Calag Archive

San Joaquin Valley cotton growers can expect reliable performance with high levels of yield and quality from Acala 4–42 cotton planting seed, regardless of seed stock source and location during the four years of seed multiplication—or the valley location from which the final planting seed comes. These studies involved seed stock from six sources and locations as well as four different test site locations for the final steps of seed multiplication.

Leaf analysis standards for macroelements of orange trees in California can be expected to differ when 4- to 6-month-old leaves are taken from nonfruiting or fruiting terminals. These conclusions are based on a recent study of 22 representative orange orchards extending from the Mexican border to Ivanhoe, California.

Leaf analysis standards for macroelements of orange trees in California can be expected to differ when 4- to 6-month-old leaves are taken from nonfruiting or fruiting terminals. These conclusions are based on a recent study of 22 representative orange orchards extending from the Mexican border to Ivanhoe, California.

Safflower plants are particularly susceptible to damage due to flower thrips feeding, according to investigations started in 1961. Observations of plants and fields indicated that many young buds of safflower planted from early to mid season were turning bronze in color and were showing blast damage. This damage to the developing buds had previously been attributed entirely to lygus bugs, but much of this injury occurred early in May and prior to the onset of high lygus populations in the Davis area.

Sugar yields from sugar beets planted at Davis on May 2 last year averaged 50 to 90 per cent higher than yields from plantings made in March. The date of planting study linked the yield differences with unusually heavy aphid flights resulting in high levels of infection by a complex of viruses in the early planted beets. By mid-May, aphid flights had dropped to low levels and the later planted beets were relatively free of viruses.

In addition to the usual boron excess symptoms, observed for many years in California, deficiency symptoms have been identified in Yolo County almond orchards in recent years. Shoots and branches die back, nuts become gummy and drop or leaves scorch and curl up at the tips. The condition may be corrected, however, with either soil or spray applications of materials containing boron.

Types of safflower from India which produce an oil with low iodine value (80-90) differ by a single gene from those grown commercially, where the iodine value is about 140. The oil with low iodine value actually resembles olive oil, and would be unsuitable in the manufacture of paints and other coatings. Also, for present uses of safflower in food products, the iodine value should be high.

Continuing demands of stockmen and feed dealers for improved methods of handling hay have stimulated interest in hay pelleting and wafering machines. Handling problems in California are further complicated by the need to transport hay long distances from areas of production to consumption. Pelleting or wafering is intended to package hay in a dense, free-flowing form that can be handled, transported, and stored in bulk. Pelleted hay (made from ground hay) has the best density and handling characteristics, but lacks the coarse roughage considered necessary for dairy cows. Watered hay (produced without grinding) contains sufficient roughage to overcome this objection.

Bartlett cuttings rooted best in recent tests to obtain own-rooted trees of commercial pear varieties, and the new USDA varieties—Magness, Moonglow and Dawn—were intermediate. Anjou rated last, with results not very successful regardless of rooting medium or environment.

Safflower, a crop of increasing importance in California, develops the deepest root system of any annual crop yet investigated by the Department of Irrigation. Under favorable soil conditions, mature plants can completely exhaust the available soil moisture to a depth of 10 feet and can utilize most of the available moisture to a depth of 12 feet (the greatest depth sampled). There is little difference in root development in present commercial varieties.

Full supplementation by free-choice feeding of rolled or ground barley to cattle on irrigated pastures brought them to acceptable slaughter condition within a 120 to 150 day feeding period in recent trials at Davis. Other factors also considered essential to the program included plenty of water nearby; a stocking rate of 5 to 7 head per acre or at least double the normal rate without supplement feeding; rotation of pastures to keep forage palatable and to facilitate irrigation; implanting each animal with 30 mg of diethylstilbesterol; and careful control of internal parasites.

The results of the research on containers for vegetable seed show that, in order to maintain the vigor and germination that the seed possessed at harvest, it is necessary to dry the seed and package it in moisture-resistant containers. Completely satisfactory containers are tin cans, pouches of aluminum foil laminated to polyester or polyethylene, or pouches of powdered aluminum in polyester. Containers almost as satisfactory and adequate for most storage conditions are aluminum laminated paper bags, thick polyethylene bags, and asphalt laminated paper bags.

A pilot injection of tritiated water has been made into the groundwater in a study of the groundwater and surface hydrology of foothill areas in the Sierra Nevada in Placer County. Results from the initial trials confirm the movement of groundwater in the jointed rock formations as predicted from groundwater contour maps. The movement and subsequent detection of the tritiated water over distances of hundreds of feet indicates that the joint system is well connected.