Agriculture

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Drone spraying in agriculture
Salinas Valley Agriculture: Article

California Agriculture Takes Flight: A Guide to Drone Spray Pilot Certification

May 29, 2025
By Paramveer Singh
Drone use in agriculture is rapidly expanding across the United States. While drones were initially adopted for imagery, vegetation indices, and hotspot detection for variable rate applications, their role is evolving. Increasingly, drones are being used for chemical applications in crop production, a trend…
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Urban Trees and Their Role/Benefits in Stormwater Management
Water Supply Security (WSS): Article

Urban Trees and Their Role in Stormwater Management

May 28, 2025
By Esther N Lofton, Erik C Porse
Urban tree canopies (UTCs), i.e, the layers of leaves, branches, and stems that cover the ground in cities, are essential tools in managing stormwater, particularly in dense urban areas like those across Southern California. In landscapes dominated by impermeable surfaces such as pavements and rooftops,…
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Mixed greens
Climate Smart Agriculture: Article

Community Education Specialist Highlight Series: Bailey Smith-Helman

May 20, 2025
By Ana Resendiz
Community Education Specialist Highlight Series: Bailey Smith-Helman After serving at the USDA Food and Nutrition Services in Washington, DC, Bailey took a break and traveled for a year in South America. That experience reminded her how much she enjoys working with producers and spending time in the…
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View over the tops of avocado trees from a tower with scientific instruments
Food Blog: Article

UCCE advisor provides first-of-its-kind avocado irrigation data

May 15, 2025
By Michael Hsu
Crop coefficients are numbers used to calculate the amount of water a particular crop needs. In an unprecedented study, Ali Montazar, UC Cooperative Extension irrigation and water management advisor, set out to develop more reliable crop coefficients for avocado based on real-world data.
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Kern County: Page

Weather

WeatherLinked data is from the California Irrigation Management Information System (CIMIS) weather stations. Visit CIMIS web site. 
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Water
Water Resilience, Climate Change, and Water Systems in California: Article

Celebrating Water Awareness Month: Why May Matters in California

May 8, 2025
By Esther N Lofton
  Every drop counts, especially in California. That’s why May is officially recognized as Water Awareness Month, a time to reflect on the value of water in our lives, our landscapes, and our future.Why Water Awareness Month?Initiated in the early 1980s by the California Department of Water…
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indoor hydroponics
SoCal Urban Food Production Blog: Article

Enhance Water and Nutrient Use Efficiency for Controlled Environment Agriculture

May 7, 2025
By Amrita Mukherjee, Grant E Johnson, Esther N Lofton
 UC Davis and UCANR are conducting a research study to enhance water and nutrient use efficiency in Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) facilities, focusing greenhouses and indoor vertical farms. This initiative, supported by the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA), will…
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