Topics in Subtropics

Wildlife and people have been in the news lately. Perhaps you've heard of coyotes wandering in your neighborhood. You might have also read about how you shouldn't feed wildlife.

Recently some 'W. Murcott' mandarins were shown to me. Brown spots in the core of the fruit. Another problem caused by drought and lack of leaching rains.

Of the approximately 200 tree species that can be attacked by the Polyphagous Shot Hole Borer, about 100 of those species can be colonized by the Fusarium fungus that actually goes on to kill the tree. This from a host of researchers at UC Riverside.

It's that time of year when grower's think about pruning their avocado trees. What scars many growers is the regrowth that occurs. If the cut is to the middle of a branch, there is all kinds of wild growth that results. The best cuts are back to a crotch or a subtending branch.

At a recent meeting in Modesto covering drought and how it is being dealt with around the world, there was an interesting presentation by some Israeli researchers. They looked at the use of recycled water from sewage treatment plants and the use of desalinated water from the Mediterranean.