- Author: Cris L. Johnson
The Entomology Association of Southern California will be holding a quarterly meeting at the Los Angeles Arboretum. These meetings address a variety of entomological related subjects relevant to local and state pest issues and are a great way to meet and share information with other individuals who are interested in this area of science.
Presentations for this meeting will cover:
- California's invasive slugs, future threats & some novel approaches for their control
- Asian Citrus Psyllid research at California Polytechnic University
- County Reports
- Natural history and IPM practices for use against an atypical stink bug, the Bagrada bug
- GIS database of land gastropods of California - native and not
This association has an annual membership fee of $45. Memberships cover annual registration for all four quarterly meetings in December, March, June and September.
If you are interested in attending:
Date: March 4, 2014
Time: 8:15 am - 3:00 am (presentations start at 9:00 am
Location:
Los Angeles Arboretum
301 North Baldwin Ave.
Arcadia, CA
Contact: Dr. Jim Downer, 805-645-1458 or ajdowner@ucanr.edu
See here for the agenda.
- Author: Cris L. Johnson
Support the agricultural community with the "Ventura Spray Safe" event. The Farm Bureau of Ventura County is seeking support for this event designed to educate agriculture industry workers and the general public about safe pesticide spraying practices.
While attendance is free of charge it also relies on donations to ensure its continuance. If you are interested in attending or contributing...
When: Thursday, March 6, 2014
Where: Ventura County Fairgrounds, Agriculture Building
Cost: No cost to attend, but contributions welcome
Contact: Brian Benchwick, 805-432-1182
Why: To promote practices to decrease pesticide-exposure incidents for sprayers.
For more details please see here.
- Author: Cris L. Johnson
The event was sponsored by the Santa Barbara County Flower and Nursery Growers Association and included a barbeque lunch as part of the registration fees.
The workshop was designed to assist greenhouse and nursery growers evaluate their water quality management practices (BMPs) and implement an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Program. Information was provided to assist growers in conducting a self-audit of current water quality management practices, developing a farm water quality plan and implementing an IPM program to reduce impacts on water quality.
UC and ANR manuals and resources were used to supplement the presentations. Continuous education credits were also requested for participants.
For more information please visit the AG Water Quality Program webpage or view the workshop PowerPoint presentation here.
- Author: Chris M. Webb
Many weed species commonly found in California can be found on the UC IPM website. The site is designed for easy identification.
The identification process is separated by type of weed – broadleaf, grass, sedge, and aquatic. Each of these sections includes: tutorials, high quality photos at multiple life stages, common and scientific names, and recommend management practices.
Resources for home gardeners and agricultural producers are available.
We also have our own website with all the local weeds that was compiled by Susan Latham, UCCE Master Gardener.
- Author: Chris M. Webb
Strawberry production growers face many challenges. One such challenge is strawberry anthracnose, which is caused by Colletotrichum acutatum. This plant pathogen is often undetectable on transplants purchased from nurseries for the planting season, but can become very destructive after transplanted into the field.
UCCE’s Oleg Daugovish and collaborators researched this disease and how to best reduce risk and loss. The researchers studied irrigation systems effects on fruit yields, canopy size, and crown tissue infection to determine best management practices.
Their research has recently been published in the American Society for Horticultural Science Journal. You may view the abstract at this site. The full text may also be viewed by following a link on the abstract page. The full article may also be viewed in the UC Cooperative Extension, Ventura County office.