Agriculture

It was heaven in the bee haven. As temperatures climbed into the seventies last Saturday, honey bees foraged in the California native plant, Brandegee's sage (Salvia brandegeei). and pollinated the almond blossoms. It seemed like spring.

After almost 6 weeks without a substantial rainstorm, there is finally some precipitation starting to appear in the 10-day forecast for the Sacramento Valley. The lack of rain thus far has made it difficult to proceed with N fertilizer topdress applications in non-irrigated wheat fields this season.

Last year about this time, I posted a blog regarding an ongoing trial investigating various herbicides for Pre-emergent Control of Medusahead. I wanted to follow up on that trial which I deemed unsuccessful and share some of the data collected in 2017.

USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue held a town hall at World Ag Expo in Tulare on Feb. 13 to listen to suggestions for the upcoming Farm Bill. VP Glenda Humiston was among those present for the discussion.

They set out to answer the question: "How many wild bee species do we need to pollinate our crops?" The answer: "Not nearly enough bees are available for crop pollination.

In a study that highlights the role of bee diversity in crop pollination, researchers found that growers may benefit from 10 times the number of bee species than previously thought to pollinate their crops, according to a paper published Feb.

Hedgerows enhance wildlife abundance and diversity around farmland without contributing to food safety problems in field crops, according to a new study published by a team of University of California researchers.

Italian ryegrass (Lolium perenne spp. Multiflorum), is an annual grass common in Sacramento Valley orchard and field crops (Figure 1).

What better day to deliver a seminar on bumble bees than on Valentine's Day?

Spring doesn't "spring" on the University of California, Davis campus. Sometimes it skitters, scampers and scoots. That's in between the cool and warm temperatures that deceive us--and the bees.