- Posted By: Brad Hanson
- Written by: Smith, Roncoroni, Blodget, Blankinship, Tjosvold, Fennimore
This week we are finalizing plans for the 55th Annual UC Davis Weed Day on July 14th. It's not too late to register if you are interested in a sampling of the current weed science research at UCD! More info and registration information on Weed Day can be found here: http://wric.ucdavis.edu/events/weed_day_2011.htm
We've been busy this getting the agenda finished, spraying a few last herbicide treatments, and working out the many logistic details (thanks Gale P. for her focus on logistics!). I was thinking about what (and when) I'd post on the blog this week and, voila, the California Weed Science Society...
- Author: Brad Hanson
I was sent a short article from Science this week that discussed the impact of biotech crops on organic farms. The article is entitled "Can Biotech and Organic Farmers Get Along?" discusses issues with the science and politics surrounding GMO crops and gene flow to organic crops.
Science (online at www.sciencemag.org) is not open access so I can't post the pdf here. However, non-subscribers can read a summary and listen to a podcast interveiw with the author, Erik Stokstad, at this link (if you are at an institution that subscribes to Science, you can get the full article too). I think the podcast interview is interesting and a good presentation of...
- Author: Brad Hanson
We commonly select for specific weeds in agricultural systems because of the neccessary managment practices. Cultivation, fertilization, irrigation, weed management, etc all can affect the weeds in a given field. Some weeds prosper under high fertility, high disturbance, and regular irrigation and tend to be very common in ag fields. Other species do not do as well in those conditions and are found in roadsides, field margins, or non crop areas.
Similar issues can occur with our selection of ornamental plants. Some plants are values as ornamental plants becasue they are very adaptable and easy to grow, can escape cultivation and become weedy in various ecosystems. Here is a link to an article in a magazine called High...
- Author: Brad Hanson
I only have a moment to post today but wanted to put up two links concerning the research and publications of a retired Purdue University researcher. Dr. Don Huber has made a number of claims about the effects of glyphosate-resistant cropping systems on soil pathogen populations and micronutrient uptake. I have received several calls about this (particularly the micronutrient aspect) in recent months.
The first link is to a Washington Post article entitled "Researcher's warning about genetically modified crops spreads, but scientists question...
- Author: Brad Hanson
Today I wanted to follow up on my post from a few weeks ago about volatile organic compounds (VOC) from herbicides and other non-fumigant pesticides. In case you missed it, the discussion on February 27 was about an online VOC calculator developed by California Department of Pesticide Regulation (CDPR). This tool allows users to compare calculated VOC emissions of individual pesticides or season-long pesticide programs.
In the same area of the CDPR website, there is a document called "