Why Modern IPM Should Take a Wider View of Key Influences
(Entomology Today) May 15
…That trend continues with a new article published late April in the open-access Journal of Integrated Pest Management, in which Surendra Dara, Ph.D., cooperative extension advisor at the University of California, envisions a “new paradigm” for IPM, one that more intentionally considers management, business, and sustainability in addition to ecological and economic factors.
“Crop production is an art, a science, and an enterprise,” Dara writes. “Each grower has their own strategy for producing crops, minimizing losses, and making a profit in a manner that is acceptable to the retailer, safe for the consumers, and less disruptive to the environment. In other words, IPM is an approach to manage pests in an economically viable, socially acceptable, and environmentally safe manner.”
https://www.preventionweb.net/news/view/65504
Alfalfa hay farmers weigh crop's future
(Ag Alert) Ching Lee, May 15
Alfalfa hay prices may have improved from where they were two years ago, but with California dairies continuing to struggle financially, growers of the forage say they remain wary about the crop's long-term prospects.
As with many of the state's other crops, alfalfa harvest this year has been slowed by the cool, wet weather. Late spring rains have wrecked some harvested hay, while flooding has damaged some root systems, setting back early cuttings, said Dan Putnam, an alfalfa and forage specialist at the University of California Cooperative Extension.
http://agalert.com/story/?id=13005
Farmers attend annual Strawberry Field Day in Santa Maria
(KSBY) May14
Central Coast strawberry growers gathered in Santa Maria on Tuesday for the annual Santa Maria Strawberry Field Day.
The event is hosted by the University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources department.
Speakers covered topics including pesticides and fumigation, soil and water management, sustainable growing methods, and disease and pest management.
“The more we know about these pest issues – their biology, what they do, how they react to different treatment options – the better. We can control,” explained Surendra Dara, University of California Cooperative Extension Entomology and Biologicals Advisor.
UC Cooperative Extension hires first organic specialist
(Fruit Growers News) May 14, 2019
For the first time, the University of California has hired a Cooperative Extension specialist dedicated to organic agriculture.
Joji Muramoto, a longtime research associate with the University of California Santa Cruz, will coordinate a statewide program focused on the organic production of strawberries and vegetables. His first day in the new position will be May 29.
https://fruitgrowersnews.com/news/uc-cooperative-extension-hires-first-organic-specialist
‘Significant damage' from Sacramento Blue Diamond plant fire. Will almond prices skyrocket?
(Sacramento Bee) Darrelll Smith, May 14
…Whatever the damage to Blue Diamond's Sacramento operations, the impact is certain to be felt, said agricultural economist Daniel A. Sumner, director of the University of California Agricultural Issues Center at UC Davis.
“Blue Diamond is significant in the almond industry. It's a very recognized name. It's not only emblematic of the industry, but it's an important share of the industry. To the extent that almonds were lost, it's a terrible loss,” Sumner said.
“In a longer term sense, if machinery was lost, it could take longer (to get back on line),” Sumner added. “These are not raisins or walnuts, so you need specialized stuff. This is not something off the shelf.”
https://amp.sacbee.com/latest-news/article230399294.html
The End Is Near for One of Sweden's Oldest Trees
(Atlas Obscura) Jessica Leigh Hester, May 7
It can be hard to picture the death of a big, stalwart giant that has silently witnessed the march of time, says Matteo Garbelotto, an ecologist at the University of California, Berkeley, whose work focuses on forest pathology and mycology. We think of these trees as constants, but “trees have a lifespan, like humans,” he explains. “It's just that their lifespan is so much longer than ours.” Oak trees in California, where Garbelotto works, can occasionally live for 700 or 800 years, he says. European oaks can live even longer.
https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/swedens-oldest-oak-tree
A homegrown 'miracle'
(California Bountiful) Shannon Springmeyer, May 7
Moringa is a fascinating plant. The tropical tree can withstand severe drought. It grows at a breakneck pace, from seed to 10-foot tree in a single growing season. Its leaves, flowers and green seed pod are all edible, and have been used both culinarily and medicinally in Asia and Africa for centuries.
…But soon, Californians might have another option. A project of University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources, in collaboration with the UC Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program, aims to carve out a market for California-grown moringa powder.
"The goal is to develop a higher quality, local product that would be available for sale directly within California," said Ruth Dahlquist-Willard, small farms and specialty crops advisor for UC Cooperative Extension in Fresno and Tulare counties, who helped obtain funding for the project.
"I think it's a really promising crop," she said.
http://californiabountiful.com/features/article.aspx?arID=2275
Thinking About Going into the Cattle Business? UC Releases Latest Cost and Returns for Ranchers Raising Beef Cattle
(Sierra Sun Times) May 7
Among California's agricultural commodities, cattle rank fifth in revenue. The University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources' Agricultural Issues Center has released a new study showing the cost and returns of a beef cattle operation.
“Ranchers can use UC beef-cattle cost studies to guide their production decisions, estimate their own potential revenue, prepare budgets and evaluate production loans,” said Rebecca Ozeran, UC Cooperative Extension livestock and natural resources advisor for Fresno and Madera counties.
Possible Stone Fruit Thinning In Short Season
(AgNet West) Taylor Hillman, May 6, 2019
A short season for stone fruit might mean producers will need to thin fruit to meet sizing expectations. According to models, a late bloom coupled with a hot second-half to April has shortened this year's stone fruit season. “If the model plays out…the model says this will be a short growing season,” UC Cooperative Extension Tree Crop Farm Advisor Franz Niederholzer said. “If it takes 150 to 160 days to mature prunes, this year they are predicting 151.”
Niederholzer said that short prediction means growers need to consider thinning this year. “A cooler spring means more time for the cells in the fruit to divide, so there are more cells present,” he said. “In a warm spring you don't have as much time for that cell division to happen and so you have fewer cells in the fruit…It's really important in a warm spring like this to check you crop load and where you need to be a little more aggressive with thinning.”
http://agnetwest.com/possible-stone-fruit-thinning-short-season/
https://www.mymotherlode.com/news/local/640933/why-california-oaks-are-important.html
https://www.mercurynews.com/2019/05/04/letter-is-repeat-moth-infestation-linked-to-climate-change/
Be on the lookout for the Asian citrus psyllid | The Real Dirt
(Chico Enterprise Record) Jeanette Alosi, May 3
…Now that the ACP is firmly established in California, the Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) is tracking its distribution through the use of yellow sticky traps in commercial and residential areas. ACP quarantine zones are being used to restrict the transport of citrus trees and the spread of the psyllid. Biological controls using predators and parasites that feed on the ACP are being used to help control (but not eradicate) the ACP. The University of California Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources (ANR) has an updated map on the spread of the ACP and HLB you can find at https://tinyurl.com/y4lchxk7. A California regulation and quarantine boundary map can be found at http://tinyurl.com/y3ftxzzu.
https://www.chicoer.com/2019/05/03/be-on-the-lookout-for-the-asian-citrus-psyllid-the-real-dirt/
Youths from 4-H kick off the Tehama District Fair
(KRCR) Colton Chavez, May 3
Friday at the Tehama District Fair, the 4-H youth program had members showing off their furry friends.
The 4-H organization helps kids to develop in a variety of programs, one being the option of working with animals.
https://krcrtv.com/news/shasta-county/youths-from-4-h-kick-off-the-tehama-district-fair
Cows and climate change: A closer look
(CBC) Brendan Pietrobon, May 3
The extent to which meat production contributes to climate change is hotly contested. We highlighted some of the concerns in our last issue, but heard from some readers who felt it didn't convey the full picture.
Earlier this year, when U.S. congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez first started promoting the Green New Deal — the Democratic proposal to mobilize government to address climate change and income inequality — she made comments about the significant impact of "cow farts" on carbon emissions.
That concerned Frank Mitloehner, an esteemed animal science professor at the University of California, Davis, who tweeted at AOC, telling the rookie lawmaker that "meat/milk" was only responsible for four per cent of greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S.
In an interview with CBC, Mitloehner said agriculture is "often depicted in a negative way. And that's unfortunate, because agriculture should be an important solution to [climate change], and could be. Plus, we all have to eat."
https://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/what-on-earth-newsletter-cows-climate-change-meal-kits-1.5120501
Organic farm east of Denair does its part on climate change. It's getting an award
(Modesto Bee) John Holland, May 2
…The family won in the farmer/rancher category of the Climate Leadership Awards. The others:
- Researcher: Tapan Pathak of the University of California Cooperative Extension in Merced, who helps farmers adapt to climate change.
- Policymaker: Ken Alex, who was director of former Gov. Jerry Brown's Office of Planning and Research
- Legislative staff: Brett Williams, office of Assemblywoman Jacqui Irwin, D-Thousand Oaks
- Agricultural professional: Ruth Dalquist-Willard, UC Cooperative Extension, Fresno
https://www.modbee.com/news/article226956529.html
Half of California's Farmers Can't Find Enough Workers Amid Immigration Crackdown so They're Using Machines Instead
(Newsweek) Daniel Moritz-Rabson, May 1
Fifty-six percent of California farmers were unable hire the amount of employees they needed at some point in the last five years and more than half have started using mechanization, according to a survey released on Tuesday.
The report from the California Farm Bureau, conducted in collaboration with the University of California, Davis, highlighted widespread labor shortages and increasing mechanization among farmers in the state.
https://www.newsweek.com/california-farmers-labor-shortage-machine-1411998
Farm To Pint: UC Davis Scientists Work To Perfect California-Grown Barley For Craft Beers (AUDIO)
(Capital Public Radio) Randol White, May 1
U.S. craft brewers have official guidelines for more than 150 styles of beer, and California brewers have a countless number of interpretations. At the base of all those is a very limited number of ingredients: water, yeast, hops, and the malted grain — with barley reigning supreme.
While barley can grow in California, most of the craft beer made in the state is brewed with ingredients shipped from other states or countries. But now, the industry is working with scientists at UC Davis to try and change that.
"Barley is a hearty crop, so whether or not it can grow in California is not really a question, it can grow anywhere," said Konrad Mathesius with the UC Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources.
Why it's the "nonfarm" payrolls report
(NPR Marketplace) Mitchell Hartman, May 1
The Bureau of Labor Statistics' monthly jobs report is closely watched by economists, business owners, workers and consumers. It tells us how many jobs were added or subtracted from the economy; which occupational sectors are growing, stagnant or shrinking; and the unemployment rate overall and for different demographic subgroups.
… Dan Sumner, a University of California, Davis, agricultural economist, said that in the past decade, farm operators have faced rising labor-force uncertainty. He said they haven't been able to find enough native-born or immigrant workers. The Trump administration's crackdown on undocumented immigrants has exacerbated the labor shortage.
“As the economy's picked up in construction and other areas, fewer people are willing to do farm work. It's hard work at relatively low wages,” Sumner said. “There's been a move into less labor-intensive crops. And there's more mechanization to make workers more productive.”
https://www.marketplace.org/2019/05/01/world/how-come-its-non-farm-payrolls-report