9335 Hazard Way
Suite 201
San Diego, CA 92123
5303043738
gspinelli@ucanr.edu
Links
Biography
Gerry's Website: https://ucanr.edu/sites/floriculturenursery/
Gerardo (Gerry) Spinelli is the new Production Horticulture Advisor serving the Nursery and Floriculture industry in San Diego. Gerry conducts applied research, extension, and education to improve viability and profitability of the Nursery and Floriculture industry, while conserving natural resources and complying with regulations. The Nursery and Floriculture industry in San Diego county is the first in California for volume of sales and the second in the US.
Gerry’s primary interests are irrigation management and water quality. These themes are a primary concern for growers given the high cost of water and the pressure from local and state water quality regulators. Nitrogen management is another of the advisor’s interests, given its strong relation to water management and its importance in the environmental impact of horticultural industry.
Pests, particularly invasive ones are another pressing issue for the industry. With the large volumes of ornamentals moving in and out from other states (primarily Florida and Hawaii), San Diego is particularly exposed to this threat.
Gerry is also interested in other themes unique to San Diego county, including urban agriculture and horticulture in the rural-urban interface and food deserts in low-income areas. Local growers face issues urban development encroaching into rural areas increasing the cost of real estate and the competition for water.
Nursery and Floriculture growers in San Diego county have shown the great ability to quickly react to these forces and adapt production practices to keep the industry profitable. Gerry’s primary concern is to conduct a research and extension program that serves the industry in present and future challenges.
Education
Discipline
HorticultureSpecialty
Nurseries and FloricultureAreas of Expertise (click to see all ANR academics with this expertise)
- Ornamental Crops, Landscape and Turf
- Cut Flowers, Foliage and Greens
- Potted Plants
- Horticulture
- Conservation and Efficient Use of Water
- Soil, Plant, Water, Nutrient Relationships
Bibliography
Peer Reviewed
- Spinelli, Gerardo; Bonarrigo, A., et al. (2024). Evaluating the distribution uniformity of ten overhead sprinkler models used in container nurseries. Agricultural Water Management. Volume 303. October 2024. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378377424003779
Non-Peer Reviewed
- Spinelli, Gerry; Shogren, Chris (2024). A Simple Equation To Estimate Runoff In Sprinkler-Irrigated Container Nurseries. San Diego Cooperative Extension Summer 2024 Newsletter. July 2024. https://cesandiego.ucanr.edu/newsletters/Extension_Connection_Newsletter101988.pdf
- Spinelli, Gerry; Shogren, Chris (2024). Denitrifying Woodchip Bioreactors. San Diego Cooperative Extension Newsletter. April 2024. https://cesandiego.ucanr.edu/newsletters/Extension_Connection_Newsletter101044.pdf
- Singh, Hardeep; Spinelli, Gerry (2024). Drip irrigation calculations for a small farm/garden with bed and tree crops. UCCE Central Sierra Newsletter.
- Shogren, Chris; Spinelli, Gerry (2024). Evaluating the distribution uniformity of spray-stakes using pressure compensating emitters. HortScience Supplement - 2024 ASHS Presentation Abstracts. September 2024. https://journals.ashs.org/hortsci/view/journals/hortsci/59/9S/article-pS1.xml
- Spinelli, Gerry (2024). Five common mistakes with irrigation management in nurseries and greenhouses. UCNFA Fall 2024 Newsletter. October 2024.
- Spinelli, Gerry (2024). How to grow leafy greens in a 20-gal tub with the Kratky method. San Diego Master Gardener Spring 2024 Event. May 2024. https://ucanr.edu/sites/floriculturenursery/Hydroponics/
- Spinelli, Gerry (2024). Measuring Pressure, Distribution Uniformity and Improving Irrigation Management in Nurseries and Greenhouses. Western Region International Plant Propagator's Society 2024 Meeting Proceedings.R. Stewart. October 2024.
- Spinelli, Gerry; Volk, Emma, et al. (2024). pH Management in Liquid Feed for Nursery and Greenhouse Production. UCNFA Fall 2024 Newsletter. October 2024.
- Spinelli, Gerry; Shogren, Chris (2024). Pressure compensating emitters increase distribution uniformity of spray-stakes but may be cost prohibitive for nursery production. Nursery Management. November 2024.
- Spinelli, Gerry; Shogren, Chris (2024). Spray-stakes with pressure-compensating emitters for nursery production: cost and water savings. San Diego Cooperative Extension Fall 2024 Newsletter. October 2024.
- Spinelli, Gerry; Shogren, Chris (2024). Water use and crop coefficients for outdoor nursery ornamentals in 15-gal containers. HortScience Supplement - 2024 ASHS Presentation Abstracts. September 2024. https://journals.ashs.org/hortsci/view/journals/hortsci/59/9S/hortsci.59.issue-9S.xml
- Spinelli, Gerardo; Middleton, Eric (2023). Can Predatory Mites Help As A Pest Management Strategy Against Agave and Aloe mite? San Diego Cooperative Extension Newsletter. https://cesandiego.ucanr.edu/newsletters/Extension_Connection_Newsletter96911.pdf
- Spinelli, Gerry (2023). Distribution uniformity of Multi-Stream Multi-Trajectory overhead sprinklers for outdoor container nurseries. HortScience Supplement - 2023 ASHS Presentation Abstracts. September 2023. https://journals.ashs.org/hortsci/view/journals/hortsci/58/9S/article-pS1.xml
- Spinelli, Gerry; Shogren, Chris (2023). How to estimate whether you are over-irrigating in nurseries: a quick-and-dirty method. San Diego Cooperative Extension Newsletter. November 2023. https://cesandiego.ucanr.edu/newsletters/Extension_Connection_Newsletter99961.pdf
- Middleton, Eric; Spinelli, Gerry (2023). Managing Agave Mites: What we know so far. The Adviser. California Association of Pest Control Advisers. https://capca.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/CAPCA_ADV_AUG-2023_LOW.pdf
- Spinelli, Gerardo; Pitton, Bruno J.L, et al. (2023). Water retention characteristic curves for substrate in containerized ornamental production. Nursery Management. https://www.nurserymag.com/article/moisture-retention-curve/
- Spinelli, Gerry; Shogren, Chris (2023). Why it is not as simple as changing the nozzles A common mistake with sprinkler irrigation in container nurseries. San Diego Grown Magazine. September 2023.
- Spinelli, Gerry; Johnson, Grant (2023). Why Pressure Drops as Water Flows in a Pipe and Other Irrigation Mysteries. San Diego Cooperative Extension Newsletter. August 2023. https://cesandiego.ucanr.edu/newsletters/Extension_Connection_Newsletter98783.pdf
- Middleton, Eric; Spinelli, Gerry (2022). Agave Mites: A Tiny Menace. San Diego Cooperative Extension Newsletter. December 2022. https://cesandiego.ucanr.edu/newsletters/Extension_Connection_Newsletter95629.pdf
- Spinelli, Gerry (2022). Evaluation of Sprinkler Heads for Use in Outdoor Container Nurseries. HortScience Supplement - 2022 ASHS Presentation Abstracts. August 2022. https://journals.ashs.org/hortsci/view/journals/hortsci/57/9S/hortsci.57.issue-9S.xml
- Spinelli, Gerardo; Pitton, Bruno J.L (2022). Fertilizer injectors and fertigation for nurseries and greenhouses. San Diego Cooperative Extension Newsletter. May 2022. https://cesandiego.ucanr.edu/newsletters/EC_Newsletter93908.pdf
- Spinelli, Gerry (2022). How to measure nitrate concentration in irrigation water. San Diego Grown Magazine. April 2022.
- Spinelli, Gerry; Pitton, Bruno J.L (2022). Measuring Irrigation System Distribution Uniformity. San Diego Cooperative Extension Newsletter. September 2022. https://cesandiego.ucanr.edu/newsletters/Extension_Connection_Newsletter94712.pdf
- Cahn, Michael; Lockhart, Thomas, et al. (2021). A new water treatment technology to reduce sediment and pesticides in agricultural runoff using polyacrylamide (PAM). Salinas Valley Agriculture Blog. January 2021.
- Cahn, Michael; Lockhart, Thomas, et al. (2021). Reducing Sediment & Pesticides in Ag Runoff. Vegetables West. March 2021.
ANR Workgroup Associations
- Floriculture and Nursery - Chair
- Irrigation Management - Member
- Landscape and Urban Horticulture - Member
- Native American Community Partnerships - Member
- Vegetable Crops - Member