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Invasive Pest Quarantines in Ventura County
Invasive species can be destructive pests in Ventura's regional crops. Learn about the recent pests discovered by the California Department of Food & Agriculture (CDFA) and how they impact growers and the public. This class will cover the ecology and life history of pests such as Queensland Fruit Fly and Asian Citrus Psyllid. You will learn about the recent quarantines enacted and what you can do as home gardeners to help mitigate the spread of these pests. Taught by Hamutahl Cohen, PhD, Entomology Advisor, UCCE Ventura on January 11, 2024 at 6:00 PM. Click here to register...
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The 2024 California Plant and Soil Conference will be held February 6th-7th in Fresno. The conference is organized by the California Chapter of the American Society of Agronomy and UC Cooperative Extension to promote human welfare through advising the acquisition and dissemination of scientific knowledge concerning the nature, use, improvement, and interrelationship of plants, soil, and the environment. The annual conference provides an opportunity for students, professionals, and other attendees to increase their knowledge of current topics of agronomic importance in California. Many Certified Crop Advisers and Pest Control Advisers attend the conference to earn continuing education units that are important to their professional standing. To learn more & to register...
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New UC Study Estimates Raspberry Production Costs on Central Coast
Authors: Mark Bolda, Laura Tourte, Jeremy Murdock, & Brittney Goodrich
A new study that estimates costs and potential returns for growing raspberries on the Central Coast is available for free from UC Agriculture and Natural Resources, UC Cooperative Extension and the UC Davis Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics.
"These studies provide growers with a baseline to estimate their own costs, which can help when applying for production loans, projecting labor costs, securing market arrangements, or understanding costs associated with water and nutrient management and regulatory programs," said Brittney Goodrich, UC Cooperative Extension specialist and study co-author. Continue reading & to view the study...
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Climate Corner
Authors: Jill Sarick
Urban Tree Canopy Contributes to Livable Communities
A collaborative study titled "Climate Ready Trees," involving researchers from UC Davis, UC Agriculture and Nature Resources (UC ANR), and the U.S. Forest Service, looks at tree species selected for their drought tolerance, low potential for root damage, and the benefits of tree canopy for urban landscapes. Continue reading here...
Green Living Tip of the Month:
Climate change can feel a bit overwhelming, making it hard to know what one person can do. You do not need to be a scientist or an activist to make a difference. Discover simple and low-cost ways to reduce your environmental impact with rebates, tips, and more...
Six Books on Climate Change to Inspire Action
The old saying, knowledge is power, rings true for increasing personal resilience in the face of changing climate conditions. These books inspire action to address some of the most pressing environmental issues of our time. Click here for the list...
Photo: "Red Push" Pistache Tree by Jim Downer
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Authors: Ben Faber
Plants, therefore avocados, go through different growth stages, so called phenological stages. Regular periods where they grow and differentiate from seed to various vegetative stages, flowering and finally seed production. Avocados have a preset pattern of phenology that occurs depending on variety and where it is grown, driven by light, temperature, water availability and often by different stresses, such as cold, heat, and heavy or light crop load. Continue reading here...
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Tips For Planting Avocado Trees: Move Fast & Break Things
Author: Ben Faber
And live to regret it when it comes to planting a tree. Bring out that power auger and dig a hole and slam that tree in the ground and move on to the next planting hole. If it's rocky soil, with good drainage, the trees may look like this two years later. Alive, but some are much bigger than others. In a loamy, heavier soil with more normal drainage, they would most likely be DEAD. Continue reading here....
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Author: Ben Faber
Most commonly we associate the malformed fruit we see in lemons to citrus bud mite. But it can also occur on other varieties of citrus in Southern California, including in this case to tangelos. If there's enough fruit to bite into, it's still edible. Citrus bud mite is very small, elongated and somewhat tapered at the posterior end, and has four legs at the front end near the mouth. Read more here...
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Did California’s Ag Overtime Law Help Farmworkers?
Author: Ria DeBiase
Proponents of California's agricultural overtime law, AB 1066, have called it a victory for farmworkers, while critics have asserted that it will harm the very people it was designed to protect. New research by Alexandra Hill, UC Cooperative Extension specialist and assistant professor in UC Berkeley's Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics, shows that, on average, there has been a decrease in worker hours and wages. Her estimates suggest that in the first two years of its implementation, California's farmworkers worked a total of 15,000 to 45,000 fewer hours and earned a total of $6 million to $9 million less on their weekly paychecks than they would have without this law in place. To learn more...
Photo: Gregory Urquiaga, UC Davis
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Eye on the Environment: Landmark decision changes the future of composting in Ventura County
Author: David Goldstein
Two weeks ago, Agromin, the organics recycling arm of Harrison Industries, won the maximum possible $10 million award in a competitive grant process offered through the California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery, CalRecycle. The funds will energize a major leap forward for recycling in Ventura County, partially funding development of a commercial-scale composting operation on the Limoneira Farm near Santa Paula. The project at Limoneira received a Conditional Use Permit from the Ventura County Board of Supervisors in February 2022, but the approved plan for the site, and conditions of the permit, include massive new infrastructure, requiring time and money to build. Continue reading....
Photo: VC Reporter Website
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