I am pleased to announce the following meetings and webinars.

1. The Rice Experiment Station (RES) Annual Field Day will takes place next Wednesday, August 25, 2021 from 7:30am to 12:00pm, followed by lunch. The RES is located at 955 Butte City Highway (Hwy. 162), approximately two and one half miles west of Highway 99, north of Biggs, California. The field day is an opportunity to learn about the research being done at the RES, including variety development. It is sponsored by the California Cooperative Rice Research Foundation (CCRRF) and University of California (UC). For more information, please visit the RES website. 

2. Farmers' Rice Cooperative and Wetlands Preservation Foundation will host a Delta Rice Field Day next Thursday, August 26, 2021 from 8:30am to 1:45pm. The event will start at Canal Ranch (23011 Blossom Road, Thornton, CA 95686), followed by a bus tour of nearby Delta rice production. I will be present to answer questions about my rice research and extension program, including the Delta variety trial, armyworm monitoring, herbicide trials, and weedy rice outreach. Space is limited, so please see this flyer to reserve space.

3. The UC Dry Bean Field Day will take place on Tuesday, August 31, 2021 from 9:00am to 11:30am. The field day will begin at Honey Bee Haven, Bee Biology Road, on the UC Davis campus. Due to Covid-19 safety precautions, preregistration for this event is required. There is no registration fee. I invite you to view the agenda and register here. CCA continuing education credits (2.0) are available (0.5 of NM; 0.5 of PM; 1.0 of CM).

4. The UC Alfalfa and Forage Field Day will take place on Thursday, September 23, 2021 from 8:00am to 12:15pm, followed by lunch. The field day will take place at the Kearney Research and Extension Center, 9240 S. Riverbend Ave., Parlier, CA 93648. Due to Covid-19 safety precautions, preregistration for this event is required. There is no registration fee. I invite you to view the agenda and register here. We have applied for DPR, CCA, and N management (ILRP program) continuing education credits.

5. The Vertebrate Pest Council is hosting vertebrate pest webinars on September 28 (field rodents), September 29 (use of rodenticides), and September 30 (managing commensal rodents). The webinars run from 8:00am to 10:00am each day, and registration is required. Please see this flyer for more information.

Finally, the Covid-19 pandemic is a fluid situation. At this time, I plan to hold an in-person field meeting at the Delta field corn variety trial, as I have done in the past. The date is TBD but will take place in late-September or early-October. I will send a separate blog announcement when the date has been set. 

Thank you for your interest in our programs. Stay healthy, and hope to see you soon at one of these events.

Happy New Year! Here are two opportunities for virtual continuing education.

1. The California Plant and Soil Conference will be held virtually February 1-3, 2021, and registration is now open. Please see the website for more information and to register. The conference includes sessions on:

• Covid-19 Impacts on Agriculture
• Automation in Agriculture
• Remote Sensing
• Irrigation Optimization
• Nutrient Management
• Cover Cropping
• Evaluation of Biological Inputs
• Practical Indicators of Soil Health
• Pest Management

We have applied for DPR pesticide licensing credits (Other: 2.75), CCA credits (Total 12.75; Categories: Nutrient Management: 3.5, Soil & Water Management: 3.0, Integrated Pest Management: 2.0, Crop Management: 3.5, Professional Development: 0.75), and Nitrogen Management credits (5) to help growers fulfill their Irrigated Lands Regulatory Program requirement. These credits have not yet been approved and are subject to change.

2. The UCCE Rice Grower Meeting will also be held virtually on February 11, 2021 from 9am to noon. Registration is now open, and a full agenda is available from the registration page. There will be presentations on the following topics:

• Ag Commissioner Update
• Weed Management
• Disease Management
• Arthropod Management
• Bird and Salmon Projects Update
• Emerging Weed Issues
• Fertility Update
• Roxy Rice and Variety Update

We have applied for DPR pesticide licensing credits (Other: 1.25, L&R: 0.5) and CCA credits (Total: 2.5; Categories: Pest Management: 1.5, Crop Management: 1.0). These credits have not yet been approved and are subject to change.

Please don't hesitate to reach out with questions on either of these events, and we hope to see you there!

As the Covid-19 pandemic persists, and as government mandates and University recommendations maintain that we should social distance, I have come to the conclusion NOT to hold the annual SJC and Delta Field Crops Meeting in January. Instead, I am working with colleagues to deliver virtual continuing education early in the new year:

The California Plant and Soil Conference will be held virtually February 1-3, 2021, and registration is now open. Please see the website for more information and to register. We have applied for DPR pesticide licensing credits (2.75), CCA credits (12.75), and Nitrogen Management credits (5) to help growers fulfill their Irrigated Lands Regulatory Program requirement. These credits have not yet been approved and are subject to change.

The UCCE Rice Grower Meeting will also be held virtually on February 11, 2021. This meeting is still being developed, and I will post more information once registration is open. In the meantime, please save the date!

Please don't hesitate to reach out to me if you have questions regarding these events. I hope that the pandemic has not severely impacted you or those close to you, and I wish you safe, healthy, and happy holidays.

Here are a few announcements from UC Cooperative Extension. Please don't hesitate to reach out to me with any questions.

1. UC Cooperative Extension in San Joaquin and Stanislaus counties is partnering with the American Farmland Trust (AFT) to connect women landowners with resources, information, and a network. Women for the Land is an AFT program that began in the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic states, providing women landowners with information for land conservation. The meeting details are below, and documents are attached at the bottom of this post. Please share the flyer with interested women in our region!

• Tuesday, March 26, 2019. 1:00-4:00pm. Cabral Agricultural Center, 2101 E. Earhart Ave., Stockton, CA 95206. To register, visit: farmland.org/SanJoaquinCountyLearningCircle or call 916-448-1064.
• Wednesday, March 27, 2019. 1:00-4:00pm. Stanislaus County Agricultural Center, 3022 Service Rd., Modesto, CA 95358. To register, visit: farmland.org/StanislausCountyLearningCircle or call 916-448-1064.

2. UC Cooperative Extension is hosting two Weed Science field days in the San Joaquin Valley. Event details are below, and flyers are attached at the bottom of this post. The events are free, but space is limited, and registration is required by calling the UCCE Merced County office at 209-385-7403. Pesticide applicator continuing education credits are available at each event (3.5 units).

• Tuesday, April 2 2019. 8:00am-12:15pm. Kearney Agricultural Research and Extension Center, 9240 South Riverbend Road, Parlier CA 93648
• Thursday, April 11, 2019. 8:00am-12:15pm. Westside Research and Extension Center, 17353 West Oakland Avenue, Five Points, CA 93624

3. The UC Pest Management Guidelines for dry beans have been updated. The guidelines provide information on 19 insect pests, 18 diseases, 6 abiotic disorders, nematodes, and weeds, including a new table of registered herbicides and timings for dry beans.