Agriculture

Background Testing the soil for nitrate is critical for managing fertilizer in crop production.

Next week promises to be memorable week for entomologists at the University of California, Davis. Oh, how they wish they could clone themselves so they could be in two places at the same time: in San Diego and on the UC Davis campus.

When doctoral candidate Brendon Boudinot of the Phil Ward lab receives the prestigious John Henry Comstock Award next week at the Pacific Branch, Entomological Society of America (PBESA) meeting in San Diego, he will become the sixth UC Davis student to win the award.

Shannon Cappellazzi, one of six project scientists involved in an expansive Soil Health Institute (SHI) initiative, visited the UC West Side Research and Extension Center in March to take soil samples from research plots managed for 20 years with soil building practices.

The phrase "can't cut the mustard" (not able to handle the job) doesn't apply to honey bees. It's spring and honey bees are emerging en force from their hives to collect nectar and pollen to feed their colonies. The fields are awash with mustard. By the way, O.

Medical entomologist Geoffrey Attardo, assistant professor of entomology, UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology, has lined up the department's spring seminars for the spring quarter, and what a line-up it is! They range in topics from fruit flies to spider glue to an African odysssey.

Beetle borers. They are very small and they cause a lot of damage to trees, including death. These insects have not been found yet in our County but they are very close and we are especially concerned about the ISHB which can attack over 110 tree species.

California growers can download a new series of publications summarizing efficient nitrogen management practices from UC Agriculture and Natural Resources.

There are sex pheromone traps for Diamondback moth set up across the Salinas Valley. This pheromone only attracts males of this pest. These traps were first put out on February 20th, 2019.

The Hagen-Dazs Honey Bee Haven is the place to "bee" on Saturday, March 30 for youngsters who want to learn more about honey bees and native bees. The bee haven, operated and maintained by the UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology, is sponsoring a Junior Bee Gardeners' Day from 9 a.m.