Topics in Subtropics

I was recently in an orchard looking at what appeared to be avocado root rot. I was checking on the symptoms and quizzing the grower on the other cultural practices. The grower was prepared with soil, leaf and water reports.

Amazing. I was out with the contractor who has been doing the California Avocado Commission's annual acreage report. In the past, aerial photography was used and with painstaking accuracy the acreage was visually evaluated by hand.

I got a call yesterday about yellowing avocados. They are on Dusa rootstock which is very tough when it comes to root rot, but cannot handle wet feet. It turns out that this area is one where the grower cannot order water on demand, but must take it when the water company will deliver.

Agricultural spray adjuvants are materials added to the spray tank when loading the sprayer. They include products classified as activator adjuvants and marketed as wetters/spreaders, stickers, humectants, and/or penetrators.

Introduction The economic sustainability and consequent longevity of Californias historic black ripe table olive industry is challenged by the crippling cost of hand-harvest, a cost that often exceeds 50-75% of gross return.