- Author: Peter B Goodell
Chlorpyrifos (Lorsban and other products containing this active ingredient) plays an important role in the management of critical key pests in alfalfa forage. In particular, blue aphids, cowpea aphids and weevils were identified by the Alfalfa Crop Team of the Critical Use of Chlorpyrifos in Alfalfa, Almond, Citrus and Cotton Project. The full report can be found by clicking here and notes that the critical alfalfa pests (weevils, blue and cowpea aphids) have few or no alternative management options to chlorpyrifos. Since the report was published in November 2014, several new insecticide registrations (including issuance of a special local...
- Author: Daniel H Putnam
The 2013-2015 California drought has brought much public attention to the amount of water used in agriculture, and particularly which crops use the most water.
Although almonds have taken the hit lately, alfalfa is often one of the favorite whipping boys of agricultural critics due to its high water use on a state-wide basis.
But is alfalfa's water profile really so miserable?
Contrary to popular belief, alfalfa has several unique positive biological properties and advantages when it comes to water. Due to these properties, alfalfa is remarkably resilient when it comes to severe drought conditions.
Alfalfa can grow year-round, and yield...
- Author: Shannon C. Mueller
Growers and irrigation managers in Fresno, Tulare, Madera and Kings counties are invited to participate in a trial program aimed at improving access to crop water use information that can be used to more accurately schedule irrigation for key annual and permanent crops.
The University of California Cooperative Extension, in collaboration with the Department of Water Resources CIMIS program, is working to develop real-time regional estimates for crop evapotranspiration (ETc) in alfalfa, almonds, cotton, grapes, tomatoes, tree fruit, and walnuts.
Water managers are encouraged to sign up for weekly crop water use updates based on the University's best available crop water use information. These will be sent via email...
- Author: Shannon C. Mueller
This information was provided by Tunyalee Martin, UC Statewide IPM Program
It's that time of year when volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions released from nonfumigant pesticide applications can impair air quality. Regulations are in effect that growers and pest control advisers should know about, especially for the San Joaquin Valley starting today - May 1.
Here are highlights from Pam Wofford, Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR), regarding the San Joaquin Valley. Pest control advisers cannot recommend and growers cannot use:
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high-VOC products containing abamectin, chlorpyrifos, gibberellins, or...
- Author: Daniel H Putnam
- Author: Bill Matthews
- Author: Daniel A Sumner
The old adage: "what goes up must go down" seems to hold true once again.
From 2007 through 2013, hay exports from the United States increased by nearly 60%.
But 2014 was a different story. Hay exports in 2014, although high relative to historical volumes, declined 12% from 2013 levels (Figure 1 and 2).
The top 5 import countries for US hay account for 98% of total US export volume. Japan is the major importer of US hay, followed by China, Korea, UAE and Taiwan (Figure 2). China leads imports in terms of US alfalfa hay (Table 1).
Figure 1. Hay being re-compressed for export from Western-Grown alfalfa and grasses.
Greater than 99% of US hay exports are...
