- Author: Chris M. Webb
Mustard is often used as a cover crop in Ventura County. There are many benefits to using this plant in fields including:
- Excellent weed competitors
- Taproot breaks soil compaction
- Abundant, fast-degrading biomass
- Drought tolerance
- Supports bees and natural enemies
- Contains allelochemicals
These allelochemical compounds in mustard are similar to those found in fumigants. Current research shows it is possible to use this green biomass to prepare fields for production.
A presentation of this research was recently given by Ventura County Cooperative Extension Farm Advisor Oleg Daugovish. This presentation has been archived on our website with sound.
- Author: Chris M. Webb
Anaerobic soil disinfestation is being developed as an ecological alternative to methyl bromide.
It controls a range of soilborne pathogens and nematodes across a range of crops including: onion, tomatoes, strawberries, eggplant, spinach and peppers.
Farm Advisor Oleg Daugovish and collaborators recently held an alternative fumigants update meeting at the Ventura County Cooperative Extension office. Part of the meeting was devoted to anaerobic soil disinfestation.
The presentation has been archived on our website with sound. You may find this presentation and many others on this page of our website.
- Author: Chris M. Webb
In Belgium, raising greenhouse strawberries in substrate (soil-less culture) is quite successful. Several California researchers are looking for ways to adjust this process for outdoor strawberry production in our state.
“Why?,” might be the question on many minds. The advantages of growing in substrate are: minimal plant diseases and weeds, and therefore no need to fumigate.
The researchers on this project are collaborators of Farm Advisor Oleg Daugovish. A presentation of the study was given at a recent fumigants update meeting at the Ventura County Cooperative Extension office. This presentation, which is also a great example of set-up, design, and overcoming problems encountered during research, has been archived on this page of our website with sound.
- Author: Chris M. Webb
Ventura County Cooperative Extension will be hosting a strawberry research update seminar on Friday, May 7, 2010 from 8am-noon at our office. The program is in English with simultaneous translation into Spanish available upon request. There is no cost to attend, but to ensure your participation please contact Oleg Daugovish.
Topics to be covered include:
- Latest regulations for fumigant use.
- Alternative fumigants and emission reduction technologies.
- Raised bed trough substrate systems.
- Soil disinfestation with steam or hot gas.
- Anaerobic soil disinfestation.
- Biofumigational potential of mustards.
- California Strawberry Commission update pertaining to fumigant regulations.
Further information can be found here.
- Author: Chris M. Webb
Ventura County UCCE Staff Research Associate Maren Mochizuki shares current research which hopes to provide an organic method to kill plant pathogens and weed seeds in production agriculture.
Synthetic chemicals to fumigate soil have been used in some production agricultural systems, to kill plant pathogens and weed seed before planting crops. Here in Ventura County, this is a common practice for strawberry production. Joji Muramoto, Associate Researcher at UC Santa Cruz and Oleg Daugovish, Ventura County UCCE Farm Advisor and Maren Mochizuki, Ventura County UCCE Staff Research Associate are investigating an organic method to treat soil before planting by creating anaerobic, or oxygen-free, conditions. Most organisms, including plant pathogens, cannot survive without oxygen.
We incorporated rice bran from the Central Valley into the soil as a carbon source to trigger microbial activity. To test the applicability within a strawberry production system, we created planting beds topped with plastic mulch. The beds needed to be well-sealed to ensure no air leaks that could add oxygen. Using drip irrigation, we added sufficient water to the beds to fill all soil pores, further pushing out any air/oxygen. Each day we monitor the soil environment with sensors measuring soil water content, temperature, and the level of anaerobic conditions and add more water as needed. At the end of three weeks, we will evaluate the survival of a significant plant pathogen, Verticillium dahliae.
ASD Sensors
ASD beds