Santa Barbara

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Jose Carvalho de Souza Dias
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Names in the News

November 30, 2020
By Pamela S Kan-Rice
Carvalho de Souza Dias named UCCE agronomy and weed management advisor Jos Luiz Carvalho de Souza Dias joined UCCE on Nov. 2, 2020, as an area agronomy and weed management advisor in Merced, Stanislaus and San Joaquin Counties.
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Professor Rick Karban has researched communication in sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata) on the east side of the Sierra since 1995.
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Rick Karban: Do Plants Have Personalities?

November 24, 2020
If you've been talking to your plants for years, you are not alone. But know this: plants can communicate, too. They eavesdrop, sense danger in the environment, and can distinguish friend from foe.
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Sprinklers watering both lawn and sidewalk.
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Effective messaging on water conservation

October 9, 2020
As the climate heats up and droughts intensify, especially in the American Southwest, it's crucial that households reduce their water usage. Water districts urge their customers to save, but their messaging generally lacks rigorous evaluation of efficacy.
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giant swllowtail adult
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What's That Egg?

September 21, 2020
By Ben A Faber
I recently got a request for the id of an insect egg from a Santa Barbara PCA. I didnt have a clue, so sent it on to David Haviland, a CE entomolgy advisor in Kern Co.
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Ash on Petunia. (photos by Michelle Davis)
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Ash

September 14, 2020
Ash is raining down on us and our gardens. Have you checked your outdoor plants lately to see just how much ash is coating the leaves? Ash can sometimes be beneficial in small amounts contributing trace elements to plants, but a slightly thicker layer can interfere with photosynthesis.
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