Natural enemy joins fight against yellow starthistle
Senator meets with Farm Bureau board
A newly approved natural enemy of the weed yellow starthistle has been released inEl DoradoCounty. The University of California said last week it had joined with federal research- ers to release the yellow starthistle rosette weevil at theBureauof LandManagement Magnolia Ranch day-use area. Theweevil, native to theMediterranean regionof Europe, presents no risk to other plants other than bachelor’s buttons, an introduced plant fromEurope, UC said. Yellow starthistle reached California more than 150 years ago, according to the university, and with no natural enemies here, it quickly spread to infest nearly 15 million acres in the state. In California, UC said, “yellow starthis- tle can grow to shoulder height, forming massive, thorny patches that block hiking trails, crowdout native plants andpresent awildfire danger.” The weed is toxic to horses and its flowers are encircled by inch-long, sharp spines that can pierce the eyes of grazing animals. UC Cooperative Extension said its ad- visors have worked with landowners for decades tomanage yellow starthistle-in- fested land.
Scott Oneto, a UCCE natural resources advisor in El Dorado County, said effec- tive yellow starthistle controls have been developed, includingwell-timedmowing, grazing, handpulling, burning, cultivation and herbicide application. “But these treatments are rarely imple- mented on a scale large enough to com- bat our enormous starthistle infestations,” Oneto said. Landmanagersbeganintroducingnatu- ral enemies fromyellowstarthistle’shome range in the 1960s, including several spe- cies that attack the plant’s flower heads. However, Oneto said, yellow starthistle is“averyprolificseedproducer,”withsome plantsproducing100,000seeds—meaning even the most successful natural enemy leftmany seeds for theplant to reproduce. The yellow starthistle rosette weevil, first collected in Turkey in 1984, attacks the plant at its base. U.S.Department ofAgriculture research entomologistLincolnSmith,whohasstud- ied the weevil for 20 years, said its larvae developand feedon theplant’s root crown inspringbeforeemergingasadults inJune. “There is only one generation per year, sopopulationswill growslowly,whichwill gradually reduceyellowstarthistlepopula- tions,” Smith said.
Topics included drought, immigration and water infrastructure as U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla, D-Calif., met with the California Farm Bureau Board of Directors. The sen- ator spoke from his Washington, D.C., office to Farm Bureau officers and directors who gathered via video conference last week. Participants included, left to right at top, California Farm Bureau President Jamie Johansson and Administrator Jim Houston, plus two members of Padilla’s staff, Angela Ebiner and Sarah Swig.
Successful biological control with the weevil shouldreduceyellowstarthistle,UC said, but not eliminate it. The El Dorado County release last monthmarked theweevil’s secondrelease in North America; the first occurred last year in SolanoCounty. BLM and UCCE researchers plan to
monitor the Magnolia Ranch site in- tensively during the next several years, to determine the rate of rosette weevil reproduction and success at feeding on yellow starthistle. More information is available on the UCWeed Science blog, ucanr.edu/blogs/ UCDWeedScience.
Agricultural Market Review
Quotations are the latest available for the week ending April 30, 2021 Year Ago Week Ago Latest Week Livestock Slaughter Steers – 5-Area Average Select & Choice, 1050–1150 lbs., $ per cwt. 95-100 120-121 120 Hogs – Average hog, 51-52% lean, Iowa-Minn. market, $ per cwt. 64.61 105.46 104.79 Slaughter Lambs – $ per cwt. 125–175 lbs. National weekly live sales No Quote 165-200 180-210 Field crops – basis prompt shipment Barley – U.S. No. 2, $ per cwt. Truck, Stockton-Modesto-Oakdale-Turlock No Quote No Quote 14 Cotton – ¢ per lb., Middling 1 3/32” Fresno spot market 58.16 79.81 79.49 Corn – U.S. No. 2 yellow $ per cwt. trucked 8.12 8.04 8.55 Alfalfa Hay – $ per ton, quality*, FOB Region 1, Northern Inter-mountain No Quote 300 (P) No Quote Region 2, Sacramento Valley 220-235 (P/S) 230-260 (G/S) 280-300 (orchard mix) Region 3, Northern San Joaquin Valley 215-270 (P/S) 220-300 (G/S) 270-295 (P/S) Region 4, Central San Joaquin Valley No Quote No Quote 265-300 (P/S) Region 5, Southern California 279 (P) 259 (P) 259 (P) Region 6, Southeast Interior 190-210 (P/S) 215-235 (P/S) 220-225 (P/S) Oat Hay – $ per ton, quality*, FOB Northern California, dairy No Quote No Quote No Quote Oats – U.S. No. 2 white, $ per cwt. Statewide, trucked price No Quote No Quote No Quote
FARM BUREAU WELCOMES DUNGAREES as our newest benefit partner! Dungarees carries a large selection of premium men’s and women’s work wear brands such as Carhartt ® , CAT ® and Wolverine ® . They also carry YETI ® brand merchandise.
California Farm Bureau members receive: • 10% discount on orders under $200 • 15% discount on orders over $200 • 20% discount on orders over $500 • Free shipping on all orders over $55
Dry Beans – Grower FOB prices Baby Limas, $ per cwt, (sacked) Large Limas, $ per cwt. (sacked) Blackeye, $ per cwt. (sacked)
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Rice – Milled No. 1 Head, FOB No. Calif. mills Medium grain, $ per cwt. Wheat – U.S. No. 2 or better, winter, $ per cwt. 13% protein, Los Angeles, trucked price
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Please call your local county Farm Bureau or 1-800-698-3276 for your discount code.
No Quote 12.75 (No. 3) Provided by the California Farm Bureau as a service to Farm Bureau members. Information supplied by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Market News Branch. * ADF=Acid detergent fiber; (S) = Supreme/<27%ADF; (P) = Premium/27-29; (G) = Good/29-32; (F) = Fair/32-35. 13.25
It’s another great benefit of your Farm Bureau membership.
May 5, 2021 Ag Alert 15
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