- Author: Anne Schellman
Although this substance looks like vomit and is called "Dog vomit slime mold," it is actually a living, growing fungi that thrives during moist, wet weather and is not harmful to your garden. Luckily it is short-lived and is drying up now that temperatures have warmed.
You can read more about dog vomit slime mold and other strange (or should we say ‘cool?') looking fungi that might appear in your garden or landscape on the UC IPM website at https://ipm.ucanr.edu/TOOLS/TURF/PESTS/disnusiance.html
Did you see this in your garden this year? Or in past years? Please comment below!
- Posted by: Gale Perez
Sterile Pollen Technique Shows Promise for Palmer Amaranth Weed Control
Newly published research provides a novel and sustainable weed-management strategy
WESTMINSTER, Colorado – 22 May2024 – Recently published research in the journal Weed Science shows that a sterilization technique commonly used to control insect pests can be modified to control weeds that require pollination to reproduce. More specifically, the researchers determined that employing a sterile pollen technique (SPT) could effectively disrupt Palmer amaranth (Amaranthus palmeri S.) reproduction.
Palmer amaranth remains among the most detrimental weeds in North American agriculture, and its resistance to several herbicide groups makes its control a serious challenge. Yet, researchers in this study were able to find a promising new control method for Palmer amaranth and possibly for many other difficult-to-control weeds.
“Our results indicate that SPT, using irradiated pollen, can be a valuable approach for reducing weed-seed production,” says Mohsen B. Mesgaran, Ph.D., a plant sciences assistant professor at the University of California Davis, and the article's corresponding author. “SPT also holds potential for broad-spectrum weed control by mixing sterile pollen from multiple weed species in a single application.”
Additionally, the researchers found that SPT shows promise for managing troublesome herbicide-resistant weeds that have survived in-season control efforts.“We observed the greatest reduction in seed set when irradiated pollen was introduced to the stigma through artificial pollination prior to open pollination,” notes Mesgaran. “It appears that irradiated pollen exerts a preventive effect on naturally occurring pollen that arrives later.”
While the researchers determined that a dose of 300 units of ionizing radiation (Gy) strikes the optimal balance to achieve both efficient Palmer amaranth pollination and seed sterility, challenges still remain. For example, irradiated pollen is currently less competitive than naturally occurring pollen. Thus, field managers may need to employ additional measures to successfully control Palmer amaranth with SPT, such as dispersing irradiated pollen in the field before male anthesis and releasing it multiple times.
More information about SPT and Palmer amaranth control can be found in the article (by Wenzhuo Wu and Mohsen B. Mesgaran), “Exploring sterile pollen technique as a novel tool for management of Palmer amaranth (Amaranthus palmeri).” The research is featured in Volume 72, Issue 3 of Weed Science, a Weed Science Society of America journal, published online by Cambridge University Press.
Original source: Weed Science Society of America (https://wssa.net/2024/05/sterile-pollen-technique-shows-promise-for-palmer-amaranth-weed-control/)
/h3>- Author: Tom Hixson, UC Master Gardener of Napa County
Shakespeare may have believed that a rose by any name would smell as sweet, but a well-considered plant name—or an ineptly chosen label—can significantly enhance or tarnish its subject forever. In the plant world, botanical nomenclature experts frequently name plants after their “discoverers” and rarely consider how those names might affect a plant's future popularity.
Saddled with a name that fails to glide off the tongue, Heuchera (pronounced HEW-ker-ah) is a family of plants that deserves better recognition for adaptability to our climate and soils, drought tolerance and, especially, the beauty of its leaves and fairy-lamp flowers.
Savvy gardeners will forgive the clumsy name and take advantage of the astonishing palette of colors. Even a modest planting of these tough specimens can turn a dull landscape into an inspired showplace.
Native to North America, the Heuchera family has successfully adapted to a wide variety of soils and climate conditions. Heuchera sanguinea—native to the American Southwest and commonly known as coral bells or alum root—was the first species to come into prominence. It is prized for its airy, bell-shaped flowers which decorate slender stems above compact, evergreen foliage mounds.
Knowledgeable landscapers use Heuchera as ground covers, borders, and rock garden specimens. Bees, hummingbirds, and other pollinators are attracted to Heuchera blossoms, adding yet another incentive to include them in local gardens.
The sturdy Heuchera has proved adaptable to many climates, such as the wind-swept terrain of California's Channel Islands, the varied seasons of the Mid-Atlantic region and the deserts of Arizona, New Mexico, and northern Mexico. What makes these hearty plants so special for Napa
Valley is their water-wise nature and the colorful leaves they maintain through much of the year. Many varieties send out thyrses, or flower spikes, which resemble a multitude of tiny lanterns clinging to a slender stalk.
Not only do the plants' leaves deliver an amazing range of colors—from pink to pale green, teal, gray, red, brown, and orange—but the thyrses likewise come in an assortment of blossom heights and colors. Heuchera's variety of flowers and leaves can inspire the landscape designer to employ a single color or incorporate graduated colors and textures to create an eye-catching vista. One of the easiest perennials to grow, Heuchera are virtually carefree.
Tips for Growing Heuchera:
Heuchera thrive in a wide range of light conditions, from full sun to shade. Foliage color and bloom are best when plants receive at least four to six hours of direct sunlight, although lighter-colored leaves retain their truest color in shady spots.
Plant Heuchera in spring or fall. These plants tend to mound, growing 6 to 16 inches tall and 12 to 24 inches wide. Space plants at least 1 to 2 feet apart. They are most effective in small groups alongside complementary-colored plants, massed as a groundcover or used as pathway edging.
Even though Heucheraare (more or less) drought tolerant, all plants need adequate water the first year, so don't plant it and forget it. Heuchera don't need much water once established, but a good soaking may be necessary during hot spells. Irrigating regularly and applying light fertilizer in the first year should be sufficient to ensure success.
Heuchera adapt to a variety of soils, but heavy clay can be challenging for them. Incorporating loam, sand and compost into clay soil should help. Heuchera will not tolerate consistently soggy soil. There are approximately 37 major varieties of Heuchera, and the many hybrids provide a kaleidoscope of options. Consider these suggestions for Napa Valley gardens:
‘Old La Rochette' produces two-foot-tall stems with crowds of long-lasting pink blossoms in spring above clumps of green foliage.
‘Opal' blooms begin white but change to pink as they age.
‘Palace Purple' is renowned for its deep purple, maple-like foliage in sun or part shade. It is tolerant of both coastal conditions and clay and needs only moderate water.
‘Santa Ana Cardinal' and ‘Susanna' feature deep red flowers.
‘Peach Crisp' is prized for its colorful orange leaves.
The California Native Plant Society website provides useful information on Heuchera. Just type “Heuchera” into the search bar to reveal the range and suitability of various varieties in this area.
The genus was named after Johann Heinrich von Heucher, an 18th-century German academician and physician. Alas, the less-than-mellifluous “Heuchera” goes down in gardening history as a name that doesn't sell well.
But let's look on the bright side. Possibly because of its forbidding moniker, Heuchera escaped mainstream patronage and thereby avoided mall-landscape overuse. Instead of denouncing 18th-century botanical labelers, perhaps we should thank them for inadvertently preserving a gardening secret.
Library Talk: Join UC Master Gardeners and Napa County Library for “All About Lavender,” on Thursday, June 6, from 7 pm to 8 pm, via Zoom. Have you ever wondered what you can do with that gorgeous lavender growing in your backyard? Learn what lavender needs to thrive, and harvest ideas for how to incorporate it in your own homemade creations. Register to receive the Zoom link.
Workshop: Join UC Master Gardeners of Napa County for a workshop on “Planting for Monarchs and Other Pollinators” on Sunday, June 16, from 2 pm to 4 pm, at Yountville Community Center, 6516 Washington Street, Yountville. Learn about host plants and nectar plants and how to include them in your garden. This workshop is offered in partnership with Yountville Parks and Recreation Department. Register on their website. Click Adult Activities, then UC Master Gardeners, then Planting for Monarchs and Other Pollinators.
Help Desk: The Master Gardener Help Desk is available to answer your garden questions on Mondays and Fridays from 10 am until 1 pm at the University of California Cooperative Extension Office, 1710 Soscol Avenue, Suite 4, Napa. Or send your questions to mastergardeners@countyofnapa.org. Include your name, address, phone number and a brief description.
/h2>/h2>/h2>/h2>/h2>
- Author: Kathy Keatley Garvey
More than 300 attended the May 19th event, noted Tabatha Yang, education and outreach coordinator. They included residents of Yolo, Marin, Solano and Sacramento counties.
Community ecologist Rachel Vannette, associate professor and chair of the UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology, and three lab members--doctoral candidate Lexie Martin, doctoral student Dino Sbardellati, and junior specialist Leta Landucci--displayed nests of bumble bees, carpenter bees and solitary bees. They also invited visitors to examine live bee larvae under a microscope and engage in the interactive displays on the bee life cycle.
Others bee researchers participating:
- Bohart Museum bee scientists Thomas Zavortink and Sandy Shanks
- UC Davis graduate student Richard Martinez of the lab of apiculturist Elina Lastro Niño, associate professor of Cooperative Extension, UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology. He staffed the honey bee booth and answered questions about bees and beekeeping. He also displayed a bee observation hive (attendees eagerly tried to find the queen). Children and adults alike tried on the beekeeping suits and veils. He also discussed the apiary equipment, including a smoker and hive tools.
- Doctoral student Sofía Meléndez Cartagena of the Stacey Combes lab, Department of Neurobiology, Physiology and Behavior. She studies the diversity of bees and bee behavior.
- Doctoral student Peter Coggan of the laboratory of Chancellor's Fellow Santiago Ramirez, associate professor, Department of Evolution and Ecology. Coggan studies the neurological and genetic basis of orchid bee courtship behavior and evolution.
Brownie Troop 121 of Davis, led by co-leaders Dr. Jaclyn Watkins and Mel McClendon, attended. "We thought the event was fantastic!" said Watkins, associate professor of clinical pathology and residency program director, Department of Pathology and Laboratory. "Our girls also earned their Brownie Bug Badges by attending. They had a blast."
Bee specimens displayed ranged from honey bees and carpenter bees, to bumble bees and orchid bees, to leafcutter bees and sweat bees. Visitors also perused a number of bee books, including the newly published Honey Bee Biology, authored by Brian Johnson, associate professor, Department of Entomology and Nematology; and Calfornia Bees and Blooms: A Guide for Gardeners and Naturalists, published in 2014 and co-authored by Robbin Thorp (1933-2019), distinguished emeritus professor. California is home to more than 1600 species of undomesticated bees, most of them native, according to Thorp.
The Bohart Museum houses a global collection of eight million insects, plus a live petting zoo, and a gift shop. Professor Jason Bond directs the museum, succeeding Kimsey, who served 34 years until her retirement on Feb. 1. Bond is the Evert and Marion Schlinger Endowed Chair of the Department of Entomology and Nematology, and the associate dean, UC Davis College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. He also serves as president-elect of the American Arachnological Society.
The next open houses are set for
- Saturday, July 20: "Moth Night at the Museum," 7 p.m. to 11 p.m.
- Saturday, Sept. 28: "Museum ABCs: Arthropods Bohart, and Collecting," 1 to 4:30 p.m.
All open houses are free and family friendly; parking is also free on weekends.
Summer public walk-in hours are on Tuesdays, June 17-Aug. 27 from 9 a.m. to noon, and from 1 to 4 p.m. The museum will be closed to the general public from Sept. 1-22.
For more information, access the website at https://bohart.ucdavis.edu or contact bmuseum@ucdavis.edu.
Dear Colleagues,
It is with great pleasure that I announce that the University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources (UC ANR) is continuing to support the research and extension needs of California through placement of new University of California Cooperative Extension (UCCE) Advisor and Specialist positions. Thanks to extensive collaboration with campuses across the UC system, our UC Research and Extension Centers (RECS), UCCE County offices, and our many partners in government and the private sector, the following positions have been approved for recruitment:
UCCE Advisors:
Discipline/Specialty |
Counties Served |
Office Location |
4-H Youth Development: College and Career Readiness |
Lake and Mendocino |
To be determined (TBD) |
4-H Youth Development: College and Career Readiness |
Alameda and Contra Costa |
Alameda
|
4-H Youth Development: College and Career Readiness |
San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara and Ventura |
TBD |
4-H Youth Development: Leadership and Civic Engagement |
Modoc, Lassen, Plumas and Sierra |
Lassen |
Agricultural Workforce Development |
San Joaquin Valley |
TBD |
Agronomy |
Sacramento, Solano and Yolo |
Yolo |
Avocado, Citrus, and Subtropical Fruits |
Riverside and San Diego |
San Diego |
Citrus and Pistachio |
Kern, Kings and Tulare |
Tulare |
Commensal Rodents & Urban Wildlife Integrated Pest Management |
Alameda, Contra Costa, San Mateo, San Francisco and Santa Clara |
Santa Clara |
Disaster Preparedness, Response, and Resiliency |
Monterey, San Benito and Santa Cruz |
TBD |
Environmental Horticulture |
Riverside and San Bernardino |
TBD |
Environmental Horticulture & Controlled Environment Agriculture |
Monterey, San Benito, San Mateo and Santa Cruz |
TBD |
Field and Vegetable Crops Integrated Pest Management |
Fresno, Kings, Madera and Tulare |
West Side REC |
Food Systems |
Los Angeles and Ventura |
Ventura |
Fruit Postharvest Handling |
Fresno, Kern, Kings, Madera and Tulare |
Lindcove REC |
Horticulture and Small Farms |
Nevada and Placer |
Placer |
Livestock and Natural Resources |
Lake and Mendocino |
Mendocino |
Livestock and Natural Resources |
Marin and Sonoma |
Sonoma |
Livestock and Natural Resources |
Shasta and Trinity |
Shasta |
Low Desert Weed Management |
Imperial and Riverside |
Imperial |
Nutrient Management & Forage Systems |
Merced, San Joaquin and Stanislaus |
Stanislaus |
One Health Integrated Produce Safety |
Monterey, San Benito and Santa Cruz |
TBD |
Orchard Systems: Almond, Apricots, Peaches, and Pistachio |
San Joaquin and Stanislaus |
Stanislaus |
Orchard Systems: Apples, Cherries, Olives, and Walnuts |
San Joaquin and Stanislaus |
San Joaquin |
Outdoor Recreation/Connected Communities |
Lassen, Plumas and Sierra |
Plumas |
Vegetable Crops |
Butte, Colusa, Glenn, Sutter and Yuba |
Colusa |
Vegetable Crop and Weed Science |
Monterey, San Benito and Santa Cruz |
Monterey |
Viticulture and Tree Fruit |
Sacramento, Solano and Yolo |
Sacramento |
Weed Science |
Marin, Napa and Sonoma |
Sonoma |
Specialists:
Discipline/Specialty |
Host / Location |
Agricultural Acarologist |
UC Riverside Dept. of Entomology / Kearney REC |
Agricultural Economics: Small Farms and Rural Economic Development |
UC Santa Cruz Department of Economics; Center for Agroecology |
Agricultural, Food and Natural Resources Computational Data Science |
UC San Diego Supercomputer Center |
Agricultural Waste Management and Bioenergy Production |
UC Merced Dept. of Mechanical Engineering |
Agricultural Policy |
UC ANR / California Dept. of Food and Agriculture |
Agricultural Technology Workforce Development |
UC ANR / TBD |
Beef Cattle Production Systems |
UC Davis Dept. of Animal Science |
Climate Resilient Orchard Systems |
UC Davis Dept. of Plant Sciences |
Climate Resilient Rural Community Development |
UC Berkeley ESPM |
Coastal Hydrology Agriculture and Water Resilience |
UC Santa Cruz Dept. of Earth and Planetary Sciences; Center for Agroecology |
Coastal Produce Safety Systems |
UC ANR / USDA ARS Salinas |
Field Trials and Testbeds Design and Operation |
UC ANR VINE / Kearney and Westside RECs |
Food Safety/Drones/Remote Sensing |
UC Santa Cruz / Monterey Bay Education, Science and Technology Center (MBEST) |
Groundwater Quantity and Quality |
UC Merced Dept. of Civil & Environmental Engineering / West Side REC |
Mental and Emotional Health in Youth Families and Communities |
UC Davis Dept. of Human Ecology |
Oak Woodland Management and Conservation |
UC ANR / Hopland REC |
Organic Production: ANR OAI Academic Director |
UC Merced Dept. of Life and Environmental Sciences |
Outdoor Recreation |
UC ANR / CA Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development |
Recycled Water Reuse and Brackish Water Desalination |
UC Davis Dept. of Land, Air and Water Resources; Biological and Agricultural Engineering |
Sustainable Dairy Cattle Nutrition |
UC Davis Dept. of Animal Science |
The UCCE Advisor positions will be released for recruitment in small batches over the next several months to facilitate engagement of various selection committees. The UCCE Specialists will be released to campuses for recruitment upon completion of the Memorandums of Agreement (MOAs) currently being renewed between UC ANR and the campuses/host sites.
We wish to thank the UC ANR program teams, county and REC directors, leadership from the UC campuses, the Program Council, and all of our collaborative partners who assisted with this position call, submissions and reviews. We truly could not be successful without your engagement and expertise.
Glenda Humiston
Vice President