Calag Archive

The Umbelliferous Crops that are grown in California include carrots, celery, and parsley. Carrots are grown on about 23,000 acres. Weed control costs for carrots are about $30 per acre and losses are estimated at $7.50 per acre for a total loss of $860,000 per year to California growers. Most, of the estimated cost of weed control in carrots comes from the use of selective aromatic oil and hand hoeing.

Acala Imperial, released in 1967, provides southern California growers with a cotton variety capable of producing high yields of a high-quality fiber that is in demand by domestic textile mills. Commercial sales in the fall of 1967 verified this market demand: Acala Imperial brought growers a premium of 5F to 7F per pound more than the Deltapine Smooth Leaf variety from the same area.

Pacific flatheaded borer may be controlled on established deciduous fruit and nut trees with a preventive dieldrin spray when the application is made before eggs are deposited in the spring. However, this treatment is an expensive substitute for good cultural practices to keep the trees in healthy vigor and free from sunburn.

The decision to introduce these new walnut varieties and the selection of names was made before the untimely death of E. F. Serr, who was in charge of the walnut breeding program in the Department of Pomology at Davis up to the time of his retirement in 1965. Assisted by H. I. Forde, Serr planned the crosses and made the selections. After his retirement, Serr continued evaluating the most promising selections coming from this work and in early December 1967 suggested that these ten be introduced. Their excellent performance to date has stimulated an interest by the walnut industry and justifies naming and introducing them at this time. Introduction of the varieties is additionally appropriate during celebration of the University's centennial year since the varieties in themselves are another illustration of the contributions made by the University and its Agricultural Experiment Station during 100 years of service to the state and agriculture. All of the names chosen for the selections are those proposed by Mr. Serr, except for selection 59–129. The suggestion was made to the Department of Pomology by members of the walnut industry that one of the varieties be named for Mr. Serr in recognition of his service to the University and to the fruit and nut industries in the state—the walnut industry in particular. His colleagues in the Department readily concurred in this suggestion and chose the name, Serr, for selection 59–129. The text of the article introducing these varieties was essentially prepared by Serr when he submitted data requesting approval of the names and the introduction of the varieties.

Synovex-H has consistently stimulated daily gain and improved feed efficiency of feedlot heifers. However, this hormone does not inhibit the estrus cycle in heifers (which is responsible for excessive animal activity restricting feedlot performance during periods of hot weather). Melengestrol acetate (MGA), a new, synthetic high-potency hormone compound had previously been reported to increase feeding performance when added to the daily ration—and in the two tests reported here, also effectively controlled estrus. Both MGA and Synovex-H significantly increased daily gain and improved feed efficiency over the control animals. The MGA-fed heifers shrank less in transit than either the Synovex-H or control groups, although dressing percentage was about the same for all groups. Tenderness and fat content of rib and bottom round steak were not affected. The size of the rib eye from the MGA-fed heifers was slightly smaller than from the control or Synovex-H groups.

Ground water recharge through water spreading was studied in the channel ot the Santa Ana River, Orange County, where riverbed gravels are apparently an outcrop of the Talbert formation. In sections of the channel where water was ponded, the intake values were reduced to approximately 2% of the intake in a section of the channel where the water was flowing, and which had no surface sediments. The average intake rate of the entire spreading area was about 1.2 acre-feet per day. The intake of the pond was 0.088 acre-feet per day per acre, and the intake of the channel with flowing water was 5.9 acre-feet per day.

Observations made possible by excavating with a tractor-mounted back-hoc in the Stanislaus area of the San Joaquin Valley indicate that perhaps 10% of the vineyards and orchards are located on nonproductive areas of compacted soil. As much as 25% of the alfalfa acreage is productive for only one to two years because of compaction and poor water penetration.