Pest Management & Plant Health

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Terry's garden.
The Stanislaus Sprout: Article

Gardening is Not for the Timid

July 16, 2020
By Anne E Schellman
When I began gardening, many moons ago, I had no idea what I was getting myself into. I had this idealized picture in my head of what gardening was all about. A picture of a smiling woman, straw hat on her head, garden trowel in hand, a cute little apron tied around her waist.
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Figure 1. A healthy backyard lawn. (Credit: C Reynolds)
Pests in the Urban Landscape: Article

Lawn Problems: Diseases Are Not Always To Blame

July 16, 2020
By Janet S Hartin
Your customers want their lawns to be beautiful and functional (Figure 1) but dead patches or other problems sometimes occur. Figuring out the cause of turfgrass damage can be a challenge since many plant pathogens affect grasses as well as numerous abiotic (non-living) disorders.
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Laying plastic with a tractor for soil solarization
UC Weed Science (weed control, management, ecology, and minutia): Article

The Heat is On: Soil Solarization

July 15, 2020
By Margaret G Lloyd
From the Small and Organic Farm Advisor Blog ************** The Heat is On: Soil Solarization The days are long and the temperatures are high. This is a great time to solarize the soil in the Central Valley as a way to manage annual weeds and improve the growth of fall crops.
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Vegetable Meeting Agenda Jul20
Salinas Valley Agriculture: Article

UCCE Online Vegetable Production Meeting on the Central Coast

July 14, 2020
Upcoming online meeting on July 30th 2020 from 8:30am to 12pm. Register for this ZOOM event at: https://ucanr.edu/survey/survey.cfm?surveynumber=30593 You will receive the ZOOM link for the meeting by email after the registration. Agenda for this meeting is below.
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Figure 1. Disinfecting wipes contain different pesticide ingredients such as the ammonia compound shown here.
Pests in the Urban Landscape: Article

Using Disinfectants and Sanitizers Safely

July 14, 2020
By Karey Windbiel-Rojas, Belinda Messenger-Sikes
In order to stay healthy and keep our spaces clean during the COVID-19 pandemic, many people are using disinfectants and sanitizers more than they may have before.
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The Western striped cucumber beetle, Acalymma trivittatum, is the primary focus of Jasmin Ramirez Bonilla of the Ian Grettenberger lab. (Photo by Jasmin Ramirez Bonilla)
Entomology & Nematology News: Article

Jasmin Ramirez Bonilla's Target: Cucumber Beetles

July 10, 2020
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
If you like melons, you won't like these beetles. But if you're Jasmin Ramirez Bonilla, a UC Davis graduate student in entomology, you're seeking to control these agricultural pests through more effective integrated pest management (IPM) strategies.
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Johnsongrass, Sorghum halepense
UC Weed Science (weed control, management, ecology, and minutia): Article

Johnsongrass in organics: Mow it?

July 9, 2020
By Margaret G Lloyd
From the Small and Organic Farm Advisor Blog Johnsongrass in organics: Mow it? Yes, mow it! Mowing works to at least prevent seed spread and regular mowing will weaken rhizomes. Seed establishment has the greatest potential for the establishment and spread of johnsongrass and must be prevented.
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The 2018 UC team, comprised of UC Davis and UC Berkeley graduate students, won the national Linnaean Games championship. From left are graduate students Zachary Griebenow and Brendon Boudinot of UC Davis, captain Ralph Washington Jr. of UC Berkeley (he received his bachelor's degree in entomology from UC Davis) and Emily Bick of UC Davis. (ESA Photo)
Bug Squad: Article

The Entomology Games: Righting a Wrong Name

July 8, 2020
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
The governing board of the 7000-member Entomological Society of America (ESA) announced July 6 that it has changed the name of the student trivia contest from "Linnaean Games" to "Entomology Games." And rightfully so.
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