Agriculture

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cherimoya usda drawing
Topics in Subtropics: Article

Art of the USDA

November 20, 2024
By Ben A Faber
The USDA Pomological Watercolor Collection is one of the most unique collections in the Rare and Special Collections of the National Agricultural Library (NAL).
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Students from Fullerton Joint Union High School, including Andres Martinez (right), snack on lettuce grown in hydroponics at the South Coast REC. Photo by Saoimanu Sope.

South Coast REC program educates, trains future ag workforce

November 18, 2024
By Saoimanu Sope
Renowned for pioneering research that leads to exciting new crop varieties like the Luna avocado, the University of California South Coast Research and Extension Center (REC) in Irvine is also an important hub for agricultural education.
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scorched tree
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Figuring the Loss of Trees

November 18, 2024
By Ben A Faber
UC Davis Ag Econ Department has put together a set of crop loss calculators in Excel. They are generic, but also specific to lemon and avocado. If you have had damage from the recent fire, take a look at them.
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fire coming into orchard
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Fire in the Orchard

November 15, 2024
By Ben A Faber
The very fact that avocados can be grown in hard to get to places means that the trees are also in areas that are subject to wildfire damage. Recently several hundred acres of avocado burned in the Fillmore/Santa Paula foothills. The fire was fanned by high winds and low humidity.
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handfull of dirt
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The Soil Microbiome

November 14, 2024
By Ben A Faber
It promises to be an outstanding seminar. Andr Custodio Franco, assistant professor, Indiana University, Bloomington, will speak on "Deciphering the Soil Macrobiome: Belowground Communities Driving Ecosystem Responses to Global Change" at a seminar hosted Monday, Nov.
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Seven people in an unplanted field collect data.

Extreme weather accelerates nitrate pollution in groundwater

November 13, 2024
By Pamela S Kan-Rice
Extreme weather spurred by climate change, including droughts and heavy rains, may increase the risk of nitrates from fertilizers ending up in groundwater, according to a recent study from researchers at the University of California, Davis.
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frost satsuma irrigation
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Irrigation in a Freeze

November 13, 2024
By Ben A Faber
Confronted with approaching freezing conditions a grower has several options to mitigate the potential cold damage. There are foliar sprays like copper that can reduce the incidence and need to be applied several weeks in advance of cold.
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Honey bee nectaring on tower of jewels, Echium wilpretii. This is a non-native, but isn't it pretty? The California Master Beekeeper Program is offering a class on "Planning Year-Round Native Plant Pollinator Garden" on Nov. 17. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Bug Squad: Article

CAMBP Classes on Pollinator Gardens and Apiary Technology

November 12, 2024
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
Like to learn about planning a year-round native pollinator garden or about technology in the apiary? The California Master Beekeeper Program (CAMBP) has announced its last two classes of 2024. One is a three-hour course, Planning Year-Round Native Plant Pollinator Garden from 9 a.m.
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