Agriculture

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The gold-winning video "Diagnosing Herbicide Injury" includes several interactive features to make it more engaging and entertaining, and to help viewers remember the information.
UC Weed Science (weed control, management, ecology, and minutia): Article

Video based on Al-Khatib, Hanson course wins Gold Award

August 7, 2022
By Gale Perez
A cartoon character that looks suspiciously like a Department of Plant Sciences professor leads an animated, online tutorial that recently won a 2022 Gold Award from the Association for Communication Excellence.
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A leafcutter bee, Megachile spp., rests on a leaf of milkweed, Asclepias fascicularis, in a Vacaville, Calif. garden. Both are natives. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Bug Squad: Article

Ever See a Leafcutter Bee Sunning Itself on a Milkweed Leaf?

August 5, 2022
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
Well, that's something you don't see every day: a leafcutter bee sunning itself on a milkweed leaf. The narrowleafed milkweed, Asclepias fascicularis, beckons monarch butterflies (the host plant), aphids, praying mantids and assorted other insects, but once in a while, you'll see a leafcutter bee.
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Eduardo Blumwald (right) and Akhilesh Yadav pose in a greenhouse with rice
Food Blog: Article

Growing cereal crops with less fertilizer

August 5, 2022
By Michael Hsu
Researchers at the University of California, Davis, have found a way to reduce the amount of nitrogen fertilizers needed to grow cereal crops. The discovery could save farmers in the United States billions of dollars annually in fertilizer costs while also benefiting the environment.
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honey bee in avocado
Topics in Subtropics: Article

Will it Harm Bees?

August 5, 2022
By Ben A Faber
Steve Lundeberg CORVALLIS, Ore. Researchers in the Oregon State University College of Engineering have harnessed the power of artificial intelligence to help protect bees from pesticides.
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Figure 1. Ligule and auricle on a rice plant. Watergrass species do not have ligules and auricles.
UC Weed Science (weed control, management, ecology, and minutia): Article

Weedy Rice Scouting and Reporting 2022

August 4, 2022
By Whitney B Brim-Deforest
It is getting close to the time we need to scout for weedy rice. Our team will be scouting known infested fields that are planted to rice this year. Troy Clark, our Rice Junior Specialist, will be starting in the next few weeks, and will be reaching out to growers and PCA's.
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Wide angle shot of a western spotted cucumber beetle, Diabrotica undecimpunctata, chewing a hole in a petal of a Mexican sunflower, Tithonia rotundifola. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Bug Squad: Article

Spotted Cucumber Beetles: They Know How to Hit the Spot

August 4, 2022
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
Western spotted cucumber beetles know how to hit the spot. Make that "multiple spots." These beetles, Diabrotica undecimpunctata, are agricultural pests that feed on roots, seedlings, flowers and foliage. And they can transmit diseases.
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Tom Willey receiving SWCS recognition in Denver CO 2022
Conservation Agriculture: Article

CASI honored with SWCS 2022 Conservation Innovation Award - August 2, 2022

August 4, 2022
By Jeffrey P Mitchell
CASI honored with SWCS 2022 Conservation Innovation Award - August 2, 2022 August 4, 2022 California's Conservation Agriculture Systems Innovation (CASI) Center was recognized as the recipient of the 2022 Conservation Innovation Award by the Soil and Water Conservation Society at their Annual Confer...
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pixie cluster
Topics in Subtropics: Article

Ojai Pixies?

August 3, 2022
By Ben A Faber
Lisa Morehouse https://www.kqed.org/news/11919000/ojais-famous-pixie-tangerine-struggles-to-survive-wildfires-and-a-hot-real-estate-market On his organic orchard in Ojai in May 2022, Jim Churchill picks the last of the season's Pixies.
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avocado rootstock
Topics in Subtropics: Article

Avocado Varieties and Rootstocks

August 2, 2022
By Ben A Faber
August 17 (1-3 PM) Live Seminar and Hybrid Zoom Topic Speakers: Mary Lu Arpaia - UC Riverside Extension Specialist/Plant Breeder Avocado Varieties: Current status and crystal ball gazing towards the future Consuelo Fernandez - Brokaw Nursery R&D Manager Performance of Commercially Available Rootstoc...
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fire-foundry
Blog Verde: Article

Fired up for the future

August 2, 2022
By Basilisa M Rawleigh
As another potentially devastating wildfire season begins, California is facing a shortage of wildland firefighters.
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