While reported as a weed within our state more than 50 years ago, green kyllinga (Kyllinga brevifolia) has developed into a major turfgrass problem over the last 10-15 years. Once established in turfgrass or ornamental areas, spread can be rapid. Mowing, foot traffic, and cultivation spread both seed and rhizomes.

In addition to reducing the aesthetic quality of turf, the uneven growth rates turf and green kyllinga produces an undulating or irregular surface in infested areas. This uneven surface is of particular concern for athletic fields and golf courses.

To learn more about this troublesome weed, please see UC ANR’s recently revised Green Kyllina: Pest Notes for the Home and Landscape.

Topics include:

• Identification and life cycle
• Impact
• Management

The California Weed Science Society (CWSS) is offering scholarships to support undergraduate and graduate students with an interest in weed or invasive plant management. 

To be eligible for these awards the student must be pursuing a degree at an accredited 2-year college or 4-year university in California and be enrolled through the spring 2012 term.  Preference will be given to students that demonstrate a strong interest in weed or invasive plant management. 

All awards will be given at the discretion of CWSS. 

CWSS Scholarships:  Academic scholarships up to $2000 are available for undergraduate and graduate students. 

• CWSS Internships:  The internship is an award of $3000 for an 8-week full-time internship with a University of California farm advisor or other off-campus research personnel with responsibilities in weed or invasive plant management. 
• CWSS Undergraduate Research Awards:  The undergraduate research award is a grant up to $2000 to support a research project related to weed or invasive plant management. 

All applications must be received by April 1, 2012.

For additional information and instructions on how to apply contact Oleg Daugovish at odaugovish@ucdavis.edu.

Weeds, such as this field bindweed in a tomato field, are plants that interfere with the growing of agricultural or landscape plants. They can also endanger the health or safety of people or animals.

UCCE Farm Advisor, Oleg Daugovish recently participated in a trip sponsored by the Partners of Americas Farmer to Farmer Program. This program is designed to improve economic opportunities of people living in rural areas of Latin America and the Carribbean.

Over nine days, Oleg helped participants in the Dominican Republic (DR ) learn how to increase food production and distribution, suggested improvements for farm operations and conserving natural resources. Most producers in this area of the world have small acreage and part of the production takes place in greenhouses or under tunnels. Most operations use drip irrigation. Greenhouses are equipped with double screen doors.  Diagnostic facilities are not readily available.

Much like in Ventura County, many of the farmers Oleg worked with in DR grew strawberries and peppers.  Growers in both places face many of the same challenges, but with different climates and infrastructures.  While in the Dominican Republic Oleg covered many miles, visited multiple farms per day, and educated a lot of people at several meetings.

Topics covered included:

• Weed management
• Anaerobic Soil Disinfestation (ASD)
• Substrates
• Fumigation
• Quality of planting material
• Crop rotation
• Slight adjustments in production to increase yield
• Propagation

In addition to the help he provided in person, Oleg shared the following UC ANR online resources with DR farmers.

• University of California Fruit and Nuts Information Center

• University of California post-harvest management for fruits and vegetables (en Espanol) -- the produce facts sheets are available in several languages

• University of California IPM guidelines, available for most crops, including strawberry (en Espanol). This site has a crop –specific pest and weed management treatment table for each pest/weed/pathogen and is updated frequently

• Phytophthora spp. seem to be prevalent among soil-borne pathogens in the DR. Aside from fumigation and ASD, phosphorus acid materials can be used such as Fosfite, Alliete or others containing the same active ingredient. Details are at this page of the University of California IPM website.

•  Section of web-page for Strawberry production at the UCCE-Ventura County website. The menu on the left contains presentations on various subjects and links to UC weed susceptibility chart for herbicides available in California and cost and return studies for crops

• Foundation plant Services at U. California – strawberry. The site provides info about obtaining the UC varieties of strawberries.

• Mountain production area in DR. Transport to market can be challenging on roads that may be in rather poor shape, particularly when transporting delicate fruit such as strawberry.

The University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources Division (UC ANR) has recently released a new priced publication, Cover Cropping for Vegetable Production: A Grower’s Handbook.

Written by a collaborative of UC researchers, including Ventura County Farm Advisor Oleg Daugovish this handbook brings together the expertise of many.

Topics include:

• Introduction of cover crops for vegetables and their uses
• Botany and species selection
• Agricultural soil ecology
• Water management and impacts on water quality
• Soil nitrogen fertility management
• Weeds
• Soilborne pathogens
• Plant and soil nematodes
• Arthropods
• Cover crop management
• Economics

We currently have a few copies for sale in the office, or you may purchase online. If purchasing online, please use promo code PRVEN56 to receive 10% off your order.

The use of cover cropping in the field provides many environmental and economic benefits.