- 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...
- Author: Richard Smith
- Posted by: Gale Perez
From the UC Cooperative Extension Monterey County Crop Notes newsletter (March/April 2014)
Excellent weed control is essential for economically producing cilantro and parsley. Both crops have had various weed control challenges over the last few years. Cilantro and parsley are in the celery family and both are small acreage crops (cilantro 980 acres and parsley 533 acres in Monterey County in 2012) that are important to the local economy. In our modern production systems, both crops are planted in dense plantings (24-33 seedlines) on 80-inch wide beds. Parsley has been mechanically harvested for...
- Author: Gale Perez
- Author: Mark Lundy
Here's more on Mark Lundy...
A new year and a new farm advisor in Colusa‐Sutter‐Yuba
Hello, I’m Mark Lundy, a new Agronomy Advisor in Colusa‐Sutter‐Yuba, based out of the Colusa office. With 2014 underway, I wanted to send out a brief note to introduce myself and give a brief sketch of some of the work I’ve initiated since I began in July of 2013.
Where are you from?
I’m from Arizona originally, but I’m starting my 9th year living here in California. For most of that time I’ve lived in or around Davis where I was a graduate student for 6 years and earned an MS in International Agricultural Development and a PhD in Horticulture and Agronomy. Prior to graduate...