- Author: Chris M. Webb
On Friday, April 22 from 8 a.m. to noon Oleg Daugovish will host Fumigants and fumigant alternatives, an educational outreach event. Both regulatory and research updates will be featured.
Scheduled topics include:
- New permit and fumigation requirements
- Soil Fumigation Federal Labeling
- California Strawberry Commission update on regulatory issues pertaining to the industry
- Alternative fumigants and emission reduction technologies
- Anaerobic soil disinfestation in Ventura County
- Evaluation of sustainable strawberry production systems for California
- Combinations of steam with solarization or mustard meal in Macrophomina phaseolina infested buffer zone
- CSC-sponsored research on raised bed trough substrate
Continuing education credits (including laws and regulations) have been requested from DPR. Additional details can be found here. There is no cost to attend.
If you require special arrangements, translation into Spanish or have further questions, please contact Oleg Daugovish at (805) 645-1454 or by email.
- Author: Chris M. Webb
Looking for an environmentally safe way to control soilborne pests? Solarization is a nonchemical method that can be successfully used to kill weeds, pathogens, nematodes and insects.
This process heats the soil to temperatures that are too high for the undesirable organisms to live. It also has the potential to improve soil structure, increasing the potential for healthy plants. Faster growing plants as well as higher and better quality yields are associated with solarized soil.
Another benefit of this method of soil preparation is that it can be used by home gardeners, landscape professionals, natural resource restoration projects and in production agriculture.
More information can be found in UC ANR’s Soil Solarization for Gardens and Landscapes pest note or for a more in-depth view and closely related subjects, please visit UC’s Solarization Informational Website.
Illustration by W. Suckow showing solarization steps.
- Author: Chris M. Webb
Ventura County Cooperative Extension Farm Advisor Oleg Daugovish and collaborators recently held an alternative fumigants update meeting for local growers and stakeholders. Part of the meeting was devoted to alternative fumigants and emission reduction technologies data collection.
Much work is being done to asses tarp permeability of commercial films used in fumigation. In an effort to maximize fumigant effectiveness while reducing emissions, researchers are documenting changes in film properties under a variety of cultural practices as well as in various soil and environmental conditions.
This presentation has been archived on this page of our website with sound.
- Author: Chris M. Webb
On September 1 from 7:30 am – 12:30 pm, Cooperative Extension Farm Advisor Oleg Daugovish will hold the 9th annual strawberry production meeting in Ventura County.
The meeting will be presented in English with simultaneous interpretation into Spanish. There is no cost to attend. Scheduled topics include:
- Strawberry varieties and production
- Plant collapse
- Biology and management
- Results from 2009-2010 field trials
- Strawberry establishment with drip irrigation
- Regulatory update
- Weed control
- Fungicide evaluations
- Lygus bug, vinegar fly and mite control
Lunch will be provided. Details can be found here. To register, request special arrangements, or to ask questions please contact Oleg by email or by phone at (805) 645-1454 by August 20.
- Author: Chris M. Webb
Steam has been used successfully to disinfest soil in greenhouse production since the 1880’s. The steam heats the soil enough to kill weeds, pathogens, nematodes and more.
Steam can be just as beneficial in the field, but can be slow and expensive. The old method is simply extremely inefficient; however, new methods and equipment are being developed to improve speed and cost and reduce energy consumption.
Why the interest in steam? Steam is a flexible non-fumigant option for growers who are producing crops in which fumigants are commonly applied. At this time steam systems appear most practical in: organic fields, buffer zones, and in areas with high fumigant demands.
A group of UC scientists are testing an assortment of soil disinfestation techniques, looking for the best combination of effectiveness and reasonable cost including combining steam and solarization or by using solarization alone.
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 has been archived on our website with sound.