Agriculture

Keeping honey bees requires planning, knowledge and an investment of time and money to be successful. Honey bees (Apis mellifera) will pollinate the fruits and vegetables in your garden and increase production of your fruit trees. Since they fly as far as five miles, you will also be helping your neighbors…

  Where does the time go? Cover cropping season is upon us, again. After three years of running a cover trial in a walnut orchard in eastern Contra Costa County (at the northwestern reach of the San Joaquin Valley), there are some exciting results to share that could be helpful if you are deciding…

Two worms and one idea (monitoring):     One of the main challenges to growing tree fruits are pests that can destroy the fruit or make it unmarketable. Some pests can injure the trees directly, affecting their growth.  The oriental fruit moth (scientific name, Grapholita molesta)…

 As we enter the fall season and begin preparing fields for the winter, this is the time to think about planting cover crops.   Typically, most growers plant less than 5% of the vegetable ground with fall and winter cover crops.   Cover crops can potentially help with many challenges…

Moringa known as a “miracle tree,” is fast growing, drought tolerant plant native to India and now widely cultivated in tropical and subtropical regions around the world, including parts of California. It could be grown in USDA zones 9b and warmer and is successfully cultivated in the Central Valley by Hmong…

 California’s water systems are at a pivotal moment. The pressures of climate change, population growth, aging infrastructure, and persistent inequities in water access are converging to create unprecedented challenges. At the same time, the state is moving forward with an ambitious, integrated vision…

Farmers in the Western region including California can select and decide the recommended cover crop which is suitable for their farm by using an online tool and clicking 5 simple steps. The Western Cover Crops Council with a collaboration between Precision Sustainable Agriculture, and the U.S…