Pest Management & Plant Health

New varieties of rice that offer more effective weed control with less herbicide were showcased by UC Davis Department of Plant Sciences researchers at the recent Rice Field Day north of Yuba City in California's Central Valley.

Experimental robots are reducing the costs of hand-weeding by learning the difference between weeds and lettuce.

Oregon leads the United States in the production of Christmas trees, with almost 8.5 million trees sold in 2015. Weed control is essential in Christmas trees to reduce competition for moisture and nutrients, allow fast and robust tree growth, and ensure growers top prices for high-quality trees.

When it comes to American barn owls, forget spring cleaning.

It was a major project, a long time coming, and what an excellent resource for those studying the spotted-wing drosophila, a worldwide threat to the berry production industry.

UC Riverside scientists are on the hunt for a chemical that disrupts evil weevils' mating and could prevent them from destroying California's supply of avocados. Avocado weevils, small beetles with long snouts, drill through fruit to lay eggs.

Congratulations to Melody Keena, UC Davis alumna and entomologist extraordinaire. Keena, a research entomologist with the U.S. Forest Service's Northern Research Station in Hamden, Conn.

On Labor Day, a federal holiday, we celebrate the our country's labor movement, our gratitude, and our achievements. But there is no Labor Day holiday for the worker bee, one of three castes (queen, worker and drone) in a honey bee colony. No Labor Day holiday for the queen, either.

Thirteen UC Davis scientists or former affiliates are among authors from eight countries who contributed to research articles for the Journal of Economic Entomology's Special Collection: Research Advances in Spotted-Wing Drosophila suzukii Management.

Thanks to Steve Fennimore (UC Davis Cooperative Extension Weed Specialist) for sharing the following. "These inventors in India made a smart weeder with a smart phone. There is hope for low-cost smart weeders!" https://youtu.