Posts Tagged: Monterey

Name That Spider!

Name that spider!  UC Davis professor Jason Bond is seeking a species name for a new genus of trapdoor spiders he discovered on a sandy beach...

This is the female of the new genus, Cryptocteniza. (Image by Jason Bond)

This is the female of the new genus, Cryptocteniza. (Image by Jason Bond)

This is the male of the new genus, Cryptocteniza. (Image by Jason Bond)

This is the male of the new genus, Cryptocteniza. (Image by Jason Bond)

UC Davis professor Jason Bond found the genus on a sandy beach at Moss Landing State Park, Monterey County. (Illustration provided by Jason Bond)

UC Davis professor Jason Bond found the genus on a sandy beach at Moss Landing State Park, Monterey County. (Illustration provided by Jason Bond)

New environmental chamber to help researchers find cures for vegetable diseases

The Monterey County Agricultural Commissioner, the University of California Cooperative Extension, the Leafy Greens Research Commission, and growers and seed companies are pooling resources to bring a state-of-the-art environmental chamber to the laboratories at the Monterey County Agricultural Center in Salinas, according to the Salinas Californian.

Steven Koike, UCCE advisor in Monterey County, said the chamber "will allow us to ramp up research.” The new acquisition is something like a large refrigerator in which researchers can control temperature and humidity.

“Industry in the Salinas Valley is progressive in funding research,” Koike said. “It’s not afraid to invest in solutions.”

 

Farm tours a popular tourist activity in Monterey County

Most tourists come to the Monterey area for its mild climate and coastal attractions, according to a San Francisco Chronicle article written by Christine Delso. Increasingly, tourists are showing interest in Monterey County’s No. 1 industry, agriculture. Evan Oakes, a former farm advisor and current consultant for UC Cooperative Extension in Monterey County, pioneered the agritourism trend here when he started AgVenture Tours in 1997, mixing agricultural education tours with sightseeing and wine tours of the county.

ANR news from UC campuses:

UC Davis launches agricultural sustainability degree
Eve Hightower, UC Davis news service

The UC Davis this fall will launch an undergraduate major focused on agricultural sustainability. The bachelor of science degree in Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems uniquely integrates several subjects to provide students with a thorough understanding of the many issues facing modern farming and food systems, including production, processing, distribution, consumption and waste management.

Turfgrass field day at UC Riverside offers wealth of information about lawns and landscapes
Iqbal Pittalwala, UC Riverside

The public has an opportunity to get the latest information on the care and maintenance of home lawns and landscapes at the 2011 Turfgrass and Landscape Research Field Day, presented by the University of California, Riverside. The field day will take place from 8 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., Sept. 15, at the university’s Turfgrass Research Facility, 1060 Martin Luther King Boulevard, Riverside, Calif.

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