From the UC Blogosphere...

Tackling Spotted Wing Drosophila

Deep in the bowels of Briggs Hall on the UC Davis campus, entomology graduate student Kelly Hamby works on a pest that is...

Kelly Hamby

GRADUATE STUDENT Kelly Hamby, who is studying for her doctorate in entomology at UC Davis, works in the Frank Zalom lab on the spotted wing drosophila. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Close-up of Drosophila

CLOSE-UP of the spotted wing drosophila (Drosophila suzukii). This pest pierces such fruits as cherries and berries and deposits its eggs inside. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Pheromone traps

Pheromone traps should already be out in your orchards for California red scale, citrus cutworm, citrus peelminer and citrus leafminer if these are of monitoring interest for you. 

It is always more accurate to have the traps in your own orchard, however, you also can view our web site to get the general population trends for red scale. http://ucanr.org/sites/KACCitrusEntomology/ 

Citrus peelminer pheromone is so weak that it is not commercially available but if you go to my web site, we wil post the first appearance of this pest for Tulare County.   

Rebranding UC's Food Stamp Nutrition Education Program

In order to lift stigma and to capture the essence of healthy eating, the Food Stamp program was renamed "CalFresh" in California last fall. Now UC, which operates a Food Stamp Nutrition Education Program (FSNEP) in 35 California counties, is considering how its program should be renamed to match the new brand, according to a Fast Company expert blogger.

Writer Lauren Sutton served on a panel at a CalFresh forum last month with UC FSNEP director David Ginsburg. Sutten wrote that a lot of effort went into making sure that the new program name appealed to the target audience (people who use Food Stamp benefits) and that the name was in line with other California state programs like CalPERS, CalTrain and CalJOBS.

At the forum, Ginsburg shared the results of a survey conducted to gauge acceptance of possible new names for FSNEP. The top 10 contenders are:

1. UC-CalFresh Nutrition Education
2. UC-Nutrition Education Program
3. UC-CalFresh
4. UC-CalFresh Nutrition Education Program (Logo option 1)
5. CalFresh Nutrition Education Program
6. UC-CalFresh Nutrition Education Program (Logo option 2)
7. UC-SNAP Ed.
8. UC-FIT (Food and Interactive Teachings for a Healthy Life)
9. UCCE Nutrition
10. UC-FUN (Families Understanding Nutrition)

Another option, Ginsburg said, is using "UC CalFresh" with the tag line "Growing Healthy Families."

"That would allow us to link to California’s CalFresh and also can build off of California’s agriculture," Ginsburg said.

On the Trail of a Better Insect Repellent

Researchers in the Walter Leal lab, UC Davis Department of Entomology, are engaging in some exciting research. They just...

Chemical ecologists

CHEMICAL ECOLOGISTS Walter Leal (foreground) and Zain Syed at work in the Leal lab in the UC Davis Department of Entomology. Leal is a professor and former chair of the department, and Syed is a postdoctoral researcher and the primary author of a paper published March 16 in PLoS One. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Fruit Fly

Maximillary palps (left) and antenna of fruit fly (Drosophila melanogaster). (Image Courtesy of Zain Syed)

Extension's relevancy in changing times

The Birmingham, Ala.,-based magazine The Progressive Farmer ran a cover story in its March issue that explored the relevancy of the United State's Extension program nearly 100 years since its inception. The article is available on the magazine's website to subscribers only; a two-week trial subscription is free.

The article noted that Extension was formed in 1914 to channel the scientific knowledge of U.S. land-grant universities to American farmers. But since then, American agriculture has undergone dramatic change.

"In 1914, about 31% of Americans were farmers. Today, 2% of the population provides food for the rest of us," the article said. "That 2% is savvy. Many have college educations; they are smart businessmen and have a keen sense of how to produce a good crop or raise healthy  livestock. If they have questions, they can afford to pay for advice and not depend on Extension."

Private certified crop advisors now soak up information from Extension and pass it on to their clients. As a result, farmers benefit from Extension information and research, but Extension doesn't get the credit, which hurts funding prospects.

Because of dwindling public funding, commodity groups and private industry have become major sources Extension research funding.

"That keeps programs afloat, but it also raises questions about objectivity," the story said.

The Progressive Farmer article suggested Extension must do a better job of branding its services and communicating with the community. Since most funding for regular programs comes from federal, state and local governments, it is "incumbent on Extension to cultivate relationships with as many legislators as possible."

The article outlined the 2009 reorganization of Iowa State University Extension led by Jack Payne. Iowa State consolidated operations, paring  97 county director positions down to 20 regional directors, some with responsibility for as many as nine counties. Extension specialists also took on larger geographical areas.

Payne told Progressive Farmer the restructuring was the toughest thing he has ever done in his life. He said he believes in the relevance of Extension, but budget pressure and evolution of the agricultural industry forced the change.

"I hope that as we go through this time of austerity people will understand the value of higher education and figure how to pay for it," said Payne, who is now a senior vice president of the University of Florida. "I believe that the country will come to its senses."

Progressive Farmer magazine, March 2011 issue.

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