UC Weed Science (weed control, management, ecology, and minutia)

Aerial drones are cool. But they can't do everything (just yet). Here are a couple tidbits of information you should consider if you are thinking about getting one (or more) to help you with your weed scouting or plan to use it for herbicide application.

I have only received one weed-related farm call in my two seasons as the vegetable crop advisor in Colusa, Sutter and Yuba counties. In early August 2017, one of the melon PCAs I work with called me up to tell me about a grassy weed in a fresh-market honeydew field.

Lettuce in the Salinas Valley is direct seeded by planting 34 times the amount of seed need and then thinning the stand to the desired spacing.

Waterhyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) is a floating perennial species that has become a serious management issue as it invades aquatic ecosystems around the world.

From the UC Rice Blog... The 2017 season kicked off with much fanfare regarding weedy rice. Thanks to the vigilance of the entire rice industry, the UCCE Rice Advisors received many calls regarding weedy rice, starting in late June, as growers finished their herbicide applications.