Agriculture

Primary Image
rain gauge
Topics in Subtropics: Article

Winter Notes from an Organic Avocado Grower

February 20, 2024
By Ben A Faber
By Shawn Martin, organic grower and CA Avocado Society Board member It's never clear what winter will deliver to a coastal avocado grove on a steep slope, so the grower must be ready for whatever happens. And the main thing is rainfall. And Frost. And sometimes drought. And be ready for fire.
View Article
Primary Image
A feral honey bee colony (now gone) in Vacaville, Calif. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Bug Squad: Article

A Presidential Love of Bees: From 'Bee Houses' to 'Bee Trees'

February 19, 2024
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
Today, on Presidents' Day, let's buzz back in history to our first President and his love of honey bees. Picture this: George Washington (Feb. 22, 1732-Dec. 14, 1799) is eating hoecakes with honey, and adding honey to his tea, something that historians say he did every day.
View Article
Primary Image
avocado saeedling painting
Topics in Subtropics: Article

POM ology

February 16, 2024
By Ben A Faber
POM - Greek for "apples", but more generally "fruit" ology - the study of So pomology is the study of fruit trees. And how to describe them becomes important and pictures have been an important way of describing fruit. Worth a thousand words.
View Article
Primary Image
Deniz Inci, Ph.D. Candidate, Weed Science Program, Dept. of Plant Sciences, UC Davis
UC Weed Science (weed control, management, ecology, and minutia): Article

Deniz Inci, WSSA graduate student of the month

February 15, 2024
By Gale Perez
From the Weed Science Society of America (WSSA) Graduate Student Organization newsletter (Feb. 2024) * * * * * * Graduate Student of the Month Deniz Inci, Ph.D. Candidate with the Al-Khatib Lab at UC Davis, is the Weed Science Society of America (WSSA) graduate student of the month.
View Article
Primary Image
Climate Smart Agriculture
Climate Smart Agriculture: Article

Update on CDFA’s 2023 SWEEP Application

February 15, 2024
By Heather Montgomery
Many of you might know that the 2023 State Water Efficiency and Enhancement Program (SWEEP) has been placed on pause due to a deficit in the state budget. This pause will remain in effect until Governor Newsom releases his proposed budget later this summer.
View Article
Article

Thyme to Garden: Winter Issue

February 15, 2024
Home Gardeners Are Important Keepers Of Biodiversity Growing Succulents is Easy and Fun Fruit Tree Pruning Add a Splash of Citrus to Your Yard by Hillie Salo Unlike larger agricultural production systems, home gardens have high levels of species diversity, and these species differ from those found i...
View Article
Primary Image
Three lady beetles, aka ladybugs, form a Leaning Tower of Pisa on the UC Davis campus. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Bug Squad: Article

Lady Beetles, Unite!

February 14, 2024
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
That lady beetle, aka ladybug, that landed on the shoe of San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk just before the NFL championship game, apparently didn't show up at the Super Bowl. The 49'ers lost to the Kansas City Chiefs, but what a great battle it was.
View Article