Steam treatment of soil offers growers a viable alternative to chemicals and a money-saver for organic farmers. It also benefits farm laborers by reducing their exposure to potential harm, said graduate student Erika Escalona. She is assessing the impacts on weeds, soil-borne disease and the soil biome of steam treatments used to disinfest lettuce and spinach fields in the Salinas Valley.
A tractor-like machine rolled slowly over rows of carrots in a field near Salinas, Calif., spraying canola oil onto the weeds but sparing the small, tender carrot leaves. The device was one of many that showed new ways to manage weeds during the recent Automated Technology Field Day in Salinas. The equipment is being developed by companies here and around the world to confront a shortage of field labor, rising costs of labor and energy, and ever-fewer options for chemical treatment of weeds, fungus, insect pests and soil-borne threats.
Researchers offered some relief to rice farmers facing low prices for their crop, but record-high costs of production and hot temperatures during critical growth phases, describing trials of new herbicides and alternative cultivation methods during the Rice Field Day.
Weeds abound: On farmland, pastures, rangelands, in natural areas, in our yards and along our sidewalks. Managing those pesky plants costs plenty: California farmers alone spend more than $900 million annually on weed control, according to a University of California study.
At the UC Davis Department of Plant Sciences, scientists are looking for ways to control pesky plants in rice fields, orchards, rangelands, farms, natural areas ̶ and even in people’s yards. Their work aims to benefit agriculture and preserve our natural resources.
Researchers have developed a more high-tech weapon against the invasive weed: artificial intelligence and machine learning. Using photos from Google’s Street View database, the researchers tracked down more than 2,000 cases of johnsongrass.
UC Davis researchers, led by Professor Brad Hanson, combat Orobanche ramosa, a parasitic weed threatening California's $1.5 billion tomato industry. Funded by the California Tomato Research Institute, the multidisciplinary effort focuses on detection, management, and long-term solutions.
UC Davis researchers explore electrical weed control as an alternative to herbicides. The project uses a tractor equipped with an electrical generator to deliver electrical energy to weeds, damaging their cells and causing rapid death. The three-year study assesses the machine's effectiveness, its impact on crop safety, and soil health.
Brad Hanson's commitment was recognized recently when he was named a fellow of the Western Society of Weed Science. The distinction is the society’s highest honor and recognizes people who have made significant contributions to the society and to the discipline of weed science.
Control of branched broomrape, a parasitic weed that can badly infest tomato and other crop fields, was addressed by UC Davis, UC ANR researchers — Brad Hanson, Mohsen Mesgaran, and Matt Fatino — at the annual Weed Day field day at UC Davis.
