Red imported fire ant (RIFA, Solenopsis invicta, Fig. 1) is a venomous ant that was accidentally brought into California in 1989. Since its introduction, it has spread to many new territories in Southern California and Central Valley.
El-kereamy named Lindcove REC director Ashraf El-kereamy will be the new director of UC Agriculture and Natural Resources' Lindcove Research & Extension Center, starting on July 1, 2020.
UC Agriculture and Natural Resources will receive $865,000 to help farmers in the Colorado River basin and the Salinas Valley integrate digital tools and artificial intelligence into their growing systems.
UC Cooperative Extension integrated pest management advisor Cheryl Wilen retired in April after serving UC Agriculture and Natural Resources in a wide variety of leadership and academic capacities during her 25-year career.
UC Cooperative Extension specialist Beth Grafton-Cardwell retires July 1, a hero in the battle against pests that threaten the livelihood of citrus growers in California, and a successful advocate for reducing use of broad spectrum pesticides.
We are pleased to announce that Ashraf El-kereamy is our new director of Lindcove Research & Extension Center. Ashraf will start his new duties on July 1, 2020, and continue to serve as a Cooperative Extension specialist in the Department of Botany and Plant Sciences at UC Riverside.
Jose Luis Aguiar, who has been working as a vegetable crops small farm advisor for the University of California Cooperative Extension in the Coachella Valley in Riverside County since 1992, will retire on July 1, 2020. "My job is one of the best jobs in the world.
