Agenda and Recordings
(Scroll down for presentation recordings and summaries)
Tuesdays, 12 - 1 PM via Zoom
Please join us for a weekly lunch time seminar. We’ll be joined by a guest each week for a 30 minute presentation then open up the conversation for questions from the listeners.
*These seminars are free to attend.*
| Organic Seedling Production Christoff, Center for Agroecology, UCSC January 18, 2022
This discussion covered greenhouses for seedling production with a focus on system efficiencies. Drawing on decades of experience with organic seedling production, Christof Bernau addressed automated watering, seeding methods and expediting germination, soil quality and fertility, container choices and more.
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| Water Management During Drought Conditions Michael Cahn, Irrigation and Water Resource Farm Advisor at UCCE Monterey County January 25, 2022
 During drought conditions when water supplies are limited, understanding the water needs of the crops you would like to grow, your available irrigation supply, and best practices for efficient irrigation water application are critical. This seminar will focus on how to manage your irrigation practices during a drought.
Summary- Irrigation Water Management during Drought Conditions
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| Seedbank Management and Physical Weed Control Strategies for Small-scale Vegetable Farmers Rebecca Champagne + Jordan Parks, Gallandt Lab for Weed Ecology at The University of Maine at Orono. February 1, 2022
This webinar focused on weed management strategies for small-scale organic vegetable farmers. Topics will include seedbank management, such as tarping and flame weeding, as well as physical weed control. Hand tools, cultivation tool stacking, and optimization of tools will be discussed. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Organic Soil Fertility Richard Smith, Vegetable Crop Production & Weed Science Advisor with UCCE in Monterey County. February 8, 2022
 This webinar focused on organic soil fertility management strategies for small-scale organic vegetable farmers. Topics will include management of major and minor plant nutrients including nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, and crop fertility inputs. The talk will also cover fertility management based on soil test results and accounting for nitrogen in irrigation water. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Workshop:Management of Fusarium Wilt and other Soilborn Pathogens
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So Many Products, So Little Time, So Much Confusion –Building Capacityfor Bigger Potential of Crop Biostimulants among Organic Small Farms
Zheng Wang Vegetable Crops and IrrigationAdvisorwith University of California Cooperative Extensionin StanislausCounty
February 2, 2022
This seminar will begin with an overview ofthe purpose of using crop biostimulants. Zheng will go over effective practices for selecting biostimulants to match the needs of your systemand successful ways to deliver biostimulants, using examples of microbial-based and other types of products. Finally, he will cover some basics for effectively measuring the value of bio stimulants for your farm production.
Managing Mycorrhizal Fungi in Your Soil
Tim Bowles, UC Berkeley, assistant professor of agroecology at UC Berkeley.
Janina Dierks, UC Berkeley, Postdoctoral scholar in the Berkeley Agroecology lab.
Yvonne Socolar, UC Berkeley, PhD candidate in the Berkeley Agroecology lab.
March 8, 2022
Mycorrhizal fungi are often viewed as star players in sustainable agriculture, and for good reason. When they form intimate associations with crop roots, they can help increase nutrient uptake, help crops deal with water stress and possibly reduce soil borne disease pressure. In this workshop, UC researchers will share research and experiences about when and to what extent these benefits are seen in California vegetable systems. Come learn — and share your own experiences — about the multiple ways management could support (or not!) mycorrhizal fungi, from inoculation to soil health practices like cover cropping and reducing tillage.
Previous Seminars
*ALL VIDEO RECORDINGS CAN BE FOUND HERE
 | January 12, 2021 Bagrada Bug Community Forum: Bagrada Bug is an imerging invasive stink bug pest in California, which preferentially feeds on plants in the mustard family (i.e. broccoli, kale, cauliflower, cabbage). It is a sucking insect and can cause severe yield losses, especially when it attacks young plants. On January 12, 2021 UCCE hosted a forum for Yolo, Sacramento, and Solano county organic growers to discuss their experiences with fighting bagrada bug. Paul Undehill and Andrew Brait led the discussion. |
 | January 26, 2021 Evaluating biochar for use in California agriculture Dan Gelardi, PhD Candidate, UC Davis Soils & Biogeochemistry Graduate Group |
 | February 2, 2021 Thrips, aphids, seed corn maggot and more: Managing insect pests in organic fields and vegetable production Rachael Long, UC ANR Farm Advisor, Interim Director for Yolo, Solano, and Sacramento Counties |
 | February 9, 2021 Plant Defense Mechanisms Part 1: Induced disease resistance and plant activators Richard Bostock, Distinguished Professor, UC Davis Department of Plant Pathology |
 | February 16, 2021 Plant Defense Mechanisms Part 2: How soil microbes defend plants from insect pests Amelie Gaudin, Professor of Agroecology, UC Davis |
 | February 23, 2021 Post Harvest: The ABCs of keeping produce fresh and nutritious Beth Mitcham, Director, Postharvest Technology Center and Cooperative Extension Specialist |
 | March 2, 2021 Spring nutrient management in organic orchards Katherine Jarvis-Shean, UC Cooperative Extension Orchard Systems Advisor for Sacramento-Solano-Yolo |
 | March 16, 2021 Western striped cucumber beetle ecology and management for organic growers in the Central Valley Jasmin Ramirez Bonilla and Ian Grettenberger, Grettenberger Lab, UC Davis Department of Entomology |
 | April 6, 2021 How are organic fertilizers effecting the soil microbe and what does that mean for your soil health? Cristina Lazcano, Assistant Professor, Soil Ecology and Plant Nutrition |
May 4, 2021 The birds and bees where the field ends - and their plant friends Corey Shake, Senior Partner Biologist, Point Blue Conservation Science |