- Author: Carl E. Bell
- Posted by: Gale Perez
Carl Bell
Emeritus, University of California, San Diego, CA
carl@socalinvasives.com
The intentional manipulation of wild plants to become desirable crops was the beginning of agriculture some 10,000 years ago. Along with this beginning came weeds; unwanted plants that prospered in the same human-created environments. Weeds are therefore just as much a part of our domestic culture as the crops. So the history of weed control technology is co-existent with the history of agricultural technology. If you search the internet for the history of agriculture, you will find lots of information. If, however, you search the internet for the history of weeds, you will be disappointed by the lack of literature and...
- Author: Brad Hanson
Pop quiz.
Today's post is a) long, b) recycled from another use, c) of high interest due to current weather conditions, or d) all of the above? The correct answer, I think, is "D" all of the above.
As an aside, the length of this post reminds me of one of my favorite Mark Twain quotes " I didn't have time to write a short letter, so I wrote a long one instead" - there's a lot of truth in that.
Ok, this is actually an article I prepared for the meeting booklet for the Plant...
- Re-posted by: Gale Perez
From the UC Davis News Service • January 21, 2015
Led by Professor David Slaughter of the UC Davis Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering, the project recently received a $2.7 million grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture...
- Author: Richard Smith
- Posted by: Gale Perez
New Organic Herbicide Registration for California
Richard Smith, Farm Advisor
University of California Cooperative Extension, Monterey County
A new organic herbicide, Suppress, from Westbridge Company is now in the 30-day waiting period with the California Department of Pesticide Registration and should be fully registered by mid-February of 2015. The active ingredients are Caprylic and Capric Acids and were approved by the Organic Materials Review Institute (OMRI). It is a contact burn-down material that is registered for use in and around food crops including vegetables, trees and vines. I...
- Re-posted by: Gale Perez
Here's something from The Weed's News Network.
David Low / WeedsNews5282 / January 15, 2015
A sporting site in Melbourne is being used for a weed-tackling treatment that doesn't contain herbicides. A group of green thumbs have used steam to kill weeds, instead of applying chemicals. The Weed Network's Dr. David Low said they were trialling the method at Bayside Council sites. He said they had been researching chemical-free methods for working with weeds for five years. “We have been working with Bayside Council to introduce steam weeding as an alternative to herbicide in sensitive sites used heavily by children, for example for...
