- Author: Thomas J Getts

I have gotten quite a few calls about blister beetles this year. There was a newspaper article up in Modoc that caused some stir, and was picked up by a lot of social media pages. So, what are blister beetles and why do we care?
Blister beetles get their name for a reason. They contain the toxin cantharidin, which can be excreted when they are threatened, or crushed which causes bad blisters on the skin. While this is problematic they typically are not drawn to humans, and blisters can be avoided by not handling them. Where they pose a larger problem is as a contaminant of hay, where they can be crushed/killed and incorporated into a bale posing as a potential toxin to be consumed by livestock.
Photo One:...
- Author: Nicholas E Clark

Join us for a morning Field Day on Friday, September 13th, 2024 from 7:00 AM - 12:00 PM at the Kearney Agricultural Research and Extension Center, 9240 South Riverbend Avenue; Parlier, CA 93648.
No cost to attend! All are welcome. Please register
To view the agenda, click or follow this link: https://ucanr.edu/sites/kingscounty/files/401843.pdf
Pre-registration helps us plan lunch. To register, click or follow this link:
- Author: Daniel H Putnam
- Author: Mark E Lundy

The weather looks great for 9 May, 2024.....
Please Join us for a Grains/Alfalfa Field Day at UC Davis, coming up soon. Always a great field trip in the morning!!!
Join us for a BBQ lunch sponsored by California Crop Improvement and learn something new about grains and alfalfa.
Date & Time: May 9th, 7:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.
Supported by the California Crop Improvement Association (CCIA)
- Author: Nicholas E Clark
- Contributor: Mark E Lundy
FREE to Attend. REGISTRATION requested. Please register
- Author: Vicky Boyd
- Author: Rachael Long

This is a great article on Stem Nematode management in the West. Stem Nematode has been a severe pest in some years throughout California's Central Valley and high mountain valleys.
Stem nematode causes severe stunting, shortened internodes, and low first cut yields and can cause severe stand loss if infections are high. It's transferred by irrigation water and equipment. It is typically seen in very late winter or early spring.
Article by Ag Writer Vicky Boyd, in the Crops and Soils Magazine, available at: