It's 2022 and the California Weed Science Society was back in person at the Hyatt in Sacramento!

It was touch and go leading up to the conference, but after it started everything seemed to go off without a hitch. There were lots of good exhibitors and a great lineup of speakers to listen to.

My favorite part of the conference is the student presenters. This year we had a great turnout, with 5 graduate students participating in the oral contest, and 12 students in the poster contest (10 graduate, and 2 undergraduate).

Pic1: Picture of many of the student posters presented at the conference

All of the students did an excellent job, making the final decisions by the judges quite difficult! Two independent judging panels compiled scores and delivered prizes. Below is a list of the Winners!!

Undergraduate Poster Contest Winner

First Place: Jennifer Valdez Herrera presented- Potential of Roller-Crimper Technology for Weed Suppression in Annual Crops. (Fresno State)

Graduate Poster Contest Winners

First Place: Wenzhuo Wu-The Comparative Flower development of Palmer Amaranth: Male vs. Female (Davis)

Second Place: Sarah Marsh- Weed Control and Rice Response to Pyraclonil, A New Broad-Spectrum Herbicide in California Rice (Davis)

Third Place: Aaron Becerra- Alvarez-Screening for Herbicide Resistant Weeds in California Rice Fields (Davis)

Pic2: Poster Contest Winners Left to Right- Wenzhuo Wu, Sarah Marsh, Aaron Becerra- Alvarez, and Jennifer Valdez Herrera

Graduate Paper/Oral Winners

First Place: Wenzhuo Wu-Sterile Pollen Technique as a Novel Weed Management Tool (Davis)

Second Place: Liberty Galvin-Pre-emergent Oxyfluorfen Application to Control Weedy Rice in California (Davis)

Third Place: Margaret Fernado-Impacts of Native and Introduced Cover Crops on Soil Health and Weed Populations in a Table Grape Vineyard of the San Joaquin Valley (Fresno State)

Pic 3: Paper Contest Winners Left to Right-Wenzhuo Wu, and Liberty Galvin. (Margaret Fernando gave a virtual presentation and is not pictured.)

I would like to thank all of the students who participated and attended the conference this year!

If you know any students in weed science keep your eye out for the upcoming CWSS Scholarship program, and encourage them to participate in the contest at next year's conference in Monterey!