- Author: Laura J. Van der Staay
This Giving Tuesday, why not donate to KARE? Donations to KARE will be used to help expand our local programs, including research, extension and outreach. KARE is part of the REC system, which is a strong, vibrant organization of research and education academics supported by extraordinary research management capacity to conduct agriculture, natural resource and human resource programs that enable the delivery of the highest quality science to promote healthy citizens, thriving communities, and best practices to protect our agricultural and natural systems.
- Author: Laura J. Van der Staay
“Building on past efforts by Valley growers to reduce open burning of agricultural waste, the Valley Air District is bringing together Valley growers, researchers, experts, biomass industry representatives, scientists, representatives from new and developing technology vendors, and other Valley stakeholders for a two day summit aimed at advancing new and existing cost-effective clean alternatives to open burning of agricultural waste.” Source: http://www.valleyair.org/cvsummit/.
Please go to the above link to explore the agenda, topics, and presentations.
- Author: Laura J. Van der Staay
Malcolm Media is providing three Ag expos this month: A tree and vine expo in Turlock was presented today; a grape expo will be in Sonoma on November 10, 2017, and a grape, nut and tree fruit expo will be at the Fresno fairgrounds on November 14, 2017. To pre-register, please use the above link.
This blog article is on the November 14th expo in Fresno. The Grape, Nut & Tree Fruit Expo is provided every year at the BIG Fresno Fair grounds. Held in the heart of grape, nut and tree fruit growing areas, the expo is sponsored by the Central Valley wine, table, and raisin grape, tree fruit and nut industries. UC ANR scientists involved with applied research and extension for these cropping systems will provide presentations to the attendees.
The expo is free, and has free seminars that provide continuing education units approved by CDPR for CE/CCA licenses (1 hour of laws and regulations, and 4 hours of other), a free breakfast, a free lunch, and industry exhibits. It starts at 7:00 am and finishes at 2:00 pm. UC ANR speakers include:
- George Zhuang, Fresno County UCCE farm advisor in viticulture will present “Cropload Management on Young Pinot Grigio Vines”
- Kent Daane, UCCE specialist at Kearney Ag Research & Extension Center (KARE), specializing in entomology, will present “Update on Black Widow Control in Table Grapes”
- Kurt Hembree, Fresno County UCCE farm advisor in weed management will present “Herbicide use for Vineyard Weed Control” and “What's New in Tree & Vine Weed Management”
- Ashraf El-Kereamy, Kern County UCCE farm advisor in viticulture will present “Improving Productivity & Quality of Grapes”
- Kris Tollerup, Cooperative extension advisor at KARE, specializing in IPM, will present “Effective Ant Management to Minimize Damage at Harvest”
- Themis Michailides, Plant Pathologist at KARE, will present “Band Canker of Almond Becoming a Threat to New Plantings”
- Kevin Day, Tulare County UCCE Director and farm advisor in pomology, will present “Lowering Labor Costs with Pedestrian Orchards”
- Author: Cheryl Reynolds
November has arrived, and before you know it we'll be ringing in 2018! For those who hold a license or certificate from the Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR), and have a last name starting with the letter M through Z, this is your year to renew.
DPR is urging license and certificate holders to mail in applications now to avoid late fees and to allow enough time for processing so that you can receive your new license or certificate by the beginning of the new year. Renewing early gives DPR time to notify you if you are short any continuing education (CE) hours and allows you time to complete any additional CE courses without having to retest.
If you need more hours to complete your renewal application and don't have time to attend an in-person meeting, then check out the online courses available from the UC Statewide IPM Program (UC IPM).
The following UC IPM and UC Agriculture and Natural Resources online courses have been approved by DPR and are available whenever and wherever you want to take them.
Laws and Regulations
- Proper Pesticide Use to Avoid Illegal Residues (2 hours) $40.00 charge
- Providing Integrated Pest Management Services in Schools and Child Care Settings (1 hour Laws and Regulations and 1 hour Other)
Other
- Citrus IPM: California Red Scale (1 hour)
- Citrus IPM: Citricola Scale (1 hour)
- Citrus IPM: Citrus Peelminer (1 hour)
- Citrus IPM: Citrus Red Mite (1 hour)
- Citrus IPM: Cottony Cushion Scale (1 hour)
- Citrus IPM: Forktailed Bush Katydid (1 hour)
- Pesticide Application Equipment and Calibration (1.5 hours)
- Pesticide Resistance (2 hours)
- Tuta absoluta: A Threat to California Tomatoes (1 hour)
- Urban Pesticide Runoff and Mitigation: IPM – Pesticide Properties (1 hour)
- Urban Pesticide Runoff and Mitigation: Impact of Pesticides - Urban Pesticide Runoff (1 hour)
- Urban Pesticide Runoff and Mitigation: Water Quality and Mitigation: Bifenthrin and Fipronil (1 hour)
- Urban Pesticide Runoff and Mitigation: Herbicides and Water Quality (1 hour)
For those of you with last names A through L (or those of you who want to get a jump on your CE hours), look for new online courses from UC IPM coming in early 2018.
View the list of all DPR-approved online or in-person courses. For more information on the license and certification program and renewal information, visit the DPR website.
For more information about pest management and other training opportunities, see the UC IPM website.
- Author: Stephanie Parreira
National Honey Bee Day is celebrated on the third Saturday of every August. This year it falls on Saturday the 19th. If you use integrated pest management, or IPM, you are probably aware that it can solve pest problems and reduce the use of pesticides that harm beneficial insects, including honey bees. But did you know that it is also used to manage pests that live inside honey bee colonies? In this timely podcast below, Dr. Elina Niño, UCCE apiculture extension specialist, discusses the most serious pests of honey bees, how beekeepers manage them to keep their colonies alive, and what you can do to help bees survive these challenges.
To hear the audio recording, click here.
To read the full transcript of the audio, click here.
Successful IPM in honey bee colonies involves understanding honey bee pest biology, regularly monitoring for pests, and using a combination of different methods to control their damage. Visit these resources for more information:
For Beekeepers:
The California Master Beekeeper Program
For All Bee Lovers:
Haagen Dazs Honey Bee Haven plant list
UC IPM Bee Precaution Pesticide Ratings and video tutorial
Sources for the Value of Honey Bees: