Learn About Drought Impacts and Pest Management Tuesday

 Here’s one final call for growers to get a chance to explore drought impacts, pest management and water issue during a field day in Firebaugh on Tuesday. 

The free event ill be from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Firebaugh Community Center, 1655 13^th St. Firebaugh. The line-up of speakers: 

·         UC Cooperative Extension Merced County pomology farm advisor David Doll on drought impacts on almond production.

·         UC IPM advisor Dr. Pete Goodell covering alfalfa and cotton pest control issues for 2014.

·         UCCE Fresno County farm advisor Gurret Brar on bloom time and spring disease control in almonds.

·         Chris Linneman, program manager and engineer with the Westside SJR Watershed Coalition, covering pesticide use and the impact on local water and air quality.

More information is available at the Sustainable Cotton Project website or by contacting  project Project Director Marcia Gibbs at (530) 370-5325. 

This will be a great opportunity to learn more about the drought before President Obama appears in Fresno on Friday to discuss the issue. 

Meanwhile, the weekend storms were welcomed by everyone. But we will still need lots more rain and snow to make up for the dry years.

To put everything in perspective, the National Weather Service issued this storm bucket illustration last Friday. Moreover it said: “Rain between now and Monday will be substantial, and in any other 'normal' year would add significantly to our water supply.  Based on recent conditions this storm will help, but not do much to decrease our existing deficit. As dry as things have been, a large portion of this weekend's expected rainfall will go to saturating the parched soils.  The ground must be saturated before significant runoff will begin.”

 Well, we need to start somewhere.