Agriculture

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Zheng Wang crouches in a field of watermelon, talking with growers
Food Blog: Article

Less water, more watermelon: Grafting can help growers yield more

August 19, 2022
By Michael Hsu
As growers across California navigate severe drought, supply-chain challenges and rising inflation, reducing inputs has become an existential necessity. And for watermelon growers, a new twist on a thousands-year-old practice is showing real promise.
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Fall Cover Crop Table 1
Salinas Valley Agriculture: Article

Fall-Grown Cover Crop Evaluations

August 17, 2022
By Kelley L Sivertson
Richard Smith1, Eric Brennan2 and Patricia Love1 1. University of California Cooperative Extension, Monterey County. 2. USDA-Agricultural Research Service, Salinas.
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wine grapes
Topics in Subtropics: Article

Pierce's Disease Resistant Wine Grapes

August 17, 2022
By Ben A Faber
We recently had a grower meeting covering the release of five new grape varieties that are resistant to Pierce's Disease https://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=53564 PD is a very debilitating disease of European wine grapes, like "dead vines" debilitating. https://ucanr.
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A honey bee packing pollen on a UC Davis almond tree. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Bug Squad: Article

Registration Now Underway for Almond Board of California Conerence

August 16, 2022
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
The Almond Board of California (ABC) just announced that registration is now underway for its 50th annual Almond Conference, set Dec. 6-8 at the SAFE Credit Union Convention Center in downtown Sacramento. It's a gathering of folks from both the almond and bee industries and beyond.
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Native bees foraging on capeweed. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Bug Squad: Article

Foraging on Capeweed

August 15, 2022
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
Honey bees and native bees love capeweed, Arctotheca calendula, also called South African capeweed, cape dandelion and cape marigold or cape gold.
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Photo 2. Central growing point of purslane burned by lasers in a high
density planting of spinach.
UC Weed Science (weed control, management, ecology, and minutia): Article

Advances continue in automated weeders

August 14, 2022
By Richard F Smith
There have been significant developments in automated weeder technology in the past several years. A quick perusal of automated weeders on YouTube reveals many machines developed in diverse parts of the world.
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UCCE Livestock & Range Topics: Article

New Organic Livestock Rules Proposed

August 12, 2022
By John Harper
For producers doing organic livestock: USDA/AMS Proposing New Organic Livestock Regulations The United States Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Marketing Service proposes to amend the organic livestock and poultry production requirements by adding new provisions for livestock handling and tra...
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