Effective April 13, 2020, the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) will revoke Quarantine Commodity (QC) permit number 1486. QC 1486 originally authorized the intrastate movement of bulk citrus fruit from the Asian citrus psyllid (ACP) Bulk Citrus Regional Quarantine Zones 2, 3, 4, 5 or 7, into the Huanglongbing (HLB) quarantine area, without meeting the ACP-free performance standard. …
A diet including daily avocado consumption improves the ability to focus attention in adults whose measurements of height and weight are categorized as overweight or obese, a new randomized control trial found. Researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign conducted the 12-week study, published in the International Journal of Psychophysiology. “Previous work has shown that individuals with overweight and …
FSA Services Available by Phone Appointment Only: USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) county offices are open by phone appointment only until further notice, and FSA staff are available to continue helping agricultural producers with program signups, loan servicing and other important actions. Additionally, FSA is relaxing the loan-making process and adding flexibilities for servicing direct and guaranteed loans to provide credit …
Have you seen a drone buzzing by in a park and wondered what all the fuss is about? These flying vehicles may seem like just an upgrade to the remote-controlled helicopters of yesteryear. But drones are receiving a lot of attention for good reasons. Drones can help people, including farmers and scientists, look at and analyze pretty much anything. When …
On National Ag Day (March 24th), AgGrad announced winners of this year’s AgGrad 30 Under 30 Awards, a program that shows the future of agriculture is bright and aims at rewarding those making the extra effort to move this industry forward. Our very own managing editor, Matthew Malcolm was honored among the top young agricultural professionals and influencers in the nation. Matthew …
With Groundwater Sustainability Plans (GSPs) now required for critically overdrafted basins, the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act is gradually taking effect across the state of California; but how will this impact farmers? Watch this brief interview with Duncan MacEwan from ERA Economics as he shares his insights, as addressed at a recent meeting held by the California Tomato Growers Association.
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue today announced a collaboration with the Baylor Collaborative on Hunger and Poverty, McLane Global, PepsiCo, and others to deliver nearly 1,000,000 meals to students in a limited number of rural schools closed due to COVID-19: “Feeding children who are affected by school closures is a top priority for President Trump and this Administration. USDA is …
Without enough sugar in their diets, bumblebee queens can experience difficulty reproducing and shorter lifespans. Hollis Woodard, assistant professor of entomology at UCR, has conducted multiple studies showing how loss of plant availability negatively affects the prolific pollinators. Previous research indicates a queen’s diet can impact how quickly her brood develops, or whether she’s able to live through hibernation. In …
Costa Rica’s orange production reached 295,000 MT in MY2018/2019 and is forecast to increase to 310,000 MT in MY2019/2020. The industry has been able to avoid sharp fluctuations in production during the last couple of years. Area planted is not expected to change from the approximately 21,000 hectares currently planted, although the larger producers renovate older plantations every year. The …
By now, most farmers know the regulations regarding pesticide use notifications near school sites; however, many are still getting fined by the counties for violation of this rule. So where are farmers coming short? Watch this brief interview with Travis Howard from the Sonoma County Ag Department as he clarifies some important dates and requirements farmers need to know about …
Citrus thrips have been a major nuisance for California blueberry growers, but how do …
