You may have heard about ASD (anaerobic soil disinfestation) as ‘biological alternative to soil fumigation'. This is the practice of adding easily degradable carbon sources to soil and developing anaerobic conditions under plastic mulch in moist soils for 3-5 weeks. Then the aeration is provided by cutting holes in plastic and you are ready to plant. The mechanism of action is a mix various processes: anaerobiosis itself, reduction in pH, development of volatile compounds, changes in microbiology and physical properties of soil and, of course, substantial increase in nitrogen that usually comes along with the incorporated carbon sources. The end result is pathogen suppression, big yield improvements compared to untreated soil and...

Conventional strawberry producers should consider use of cereal cover-crops in the furrows of strawberry plantings. The advantages of this are improved water percolation, reduced soil erosion as well as weed suppression. Seeding the covercrop before strawberry transplanting allows the covercrop to become established with the strawberry planting such that the covercrop will be of sufficient size to provide protection from erosion during the rainy season. To kill the covercrop in late winter, strawberry has two grass selective herbicides registered, clethodim (Select Max) which also controls annual bluegrass, and sethoxydim (Poast) which does not control annual bluegrass. These two herbicides will not injure strawberry as the herbicides...

One of the most devastating characteristics of invasive plants is their ability to enhance further invasion by con- and heterospecifics, as well as to limit native recolonization into previously invaded areas.  Invasives can accomplish this through a variety of ways that include the modification of nutrient cycling dynamics, a change of water availability, the attraction of novel herbivores, and an increase in soil acidity. One of the most common ways that invasives enhance further invasion is through the modification of the soil microbiome (the bacterial and fungal community). This has direct relevance for management because if an invasive plant is cultivating a soil microbiome that facilitates future invasion and restricts native...

The UC Statewide Integrated Pest Management Program (UC IPM) put together a 26-page card set in English and Spanish on understanding pesticide labels. Intended for pesticide handlers, applicators, safety trainers, and pest control advisers (PCAs), the cards explain when to read the label, describe what kind of information can be found in each section of a pesticide label, and point out specific instruction areas so that applicators can apply pesticides safely and avoid illegal pesticide residues.

Traces of pesticide residue are normal and even expected after pesticides are applied to food...