The University of California Sierra Foothill Research and Extension Center will host a half-day workshop on June 28^th, 2016 focused on practical approaches to managing medusahead and barb goatgrass on rangeland. UC researchers and cooperators have made steady headway over the past several years refining how basic tools like herbicide and grazing can be applied to manage these invasive plants. This workshop will explore some these advances and also look at the economic costs and benefits of controlling theses weeds for livestock production as well as how to develop a whole-ranch management plan for these and other weeds.   Substantial time will be allocated to see treatment plots in the field as well as hear...

Solano Irrigation District (SID) delivers water to 37,000 acres of farmland through an extensive network oflined canals, pipelines, and unlined irrigation and drainage canals. The unlined canals are typically drained at the end of the water delivery season in October and remain dry until spring. During dewatering, winter annual weeds can germinate in the unlined canals and grow until the canals are refilled with water. During the irrigation season, the weedy leftovers clog up control gates, meters, and irrigation equipment. To minimize flow reductions and equipment interference, SID must manage winter weeds through mechanical removal or herbicide application.

Mechanical weed removal is expensive and requires specialized...

Saw a nice article about a gall fly soon to be released for control of Cape ivy. Our old friend Baldo from CDFA started work on this in 2001, so it's been a while coming. Cape ivy is our version of kudzu, at least along the coast.

Just saw this on the ANR News Blog :: April 13, 2016

Weeds are easiest to control when they are tiny emerging plants, reported Jeanette Marantos in a Los Angeles Times blog post. Marantos got tips on weed management from Cheryl Wilen, UC Cooperative Extension integrated pest...