The ongoing drought is putting more than enough pressure on our dairy feed producers as it is in California; however, alfalfa weevil also continues to wage war over the state’s alfalfa crop as insecticide resistance for this pest continues to build. Watch this brief interview with Ian Grettenberger from the UC Cooperative Extension as he explains the situation. Read more …
NIFA Invests $14M in Animal Health & Disease Research
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) announced an investment of $14 million in research to protect agricultural animals from disease. The grants are part of NIFA’s Agriculture and Food Research Initiative’s Diseases of Agricultural Animals program area priority. “Animal health is critically important to farmers and ranchers,” said NIFA director Dr. Carrie Castille. …
Scientists Serve Up Vaccine Cocktail for Protecting Cattle from Disease
Scientists with the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) have developed a new experimental vaccine to protect cattle from the bacterium that causes Johne’s disease, Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (MAP). Johne’s disease, also known as paratuberculosis, is a chronic intestinal disorder that can cause diarrhea, weight loss, poor health and sometimes death in afflicted cattle. In the United States, Johne’s disease is …
Ravens & Crows Wreak Havoc in Orchards, Vineyards & Dairies
Do you suspect some big black birds are damaging your irrigation lines, pecking at your newborn calves or eating your developing crop? You may have a problem with crows or ravens. But how do you tell the two apart, and how can you legally control them? Watch this brief interview with Brian Popper from USDA-APHIS Wildlife Services to learn more …
Farming Tips for Enduring Historic Drought in Northern CA
It has been heart breaking to seeing wheat and alfalfa fields dry up the last few weeks. The recent hot temperatures caused many fields to wither, while placing greater irrigation needs on the few crops being irrigated with well water. It’s the driest year I have experienced in my 10 years in the Klamath Basin! Several people asked me about …
Harvest Weed Seed Control in California: Potential and Limitations
In Mediterranean or arid climates, particularly in areas with marginal soils, crop rotations are often limited to a narrow range of hay, pasture, a handful of winter legumes, or rainy-season grasses. Arid conditions and weathered soils drove Australia’s rainfed grain growers to adopt no-till strategies earlier than their counterparts in California. While beneficial from a water use perspective, successful no-till …
Wheat Resistant to Devastating Rust Fungal Diseases
Nature Biotechnology has published research—partially funded by The 2Blades Foundation—on the development of a new wheat variety that shows exceptional resistance to wheat stem rust. Stem rust is among the world’s most devastating plant diseases, with records of stem rust pandemics dating back over 2000 years. The stem rust pathogen Puccinia graminis is capable of completely destroying a crop of …
Effects of Dairy on Metabolic Risk Depend on Type of Product Consumed
Researchers have long been interested in understanding the effects of different types of dairy products on cardiometabolic health. Studies have looked at the effects of consuming different types of dairy on metabolic markers such as body weight, body fat, lean mass, or cholesterol. Although some studies have found that dairy products are associated with lower cardiometabolic disease incidence, other study …
Transform (sulfoxaflor) Full Label Could be a Major Benefit for Alfalfa IPM
The California Department of Pesticide Regulation is currently reviewing the use of Transform (sulfoxaflor) for insect pest management in alfalfa hay production. A decision on whether to register Transform with a label for use in California alfalfa is expected to occur by the end of 2020. The registration of Transform has been so far deferred due to concerns of potential …
$12 Million to Eradicate an Invasive Rodent of Unusual Size
You may have heard of them in the comedy film Princess Bride as “Rodents of Unusual Size”, but this is the real thing — only not so large and formidable. Nutria were originally introduced into the United States as part of the fur trade in the late 1800s, but were eradicated from California in the 1970s. They made a sudden …
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