Irrigated Pastures

To raise awareness of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act among small farmers, a UC ANR team is providing technical assistance, education and outreach.

Infestations of Medusahead can be suppressed by targeted grazing Medusahead (Elymus caput-medusae) is a common invasive grass on California’s annual rangelands. It accumulates high levels of silica as it matures, making it unpalatable to livestock and slow to decompose. As a result, livestock tend to…

The golden flowers of French broom covering hillsides and the tall, striking stalks of pampasgrass stand out on trails and roadsides. These plants may be beautiful, but they are invasive and harm California’s natural landscapes.  Invasive plants outcompete and crowd out native plants, damaging…

Authors: Maya Shydlowski, Caitlin Peterson, Josh Hegarty, Mark Lundy---Over 500,000 acres of farmland in California are expected to come out of production by 2040 because of water limitations from drought and state regulations. While some of this land may be put to other uses, much of this acreage could be…

Bermuda buttercup (Oxalis pes-caprae), also called buttercup oxalis or sourgrass, might be a familiar sight in winter and spring, particularly to those who live in coastal regions or the Sacramento Valley. Some people enjoy seeing this plant’s cheerful yellow flowers pop up in their spring gardens, but for…

UC scientists are working with growers in Tehama, Butte, Lake, Amador, Contra Costa, Stanislaus and Yolo counties to test a new way of measuring the irrigation needs of walnut trees. Shackel and team think this new method will allow growers to use less water by not irrigating early in the season, and trees…