- Author: Rachael Freeman Long
- Author: Daniel H Putnam
Yellow plants equals nitrogen deficits—right? Maybe not!
When we have a very wet winter or spring, alfalfa fields may look yellow with diseased-looking leaves and delayed growth.
As farmers know, yellowing of leaves is a strong indication that nitrogen (N) may be limiting in the crop. Certainly that's true with corn, tomato, or wheat. It may also be the case in alfalfa too – but since alfalfa is a legume, it gets most of its N from biological nitrogen fixation (N2 fixation from bacteria which colonizes the roots, forming nodules), not from the soil. This ability enables alfalfa to grow well even on sandy N-depleted soils. N fertilizers are generally not recommended...
- Author: Sarah Risorto
- Author: Lisa Blecker
We are in the midst of a new and changing era of Worker Protection Standards (WPS). The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the California Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR) recently published the revised WPS, which is meant to increase protections for agricultural fieldworkers and pesticide handlers from pesticide exposure when they're working in farms, forests, nurseries and greenhouses. The changes are already affecting California agriculture!
What major regulatory changes have already gone into effect?
Several changes are required to have been in place as of January 2, 2017. These include:
- All 417,000 fieldworkers in California must attend annual pesticide safety...
- Author: Daniel H Putnam
- Author: Umair Gull
- Author: Brenda Perez
- Author: Michelle Leinfelder-Miles
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When are seasonal heavy rains welcomed but worrisome? When rains fill reservoirs, but also turn fields into seas of standing water!
Such has been the case in northern California which has seen torrential rains in recent weeks. After 5 years of intensive drought, the 2016-2017 rains are a welcome relief, but pose a danger to many crops including alfalfa.
It seems strange that we're discussing water damage a few months after discussing (lack of) water stress!
Ah, the ups and downs of agriculture!
Flooding in Yolo County Alfalfa Fields, January, 2017
- Author: Daniel H Putnam
- Author: James Radawich
- Author: Daniele Zaccaria
- Author: Aliasghar Montazar
OK, it's January and raining outside. So we can forget about water issues, right?
Farmers know better. Water planners know better. Snow pack is only a fraction of normal as of today, and most of the south state is still under ‘exceptional drought'.
Given the large urban, ag., and environmental demands……we know that demand is likely to exceed supply for many years into the future.
So how does agriculture cope with these realities? University of California scientists and the farming community have been working on methods to cope with periodic agricultural water shortages for the future, and taking a long-term view. See UC Drought Tips at:
- Author: Daniel H Putnam
Alfalfa hay prices were quite painful for alfalfa producers in 2015-16 as low commodity prices and lack of profitability in the dairy sector drove hay prices to the lowest level in many years. While high quality hays still fetched good prices, price for lower quality hays often were $80-$100/ton lower than high quality alfalfa due to high supplies and lack of demand.
This was a year that a lot of hay producers would like to forget.
(Google image)
The hay industry in California was worth between $1.5 billion and nearly $1.8 billion dollars in 2011-2015 (farm value), including both alfalfa and grass hays...