- Author: Elaine Lander
It has been rumored that Ben Franklin proposed the turkey as the national bird and symbol of our nation. Whether this is true or not, there is evidence that Franklin thought highly of this holiday bird. In a letter to his daughter, Franklin called the turkey a “respectable bird…though a little vain & silly, [he is] a bird of courage and would not hesitate to attack.”
In California, wild turkeys have started to become more common sightings in our communities. Some Californians may enjoy watching wildlife, but others find them to be quite the nuisance. Wild turkeys foraging for food in residential areas can destroy landscapes and gardens, leave their droppings on sidewalks and patios, and have been...
- Author: Houston Wilson
Vineyard leafhoppers in California
There are three closely related species of leafhopper (Cicadellidae) that are considered pests in vineyards - the Western grape leafhopper (Erythroneura elegantula), variegated leafhopper (Erythroneura variabilis) and Virginia creeper leafhopper (Erythroneura ziczac). While the Western grape leafhopper (WGLH) is native to California, the variegated leafhopper (VLH) and Virginia creeper leafhopper (VCLH) both arrived in California sometime in the 1980s. WGLH can be found in vineyards throughout most areas of the state, including the Central Valley, Central Coast and North Coast. VLH is mostly found in the San Joaquin Valley, southern Sacramento Valley...
- Author: Dustin Blakey
Recently brown marmorated stink bugs (Haylomorpha halys) were found in Inyo and Mono counties. This invasive pest from Asia is relatively new to our area. Its first sighting was in Bishop last year.
We have plenty of species of stink bugs on the east side, but this one is especially annoying because it tends to aggregate in large numbers and will attempt to get inside homes and structure to avoid cold weather. As our temperatures return to more normal ranges, I would expect more issues with home ingress.
We have had reports from Swall Meadows down to Big Pine, and possibly an isolated case in Olancha. My hunch is they arrived from northern California, not down south, but there is no way to tell for...
- Author: Michael D Cahn
- Shared by: Mark Bolda
Growers follow a number of strategies for managing nitrogen during the early season. Some apply almost half of the seasonal nitrogen required by strawberry as preplant fertilizer before transplanting while others skip preplant fertilizer or use a reduced rate (Fig. 1). Others use controlled release fertilizers while some growers opt for conventional fertilizer products. These decisions are based on grower experience, cultivar, soil type, and anticipated weather conditions. The following are a few concepts on early season N management for strawberry to consider as we enter a new season.
On the central coast the N needs of strawberry are quite...
- Author: Clare Gupta
On a crisp fall morning at University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources' Elkus Ranch, a group of scholars and practitioners gathered for a daylong public symposium on “Advancing Climate Change Policy and Environmental Justice in California.” Against the sunlit backdrop of rolling golden hills and leaves just turning color, Dr. Leah Stokes of UC Santa Barbara delivered a keynote address on the current crowded landscape of federal-level climate change policy proposals.
As Stokes explained, the much-discussed Green New Deal is currently a broad, vaguely defined resolution, and so it "lives...
