- Author: Kathy Keatley Garvey
Back in the 2009, a team of University of California scientists, led by Gordon Frankie of UC Berkeley and Robbin Thorp (1933-2019) of UC Davis, wrote this incredible article, "Native Bees are a Rich Natural Resource in Urban California Gardens," published in California Agriculture (UC Agriculture and Natural Resources).
It's an excellent resource.
The abstract:
"Evidence is mounting that pollinators of crop and wildland plants are declining worldwide. Our research group at UC Berkeley and UC Davis conducted a 3-year survey of bee pollinators in seven cities from Northern California to Southern California. Results indicate that many types of urban residential gardens provide floral and nesting resources for the reproduction and survival of bees, especially a diversity of native bees. Habitat gardening for bees, using targeted ornamental plants, can predictably increase bee diversity and abundance, and provide clear pollination benefits."
Jennifer Hernandez, Barbara Ertter, Jaime Pawelek, Sara Witt, Mary Schindler, Rollin Coville, and Victoria Wojcik. Coville provided the images.
"Outdoor urban areas worldwide are known to support a rich diversity of insect life (Frankie and Ehler 1978)," they wrote. "Some insects are undesirable and characterized as pests, such as aphids, snails, earwigs and borers; urban residents are most aware of these. Other urban insects are considered beneficial or aesthetically pleasing, such as ladybird beetles and butterflies; this category includes a rich variety of insects whose roles in gardens go largely unnoticed and are thus underappreciated (Grissell 2001; Tallamy 2009). They regularly visit flowers and pollinate them, an important ecological service."
"We report the results of a 2005-to-2007 survey of bees and their associations with a wide variety of ornamental plant species in seven urban areas, from Northern California to Southern California. While non-native honey bees (Apis mellifera) are common in many gardens, numerous California native bee species also visit urban ornamental flowers. Of about 4,000 bee species known in the entire United States, about 1,600 have been recorded in California."
That deserves to be repeated. Of the 4000 bee species known in the United States, about 1600 reside in California. See some of them listed on the chart above.
Notice it includes the non-native bee, the honey bee, Apis mellfera. It is an "introduced bee," although numerous non-scientists think it's a native. European colonists introduced it to America (in what is now Virginia) in 1622.
The phrase, "Save the (Honey) Bees," became prominent during the colony collapse disorder. But the bees that need saving now are the natives.
If you want to know more about the native bees in California, this book should be in your library: California Bees and Blooms: A Guide for Gardeners and Naturalists by UC-affiliated scientists
- Author: Natalie Solares
¿Está preocupado por un síntoma de enfermedad en su campo pero no sabe cuál es?
¿Necesita ayuda para diagnosticar un síntoma?
¿Por qué es importante tener una identificación adecuada de las enfermedades de las plantas?
Sin una identificación adecuada, los esfuerzos de control de enfermedades pueden ser una pérdida de tiempo y dinero si se adopta un enfoque incorrecto. La implementación de medidas de control de enfermedades que no son adecuadas para manejar el agente causante de la enfermedad podría provocar más pérdidas de plantas. Las enfermedades de las plantas son causadas por parásitos infecciosos como nematodos, hongos, oomicetos, virus y bacterias. Varios síntomas pueden ser causados por una amplia variedad de organismos (Figura 1) debido a esto, la identificación adecuada de un patógeno es clave para desarrollar una estrategia de manejo.
Figura 1. Representación esquemática de las funciones básicas de una planta a la izquierda y la interferencia con estas funciones causada por tipos comunes de patógenos vegetales que se muestran a la derecha. Fuente: Agrios, G.N. 1997. Plant Pathology (4th ed.).
Herida vs Enfermedad
Es importante comprender la diferencia entre una herida y una enfermedad para las plantas. Una herida ocurre de repente como resultado de una fuerza externa durante un período corto de tiempo por daño mecánico, abiótico o artrópodo. La enfermedad es una desviación dañina del crecimiento normal que es continuo y normalmente progresivo. Ejemplos de heridas para una planta incluyen daños por heladas, daños por insectos o daños causados por equipos agrícolas. Mientras que un ejemplo de daño por enfermedad puede ser una planta colapsada que se ha estado marchitando lentamente debido a una enfermedad del suelo.
El triángulo de la enfermedad
La enfermedad de las plantas es un proceso dinámico y continuo y implica interacciones entre el huésped, el patógeno y el medio ambiente a lo largo del tiempo. El huésped se refiere a la planta, el cultivo o organism que hospeda un patógeno. La enfermedad ocurre cuando las tres interacciones principals del triángulo de la enfermedad ocurren al mismo tiempo: un huésped susceptible, un patógeno virulento y un ambiente favorable para el desarrollo de la enfermedad (Figura 2).
Figura 2. El triángulo de las enfermedades de las plantas con los tres factores causales necesarios de las enfermedades colocados en las esquinas. Fuente: American Phytopathological Society.
Contáctenos para diagnóstico de enfermedades
La identificación de patógenos es difícil de diagnosticar en el campo y requiere equipos, protocolos y capacitación especializados para un diagnóstico preciso.
Si sospecha que tiene enfermedades de las plantas en su granja, comuníquese con el equipo de UCCE Pequeñas Granjas Hung Doan (Asesor de Pequeñas Granjas) o Natalie Solares (Educadora de la Comunidad ) para obtener apoyo. Para obtener más información, comuníquese con Natalie Solares en nasolare@ucanr.edu.
Qué esperar: A través de un correo electrónico, una llamada de telefono o una visita a la granja, el equipo puede evaluar la situación para identificar los próximos pasos. Según sea necesario, tomaremos muestras de plantas del área sintomática y las enviaremos al laboratorio de fitopatología de vegetales y fresas dirigido por el Dr. Alexander Putman en UC Riverside. Tras el diagnóstico, nos pondremos en contacto contigo. Es útil y importante disponer de registros detallados del historial de cultivos, aplicaciones de agua, aplicaciones de fertilizantes y eventos meteorológicos importantes que pueden haber influido en el desarrollo de enfermedades.
La autora desea agradecer a Margaret G. Lloyd (Asesora de Pequeñas Granjas de UCCE para los condados de Yolo, Sacramento, y Solano) por sus sugerencias y corrección del artículo.
Fuentes:
Plant disease management for Organic Crops. UC ANR Publication 7252
Francl, L. J. The Disease Triangle: a plant pathological paradigm revisited. American Phytological Society Teaching Notes.
Agrios, G.N. 1997. Plant Pathology (4th ed.). Academic Press.
- Author: Natalie Solares
Are you concerned with a disease symptom in your field but do not know what it is?
Do you need assistance diagnosing a symptom?
Why is it Important to have Proper Identification of Plant Diseases?
Without proper identification, disease control efforts can be a waste of time and money if an incorrect approach is taken. Deploying disease control measures that are not suitable to manage the disease-causing agent could lead to further plant losses. Plant diseases are caused by infectious parasites such as nematodes, fungi, oomycetes, viruses, and bacteria. Various symptoms can be caused by a wide variety of organisms (Figure 1), because of this, proper identification of a pathogen is key to develop a management strategy.
Injury vs Disease
It is important to understand the difference between an injury and disease for plants. An injury occurs suddenly as a result of external force over a short period of time by mechanical, abiotic, or arthropod damage. Disease is harmful deviation from normal growth that is continuous and normally progressive. Examples of injury for a plant includes frost damage, insect damage, or damage caused by farm equipment. Whereas an example of disease damage can be a collapsed plant that has been slowly wilting due to a soil borne disease.
Figure 1. Schematic representation of basic functions of a plant on the left and interference with these functions caused by common types of plant pathogens shown on the right. Source: Agrios, G.N. 1997. Plant Pathology (4th ed.).
The Disease Triangle
Plant disease is a dynamic and continuous process and involves interactions among the host, pathogen, and the environment over time. The host refers to the plant, the crop, or organism that harbors a pathogen. Disease occurs when the three main interactions from the disease triangle occur at the same time: a susceptible host, a virulent pathogen, and an environment favorable for disease development (Figure 2).
Figure 2. The plant disease triangle with the three necessary causal factors of disease positioned at the corners. Source: American Phytopathological Society.
Contact us for Disease Diagnosis
Pathogen identification is difficult to diagnose in the field and requires specialized equipment, protocols, and training for an accurate diagnosis.
If you suspect to have plant disease on your farm, contact the Small Farms team UCCE Hung Doan (Farm Advisor) or Natalie Solares (Community Educator Specialist) for support. For further information, please contact Natalie Solares at nasolare@ucanr.edu.
What to expect: Through an email, phone call or farm visit, the team can assess the situation to identify the next steps. As necessary, we will take plant samples from the symptomatic area, and submit them to the Vegetable and Strawberry pathology laboratory led by Dr. Alexander Putman at UC Riverside. Upon diagnosis, we will follow up with you. Detailed records of crop history, water applications, fertilizer applications, and important weather events that may have influenced the development of disease are useful and important to have available.
The author would like to thank Margaret G. Lloyd (UCCE Small Farms Advisor for Yolo, Sacramento, and Solano counties) for suggestions and proofreading the article.
Sources:
Plant disease management for Organic Crops. UC ANR Publication 7252
Francl, L. J. The Disease Triangle: a plant pathological paradigm revisited. American Phytopathological Society Teaching Notes.
Agrios, G.N. 1997. Plant Pathology (4th ed.). Academic Press.
Senuta joined UC ANR in 1994 after serving as an external member of the ad hoc review committee tasked to evaluate the future of publishing in the Division. She helped shape the Communication Services unit, which, in its early days, concentrated on publishing and gradually expanded to address the Division's growing information technology and strategic communications needs. With academics from the Communications Advisory Board, Senuta helped formulate all aspects of the ANR peer-review process, which ensures that ANR's education materials are accurate, useful and timely. With her staff, Senuta created a professional unit that produced, published, and marketed ANR research in awarding-winning books, online publications, California Agriculture journal, and provided attractive visual services of graphic design, photography and videography.
Senuta credits her creative staff, the committed scientists of ANR and her two supervisors – former CSIT executive director Bob Sams and AVP Tu Tran – for challenging and inspiring her. “When my son was little, he asked what I did at my job,” she said. “I told him that I help our scientists explain to Californians how to grow more food, use fewer chemicals, eat healthier and keep the land protected. That simplistic explanation has been my motivation for 24 years.”
In his new role, Downing will provide leadership of UC ANR publishing and advance Division strategic, business and operational objectives. Advised by the Communications Advisory Board, he will direct all phases of academic peer review, editorial planning and production for California Agriculture journal, print and electronic ANR publications, visual communications and, as appropriate, strategic communications materials. He will also manage the unit's professional staff, budget and physical resources.
Downing has served ANR for 3½ years as California Agriculture executive editor, steering the journal to its recent first-place award in the Periodicals category by the Association for Communications Excellence, the international professional association for agricultural communicators, educators and information technologists. Before joining UC ANR, Downing was the Sacramento Bee's agriculture, energy and climate reporter, and he produced publications on natural resources and agriculture for agency, NGO and corporate clients. He received a bachelor's degree in agricultural engineering from Cornell University and master's degrees in energy and resources and in environmental engineering, both from UC Berkeley.
Leadership of UC ANR Communications Services and Information Technology publishing group is changing: Director of Publishing and Production Ann Senuta is retiring, and California Agriculture journal Executive Editor Jim Downing is assuming her director duties.
Senuta came to UC ANR in 1994 after serving as an external member of the ad hoc review committee tasked to evaluate the future of publishing at the Division. She helped shape the Communication Services unit, which, in its early days, concentrated on publishing and gradually expanded to address the Division's growing information technology and strategic communications needs. With academics from the Communications Advisory Board, Senuta helped formulate all aspects of the ANR peer review process, which ensures that ANR's education materials are accurate, useful, and timely. With her staff, Senuta created a professional unit that produced, published and marketed ANR research in awarding-winning books, online publications, California Agriculture journal, and provided attractive visual services of graphic design, photography and videography.
Ann cites her creative staff, the committed scientists of ANR, and her two supervisors, former CSIT executive director Bob Sams and AVP Tu Tran, for challenging and inspiring her. “When my son was little, he asked what I did at my job,” she said. “I told him that I help our scientists explain to Californians how to grow more food, use fewer chemicals, eat healthier and keep the land protected. That simplistic explanation has been my motivation for 24 years.”
Replacing Ann as UC ANR director of publishing/executive editor is California Agriculture journal Executive Editor Jim Downing. In his new role, Jim will provide leadership of UC ANR publishing and advance Division strategic, business and operational objectives. Advised by the Communications Advisory Board, he will direct all phases of academic peer review, editorial planning and production for California Agriculture journal, print and electronic ANR publications, visual communications and, as appropriate, strategic communications materials. Jim will also manage the unit's professional staff, budget and physical resources.
Jim has served ANR for 3½ years as California Agriculture executive editor, steering the journal to its recent first-place award in the Periodicals category by the Association for Communications Excellence, the international professional association for agricultural communicators, educators and information technologists. Before coming to ANR, Jim was the Sacramento Bee's agriculture, energy and climate reporter, and he produced publications on natural resources and agriculture for agency, NGO and corporate clients. He received a bachelor's degree in agricultural engineering from Cornell University and master's degrees in energy and resources and in environmental engineering, both from UC Berkeley.
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