UC Ag Experts Talk Webinar Series

What Are the UC Ag Experts Talking About?

The UC Ag Experts webinar series consists of 1-hour long presentations, designed for growers and pest management professionals, highlighting various pest management and horticultural topics for crops grown in California. Master Gardeners can benefit from participating, but the pest management methods presented, especially the pesticides, are not to be followed without a clear understanding of their legal use by home residents.

During each session, a UC Expert on the subject makes a presentation and entertains write-in questions via Q&A during and/or after the presentation. All webinars are recorded and posted to our YouTube playlist.

Upcoming UC Ag Experts Webinars

Invasive Weed Species Miniseries 

August 5, 2026 (3 to 4 pm) -  Invasive Weeds Management in Intermountain NorCal

• Thomas Getts, University of California Cooperative Extension Weed Ecology and Cropping Systems Advisor (Lassen, Modoc, Sierra, and Plumas Counties), will describe the biology, impacts, and control of some of the more common and damaging invasive weed species in the intermountain region of California. An IPM outline will be utilized starting out with information about the pest, followed by what physical, biological, and chemical control methods can be utilized. Species covered will include but may not be limited to: Cheatgrass, Medusahead, Perennial Pepperweed, Scotch thistle, Dyers Woad, Common crupina, and Mediterranean sage. Register Now

August 12, 2026 (3 to 4 pm) - Management of Ludwigia decurrens in California

• Dr. Whitney Brim- Deforest, University of California Cooperative Extension Rice and Wild Rice Advisor (Sutter-Yuba Counties), Master Gardener Advisor, and UC Integrated Pest Management Program Affiliate, will focus on the history of Ludwigia decurrens (winged primrose willow) in California, as well as the mapping efforts and current distribution of the weed. She will also cover the current research trials and latest recommendations for control in both rice systems and aquatic systems. Register Now

August 19, 2026 (3 to 4 pm) - Invasive Weed Management in SoCal — Invasive Annual Grasses, Mustards, Perennial Grasses, and Stinknet

• Dr. Chris McDonald, University of California Cooperative Extension Inland and Desert Natural Resources Advisor, will cover the biology, spread, and management of several common weeds in Southern California, including invasive annual grasses, mustards, and difficult to control landscape weeds such as perennial grasses. It will also cover early detection and rapid response for new or uncommon weeds in Southern California, using stinknet as an example. Register Now

   

Fall UC Ag Experts Webinars

September 16, 2026 (3 to 4 pm) -  Using Trichoderma Biocontrols to Manage Soil Fungal Pathogens and Productivity for Vegetables

• Dr. Zheng Wang, University of California Cooperative Extension in Stanislaus County, will cover information on effective use of Trichoderma-containing biofungicides for preventative measurements toward soil fungal pathogens mainly in processing tomatoes and watermelons. It will also cover trial results on the actual field evaluation of Trichoderma biofungicides in these two vegetable crops. Focused diseases are mainly fusarium stem rot and decline (FRD) on tomato and charcoal rot on watermelons. Register Now

October 7, 2026 (3 to 4 pm) - Understanding Citrus Scale Pests – Identifying the Similarities and Differences that Drive IPM Success

• Dr. Sandipa Gautam, Area Citrus IPM Advisor, UC Statewide IPM Program, UC ANR, will provide an overview of commonly encountered citrus scale pests in the San Joaquin Valley, with a focus on California red scale, citricola scale, and cottony cushion scale. She will discuss the similarities and key differences among these pests that influence monitoring, treatment timing, and overall IPM strategies. In addition, the presentation will highlight recent research advances aimed at improving scale management and provide practical recommendations for effective, sustainable control programs in citrus. Register Now

November 4, 2026 (3 to 4 pm) - Augmentative Biological Control for Spider Mites in Dates 

• Dr. Bodil Cass, Department of Entomology, University of California Riverside, will discuss spider mite control in dates. More details to come... Register Now

Are there Continuing Education units?

When the subject discusses pest or disease management, continuing education units (CEU) will be requested from DPR (1 unit per session) and when relevant also Certified Crop Adviser (CCA) and International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) continuing education units. To qualify for the CEU make sure to

• register separately with your own email address and log in from your own device
• participate in the entire hour session
• complete and pass a final test with 70% or higher; if not passed, the test can be retaken

If you are connecting by smartphone and need CEUs, be sure that you are using the zoom app (Android, iPhone) so that you have access to the presentation and we can track your presence in the webinar.

Certificates of completion will be emailed within one week to those who meet those requirements above. Continuing education units are awarded only to the participants who attend the live version of the webinar.

Who is involved in the UC Ag Experts webinar series?

This webinar series is brought to you by the UC Statewide Integrated Pest Management Program with the technical support of Petr Kosina (UC IPM Content Development Supervisor) and Cheryl Reynolds (UC IPM Interactive Learning Developer). Subscribe to our mailing list.

UC Ag Experts Talk webinars are partially supported by National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Crop Protection and Pest Management Extension Implementation Program.