Volume 1 Issue 8

August 2025

The RECap

A newsletter from South Coast Research and Extension Center

and UC Cooperative Extension Orange County

Summer is still going strong, but fall is just around the corner and our pumpkins, pictured above, are getting ready for our annual U-pick event on October 11!

With many schools starting up in the last few weeks, things are really picking back up at South Coast REC. Our programs are wrapping up summer activities and getting ready for the fall, with more field trips than ever before scheduled to come to the REC. We are proud to feature updates from a couple of programs as well as a TON of event announcements, including a controlled environment agriculture workshop, a coffee workshop, and our annual Open House event. Make sure to check them out below!

Sincerely,

Lindsey Pedroncelli, Ph.D., Interim Director of South Coast REC

and

Rita Clemons, Director of UCCE Orange County

P.S. If you do not wish to receive this newsletter in the future, please unsubscribe at the bottom of this email.

Research Spotlight

Results from a study conducted at South Coast REC from 2018 to 2021 were recently published in the journal Plant Disease. This study evaluated the role of soil moisture in disease development and management of Macrophomina charcoal rot on strawberries, a soilborne fungal disease that is causing major problems for strawberry growers throughout California and other growing regions. This work was conducted by South Coast REC Director, Dr. Lindsey Pedroncelli, who was a graduate student at the time, as well as Dr. Alexander Putman, Assistant Cooperative Extension Specialist and Plant Pathologist at UC Riverside, and Andre Biscaro, Irrigation and Water Resources Advisor with UCCE Ventura County. The researchers found that disease severity and mortality caused by Macrophomina Charcoal Rot was significantly higher among plants subjected to low soil moisture, indicating that strawberry growers should be very careful with keeping the soil moisture at an optimal level when this pathogen is present in their fields.

For more information about the study and results, contact Dr. Pedroncelli at Lrpedroncelli@ucanr.edu

The United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, along with the University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources, the California Agricultural Experiment Station, the Organic Seed Alliance, the University of Guelph, and Washington State University recently released a few new carrot varieties that were developed through studies conducted at several research centers including UC ANR's South Coast REC, Desert REC, and Kearney REC. These varieties have resistance to Root Knot Nematode Meloidogyne incognita and cavity spot caused by Pythium species.

This is an exciting development for carrot growers, who will now have a new tool to use in the fight against these diseases.

More information about some of the UC ANR carrot trials can be found in this presentation, and information about the new releases should be available on the USDA website soon. If you have any questions, reach out to Lindsey Pedroncelli at Lrpedroncelli@ucanr.edu

Event Recap

4-H Youth Development Program

The Orange County 4-H Youth Development Program had an amazing Open House event last weekend. Over 200 visitors, including many new families, which we hope will become 4-H members this Fall, spent time at South Coast REC. Attendees had the opportunity to learn more about what 4-H has to offer and enjoyed tram tours guided by UC Master Gardener volunteers Mark LaMorte & Laura Holly – another great collaboration between programs!

This week they kicked off the new year for the Home School Project, too! "We are so grateful to have the spaces at SCREC to host events like this," says Program Coordinator, Rita Jakel.

Check out the photos below to see more of what Orange County 4-H was up to this past summer:

Enrollment is open!

2025-2026 OC 4-H enrollment is open! All adults and youth are welcome to join! Use this link to access enrollment instructions:

Find enrollment instructions here

Join the Book Drive!

Join OC 4-H in our Fall Community Service Project: 1000 New Books Drive for CHOC Hospital Little Library, which provides books to patients and their families during their hospital stay. Until November 16, drop off NEW BOOKS ONLY in the box in Building 103 at South Coast REC.

Thanks for your support of these families in need!

Pro Tips

Tips, tricks, and advice from our program experts

Urban Watershed Resilience: Permeable Pavements

🌍 Permeable Pavements: Smarter Stormwater Solutions

Daniel Gonzalez, Dr. Esther Lofton & Dr. Erik Porse

Traditional pavements like concrete and asphalt have been essential in building Southern California—supporting transportation, housing, and economic growth. Yet, these same surfaces also contribute to flooding, pollution, and heat.

Permeable pavements—such as porous asphalt, pavers, and turf blocks—offer the same durability and functionality while letting rain soak into the ground. The result: less runoff, cleaner water, recharged groundwater, cooler neighborhoods, and safer communities.

From the Riverside County Flood Control District’s campus installations to Los Angeles’ Elmer Avenue Retrofit and UC Irvine’s green infrastructure projects, case studies across the region prove that permeable pavements work—delivering measurable benefits for water security, community safety, and climate resilience.

✅ They’re proven.

✅ They work.

✅ They make cities safer and more resilient.

📢 As we continue to build and grow, let’s make our driveways, streets, and parking lots part of the solution.

👉 Read more in our blog and follow us on Instagram, TikTok and X to join the conversation on building water-smart, resilient cities.

🌍 Pavimentos Permeables: Soluciones Inteligentes para el Manejo de Aguas Pluviales

Daniel González II, Dra. Esther Lofton y Dr. Erik Porse

El concreto y el asfalto han sido clave para el crecimiento del Sur de California, pero también aumentan las inundaciones, la contaminación y el calor.

Los pavimentos permeables—como asfalto poroso, adoquines y bloques con pasto—ofrecen la misma resistencia, pero dejan que el agua de lluvia se filtre al suelo. El resultado: menos escurrimiento, agua más limpia, barrios más frescos y comunidades más seguras.

Desde el Distrito de Control de Inundaciones de Riverside, hasta Elmer Avenue en Los Ángeles y proyectos en UC Irvine, los ejemplos locales muestran que funcionan.

✅ Probados.

✅ Efectivos.

✅ Resilientes.

📢 Llamado a la Acción:

Al seguir construyendo nuestras ciudades, hagamos que entradas, calles y estacionamientos sean parte de la solución.

👉 Lee más en nuestro blog y síguenos en Instagram, TikTok, y X para unirte a la conversación sobre cómo construir ciudades inteligentes con el agua y resilientes.

Upcoming Events

October 11, 2025 is our annual Urban Ag & Gardening Expo with our Pumpkin U-pick!

Watch the recap of last year's open house below.

Activities include:

A tractor tour of the research center
A pumpkin u-pick (pending harvest availability)
Presentations from our expert researchers
Hands-on demonstrations from our program leaders
Prizes and giveaways

RSVP Here

Interested in becoming a UC Master Gardener?

Orange County will be conducting its next volunteer training program beginning in late 2025 and continuing through mid-May 2026. Master Gardeners are volunteers who extend research-based knowledge and information on home horticulture, pest management, and sustainable landscape practices to the residents of California.

On September 4, 2025, join us either in person at 10:00am or on Zoom at 6:00pm for an information session!

Learn more about becoming a UC Master Gardener