Calag Archive

Supervised control of field crop insect pests was first developed on the northwest side of the San Joaquin Valley. For three years it has been in successful operation in connection with the control of the alfalfa caterpillar, and has been expanded to the control of other pests on alfalfa and to pests of cotton. Supervised control has not been developed for such crops as deciduous and citrus fruits or truck crops. It has its possibilities on other crops but the necessary entomological information either has not been developed or has not been tested for a local supervised control district.

Many apricot orchards in the Santa Clara Valley have been severely attacked by the codling moth for a number of years. The losses in wormy fruit at harvest have frequently been as high as 30% to 50% of the crop. The attempts of some growers at control were usually unsatisfactory and at their request the Division of Entomology and Parasitology at Berkeley started a field investigation of the problem in the spring of 1948.

Wireworms in lima bean fields often cause extensive losses regardless of the amount of seed planted.

Plant breeders developing disease resistant plants by using the sciences of genetics and cytology together may obtain genes controlling disease resistance from hybrids between species—if this is necessary.

Oleanders planted along the side of a citrus orchard—toward the prevailing midday winds—can serve as insectaries for the production of the African parasite, Metaphycus helvolus, a natural enemy of black scale introduced into California in 1937 by the University of California.

Making soil acid—acidification—by adding acid to the irrigation water has been advocated as a means of controlling potato scab; for neutralizing highly alkaline soils; the reclamation of saline soils; and the improvement of penetrability of water into the soil.

Within the limit of a grape vine's capacity to bear fruit, the date of ripening is determined mainly by heat and can not be hastened by a reduction in crop.

The experiments with evaporative coolers were conducted by Professor V. S. Asmundson of Poultry Husbandry, Davis, and J. R. Taver- netti, Associate Agricultural Engineer in the Experiment Station, Davis.

Color is an important quality characteristic of canning tomatoes.

Recent irrigated pasture cost studies conducted in Butte, Colusa, Sacramento, San Joaquin, and Yolo counties revealed wide variations.

Breeders of horses often are disappointed at the small percentage of live foals they obtain from breeding mares.