project.
Using DNA samples from Cowley’s cattle, they evaluated the data they received from processor Harris Ranch of the beef characteristics – such as tenderness — to compare the different breeds.
“I really thought I knew what I was doing and my cattle graded terribly,” Cowley said.
Since beginning the genetics project, his beef quality steadily improved.
“We’re now up to where all of our animals are graded anywhere from 20% to 40% Prime and the rest Choice,” said Cowley, adding that he stopped striving for higher grades because the buyer said there was a limited market for the more expensive meat.
Cowley takes pride in knowing breeding practices developed from the research he and UC Cooperative Extension conducted have been adopted globally by dairy producers and beef producers.
“The type of research we were doing there has eventually evolved to now we have these genomic tests that you can use that genetically predict the performance of animals,” Van Eenennaam said. “Nowadays people just take an ear tag and send it in and get their genetic prediction.”
Van Eenennaam credits Cowley for allowing research on his large herd. “Jack was very patient with things that take a long time. When researchers come onto your ranch, that could slow you down.”
She added, “Genetic improvement, of course, is a huge component of sustainability because the more efficient cattle are, the less feed they consume and the less time they take to finish, which ultimately lessens their environmental footprint.”
Grace Woodmansee, who became the UCCE livestock and natural resources advisor for Siskiyou County in 2021, sits with Cowley in his kitchen, which features chicken decorations collected by his late wife Barbara.
Growing up in Utah
Looking back, Cowley marvels that he has been fortunate to do what he wanted to do in life.
“I was interested in ranching when I was probably seven or eight years of age,” said Cowley, who delivered the local Deseret Newspaper on horseback as a boy. “I grew up in Utah, you know, a little town in Utah called Holladay. It was not a ranching community.”
After serving four years in the Air Force during the Korean War, he returned to Utah to find the cute girl he met in first grade had graduated from college and was still single. He married Barbara in 1956. When he was accepted at George Washington University medical school, they drove with their three-week-old baby from Utah to Washington, D.C. He got a job in the Senate office building as an elevator operator working from 5 to 11 p.m., which enabled him to study, meet influential people and finish medical school without debt.
“I actually got to meet Khrushchev,” he said, recalling his encounter with the Soviet leader..
After finishing his ophthalmology residency at UCLA, Cowley established his practice in Sacramento and later taught a few classes at UC Davis Medical School.
Becoming a cattleman
One Saturday afternoon, after Silver the horse joined the family, Cowley and his oldest daughter, Kathryn, were driving in Placerville and saw a ranch for sale. He bought the 90 acres. For two summers, Barbara and the children lived at the ranch and Cowley joined them on weekends.
“Of course, I had to have a few cows to play with,” he said with a chuckle. “Basically, I thought I could make some money off of 50 cows.”
As his herd grew, he moved it to Corning, 50 miles south of Redding, and finally to the site in Montague that could accommodate several hundred head of cattle. “That’s when I really became interested in animal genetics,” Cowley said. “That was back when we had slide rules to do our calculations. It was pretty crude, but it was a start.”
In 1990, Cowley was honored as the California Beef Cattle Improvement Association’s Seedstock Producer of the year and, in 2007, was named Siskiyou County’s Cattleman of the Year. He has served as president of the Siskiyou County Cattlemen’s Association, on the Cattlemen’s Beef Board, as well as on committees for the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association.
“Jack spent countless hours traveling to the Midwest and other beef research institutions to share knowledge, learn more and plan for needed information,” said Drake, emeritus UCCE livestock advisor. This made for better Extension work, better research and recognition of UC Cooperative Extension work nationwide.”
In 2011, when Van Eenennaam and Drake presented their research at an international genomics conference, he joined them in Australia to learn from other researchers. They also visited Australian producers to learn their practices.
“We really rely on cooperators like Jack to enable our research to have translation to farmers and ranchers,” Van Eenennaam said.
In recent years, Cowley has handed the ranch reins over to his children David, Brian, Brent and Kathryn, who live in Siskiyou County.
David, who retired from a nearly 40-year career as a software engineer, plans to continue working with UC Cooperative Extension advisors and specialists.
“Any time you have questions, you can call and they’re more than happy to help you,” he said. — By Pamela Kan-Rice, UCANR
UC Agriculture and Natural Resources brings the power of UC 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 and support our work at donate.ucanr.edu.
Watch this brief interview with UC Viticulture Extension Specialist Matthew Fidelibus with an update on the performance of a couple of new labor-saving DOV raisin grape varieties that are showing a lot of promise for the industry. Visit AmericanVineyardMagazine.com/calendar/ to get more information on a couple upcoming raisin industry meetings to provide growers the opportunity to check out these varieties for themselves.
Please thank this video’s sponsor Ranch Systems for their industry support.
The thought of losing freedom sounds awful; however when it comes to the grapevine ‘Freedom’ rootstock, it may be a good idea, particularly for growers in the San Joaquin Valley. Watch this brief interview with UCCE Viticulture Farm Advisor Karl Lund as he explains why and explores alternative options.
Please thank this video’s sponsor Ranch Systems for their industry support.
In recent years, there has been an increase in crown rot/vine decline problems in processing tomatoes. Many tolerant, as well as several susceptible tomato cultivars, have been identified from previous efforts funded by CTRI. The number of fields in the Sacramento Valley with confirmed Fusarium falciforme vine decline has been increasing each year. In 2022, eight new tomato fields were diagnosed in Sutter and Colusa counties, for a total of 20 fields since 2019. In 2021 and 2022, we worked with AgSeeds and evaluated processing tomato varieties in field trials for their tolerance or susceptibility to Fusarium falciforme by rating disease severity and sending diagnostic samples to the Swett lab at UC Davis for confirmations. Unfortunately, in 2021, we were unable to confirm F. falciforme in the particular fields we evaluated, however, in 2022, all three fields in Sutter County where we evaluated trials were positive for F. falciforme, along with Fusarium crown and root rot in 2/3 fields. We evaluated fields for advanced decline and whole plant collapse. Yield data was provided by AgSeeds. Below is a table with the average number of declined plants at our three field sites in Sutter County. The table also includes percent decline and yield for two of the fields. Also worth noting, field #2 was evaluated the day before harvest, whereas field #1 was evaluated a couple weeks before harvest and field # 3 was not harvested due to September rain events in 2022.
The varieties with the highest decline are similar to results we have seen at other sites over the years and a more comprehensive table (developed by UCCE Vegetable Crops Advisor, Brenna Aegerter, in San Joaquin County) which can be found in my December 2022 newsletter. If you are interested in more results and information from other regions of the state, you can see Brenna’s article on pages 4-5 in the UCCE San Joaquin County Field Notes newsletter from February 2023. — By Brenna Aegerter, UCCE San Joaquin; Co-PIs: Tom Turini, UCCE Fresno; Amber Vinchesi-Vahl, UCCE Colusa/Sutter/Yuba; Cassandra Swett, UC Davis Extension Pathology Specialist; Collaborators: AgSeeds (Funded by California Tomato Research Institute)
University of California Cooperative Extension invites English- and Spanish-speaking adults in California and natural resource professionals to complete a 15-minute anonymous survey to inform the development of wildfire-related education and outreach programs.
Results of the survey will guide local and statewide programming at UCCE and be used to inform organizations, policymakers and scientists working to reduce the risk and impacts of wildfire throughout California.
“Wildfires will continue to affect all Californians, either directly or indirectly,” said Katie Low, UCCE statewide fire coordinator. “It’s invaluable to have the input of as many people as possible to guide the development of our wildfire-related extension programs, so that they can provide the most useful resources and information to communities across California.”
The survey asks questions about topics such as:
Gaps within existing educational programming and resources
Challenges community members are facing in addressing wildfire risk
Empowerment of communities to make property management decisions and prepare for wildfire
Acceptability of prescribed fire and other fuels treatments
Fifty survey respondents who complete the survey by Feb. 28 will be selected at random to win a $20 prepaid gift card. To take the online survey, please visithttps://bit.ly/UCCE_Fire_Survey.
If you have any questions about this survey please contact your nearest fire or forestry advisor:
Luca Carmignani, UCCE fire advisor for Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, and San Diego counties, carmignani@ucanr.edu
Alison Deak, UCCE fire advisor for Fresno, Madera, and Mariposa counties, aldeak@ucanr.edu
Katie Low, UCCE fire academic coordinator for Nevada and Placer counties, katlow@ucanr.edu
Barb Satink Wolfson, UCCE fire advisor for Monterey, San Benito, Santa Clara, and Santa Cruz counties, bsatinkwolfson@ucanr.edu
Ryan Tompkins, UCCE forestry advisor for Plumas, Sierra, and Lassen counties, retompkins@ucanr.edu
UC Agriculture and Natural Resources brings the power of UC 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 and support our work at donate.ucanr.edu.
Watch this brief interview with UCCE Farm Advisor Brent Holtz as he talks about a new tool to fight the tree-killing phytophthora crown and root rot in almond, and be sure to read his monthly Almond Tasks column in Pacific Nut Producer Magazine.
Please thank this video’s sponsor Suterra for their industry support.
