Topics in Subtropics

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Topics in Subtropics Blog
You can subscribe to this  blog with multiple entries per week reflecting what's happening with subtropical crops and upcoming educational events.  Just click on the "Subscribe" button just to the right of this paragraph.  There's also our seasonal quarterly Topics in Subtropics newsletter found at our Ventura, Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, Riverside, San Diego, Tulare and Kern Counties Cooperative Extension websites.
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bees and blooms frankie

Protecting Wild Native Bees from Unintended Pesticides

February 14, 2018
By Ben A Faber
Where sufficient habitat is available, wild native bee species often provide all of the pollination services needed for high crop yields and fruit quality. Depending on the species, native bees may nest in underground tunnels, hollow plant stems, and tunnels in wood.
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mandarin

Mandarin Juice in the Morning?

February 14, 2018
By Ben A Faber
In the citrus world there is a relative tolerance to the bacteria that causes Huanglongbing, or Citrus Greening. Grapefruit and some orange varieties are very sensitive and some mandarin varieties are much more tolerant, meaning they live longer in the presence of the bacteria.
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Erosion Control Help for Fire Burned Avocado Growers

February 13, 2018
By Ben A Faber
The Ventura County Resource Conservation District (VCRCD) was awarded approximately $152,000 in grant funding through the State Water Resources Control Board to purchase materials for erosion control purposes on fire-impacted lands within Ventura County.
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oldest insect wings

How Old Are Insects?

February 12, 2018
By Ben A Faber
In 'pond scum,' scientists find answers to one of evolution's which-came-first cases Moths and butterflies existed during Jurassic era, millions of years before flowering plants, team reports This means insects were just waiting for avocados and citrus to come along in order to start using them as a...
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lace bug and excrement on leaf

Avocado Lace Bug - ALB - Is Near You?

February 9, 2018
By Ben A Faber
On October 5, 2017, the California Avocado Commission (CAC) was alerted to a possible infestation of avocado lace bug (ALB; Pseudacysta perseae) in commercial avocado groves in Oceanside and De Luz, San Diego County. UCR's Mark Hoddle confirmed the infestation.
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