- Author: Richard Smith
Richard Smith, Farm Advisor and Tricia Love, Research Assistant
University of California Cooperative Extension Monterey County
SUMMARY
The current automated weeding machines use cameras to detect plants, and a computer algorithm to process the image, calculate which plants to keep/remove, and activate a kill mechanism. These machines are capable of cultivating within the seedline and removing weeds that would otherwise be left by traditional cultivation. The machines used in these studies included the Robovator, F Poulsen Engineering Aps, Hvalsø, Denmark and Steketee IC Weeder, the Netherlands. Both of these machines use a split knife that as it...
- Author: Elise S Gornish
- Author: Travis M. Bean
USDA-ARS researchers at Oregon and Washington State Universities have recently publicized* the results of a long-term field trials investigating the utility of native soil bacteria for selective control for the invasive annual grasses cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum, also known as “downy brome”), jointed goatgrass (Aegilops cylindrica), and medusahead (Taeniatherum caput-medusae).
Research into this new management tool started in the 1980s in eastern Washington when Pseudomonas (a common genus of soil bacteria native to much of the western United States and elsewhere) was found on the roots of winter wheat that had demonstrated poor early spring growth (but without...
- Author: Lisa A Blecker
- Posted by: Gale Perez
[From the December 2015 issue of the UC IPM Green Bulletin]
On August 5, 2015, EPA released a proposal to revise the standards for both commercial and private certified pesticide applicators. In California this rule would affect anyone with an applicator certification or license through the Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR), the Department of Public Health (DPH), the Structural Pest Control Board (SPCB), or the County Agricultural...
- Author: Gale Perez
A little something Lynn Sosnoskie shared with us... real weeds in artificial/fake turf.
- Author: Joseph DiTomaso
So far, this year is beginning to look like a strong El Nino weather pattern throughout much of California. The last time we had a very strong El Nino was the winter of 1997-1998. For those of you that remember back then, yellow starthistle (Centaurea solstitialis) infestations were enormous, both in terms of cover and height. For example, the attached photo was taken in Calaveras County in the summer of 1998, after the El Nino winter. In this case, yellow starthistle probably covered 80% or more of the area and was at least four feet tall, sometimes even six feet in height. The reason yellow starthistle does so well under these conditions is that high rainfall recharges the deep soil moisture, which is where yellow starthistle...
