- Author: Lynn M. Sosnoskie
There is still time to register for the April 11th SJV Weed Science Extension Day at the Westside Research and Extension Center in Five Points (17353 West Oakland Avenue, Five Points, CA 93624).
The meeting at the Westside Center will focus on agronomic crops, ROWs, and tree and vine systems. The session will also include hands-on weed ID and nozzle selection/drift management training.
The meeting has been approved for 3.5 CDPR continuing education credits (other).
These presentations are free to attend although we do request that you register by calling the UCCE Merced County office at 209-385-7403 to reserve...
- Author: Lynn M. Sosnoskie
There are TWO upcoming weed science extension days in the San Joaquin Valley this April.
The first will be held on the 2nd of April at the Kearney Agricultural Research and Extension Center in Parlier (9240 South Riverbend Road, Parlier CA 93648) and the second will be held on April 11th at the Westside Research and Extension Center in Five Points (17353 West Oakland Avenue, Five Points, CA 93624).
The meeting at the Kearney Center will focus on rangeland, turf, and tree and vine systems while the meeting at the Westside Center will focus on agronomic crops, ROWs, and tree and vine systems. Both meetings will open with hands-on weed ID and nozzle...
- Author: Lynn M. Sosnoskie
You just KNOW that some plants are considered weeds. Their common names give them away. They sound awful. Giant hogweed (Heracleum mantegazzianum). Ripgut brome (Bromus diandrus). Devil's claw (Proboscidea lutea). Smellmelon (Cucumis melo). Itchgrass (Rottboellia cochinchinensis). Dog-strangling vine (Cyanthum rossicum).
Others...well, others seem more benign. Even sweet. For Valentine's day I present to you nine weedy plants with lovely names. Enjoy...
1. Tree-of-Heaven (Ailanthus altissima). How celestial (Sigh...). How divine (Sigh...). How invasive (sigh...wait, what?). Tree-of-heaven is a deciduous tree, native...
- Author: Lynn M. Sosnoskie
Recently I was asked to help identify prostrate knotweed (Polygonum aviculare) that was collected from an alfalfa field. Admittedly, the tough and wire-like specimen that was submitted to me at the end of autumn didn't much resemble the succulent seedlings that I have often observed emerging in tree and vine systems in early spring. Consequently, I dug out my 'Weeds of the West' and 'Weeds of California and Other Western States' books and double-checked with colleagues to ensure that my ID was accurate. This post is meant to build on that effort and describe the morphological traits that are characteristic of prostrate knotweed and how to differentiate the species from a similar-looking weed, spotted spurge (Euphorbia...
- Author: Lynn M. Sosnoskie
A drive around parts of the San Joaquin Valley revealed some fields with Palmer amaranth (Amaranthus palmeri) rising above the crop canopy (See image below).
A male Palmer amaranth in a corn field in Merced County
Palmer amaranth is a tall (growing up to 10 feet in height), dioecious (male and female flowers develop on separate plants), summer annual that grows rapidly and produces significant amounts of seed (upwards of 400,000-1,000,000 per female plant). The species is extremely competitive with many crops, including corn and cotton. In the United States, Palmer...
