South Sacramento Valley Wheat and Barley Field Demonstration Day

Wednesday, April 24, 2019, 8:45 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.

23947 Road 13, Capay, CA

8:45 a.m.              Registration, Coffee, and Donuts

9:00 a.m.     Italian Ryegrass: Updates on Cultivation vs Herbicide Trials: resistance and methods for control

                    Konrad Mathesius, UCCE Agronomy Advisor, Yolo, Sacramento, and Solano

9:15 a.m.     Herbicide Programs for Barley...

Winter temperatures this year have fluctuated from above average early in the season to slightly below average in February. Along with generally warmer temperatures, rain and humidity have been higher than average. The interplay among these factors mean that risk of stripe rust outbreaks may be greater this year than normal.   

Stripe rust (caused by the fungus Puccini striiformis) is an important disease in wheat and barley (different strains for each). It is also one of the most noticeable (Image 1). Stripe rust outbreaks can lead to significant yield loss, but the presence and severity of the disease typically varies from year to year. Three factors,...

If growers sprayed for Italian ryegrass earlier this year, it might still be worth keeping an eye out for it in fields and field margins.

Italian ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum) is an annual grass that can sometimes behave as a biennial or short-lived perennial in California. The species is an upright grass (to about 3 feet in height) that germinates in the late fall and grows vigorously through the winter and early spring. The species can be identified by its dark green, glossy and hairless leaves that are rolled in the bud. Auricles are well-developed and the ligules are long and membranous. Once flowering occurs, ryegrass is easily distinguishable by alternating spikelets that run along the length of the main...

Cooler temperatures are indicative that mid-November is approaching fast.  Results from UC's variety trials from the 2016-2017 season are now available here.

Growers are encouraged to try out the new variety selection tool developed by the UC Agronomy RIC. It allows users to narrow in on specific varieties of wheat, barley, or durum based on 3-year averages of regional performance, yield, stripe rust resistance, and protein. A how-to video is also available to highlight some of the tool's features.

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