Mono

Abstract: Farmers view weed management and the risk of lower yields as barriers to transition from conventional to organic agriculture. The 3 years of transition before organic certification can be used to implement strategies to suppress weeds and improve soil fertility.

Since 1910, the Citrus Variety Collection has been a resource for research, citrus breeding and educational extension activities initially for the UC Citrus Experiment Station and now for the expanded College of Natural and Agricultural Sciences at UC Riverside.

Strawberry plants suffering from salt toxicity. Symptoms include brown and brittle leaf margins (above, photo by Albert Ulrich, UC) and stunted plant growth (below, photo by Stuart Styles, CalPoly). Strawberry is among the crops that are very sensitive to salinity.

It's good to see University of California scientists pursuing rare bumble bees.

Yellow nutsedge found a good home in warmer areas of California and purple nutsedge is sometimes present as well.

It's worth the wait. The two towers of jewels (Echium wildpretti) are blooming in the Hagen-Dazs Honey Bee Haven, the half-acre bee friendly garden next to the Harry H. Laidlaw Jr. Honey Bee Research Facility, UC Davis. The plant is a biennual and it blooms the second year and that's it.

A student at UC Irvine, Saumya Bhardwaj, who is working on a research project on "how to prevent soil damage from monoculture," sent a query to the Conservation Tillage workgroup about policies or interest groups standing in the way of CT implementation.

It's a stunning piece of work. It's a three-dimensional paper sculpture of a queen bee. Noted artist Marilyn Judson (right) of Davis created the paper sculpture (below) now on display in the "Sticky Business: Art of the Honey Bee" show that runs through Dec. 23 at the Pence Gallery, 212 D St.

Last week (December 1, 2010), the California Department of Pesticide Regulation (CDPR) registered the soil fumigant Midas for use in the state following months (years) of controversy and protests.

Honey is sticky. Bees are in a sticky situation. Now enter "Sticky Business: Art of the Honey Bee." It's an art show about honey bees that will run from Tuesday, Nov. 23 from Thursday, Dec. 23 in the Pence Art Gallery, 212 D St., Davis.