- Author: Saoimanu Sope
More than 20,000 palms in the region have been killed by South American palm weevil
The swaying palm trees that line San Diego's streets might not be swaying much longer due to a pest that is infecting many of these iconic trees and making its way across Southern California.
The South American palm weevil (SAPW), also referred to as the American palm weevil and black palm weevil, was first detected in San Diego County in 2011, with breeding populations found in a Canary Island date palm in San Ysidro in 2015. According to industry experts, more than 20,000 palms in the region have been killed by SAPW thus far.
While SAPW can attack a variety...
/h3>- Author: Saoimanu Sope
California ranks number one in the nation for dairy production, with 1,100 to 1,200 dairy farms, each with an average of 1,436 cows, mostly concentrated in Tulare County in the San Joaquin Valley. A major dairy waste is cow manure, a byproduct that can require millions of dollars for each dairy to manage.
To help manage the manure, the California Department of Food and Agriculture provides funds to California dairy farms to install dairy digesters, a technology that can break down manure and produce methane (a form of renewable energy). The digesters provide additional benefits such as capturing greenhouse gases while...
- Author: Pamela Kan-Rice
UC study predicts three major pests to emerge earlier, produce more generations
As a result of climate change, the Golden State's farms are expected to face a surge in agricultural pests, which poses a threat to California's specialty crops industry. Populations of three major insect pests – codling moth, peach twig borer and oriental fruit moth — are projected to increase mainly due to rising temperatures, according to a study recently published in the journal “Science of the Total Environment” by a team of researchers at University of California Agriculture and...
- Author: Pamela Kan-Rice
California water-rights holders are required by state law to measure and report the water they divert from surface streams. For people who wish to take the water measurements themselves, the University of California Cooperative Extension is offering in-person training to receive certification on Nov. 6 in Davis.
At the workshop, participants can expect to
- clarify reporting requirements for ranches.
- understand what meters are appropriate for different situations.
- learn how to determine measurement equipment accuracy.
- develop an understanding of measurement weirs.
- learn how to calculate and report volume from flow...
- Author: Linda J Forbes