All Issues

Excess boron in the soil of some grape growing regions of California has caused vine injury in many vineyards and the possibility of boron deficiency has received little attention until recently.

Investigations with Ascolano, Manzanillo, and Sevillano olive varieties show that chances of fertilization and fruit set are much greater after cross-pollination than after self-pollination. Pollen tube growth usually is faster following cross-pollination than after self-pollination and more pollen tubes can reach embryo sacs before the sacs degenerate.

Six trial shipments of cut flowers grown in San Diego County were sent by air freight to Ithaca, New York, to evaluate the condition of the flowers on and following arrival at the eastern market.

Most San Joaquin Valley operators of irrigated farms depend on surface water sources to supplement ground water supplies. In years of low rainfall, when ground water levels drop, wells deliver less than normal quantities—some wells go dry—and sources of surface water are of increased importance.

Where furrow irrigation is practiced there is extreme variability in concentrations of soluble salts in the soil, and the effects of cultural practices and different fertilizers determine the distribution of the salts.

Heavy application of ammoniacal nitrogen fertilizers to acid coastal soils has been suspected of stimulating manganese toxicity of Brussels sprouts.

A feeding experiment with dairy cows was conducted in an attempt to define a level of DDT in feeds that would be un-detectable in the milk. For six weeks pairs of animals—including producers of both high- and low-fat milks—were fed daily rations containing 0-5 ppm—parts per million—of DDT, based on their feed intake.

The fattening of lambs on a low-roughage ration was studied in two experiments to determine whether sheep as cattle can be fattened on rations with low-fiber content.