Ongoing research

Stormwater and Sediment Management in Plasticulture Tunnels 13 June, Wednesday 8:30 AM-NOON At UC Hansen Agricultural Center at Santa Paula (from hwy 126 exit Briggs, the entrance gate is ~1000 ft on the left on Briggs road) 8:30 Registration, (interpretation into Spanish provided for the program).

The Legislature is still working out the details of the state budget, which is due June 15, but UC is poised to get a major funding boost that will help enroll thousands of additional state students and eliminate the need for tuition increases in the coming school year.

UC ANR Statewide IPM Program, Writer/Editor, (530) 750-1237 Spring is in full swing and summer is right around the corner. If you work in agricultural, turf, landscape, or structural settings, you are probably at your busiest.

Hannah Kahl and Tobias Mueller, research staff for Dr. Bodil Cass and Dr. Jay Rosenheim in the Entomology Department of UC Davis are conducting experiments in the laboratory and orchards at Lindcove Research and Extension Center.

A recent call about the poor control of marestail (horseweed, Conyza canadensis) to glyphosate (Roundup) wasn't surprising, but that paraquat didnt do the trick was. It turns out that there is multiple resistance to the materials.

Advice for the Home Gardener from the Help Desk of the UC Master Gardener Program of Contra Costa County Client's Request: I have a Crape Myrtle bush/tree that is about 15 years old. The last 4 to 5 years it starts out with new growth in the spring with nice green leaves.

As part of our coverage of California Invasive Species Action Week, today we focus on a pair of invasive species that work together: an insect called the Asian citrus psyllid and the plant disease it can spread, huanglongbing.

Several garbanzo fields in the Sacramento Valley were infected with alfalfa mosaic virus, a disease that's vectored by aphids. Plant symptoms of viral infections include yellowing wilting, stunting, and dieback.

This spring, we found a garbanzo bean field in the Sacramento Valley with fusarium root rot, identified by our new UCCE Plant Pathologist, Cassandra Swett at UC Davis. Fusarium root rot, caused by the fungus, Fusarium solani f. sp. ciceris, attacks the underground stems and roots of plants.

An Iris Primer, by Iris Craig My mother loved flowers: she named me Iris. Having a flower name has affected my life and perhaps led me to be a Master Gardener. When I purchased my house 40 years ago, friends arrived with iris rhizomes for my garden.