- Author: Steven Fennimore
We ran the robovator in twin row processing tomato yesterday in the Westside of the San Joaquin Valley (see photo). We conducted intra-row cultivation at up to 5 mph without damage to tomato. With high labor costs and only a trickle of new herbicides we need to take this technology very seriously because it has great potential in California vegetable crops and probably many others like cut flowers.
- Author: Richard Smith
- Posted by: Gale Perez
From the Cooperative Extension Monterey County Crop Notes newsletter :: Mar-Apr 2015
The Apiaceae or carrot family includes important vegetable crops such as carrots, celery, cilantro, dill, fennel and parsley. All of these crops have a distinctive inflorescence known as an umbel. They also produce aromatic oils that give these plants their characteristic aromas and flavors. Many of these crops germinate slowly and are quite susceptible to weed pressure early in the production cycle. As a result, crops like celery are nearly 100% transplanted to give the crop a head start in the...
/span>- Author: Richard Smith
- Posted by: Gale Perez
Weed control in cool-season vegetables can be quite challenging. However, there are a number of practices that provide growers with certain advantages:
- Short-season crops such as lettuce and spinach that allow for rapid turnover of the crops (e.g. 30 to 65 days), frequent cultivation (lettuce) and/or complete hand removal of weeds prior to mechanical harvest (clipped spinach and baby lettuce)
- High value of the crops allows for the use of intensive hand-removal of weeds, often prior to seed set
- Small production blocks that allow for careful observation and intensive management
All of these strategies have basically made some of the most troublesome weeds such as field bindweed and yellow...
- Posted by: Gale Perez
Here's an article by Todd Fitchette| Western Farm Press | July 17, 2014
Weed resistance issues are nothing new for university researchers and the farmers they advise.
Nevertheless, science continues to partner with agriculture to find ways to address the challenges of herbicide resistance in crops like tomatoes, melons, and a host of other agricultural applications.
The popular Weed Day at the University of California stands as a shining example of such concern. For at least the last five years. The...
- Author: Richard Smith
Each of the past several years, we have received samples of tomato plants from small growers and homeowners that have severe leaf deformity. The leaves of affected plants have the following symptoms: the leaves are distorted with cupping and twisting (Photos 1 & 2), as well as strapping or shoe string symptoms (Photo 3); the leaves can also have distinctive flaring along the edges (Photo 4). In addition, the leaves can be tightly curled (Photo 5). We examined these samples for the presence of viruses, but have never found viruses associated with these symptoms. In addition, the symptoms do not fit classic virus symptoms such as mottling (blending of dark green and yellowing). The symptoms on these tomatoes most closely fit with...