Agriculture

Asian citrus psyllids transmit a disease that can ruin your oranges. Even worse, Argentine ants protect them in exchange for the psyllids' delicate ribbons of sugary poop, called honeydew. So, researchers are helping orange growers fight back with invisible lasers, ghastly wasps and more trickery.

In an experimental orchard a few miles west of the UC Davis campus, Thomas Gradziel plucked a nearly ripe nectarine from one of the trees. He whipped out a pocketknife and sliced off juicy chunks for Carlos Crisosto to taste.

A new one just came out, and you can read even more if you want by digging into 20 years of the archives. Read them here: https://ceventura.ucanr.

Sample costs to produce and harvest the following commodities are now complete: Romaine hearts Film wrapped iceberg lettuce Broccoli bunched 14's Broccoli crown cut The cost studies are now posted on-line at the UC Davis Cost Studies website (https://coststudies.ucdavis.edu/en/ ).

Why is soil texture important?

Folks in Georgia have more than Georgia on their minds. It's about this yellow-legged hornet detected in Savannah, Ga., the first live species of Vespa velutina reported in the United States.

This past year, 4-H, CalFresh Healthy Living, and the Master Gardener Program in Sutter has been collaborating together to serve youth and their families.

Summary note: This is a belated research update from herbicide trials (targeting Italian ryegrass) carried out in the winter of 2021-2022 in wheat fields in the Esparto area.

Beginning in 1913, University of California Cooperative Extension (UCCE) farm advisors have been located in every county of the state and have helped to shape agricultural practices through their work with local farmers, and the development of their communities through programs such as 4-H.

To accelerate adoption of climate-smart farming practices, the University of California Office of the President has awarded nearly $2 million to a team of UC Cooperative Extension scientists and community partners working on a network of farm demonstration sites.