- Author: Brad Hanson
We received several calls yesterday from a news organization in San Francisco about a CDFA biocontrol program for an invasive aquatic weed, water hyacinth.
I'm a terrestrial weed guy who works mostly in orchards and vineyards, not aquatics so I kept a low profile. However, I think biocontrol of invasive weeds is really interesting and decided to share two links about the program. This from KTVU Channel 2 in San Francisco: http://www.ktvu.com/news/28704763/detail.html and here is the official Press Release on the CDFA program:
- Posted By: Brad Hanson
- Written by: reposted from EBIPM.org and the Western Society of Weed Science
Reposting of an announcement for a Field School sponsored by the Western Society of Weed Science. This is not a UC Field School but may be of broad interest to western landmanagers fighting invasive weeds.
The informational flyer can be found here: http://sfc.smallfarmcentral.com/dynamic_content/uploadfiles/152/flyer%20for%20website.pdf
2011 EBIPM Field School - Park Valley, Utah
Sponsored by the Western Society of Weed... |
- Posted By: Chris McDonald
- Written by: Chris McDonald, UCCE Southern California
I kill weeds, I must admit. I was talking to my daughter about writing a weed blog for UC Cooperative Extension and asked her what I should say I do (kindergarteners have the best ideas). She replied, bluntly, “you kill weeds, daddy.” She’s right of course, and admitting that I treat invasive plants in a nefarious manner is the first step to progress. I kill weeds, but there is so much more to weed management then just killing weeds.
I kill weeds in natural areas or wildlands. Although it’s the same principles and methods as working in agricultural weed control, there is no monetary profit when managing vegetation in wildlands (the management budget is also small but I digress). The “profit” I see is increased...
- Author: Joseph DiTomaso
In a Great Basin sagebrush community, low rates of glyphosate applied at the medusahead tillering stage in late April to early May provided excellent control of medusahead. At this timing, we achieved at least 95% control of medusahead cover and a corresponding reduction in seed production with 4 oz Roundup per acre in 2009 and 9 oz Roundup per acre in 2010. These rates are far lower than those required to control perennial species and provide a more cost effective option to ranchers and land managers compared to other herbicide treatments. Earlier applications required significantly higher rates, probably due to reduced glyphosate activity in cooler...
- Author: Guy B Kyser
Last week I visited one of my favorite experimental sites: the SMUD wind farm in the Montezuma Hills, at the south edge of Solano County. The site overlooks the Sacramento River where it’s a half-mile wide. If you tripped over the back end of Plot #60 and rolled down the hill into the river and floated down through the delta for twenty miles, you’d get to Benicia and the Ghost Fleet.
This is a weird landscape of treeless hills dotted with black cows. To the west is a staggered row of four-hundred foot wind turbines, slowly rotating (if they’re turning fast, then it’s too windy to spray weeds). To the east is a twenty-acre patch of tall, spiny, silvery-colored artichoke thistles. I am here to kill...