http://ucanr.edu/blogs/ANRnewsreleases/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed News releases from the UC Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources en-us UC ANR http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/rss/ Tue, 21 May 2013 12:16:42 PST Tue, 21 May 2013 12:16:42 PST UC ANR The Agricultural Sustainability Institute (ASI) at UC Davis announced today that Rose Hayden-Smith of the University of California’s Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources is this year’s recipient of ASI’s Eric Bradford and Charlie Rominger Agricultural Sustainability Leadership Award. The annual award will be presented to Hayden-Smith tomorrow at a ceremony featuring distinguished speaker Craig McNamara. The Bradford-Rominger award recognizes and honors individuals...
]]> Tue, 21 May 2013 12:09:07 PST http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=10434&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed jewarnert@ucanr.edu(Jeannette E. Warnert) http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=10434 Citrus greening, also named Huanglongbing (HLB), is probably the most devastating citrus disease threatening the global citrus industry. To prevent its further spread, early diagnosis before the appearance of the dreaded symptoms is particularly important. But the unculturable nature of the bacteria, their low concentration and uneven distribution in their hosts make it extremely difficult to detect HLB infection. Hailing Jin, an associate professor of plant pathology and microbiology at the...
]]> Tue, 23 Apr 2013 16:40:10 PST http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=10230&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed pam.kanrice@ucanr.edu(Pamela Kan-Rice) http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=10230 In California’s coastal winegrape-growing regions, a spring freeze can be devastating. Tender shoots and leaves burn back, causing damage that reduces the crop yield when it is harvested many months later. “We’ve had some very severe frosts in San Luis Obispo County and on the Central Coast over the years,” said Mark Battany, UC Cooperative Extension advisor in San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties. “In 2011 we had the most severe frost in 30 years and many...
]]> Fri, 05 Apr 2013 09:20:03 PST http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=9689&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed jewarnert@ucanr.edu(Jeannette E. Warnert) http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=9689 Agricultural leaders and economists will discuss the new Farm Bill and its impacts on agriculture in the West at an all-day conference on May 14 at the UC Davis Conference Center. Karen Ross, secretary of California Department of Food and Agriculture and former U.S. Department of Food and Agriculture chief of staff, and Katy Coba, director of the Oregon Department of Agriculture, will share their insights on what the Farm Bill is likely to mean for agriculture in the western states. "The Farm...
]]> Thu, 04 Apr 2013 15:47:12 PST http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=9691&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed pam.kanrice@ucanr.edu(Pamela Kan-Rice) http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=9691 A team of researchers, led by a University of California, Davis, plant scientist, has identified a lettuce gene and related enzyme that put the brakes on germination during hot weather -- a discovery that could lead to lettuces that can sprout year-round, even at high temperatures. The study also included researchers from Arcadia Biosciences and Acharya N.G. Ranga Agricultural University, India. The finding is particularly important to the nearly $2 billion lettuce industries of California...
]]> Thu, 28 Mar 2013 14:31:20 PST http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=9645&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed pam.kanrice@ucanr.edu(Pamela Kan-Rice) http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=9645 The University of California, through its Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources, will convene some of the world’s leading experts April 9 at the Global Food Systems Forum to address how to sustainably feed 8 billion people by 2025. The discussion will bring together people from a dynamic range of disciplines, including farmers, researchers, policymakers, economists, environmentalists and geopolitical experts. The general public can view the event live by webcast.The daylong forum,...
]]> Wed, 27 Mar 2013 18:26:16 PST http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=9634&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed pam.kanrice@ucanr.edu(Pamela Kan-Rice) http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=9634 Extra virgin olive oil is tasty and excellent for your health, but experts say as much as 70 percent of it sold in America is adulterated, or of a lower grade. How can you tell if your brand is the real deal? One notion — the so-called “fridge-test” theory — says you can determine the purity of your extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) by putting it in your refrigerator. If it solidifies, you can trust your EVOO is pure — or so the theory goes. Is that scientifically...
]]> Thu, 21 Mar 2013 13:14:15 PST http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=9582&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed pam.kanrice@ucanr.edu(Pamela Kan-Rice) http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=9582 UC Cooperative Extension and the National Sheep Shearing Program will offer two sessions of their popular sheep shearing school this spring at the UC Hopland Research and Extension Center, 4070 University Rd., Hopland. The first session is April 29 to May 2; the second session is May 6 to 10. The course fee is $295 per person. "Sheep shearing is an art that requires a great deal of finesse and lots of hands-on experience," said John Harper, UC Cooperative Extension advisor for Mendocino and...
]]> Mon, 18 Mar 2013 12:11:52 PST http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=9544&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed jewarnert@ucanr.edu(Jeannette E. Warnert) http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=9544 Nitrogen fertilizer has undoubtedly benefited California's agriculture and citizens. However, applying more nitrogen than can be used by plants may lead to negative impacts on the environment and human health. Finding a balanced use of nitrogen to maximize benefit and minimize harm is essential to protect California's agriculture, people and natural resources. As California legislators focus on nitrogen use in agriculture and its ability to contaminate groundwater, potential regulation on...
]]> Mon, 11 Mar 2013 11:52:47 PST http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=9477&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed pam.kanrice@ucanr.edu(Pamela Kan-Rice) http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=9477 A nutrition expert at UC Davis has discovered important clues to the deadly attack strategy of a puzzling plant pathogen that has destroyed hundreds of thousands acres of citrus across the world. The novel research by Carolyn Slupsky, associate professor in the Departments of Nutrition and Food Science and Technology at UC Davis and the Agricultural Experiment Station, and her team may pave the way for safe, effective ways to treat and prevent the spread of huanglongbing disease of citrus or...
]]> Wed, 06 Mar 2013 09:46:53 PST http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=9439&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed jewarnert@ucanr.edu(Jeannette E. Warnert) http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=9439 California youth are at risk — their health, education and future. One-third of school-aged children are overweight or obese. One-sixth of the state’s 16- to 24-year-olds are both out of school and out of work, and national and international tests reveal youth science literacy is low. Original research and literature reviews on these subjects appear in the January-March 2013 California Agriculture, UC’s peer-reviewed research journal of research in agriculture, natural and...
]]> Fri, 01 Mar 2013 11:06:41 PST http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=9400&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed jewarnert@ucanr.edu(Jeannette E. Warnert) http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=9400 UC Agriculture and Natural Resources will offer nitrogen management training to certified crop advisers throughout the state. UC ANR scientists are working with the California Department of Food and Agriculture to develop a curriculum and certification program to protect water quality, as recommended by the State Water Resources Control Board. The classes will begin in January 2014. Last week (Feb. 20) the State Water Resources Control Board released its recommendations to the Legislature for...
]]> Mon, 25 Feb 2013 15:43:28 PST http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=9371&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed pam.kanrice@ucanr.edu(Pamela Kan-Rice) http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=9371 New DNA sequencing technology has been used to identify the virus that causes red blotch, a disease that discolors grape leaves in fall and lowers sugar levels in grapes, agricultural nursery managers were told today during an annual industry update at UC Davis. The virus is of particular concern to wine grape growers, whose grapes must reach a certain sugar content level before they are suitable for winemaking. "The most urgent research need now is to determine how the virus spreads," said...
]]> Thu, 21 Feb 2013 12:53:59 PST http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=9352&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed jewarnert@ucanr.edu(Jeannette E. Warnert) http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=9352 Earthworms are long revered for their beneficial role in soil fertility, but with the good comes the bad: they also increase greenhouse gas emissions from soils, according to a study published Feb. 3 in Nature Climate Change by a research team that includes a University of California, Davis, soil scientist. The team found that earthworms do not, as was suspected, stimulate carbon sequestration in the soil, which helps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Instead, they actually increase...
]]> Mon, 04 Feb 2013 12:32:17 PST http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=9208&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed pam.kanrice@ucanr.edu(Pamela Kan-Rice) http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=9208 A service member with the national organization FoodCorps will work with the UC Cooperative Extension Central Sierra office to provide a year of hands-on support to Calaveras County school gardens and nutrition education beginning in fall 2013. FoodCorps was formed when President Obama signed legislation in 2009 to engage AmeriCorps in building a more sustainable, healthful and equitable food system in the United States. FoodCorps trains service members to nurture in youth an enduring...
]]> Thu, 31 Jan 2013 13:20:50 PST http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=9185&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed jewarnert@ucanr.edu(Jeannette E. Warnert) http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=9185 UC Cooperative Extension is rolling out a new website for farmers that will help them save money and protect the environment. CropManage contains a wealth of UC research in a format that makes it easy for growers to apply to their farms. Conceived by Michael Cahn, UCCE farm advisor in Monterey County, and programmed by the UC Agriculture and Natural Resources web team, the free website – ucanr.edu/cropmanage – allows farmers to quickly calculate the precise fertilizer and water...
]]> Thu, 31 Jan 2013 08:41:12 PST http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=9163&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed jewarnert@ucanr.edu(Jeannette E. Warnert) http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=9163 Thanks to a gift from the California Pistachio Research Board, UC Agriculture and Natural Resources will soon be hiring a new UC Cooperative Extension specialist, announced Barbara Allen-Diaz, University of California vice president for Agriculture and Natural Resources. The Pistachio Research Board will donate $1.5 million to support a UC Cooperative Extension specialist to conduct nut and fruit disease research. This specialist position, which will be based in the Department of Plant...
]]> Fri, 25 Jan 2013 10:14:26 PST http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=9134&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed pam.kanrice@ucanr.edu(Pamela Kan-Rice) http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=9134 Noted butterfly expert Art Shapiro, professor in the Department of Evolution and Ecology at UC Davis, considers President Barack Obama’s two inauguration days “my lucky days.” And it all has to do with butterflies and beer. Shapiro collected the first cabbage white butterfly of the New Year on both of Obama’s inauguration days, Jan. 20, 2009, and Jan. 21, 2013. “The constitution mandates the swearing-in for Jan. 20, though it does not require Pieris rapae to...
]]> Wed, 23 Jan 2013 14:33:53 PST http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=9121&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed jewarnert@ucanr.edu(Jeannette E. Warnert) http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=9121 “Palms are the iconic and signature trees of California, especially the southern part of the state,” said Donald R. Hodel, UC Cooperative Extension advisor for Los Angeles County. Hodel, an internationally recognized expert on palms and environmental horticulture. has written two new books about caring for palm trees in landscapes: “Loulu: The Hawaiian Palm” and “Biology and Management of Landscape Palms.” In “Loulu” (University of Hawaii Press,...
]]> Mon, 14 Jan 2013 16:53:57 PST http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=9067&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed pam.kanrice@ucanr.edu(Pamela Kan-Rice) http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=9067 To stop the transmission of dengue, a mosquito-borne virus that threatens some 4 billion people worldwide, it's crucial to focus on people movement, not just on the traditional mosquito control-and-prevention methods, say medical entomologists from UC Davis in ground-breaking research published Dec. 31 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). In a two-year, finely detailed study of dengue transmission, a 13-member team led by Thomas Scott, professor in the Department of...
]]> Fri, 04 Jan 2013 14:14:47 PST http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=8998&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed pam.kanrice@ucanr.edu(Pamela Kan-Rice) http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=8998