- Author: Chris M. Webb
The Agricultural Water Enhancement Program (AWEP) is a relatively new USDA program. It is a voluntary conservation initiative which provides assistance, both technical and financial to agricultural producers with the goal of conserving surface and ground water and/or improving water quality.
Eligible partners enter into multi-year agreements with the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). Eligible partners include, but are not limited to:
- Federally-recognized Native American tribes
- states
- units of local government
- agricultural or silvicultural associations or other groups of such producers such as
- an irrigation association
- an agricultural land trust
- or other nongovernmental organization with experience working with agricultural producers.
Owners and operators engaged in livestock or agricultural production are eligible for the program. Eligible land includes cropland, rangeland, pasture, private non-industrial forestland, and other farm or ranch lands.
For fiscal year 2010, applicants will compete for their share of $73 million dollars set aside for this program. Details, including previously funded projects, can be found on the USDA NRCS website.
I’ll be out of the office on Wednesday, but will add a new post when I return on Thursday.
- Author: Chris M. Webb
The animals we commonly refer to as gophers, are actually named pocket gophers. They are named this because they come equipped with fur lined external pockets they use to carry food and or nesting material while they tunnel under gardens, agricultural fields, and open space.
We often receive calls for help from home gardeners battling pocket gopher problems. Did you know that the typical lifespan of these creatures are three years? They are well designed for burrowing, for instance they are able to put their lips behind their teeth allowing them to keep dirt out of their mouths while using their teeth to dig.
Even one gopher can do a lot of damage, and they can reach densities of 60 or more gopher per acre. In addition to eating plants, they also damage irrigation lines with their chewing. More water problems and loss of this resource can occur when water meant for irrigation is diverted through their tunnel systems.
They live alone, except when females are caring for young. In irrigated areas gophers can produce up to three litters a year. In non-irrigated areas, only one litter per year is produced. In those areas breeding takes place in late winter or early spring, so if you have gophers in this type of setting, now would be a great time to reduce current numbers.
The University of California Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources (UC ANR) has recently updated the free pocket gopher pest note publication. This publication will explain how to determine if you have gophers on your property. It also details several types of control methods. Additional free UC ANR pest notes and other related information can be found at the UC Davis IPM website.
Adult pocket gopher
- Author: Chris M. Webb
Even with the bit of rain we recently received, Southern California remains in drought condition. There is less water, and the water that remains is becoming increasingly more expensive. A collection of UC scientists have recently released a free publication titled, “Managing Turfgrasses during Drought. While this publication will certainly be helpful to home gardeners, it will be of great help to those responsible for maintaining large areas of turf.
- Benefits of turfgrass
- Reasons some grasses are more drought resistant than others
- Research being conducted to develop even more drought resistant varieties
- Difference between optimal, deficit and survival watering
- Using evapotraspiration CIMIS (see previous posts on CIMIS here) to make wise watering decisions
- Irrigation needs for different soil types
- How mowing height and frequency effect water use
- Fertilizer requirements and considerations
- Ways to avoid water runoff
- Irrigation systems and design tips
- Redesigning landscape features to make the most of your water.
- And more.
Links to additional resources and publications are available at the start of the download, and at the end of the publication.
- Author: Chris M. Webb
Topics in Subtropics is a quarterly newsletter – a combined effort of UC Cooperative Extension Farm Advisors (including Ventura County’s Dr. Ben Faber) throughout the state. It emphasizes issues, research and solutions of citrus and avocado, but will also discuss the minor subtropical species grown in our state.
The most recent volume contains the following articles:
- 'Valentine,' A Recently Released Anthocyanin-pigmented Pummelo Hybrid Developed at the University of California Riverside
- The University of California-Riverside Citrus Variety Collection and Citrus Clonal Protection Program Websites Provide Information, Photographs, Fruid Quality Data and More
- Water Infiltration Problems
- Attention San Joaquin Valley Citrus Growers: What Do You Plan to Do If It Comes For You?
You may subscribe for an online subscription to this and our other newsletters on our office website. Back issues from 2003 forward can also be viewed at the site.
- Author: Chris M. Webb
Ventura County UCCE Coastal Community Development Advisor, Monique Meyers is collaborating with fellow scientists to bring you the following presentation.
The University of California Sea Grant/Cooperative Extension programs and the California Coastal Commission are pleased to offer a basic educational presentation about land use, water quality and low-impact development (LID).
As representatives of the California Water and Land Use Partnership (CalWaLUP), we are members of the National NEMO (Nonpoint Education for Municipal Officials) Network and share the organization's goal to educate local decision makers about the link between land use and water resources. You may be aware of NEMO programs that exist in many other coastal states (http://nemonet.uconn.edu/). Every NEMO program has a different target audience. Our program focuses on land use planners and local elected officials.
The basic presentation is an hour long with an additional half hour for discussion. If you are interested in attending a presentation or hosting one at your facility, please contact Monique Myers, D.Env., at UC Cooperative Extension, nicmyers@ucdavis.edu, or Tracy Duffey at the Coastal Commission, tduffey@coastal.ca.gov.
Monique Myers