Salinas Valley Agriculture

    Lettuce Verticillium wilt, caused by the soilborne fungus Verticillium dahliae, continues to threaten lettuce production in the Salinas Valley. Symptoms of Verticillium wilt include lower leaf yellowing, wilting, and eventual plant collapse, which typically develop near crop maturity (Figure 1)…

There will be an upcoming Spanish Language Online Workshop on the Private Applicator Certificate hosted by the UC ANR Small Farms Network on May 13. Registration details in English and Spanish are provided below.  Upcoming workshop in SpanishTopic: How to prepare for the Private Applicator…

The growing season has started with a spike in nitrogen fertilizer prices which are much higher than last year, and the highest since 2022.  Although nitrogen fertilizer still represents a small portion of the total expense of growing vegetables, avoiding unnecessary fertilizer applications can lower…

In collaboration with the Resource Conservation Service of Santa Cruz County we will have an in-person training on the CropManage online irrigation and nutrient management decision support tool at the UC Cooperative Extension Office in Watsonville (500 West Ridge Dr, Watsonville CA) on March 27 from 10:30 to…

 Carrie Brown joined UC Cooperative Extension in February 2026 as the Environmental Horticulture and Controlled Environment Agriculture Advisor serving Santa Cruz, Monterey, San Mateo, and San Benito Counties. Based in Watsonville, she is developing an applied research and extension program to support…