Backyard Orchard News
Where the Boys Are
The boys won't be back in town for awhile. But they will show up. Girls, too. Native pollinator...
Male leafcutter bee, Megachile fidelis, as identified by Robbin Thorp, on coneflower. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Male longhorned bee, Melissodes communis, as identified by Robbin Thorp. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Bumble Bee Book: The Wait Is Over
If you've been itching for that long--awaited book about North America's bumble bees, the...
A yellow-faced bumble bee, Bombus vosnesenskii, on tower of jewels. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
A honey bee and yellow-faced bumble bee sharing a coneflower. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Native pollinator specialist Robbin Thorp, emeritus professor of entomology at UC Davis. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
A video of the recent soil health workshops is available.
A video of the soil health workshops that were held last week on Tuesday, December 10th in Davis and Wednesday, December 11th in Five Points with Jay Fuhrer, a district conservationist with the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service office in Bismarck, ND and Brendon Rockey, a farmer from Center, CO is now available for viewing. These workshops attracted over 150 participants and generated many good ideas and interactions between attendees.
The Conservation Agriculture Systems Institute (CASI) thanks all who took part and also extends warm gratitude to Jay and Brendon for taking the time to share their experiences with California Ag stakeholders.
Biotic soil resulting from conservation agriculture practices.
‘Fuyu’ persimmons are sensitive to chilling injury.
During this season, Carlos Crisosto, CE postharvest physiologist, Kearney Agricultural Research & Extension Center and the UC Davis Plant Sciences Department, is often asked how to determine maturity, as well as best practices for harvesting and storage of ‘Fuyu’ persimmons. ‘Fuyu’ persimmons completely lose their astringency before harvest and can be consumed while they are still firm. Harvest time is usually determined according to the fruit color and size. The best method of harvesting is to clip the fruit from the tree with small clippers (orange clippers), leaving the calyx attached to the fruit. It is also possible to snap the fruit from the tree but this practice is not recommended as it may injure the fruit and adjoining shoot. During harvesting and packaging, fruit must be handled carefully to avoid bruising, which can result in undesired marking as the fruit ripens. Penicillium, Botrytis and Cladosporium fungi may infect ‘Fuyu’ persimmons during storage, especially, if the skin has been damaged during postharvest handling.
‘Fuyu’ persimmons are very sensitive to chilling injury which is expressed by accelerated fruit softening, flesh browning, and translucency (jelly-like consistency) during and after storage. These symptoms appear more severe after 2-4 days at 68oF (20oC) following storage. Chilling injury is more rapid and severe at 41oF (5oC), especially, combined with ethylene exposure. Previous studies led by Dr. Kader demonstrated that exposure to 1 and 10 ppm ethylene at 68oF (20oC) resulted in accelerated softening to less than 4 pound-force ( the limit for marketability) after 6 and 2 days, respectively. Exposure to 1 and 10 ppm ethylene at 41oF (5oC) will induce fruit firmness below 4 pound-force (soft) after 15 and 8 days, respectively. Therefore, the use of 1-MCP, ethylene removal and/or exclusion of ethylene during packaging and storage at 32oF (0oC) operations is strongly recommended for maintaining quality and extending ‘Fuyu’ persimmon storage life potential.
A ‘Fuyu’ persimmon is firm when mature.
Time for a Spray of Sunshine
It's time for a spray of sunshine. The golden daisy bush (genus Euryops, family Asteraeae), will...
Honey bee heading for Euryops. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
A perfect match: Euryops and a bee. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)