Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources

Bug Squad BlogBy Kathy Keatley Garvey When the Bohart Museum of Entomology erected its pop-up tent on the Briggs Hall lawn during the recent campuswide UC Davis Picnic Day, insects popped up.They included walking sticks (stick insects) and a few specimens from the Bohart Museum's global collection of…

This year, with high input costs and low rice prices, a lot of growers are testing their soil to determine if they need to apply P and K fertilizer.  I have received a number of calls this week asking about interpreting their soil P test for rice soils. I have recommended using the Olsen-P test (or a…

 Bug Squad BlogBy Kathy Keatley GarveyThere she was,  a mining bee (genus Andrena) sunning herself on a Passiflora (passionflower vine). She did not notice me.Such a tiny bee, about the size of a grain of rice. It's a solitary ground-nesting bee known as "an early spring bee" and it lives only a…

Vice President Glenda Humiston announces the launch of the new UC ANR Policy Institute. This institute will be transformative in delivering the UC ANR mission by increasing science-based communications and community engagement to inform policy decisions and implementation. The new UC ANR Policy Institute…

By Carmen Kappos Inyo-Mono Master Gardener Volunteer While the words soil and dirt are often used interchangeably there are differences between them. Recently, Dustin Blakey, our local UCCE Farm Advisor, gave a talk called “Preparing Garden Soil on the East Side.” During this discussion Dustin…

Blog article by Brenda AltmanOne overlooked feature of John F Kennedy Library in Vallejo is the free garden seed station. It is located on the wall just before the restrooms.  Anyone can take seeds for their own use. Seeds are donated by library patrons and the Seed Barn.  The seeds are separated…

Bug Squad BlogBy Kathy Keatley GarveyFlameskimmers bring great joy.Today we saw our first dragonfly of the season in our Vacaville garden.  The flameskimmer, a female Libellula saturata, perched on a stick and allowed me to take a few images. It was just a couple of weeks ago that I reviewed a book…

UC scientists are working with growers in Tehama, Butte, Lake, Amador, Contra Costa, Stanislaus and Yolo counties to test a new way of measuring the irrigation needs of walnut trees. Shackel and team think this new method will allow growers to use less water by not irrigating early in the season, and trees…

Blog article by Karen Metz, UC Master GardenerMany of us have plants in our gardens or yards that remind us of people or places.  Sometimes trees or shrubs are planted to honor the birth of a child, a milestone birthday, or in memory of a loved one.  We might have plants that we have grown from…

 Bug Squad BlogBy Kathy Keatley GarveyUC Davis doctoral alumna Fiona Goggin, professor of entomology and plant pathology at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, will return to UC Davis on Monday, April 21 to deliver a lecture hosted by the UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology.Professor…

California Avocado Growers Seminars Series 2025 Our Next SeminarApril 16 (1 -3 PM)  Water Knowledge isPower KnowledgeIn-Person and Zoom Topics and Speakers Sources of ET information and their ReliabilityBy Ali Montazar - UCCE Irrigation Advisor, Imperial/San Diego/ Riverside counties…

 UC Master Gardeners are making a difference by combining their expertise in horticulture with a strong focus on climate readiness in their communities. Through innovative climate literacy and soil education, these dedicated volunteers work together with residents to empower them with the knowledge and…

Scientists decode citrus greening resistance and develop AI-assisted treatmentPeeChinese Academy of Sciences HeadquartersYE JianInstitute of Microbiologyjianye@im.ac.cn Cell: 86-10-64807363 image: Decode natural resistance against citrus greening disease and Develop AI-designed disease…

Blog by Erin Mahaney, UC Master Gardener As a gardener, one of the charms of visiting zoos is not only seeing the animals, but the zoo plantings as well.  Even now that the children are grown, we have continued our family tradition of visiting a local zoo on the last day of a big trip when everyone…

Nature’s plan for delaying pest resistance decipheredA new study cracks the code for increasing sustainability of the pest-killing proteins in genetically engineered crops.University of ArizonaElena LopezUniversity of Arizonapelopez@arizona.edu Cell: 5203428712 Farmers in dozens of countries have…

In the wild areas on our planet, trees, bushes, and grasses grow on ground that has continual additions of new layers of dead and dying plant matter. Leaves fall from trees and shrubs, grasses dry in the summer: these materials cover the soil and gradually decompose. No Till gardening takes its cue from…

 Bug Squad BlogBy Kathy Keatley GarveySwing that net! Catch that butterfly!The Bohart Museum of Entomology at UC Davis encouraged people of all ages to show their skills at netting a butterfly replica on the Briggs Hall lawn last Saturday during the 111th annual campuswide UC Davis Picnic Day.The Bohart…

Blog by Michelle Schlegel, UC Master GardenersWalking through my garden gate, I am greeted by a happily blooming African Daisy. I bought it last year and planted it in the raised bed circle surrounding a Strawberry tree. It was hard to choose which African Daisy to buy, as they come in such an amazing…

Calibration might sound intimidating, but it’s critical for safe and effective herbicide application. Proper calibration ensures that the correct amount of pesticide is applied to an area while achieving the desired level of pest control. To support land managers and pesticide applicators, the UC Statewide…