Kent Daane

Cooperative Extension Specialist with UC Berkeley developing sustainable agriculture programs for insect pests in California's vineyards and orchards

[picassoc @picassoc]

Several new fire in California today. The #CreekFire in Fresno County. #ValleyFire in San Diego County. #ElDoradoFire in San Bernardino County. Lots of smoke seen on satellite.

[Kent Daane @daane_lab]

@zachportman I think that’s a fly that mimics a bee

[Kent Daane @daane_lab]

Sunny Yang from the lab helping at Fresno Hmong New Year with UCCE Cooperative Extension Michael Yang and Ruth Dahlquist-Willard, showing old and young farmers insect pests and their natural enemies to discuss how to farm with fewer pesticides.

[Clifford Ohmart @cohmart]

Really great in-depth article about Lodi Zinfandel based on workshop in Lodi. https://t.co/jfaJb6SRh2

[Kent Daane @daane_lab]

Congratulations to Rohith Vulchi - who is completing his Masters at CSU Fresno (thesis defense photo) and starting a PhD at Texas A&M (L-R) Maggie Ellis, Davide Scaccini, Jacob Wenger, Kent Daane, Rohith, Sunny Yang, May Yang

[Mark Grossi @markgrossi]

Six of the 10 warmest Julys in Fresno have happened since 2003. Right now, the average temperature this month is 86.8. Might crack the top 10 again this year.

[Kent Daane @daane_lab]

Finishing up vineyard cover crop work with a new look at old data comparing native grasses to seeded 'insectary mix'. Interesting find - native grasses help with water conservation (deep roots); paper's in @JAppliedEcology https://t.co/2Mbu2hsUqZ

[NYT Science @NYTScience]

“I’ve been through a few waves of invasive species, and this is far and away the most incredible thing I’ve ever seen.” https://t.co/39cHHlmoW0

[Kent Daane @daane_lab]

A global team looked at invasive mealybug "Planococcus ficus" in North America. Summarized in PLoS One https://t.co/7VZMvLCOmL, molecular snooping suggests Mid-East origins of invasive Pf in Calif and Mexico. Use 'certified' nursery plant material, don't suitcase-carry plants!

[Kent Daane @daane_lab]

One more bee comment-near Sanger, CA noticed one side of road had bee hives to pollinate almonds and the other side netting to keep bees off self-pollinating mandarins (bees cross pollinate resulting in seeds) - hived honey bees are more an ag-tool than an ecosystem service

[Kent Daane @daane_lab]

Continuing on almond bloom - its been a tough year with a very warm start to February bringing on early-fast bloom, then freezing cold (photo of farmer running water), and now rain. Check out early 2018 prediction https://t.co/mCEnR6yUAU vs. this week https://t.co/QriO2yaCEw.

[Kent Daane @daane_lab]

Almond growers need millions of bees for a few weeks and then want no bees after bloom because of pesticides used for pests. Current solution - bring bees in, while researchers are looking at native bees, self pollinating almonds are being used and so one solution may be no bees

[Kent Daane @daane_lab]

UC Berkeley ranked as top (#1) University for Environmental Sciences https://t.co/7Co6bc2aUD over Stanford (#2), MIT (#3), Harvard (#4) and Oxford (#5)

[Clifford Ohmart @cohmart]

This is not good. California Specialty Crop Leaders Condemn Pesticide Ruling https://t.co/5lIHstqNmD

[Kent Daane @daane_lab]

Hannah @NCSmallFruitIPM & Lauren @LMDiepenbrock hosted spotted wing drosophila bio-control webinar available at NCSU website https://t.co/6ixTnOcxvV. Speakers included Heather at MSU @msuberrybugs, Kim Hoelmer (USDA). Let me know if you want any Ganaspis / Leptopilina photos.

[Kent Daane @daane_lab]

@MSUvineWine Congratulations !

[Clifford Ohmart @cohmart]

This is an alarming photo. Stopping the Spotted Lanternfly https://t.co/CqEnv7cm9a (from @WinesandVines)

[Kent Daane @daane_lab]

Another sign of the 'new' 2017-2018 drought - stone fruit being irrigated in February because we've had so little rain in California's San Joaquin Valley (and very little snow pack in the Sierra's to our east https://t.co/OdfhjOrRjh

[Kent Daane @daane_lab]

ESA (bug-folks) @EntsocAmerica meetings now as much about seeing friends; at Denver mting, caught up with Rhonda Hamm https://t.co/HB8dIiUQmb who was in the UC Kearney lab (1999-2000), from CSU Fresno to Cornell (PhD), now doing great things w/ DOW (Global Academic Relations)

[Kent Daane @daane_lab]

How warm has California been? Feb 7th, temps at 75 F, and I saw my first stone fruit orchard in bloom - with honey bees all over and no managed hives in sight. How early can bloom be? Will a frost or rain storm impact the fruit set (if we return to normal winter temperatures)?