- Author: Jeannette E. Warnert
The blog "Good Life Garden," developed as part of the UC Davis Robert Mondavi Institute for Wine and Food Science, plugged the UC Statewide Integrated Pest Management website in its most recent "Website Wednesday" feature.
The Good Life Garden itself is an edible landscape in the Mondavi Institute courtyard featuring organic and sustainably grown vegetables, herbs and flowers. Together with the blog of the same name, the garden was designed to educate the public on growing, buying and preparing good tasting and nutritious fresh food.
The blog entry said that last February a pest...
- Author: Jeannette E. Warnert
A recently certified report on light brown apple moth asserts that the pest, native to Australia, cannot be eradicated from California.
"Given the increases in LBAM population densities and the extent of contiguous spread of LBAM observed over the past 2 years, coupled with a lack of area-wide management tools, eradication is no longer feasible in California," the USDA report says.
The "area-wide management tools" referred to in the report includes aerial pheromone spraying, which drew the ire of many environmentalists. Instead, control will be attempted with twist-ties that release pheromones and...
- Author: Jeannette E. Warnert
Simple, smart and safe ant invasion solutions from UC Cooperative Extension were shared in newspapers around California today. The article, written by John Sammon, originated in the Santa Cruz Sentinel, and was picked up in the San Gabriel Valley Tribune, the Oakland Tribune, and the Pasadena Star-News.
The reporter used a UC Cooperative Extension information sheet as a source for background on ants. His story focused on the common Argentine variety, small black ants...
- Author: Jeannette E. Warnert
The Ventura Star today ran a story about the end of IPM entomologist Phil Phillips distinguished career with UC Cooperative Extension. The story says Phillips was fascinated with bugs since he was 7 years old.
"I've been blessed with a spectacular career," Phillips was quoted. "It's playing with insects basically."
The story was most likely prompted by a news release by UC IPM writer Stephanie Klunk, but Ventura Star reporter Terria Smith gathered her own comments from Phillips' colleagues.
Mary...
- Author: Jeannette E. Warnert
Fresno Bee reporter Dennis Pollock captured the mission, message and mindset of UC Cooperative Extension in a prominent article on the front page of the business section on Saturday.
The report was based on a field day in almond orchards near Firebaugh and Mendota, where UCCE advisors shared ways to minimize pesticide sprays, avoid plant diseases and make the best use of limited water resources.
Illustrated with an 8 1/2-by-6-inch color photo of Madera County farm advisor Brent Holtz, the story included information from four current and two former UC experts.
According to Pollock's story:
- UC entomologist Walt...