The annual UC Davis Small Grains and Alfalfa Field Day will take place on Wednesday, May 15, 2019 at the Agronomy Field Headquarters (2400 Hutchison Drive, Davis, CA 95616). Registration opens at 7:30am, and lunch is provided between the small grains morning program and alfalfa afternoon program. The event is free and open to the public, and continuing education credits will be available. Directions are as follows: 

The field day is located on Hutchison Drive, just west of Davis. Take the Hwy. 113 exit north from I-80, or Hwy. 113 south from Woodland. Exit west on Hutchison Drive. Take a right at the first roundabout, a left at the second roundabout, and the Agronomy Headquarters is about ¼ mile down in a clump of trees and buildings on the left. 

The agenda is as follows:

8:00am – Noon: Small Grains Program

8:00     Welcome and Opening Remarks

8:20     Depart for field (travel to breeding trials)

8:35     Malting Barley & Oat Breeding: Alicia del Blanco, UC Davis

8:45     Barley Breeding for Food, Feed and Forage: Allison Krill-Brown, UC Davis

9:00     New Wheat Varieties: Oswaldo Chicaiza, UC Davis

9:15     Breeding Triticales for Bread and Forage: Josh Hegarty, UC Davis

9:25     Increasing Grain Size and Number: Alejandra Alvarez, UC Davis

9:35     A New Gene Controlling Number of Grains Per Spike: Saarah Kuzay, UC Davis

9:40     Balancing Source and Sink to Increase Yield: Jorge Dubcovsky, UC Davis

10:00   Herbicide Programs for Barley and Wheat: small grain herbicides and maximizing efficacy for control: Lynn Sosnoski, UC Cooperative Extension

10:20   Italian Ryegrass: Updates on Cultivation vs Herbicide Trials: resistance and methods for control: Konrad Mathesius, UC Cooperative Extension

10:30   Warm-season legume cover crop between winter small grains: Michelle Leinfelder-Miles, UC Cooperative Extension (This project was supported by the California Climate Investments program.)

10:45   Using Nitrogen Rich Reference Zones to Guide Wheat Topdress Decisions in the Sacramento Valley: Sarah Light, UC Cooperative Extension

10:55   Yield and Protein Stability for Wheat and Triticale Varieties Grown under N and Terminal Drought Stress: Mark Lundy, UC Cooperative Extension

11:05   Updates on UC Statewide Small Grain Trials: Seasonal conditions, pests and diseases, nitrogen management, and extension efforts: Mark Lundy, UC Cooperative Extension

11:15   Comments from breeders with entries in UC Statewide Small Grain Trials

11:30   UC Statewide Small Grain Trial Observations

11:50   Return for lunch

12:00 BBQ Lunch: Many thanks to the California Crop Improvement Association for the complimentary lunch!

12:30 - 4:00: Alfalfa/Forages Program

12:40   Welcome and Introductions: Dan Putnam, UC Cooperative Extension/UC Davis

12:45   Depart for field tour

12:55   Managing Alfalfa in a Wet Year- What are the Diseases? How to Keep your Fields Healthy:  Rachael Long, UC Cooperative Extension

1:10     IPM and Managing for Weevil Resistance in Alfalfa: Ian Grettenberger, UC Davis

1:25     Evaluation of N Stabilizers in Corn: Michelle Leinfelder-Miles, UC Cooperative Extension

1:40     Forage Sorghum as a Summer Option: Controlling Sugarcane Aphid in Sorghum/Sudangrass: Nick Clark, UC Cooperative Extension

1:55     Innovations in Overhead Irrigation – How that might improve Water Use Efficiency: Isaya Kisekka, UC Davis 

2:10     Fun with Drones –Detecting Pest and Diagnosing Problems with Aerial Photography: Umair Gull, UC Davis 

2:25     Controlling Difficult Weeds in Alfalfa: Lynn Sosnoskie, UC Cooperative Extension

2:50     Alternative Crops Research: Kura Clover, Switchgrass, Hemp: Dan Putnam, UC Davis

3:05     Reduced Lignin Alfalfa Varieties and Interactions with Harvest Scheduling: Brenda Perez, UC Davis

3:20     Analyzing Alfalfa Varieties for Pest Resistance (Nematodes, Insects, Diseases) and other characteristics: Dan Putnam, UC Davis

3:35     Alfalfa and Tall Fescue Breeding Programs at UC Davis: Charlie Brummer, UC Davis

3:50     Test your Weed ID IQ: Weed Identification: Brad Hanson, UC Davis

4:15     Return to Headquarters