- Author: Konrad Mathesius
With all the rain we're having at the moment, irrigation is likely the last thing on growers' minds, but it's not a bad idea to get an irrigation evaluation scheduled for springtime. Dry conditions can develop relatively quickly in our area and irrigation technicians are already starting to build schedules for what inevitably becomes a busy spring.
Growers looking to test their systems should utilize the resources being offered by the Yolo and Solano County RCDs.
Conor Higgins recently joined Yolo County RCD, but is also able to serve growers in Colusa, Sutter, and Yuba counties. Conor is available to assist with pressure testing, flow testing, distribution uniformity, pump efficiency tests...
- Author: Konrad Mathesius
- Editor: Mark Lundy
Long dry periods are not uncommon in the Sacramento Valley between January and February. Despite the early season downpours, rainfall for the 2021-22 water year is dropping back to below average (Figure 1), and there is no rain on the near-term horizon. As a result, wheat growers may be debating whether to irrigate. Here are a few things to keep in mind:
Stress during the rapid growth phases can reduce wheat yield substantially
The amount of water needed to avoid plant stress at early vegetative growth stages is relatively little compared to later in the season (Table 1, see:
- Author: Konrad Mathesius
Join us Wednesday, January 30th, 2019 attheUCCE Yolo County Cooperative Extension Office in Woodland for a workshop on the State Water Efficiency Enhancement Program grant application. UC representatives will be on hand to discuss strategies and important information for successful applications.
SWEEP provides financial assistance in the form of grants to implement irrigation systems that reduce greenhouse gases and save water on California agricultural operations. Eligible system components include (among others) soil moisture monitoring, drip systems, switching to low pressure irrigation systems, pump retrofits, variable frequency drives and installation of renewable energy to reduce on-farm water use and...
- Author: Konrad Mathesius
For those of you who were not able to make the meeting earlier this month, please feel free to check out the presentations below. Some of the audio for the slides was cut short due to a few technical difficulties, but most of the presentations are intact. You can move through the videos to just get a look at the slides as well.
Preventing Rodent Damage in Shrink Swell Clays, Konrad Mathesius, Agronomy Advisor, UC Cooperative Extension, Yolo, Sacramento, and Solano Counties.
Several ideas for preventing rodent damage associated with shrink-swell clays opening up when soils dry down after wheat. These are hypothetical ideas but that will be tested out in the coming...
- Author: Konrad Mathesius
The California Department of Food and Agriculture posted a webinar last week to answer questions for potential State Water Efficiency and Enhancement Program (SWEEP) applicants. This provides a crash course in the basics related to the SWEEP grant. These funds are intended to help growers conserve water and reduce emissions, which includes a wide range of possible projects. Projects must be valued at $100,000 or less.
I would strongly encourage any growers looking to upgrade their irrigation systems, maintain pumps, monitor their soil moisture, improve remote sensing, or undertake any other related project to apply. Applications this year are due by 5pm on March 14th, 2017....