Here's an article from the San Joaquin County Field Notes newsletter (Feb. 2014.)

Dormant Weed Control in Tree Nut Crops 2014

Mick Canevari, Farm Advisor Emeritus
Brent Holtz, Pomology Farm Advisor and UCCE County Director
Brad Hanson, Extension Weed Specialist, UC Davis

Current dry weather has preempted most normal winter weed germination and growth while prolonged periods of dry soil has caused some early weeds to desiccate and die. In most tree and vine herbicide trials conducted so far this winter—the...

The  VICE PRESIDENT of Agriculture and DEAN of the College of Agriculture position opened up at Montana State University. Initial screening of applications will begin immediately and continue until an appointment is made. For full consideration, materials should be provided by FEBRUARY 18, 2014.

Overview

Montana State University invites nominations and applications for the position of Vice President of Agriculture (VPA) and Dean of the College of Agriculture.

The College of Agriculture comprises six academic departments: Agricultural Economics and Economics, Animal and Range Sciences, Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Land...

Despite the increasing potential for rain this week, California remains poised to experience exceptional drought conditions in 2014. Under prolonged periods of dry weather, weed control is likely to suffer. This is especially troubling for growers as both crops and weeds will be competing to capture limited soil moisture, which could result in significant yield losses.

Although fewer weed seeds may germinate under dry conditions, weeds that do emerge and become established may be more difficult to manage with herbicides. Drought-stressed weeds are likely to have thicker cuticles (which is the waxy coating on the surface of the leaf), which can inhibit the absorption of post-emergence products. Additionally, plant architecture...

Agriculture is under pressure from regulations, as well as environmental and economic issues. In 2013 there were also widespread labor shortages in the Salinas Valley. These issues put pressure on growers to adapt and resolve each of these problems. Fortunately, new technological developments can provide solutions to some of the issues that growers face. In 2013, four companies developed automated thinners for use in lettuce production (photos 1-4). These machines came at a fortuitous time for growers and provided one solution for dealing with labor shortages.

The thinners use a camera to capture images of the lettuce stand and a computer to process the images and make decisions on what plants to remove and which to keep (photo...