- Author: Michael Hsu
Wet winter, El Niño create favorable conditions for aerial Phytophthora pathogen
With heavy rains in the forecast amid strengthening El Niño conditions, almond growers should be on the lookout for a rare disease that can cause severe damage to their orchards, according to Florent Trouillas, a University of California Cooperative Extension specialist in fruit and nut pathology.
Phytophthora, soilborne microorganisms dubbed “water molds” because of their dependence on water, typically...
/h3>- Author: Michael Hsu
QFF quarantine in LA, Ventura counties among seven fruit fly quarantines statewide
Residents in multiple Southern California and Northern California counties should not move homegrown fruits and vegetables from their properties to help contain several species of fruit fly that can destroy crops and impact the livelihoods of local farmers.
With sharing and gifting of food integral to the holiday season, the California...
/h3>- Author: Houston Wilson
- Author: Jhalendra Rijal
- Author: David Haviland
Crop sanitation will be key to controlling the invasive carpophilus beetle
Growers and pest control advisers (PCAs) should be on the lookout for a new pest called carpophilus beetle (Carpophilus truncatus). This pest was recently found infesting almonds and pistachios in the San Joaquin Valley, and is recognized as one of the top two pests of almond production in Australia. Damage occurs when adults and larvae feed directly on the kernel, causing reductions in both yield and quality.
Populations of carpophilus beetle were first detected in September in almond and pistachio orchards by University of California Cooperative Extension Specialist
/h3>- Author: Pamela Kan-Rice
UC, The Organic Center, University of Rhode Island partner on $3.5m food-safety study for organic produce growers
Grazing sheep and other livestock can help convert cover crops to fertilizer for orchard crops. To develop best management practices, the University of California and The Organic Center are collaborating on research to help organic orchard growers safely incorporate livestock grazing into their farming practices. The project is funded by a $2 million grant recently awarded through the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Organic Agriculture Research and Extension Initiative research program.
Interest in grazing livestock...
/h3>- Author: Pamela Kan-Rice
Residents urged to check their citrus trees for Asian citrus psyllid
An insect carrying the huanglongbing bacteria, a pathogen that kills citrus trees, has been found on a residential citrus tree in Ventura County, according to the California Citrus Pest & Disease Prevention Program.
“This really is a devastating find,” said Ben Faber, UC Cooperative Extension subtropical crops advisor for Ventura and Santa Barbara counties. “It means that Asian citrus psyllid that is infected with the HLB bacteria is...
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