- Author: Chris M. Webb
The World Avocado Congress meets once every four years to discuss the latest research on avocados. This premier event brings together growers, researchers, and others in the avocado industry from around the globe.
The most recent meeting was held earlier this month in Cairns, Australia. Abstracts and articles from the four day conference are available online.
Topics include: new varieties and rootstocks; pruning and planting density; management of irrigation and fertilizers; marketing; post harvesting techniques; and pest and disease management. Some of the articles are available in Spanish.
For non-growers it is interesting to view the site and take a peek into the complexity and dedication required for the production just one food crop in your food web. There is much more to the avocado than what you see in the market.
- Author: Chris M. Webb
In June of this year, three University of California scientists went to the Kitui District of Kenya on a USAID mission.
Food and water scarcity are simply a part of life for most in this region. Since 1992 the Sahelian Solution Foundation (SASOL) has been constructing dams and working with Kitui communities to address water scarcity and issues of community development and agricultural production.
Agricultural production in Kenya is full of challenges. Water is carried by hand from wells or dams for household and agricultural needs. Previous to this mission crops were watered inefficiently by flooding small basins. Nitrogen tests in some locations revealed levels at which most vegetable crops would be nitrogen deficient. Some of the villages have no road access.
UC’s Steve Fennimore, Jeff Mitchell, and Oleg Daugovish went to help SASOL and the people they serve make better use of their resources.
They met with village leaders and SASOL personnel in Kitui. Here they provided training and demonstrations covering topics including:
- Demonstrations of gravity-flow drip irrigation systems from water tanks to individual beds with irrigation lines
- Discussed use of mulches on soil to minimize evaporation and enhance soil conservation
- Solarization, nursery for transplants, diseases and insects, training tomato plants and culture
- Soil types, determination of soil moisture, quick nitrogen test, use of cover crops and mulches
- Water quality (pH, hardness, salts), organic fertilizers, collection and use of urine as a rapidly available nitrogen source.
Later the information was shared in the Maito village, where onions, green kale and green grams (Phasleolus aureus) are grown. The next day found the group in the Kituvwi village, where due to poor crop production meals are currently limited to once a day. The following day was spent in the Kathayoni village. Farmers in the Kathayoni village grow kale, onions and tomatoes.
SASOL will continue the training for members in villages not reached during this visit.
The majority of farmers in the Kitui District are women. Information was well received in all locations and many questions were asked. At each village the scientists were fed a stew of corns and beans, supplemented by avocado slices or bread, with tea and milk to drink.
The last day time was spent at the South East University College. Potential for agricultural experimentation and greenhouses was discussed, and UC scientists gave a seminar about UCCE function and on anaerobic soil-borne pest control.
- Author: Chris M. Webb
UC Cooperative Extension Master Gardeners will hold an Exploring Soil Types Workshop designed for home gardeners at the Thousand Oaks Goebel Center on Saturday, September 24 from 9:45 – 11:30 am.
Topics covered will include:
- identifying soil textures and types
- keeping garden soils fertile
- how to compost and add plant nutrients
The workshop is free, but advanced registration is required. You may register online or by calling (805) 645-1455.
- Author: Chris M. Webb
Soil erosion threatens our ability to feed ourselves in the future. Current concerns regarding soil erosion include economic vitality, environmental quality and human health.
How can losing a little soil to erosion be such a concern? Soil formation is a very slow process. It takes nature between 300 to 1,000 years to replace soil lost over a 25 year period at a loss rate of 1 mm per year. (25 mm is approximately 1 inch)
Erosion reduces the productivity in several ways: plants are not able to use nutrients as efficiently; seedlings are damaged; rooting depth is decreased; soil’s water-holding capacity is diminished; permeability is decreased; runoff increases; and the infiltration rate declines. The loss of healthy soil leads to poor plant growth and lower crop yields.
In the United States we lose an estimated 6.9 billion tons of fertile topsoil to erosion each year. Losses of this size are far from sustainable. In an effort to continue food production costly fertilizers and amendments are used to compensate for the lost soil. The loss of nutrients alone is estimated to cost U.S. farmers $20 billion a year.
As runoff carries sediment, nutrients, and agricultural chemicals off-site the economic and environmental costs skyrocket.
The University of California has resources to help reduce the loss of soil through erosion. Understanding Soil Erosion of Irrigated Agriculture provides information to help maintain the productivity of land and reduce the enormous costs associated with erosion.
Topics include:
- Impacts of soil erosion
- Types of water erosion
- Indicators of soil erosion
- Soil survey interpretations
- Land capability classification system
- Soil erosion factors
- New soil survey resources
Additional resources, for both commercial growers and home gardeners, can be found in our previous soil posts.
- Author: Chris M. Webb
UC’s Nursery and Floriculture Alliance has an upcoming educational opportunity designed to improve water quality and quantity in and around nursery and floriculture production locations.
Scheduled topics include:
- Review of key plant physiological concepts
- Essential plant nutrients and nutrient disorders
- Plant symptoms and deficiencies
- Environmental and cultural practices that may cause nutrient disorders or reduce the efficiency of nutrient uptake
- Fertilizer Best Management Practices, including the appropriate use of specific types and formulations
- Irrigation systems and infrastructural considerations to optimize water use while minimizing or eliminating water runoff from production facilities
Continuing education units are available.
The upcoming class will be held in Spanish on June 23, in Azusa California. Other classes throughout the state can be found on UC’s Nursery and Floriculture Alliance website.