Pest Management & Plant Health

Broomsedge Bluestem (Andropogon virginicus L.) is an increasingly problematic weed in irrigated pastures in the Sierra foothills. We've grazed several pastures with fairly significant infestations - and we're seeing it spread.

Where is rodenticide exposure in wildlife coming from? Is it from use by residents or farmers? Applications by marijuana growers? Or from applications by qualified and trained structural pest control professionals?

The invasive pest spotlight focuses on emerging or potential invasive pests in California. In this issue, we cover the invasive plants pampasgrass and jubatagrass.

I read an interesting paper* recently about the sale and spread of invasive ornamental plants in the U.S. The paper describes the results of a study that examined whether identifying a plant species as invasive influenced its availability for purchase from the plant trade industry.

Tong Zhen is a Ph.D. student in the Hanson Lab at UC Davis. Non-chemical weed control usually is based on physical methods (e.g. tillage or mowing) or thermal methods such as propane flaming or steam.

The University of California, Irvine campus is home to a vast urban forest consisting of approximately 30,000 trees located in a mix of landscape, riparian and open space settings.

A new, $5.25 million greenhouse is being built on the University of California, Davis, campus to safeguard an important grapevine collection from red blotch disease and other pathogens.

Humans love anything new and different, and that includes plants for their garden. In the past, when bringing plants into California from other places, people had no idea this could cause environmental problems.

What is your favorite condiment for a Memorial Day brat? My childhood friend, with family roots in Wisconsin, told me there is only one choice.... mustard! And mustard flowers certainly have painted the landscape the intermountain region this year.

The bee and the butterfly. Or, Apis mellifera and Colias eurytheme. One's a beneficial insect. That would "bee" the honey bee. The other is a yellow and white butterfly, striking in appearance, but in its larval stage, it's a major pest of alfalfa.