- 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: repost from Scientific American blog
An article was posted a couple days ago on the Scientific American blog in which the author deconstructed what she saw as common myths about organic agriculture. I thought I'd repost Christie Wilcox's article here "Mythbusting 101: Organic Farming > Conventional Agriculture"
In her article, she tries to play myth buster on:
Myth #1: Organic Farms Don't Use Pesticides
Myth #2: Organic Foods are Healthier
Myth #3: Organic...
- Posted By: Brad Hanson
- Written by: Smith, Roncoroni, Blodget, Blankinship, Tjosvold, Fennimore
This week we are finalizing plans for the 55th Annual UC Davis Weed Day on July 14th. It's not too late to register if you are interested in a sampling of the current weed science research at UCD! More info and registration information on Weed Day can be found here: http://wric.ucdavis.edu/events/weed_day_2011.htm
We've been busy this getting the agenda finished, spraying a few last herbicide treatments, and working out the many logistic details (thanks Gale P. for her focus on logistics!). I was thinking about what (and when) I'd post on the blog this week and, voila, the California Weed Science Society...
- Author: Brad Hanson
I was sent a short article from Science this week that discussed the impact of biotech crops on organic farms. The article is entitled "Can Biotech and Organic Farmers Get Along?" discusses issues with the science and politics surrounding GMO crops and gene flow to organic crops.
Science (online at www.sciencemag.org) is not open access so I can't post the pdf here. However, non-subscribers can read a summary and listen to a podcast interveiw with the author, Erik Stokstad, at this link (if you are at an institution that subscribes to Science, you can get the full article too). I think the podcast interview is interesting and a good presentation of...
- Author: Brad Hanson
We commonly select for specific weeds in agricultural systems because of the neccessary managment practices. Cultivation, fertilization, irrigation, weed management, etc all can affect the weeds in a given field. Some weeds prosper under high fertility, high disturbance, and regular irrigation and tend to be very common in ag fields. Other species do not do as well in those conditions and are found in roadsides, field margins, or non crop areas.
Similar issues can occur with our selection of ornamental plants. Some plants are values as ornamental plants becasue they are very adaptable and easy to grow, can escape cultivation and become weedy in various ecosystems. Here is a link to an article in a magazine called High...