Please join us for the annual Alfalfa & Forage Field Day to be held at the Kearney Agricultural Research and Extension Center on Friday, September 18th. Directions are provided on the attached meeting notice.

We will begin the day viewing trials in the field while the weather is cooler and then return to the meeting room for presentations on a variety of topics. Several speakers will cover water management to assist growers in their decision-making process. There are also talks on nutrient management and alfalfa weed control.

This year, we are hosting a workshop focusing on regulatory changes involving Chlorpyrifos and will provide updated pest management...

2015 Western Alfalfa & Forage Symposium will be held in Reno, Nevada on December 2-4 at the Silver Legacy Hotel, with a focus on water, irrigation, pest management and economics.

This is a great opportunity to learn more about alfalfa and other forage crops, and to visit with farmers, scientists, experts in various fields. Eleven Western States have joined forces this year to plan the Symposium. The event will be managed by the California Alfalfa & Forage Association (Sacramento, CA). Typically between 500 and 700 people attend.

Highlights:

• One-Day Alfalfa Irrigation Training Workshop (December 2)
• Economic Trends
• Pest Management...

Basic background and biology of the blue alfalfa aphid:

The blue alfalfa aphid (Acyrthosiphon kondoi Shinji) was first identified by entomologists in the spring of 1975 in the Imperial Valley of California. Since then it has become widespread throughout the state and has become established in Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico, and as far east as Kansas and Oklahoma. Both adults and nymphs feed on photosynthetic fluids from the leaves and stems of the alfalfa plant. Low to moderate populations of blue alfalfa aphid (BAA) may cause little to no visible yellowing of plants. Blue alfalfa aphid feed in the new growth, at the tips and young leaves. After prolonged feeding, leaves will eventually turn yellow,...

As summer continues to heat up, keep in mind that regulations remain in effect to reduce the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that can be emitted into the atmosphere by pesticides and other harmful chemicals and contribute to the amount of ozone or smog in the environment.  

Calculators from the Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR) that determine the VOC emissions from fumigant and non-fumigant pesticides before application are available to help growers, pest control advisers, and pesticide applicators...