- Author: Ben Faber
Agriculture develops a new variety of lemon, which offers greater yield and adaptation for the benefit of producers in Colima and Michoacán
Experts from the Fruit Research Program of the National Institute for Forestry, Agricultural and Livestock Research (INIFAP) generated the LISE, a citrus fruit that offers better attributes and increases the diversity in quality lemons.
It's interesting how in this age of ACP and HLB, conventional citrus varieties are being developed and released. There's a lot more breeding done to find HLB resistant/tolerant selections. Maybe the idea here, is that "lemons" have a tendency towards more resistance than sweet oranges. Not as much as finger limes, but maybe this does so well in Colima that it would be hard not to plant it.
It stands out because its skin is thin, with a smooth surface, leaves of a darker green color than Colimex, contains three to five seeds, has a soft yellowish-green pulp and has nine to 12 segments and between 44 to 48 percent of acid juice.
- Experts from the Fruit Research Program of the National Institute for Forestry, Agricultural and Livestock Research (INIFAP) generated the LISE, a citrus fruit that offers better attributes and increases the diversity in quality lemons.
- It stands out because its skin is thin, with a smooth surface, leaves of a darker green color than Colimex, contains three to five seeds, has a soft yellowish-green pulp and has nine to 12 segments and between 44 to 48 percent of acid juice.
As part of the actions of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to promote and strengthen citrus producers in Mexico, the National Institute for Forestry, Agricultural and Livestock Research (INIFAP) developed the LISE variety, a Mexican lemon with high yield. better characteristics and high adaptation to producing areas in Colima and Michoacán.
Specialists from the Research Program in Fruit Trees of the Tecomán Experimental Field of INIFAP selected lemon plants with outstanding agronomic qualities and generated the "Lise", a variety that has better attributes and increases the diversity in quality citrus fruits, indicated the Institute.
The federal agency highlighted that the lemon tree blooms several times a year, with greater intensity from January to March, and is characterized by its flower buds having short petals, its fruit production extends throughout the year and its richest harvests are They get from May to September.
The skin of LISE is thin with a smooth surface, has darker green leaves than Colimex, contains three to five seeds, is soft pulp, has nine to 12 segments and produces between 44 to 48 percent juice. acid.
This new variety is the result of two cycles of selection carried out on a natural variant that did not develop thorns, through natural crosses that take into account the selections in commercial Mexican lemon plantations in Colima, explained INIFAP.
He pointed out that, according to the records of the Institute's specialists, a year yields greater than 35 tons per hectare are obtained without the presence of the citrus disease: Huanglongbing (HLB).
INIFAP specialists recommend, for practicality and economy, planting it in the rainy season in loamy soils and establishing it at a distance of six by four meters, pruning it annually, removing suckers (vegetative shoots) from the stem every three or four months and pointing the branches. long and slightly branched every six months to obtain more compact crowns.
INIFAP - a decentralized body of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development - has a technological package with which it is expected that producers will obtain better yields and provides training to transfer knowledge on different varieties of lemon.
- Author: Ben Faber
Port Hueneme in Snow. January 11, 1949, I.N. Duggan.
Hail and lightning and thunder are not common along coastal Southern California, and when it happens, it's worth stopping and looking. On March 11, 2021, it fell from Goleta to the LA beaches. And it hit especially hard in some orchards from Moorpark to Ventura where it scarred fruit, especially young lemon fruit
It looks like feeding damage by stinkbugs or earwigs, but there aint no stink here. It's just the physical damage of the hail striking the fruit. If the fruit is small enough, in this case about an inch in diameter, the scaring will disappear with time. It will heal over, like wind scaring on young fruit. Older fruit, if they were scared, will carry it to the packinghouse and be downgraded.
Fortunately, this doesn't happen very often around here. About the same time, there have been similar storms and freezes in the Mediterranean that have caused havoc amongst all tree fruit growers, from Spain to Turkey. Undoubtedly, there is more whacky weather to come.
- Author: Ben Faber
UC Cooperative Extension advisor Ramiro Lobo has found that the unusually beautiful fruiting cactus - pitahaya or dragon fruit - thrives in Southern California's mild climate. Pitahaya do well in regions where avocados are produced, but use much less water. They can also make excellent landscape plants, adding interest to the garden while producing healthful fruit.
Pitahaya fruit begin as large, showy, nighttime-blooming flowers, each of which contain male and female parts. In many of the most-desirable varieties, the anthers (the male part with pollen) and the stigma (the female part that needs to be pollinated) are separated by a distance that prevents night-flying pollinators, such as moths, from consistently making the connection.
For a uniform and bountiful crop, Lobo suggests hand pollination. Pollen can be collected by shaking a bloom over a bowl or trimming the anthers into a cup with a pair of scissors. He stores pollen in the freezer until the night or early morning hours when cacti bloom. He dabs up pollen with an inexpensive makeup brush and lightly swishes it onto the flowers' stigma.
“It's easy and takes just a few seconds per flower," Lobo said. "If you don't hand pollinate, you end up with fruits that are very small. And uniformity isn't there."
Hand pollination also allows farmers to accurately project their pitahaya harvest and work in advance with fruit marketing companies to sell the crop. Lobo said he carries a mechanical counter to click as he pollinates flowers. Forty days later, that precise number of fruit will be ready for harvest.
And here's his chart of the characteristics of different selections.
- Author: Ben Faber
Are you interested in learning more about Nitrogen Management?
Are you a Certified Crop Advisor seeking Continuing Education Units and/or preparing for the new California Nitrogen Specialty Exam?
Has your grower clientele asked you if you are eligible to sign off on a Nitrogen Management Plan?
Registration for the brand new UC Nitrogen Management course is now open at
http://ucanr.edu/NitrogenCourse
The UC Nitrogen Course is taught online through a video series delivered by UC Researchers and Extension Specialists. Each module is eligible for Certified Crop Advisor (CCA) continuing education units (CEUs).
The course is open to anyone interested in learning more about N management in California. The curriculum addresses all the learning objectives set forth by the American Society of Agronomy (ASA) for the new California Nitrogen Management Specialty Exam.
The 7-part video series starts Monday May 10th.
Register at http://ucanr.edu/NitrogenCourse
You may join the course at any time up until July 31st.
For more information contact Sat Darshan Khalsa at sdskhalsa@ucdavis.edu or visit the FAQ page.
Avocado Leaves - on the left, low N; on the right, sufficient
- Author: Ben Faber
UC Cooperative Extension Ventura County presents
Trees Make a Better World
A free five-part webinar series with James Downer, Ph.D.
REGISTER TODAY! Dates Thursdays, April 22 & 29 and May 6, 13 & 20, 2021 Time 12:30 – 1:30 PM PDT Register for free at: https://ucanr.edu/survey/survey.cfm?surveynumber=3333 |
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Webinar I: April 22, 2021
The Benefits of Trees
Trees enhance our environment by reducing pollution, providing oxygen, and increasing the physical and psychological well-being of people. Trees also save energy, help capture water and provide habitat for animals, insects and soil microbes that help keep carbon from our air. We can enhance the services trees provide by planting more trees. Before you can plant a tree, you have to choose one. This involves understanding tree morphology - what forms and shapes are available - and how tree genetics regulates development. Once the choice is made, selecting a well-grown tree that will perform as expected is very important. Size, condition, freedom from disease and defect are critical selection parameters. Inspecting trees in the nursery requires careful observation and you need to have a checklist of what you are looking for.
Webinar II: April 29, 2021
Planting Trees
Trees often fail to thrive because they are improperly planted. The first phase of planting is to analyze the planting site: space to grow, soil, water, and sunlight. The site should be suited to the tree selected. Once the planting location is identified, planting can begin. Root washing! We will discuss timing of planting, how to make the planting pit, the role of organic materials, what goes in the backfill, fertilizer, mulch, and watering devices.
Webinar III: May 6, 2021
Pruning Trees
Trees often require pruning from the day they are planted into old age. While there are many reasons to prune trees, not all are effective or helpful. Pruning requires knowledge of trees, their physiology and growth, and responses to bud removal. Pruning should be frequent but strategic. For those that do not want to prune trees they will need to hire a tree-pruning contractor (arborist and tree worker). Selecting a qualified tree pruning contractor can be daunting. By understanding the basics, you can tell if your contractor is doing good work.
Webinar IV: May 13, 2021
Caring for Trees
Once your new shade tree has been selected planted and had its first pruning, the work for its survival is just beginning. Trees need water, nutrients, oxygen (near their root systems), and sunlight to grow well. Tree horticulture requires an understanding of a tree's growing needs.
Webinar V: May 20, 2021
Managing Tree Pests and Diseases
Trees like all plants are at times susceptible to insect and plant pathogen attack. New pests are arriving with increasing frequency. These can be dangerous to both native and ornamental shade trees. The first step in fighting tree pests is recognizing their damage and the signs and symptoms associated with their presence. Once identified, a control program can be developed to reduce the impact of tree pests on tree performance.
/h3>/h3>/h3>/h3>/h3>/table>/h2>/h2>Trees Make A Better World April-May 2021