Pest Management & Plant Health

Italian ryegrass is a major weed in orchards, vineyards, field crops, and fallow fields of California (Figure 1).

The Beatles rocked the music world, drawing millions of fans. Other beetles--cucumber beetles--ravage agricultural crops, drawing millions of foes.

If you like melons, you won't like these beetles. But if you're Jasmin Ramirez Bonilla, a UC Davis graduate student in entomology, you're seeking to control these agricultural pests through more effective integrated pest management (IPM) strategies.

From the Small and Organic Farm Advisor Blog Johnsongrass in organics: Mow it? Yes, mow it! Mowing works to at least prevent seed spread and regular mowing will weaken rhizomes. Seed establishment has the greatest potential for the establishment and spread of johnsongrass and must be prevented.

The governing board of the 7000-member Entomological Society of America (ESA) announced July 6 that it has changed the name of the student trivia contest from "Linnaean Games" to "Entomology Games." And rightfully so.

These days, most people are wearing masks when out in public for personal protection for themselves or others. In nature, there are a few pests that have their own type of face coverings, markings, or that other types of protective covers or behavior.

Here's UC Cooperative Extension Farm Advisor Scott Oneto showing us how to control yellow starthistle with burning: https://www.youtube.

Here's Patrick Cavanaugh interviewing Guelta Laguerre (UC Davis undergraduate student working in the Al-Khatib Lab.

Here's Patrick Cavanaugh interviewing Drew Wolter (UC Davis graduate student with the Hanson Lab.

While many of you are preparing for the 4th of July holiday, we at UC IPM are also thinking about stars and stripes but in a slightly different way: yellow starthistle and striped skunks.