I enjoy the lifestyle. I just want these plants to grow. Unlike most common viruses, which are spread from plant to plant by insects, tomato bushy stunt virus resides in soil and water, says UC Cooperative Extension farm advisor Richard Molinar. It has recently appeared in lettuce fields in the Salinas Valley, primarily in areas near the Salinas River or where fields have been flooded in the last several years. Soil samples from two parts of Medina's farm which were treated with different fumigants are being analyzed to determine whether the virus can be controlled with the materials.
Medina anxiously awaits the results.
Two tiny pests that recently entered the United States, the persea mite and avocado thrips, pose a formidable threat to California's estimated 6,000 avocado growers, say UC researchers. The mite feeds on leaves, causing them to fall from trees, while feeding thrips damage young fruit, turning them brown. Mark Hoddle, UC Riverside biological control specialist, and UC Davis postdoctoral researcher Karen Jetter have developed an economic model to determine the effects to growers and consumers of the rising production costs, decreasing quality and increased market prices caused by the persea mite and avocado thrips. Because seasonal avocado imports from countries like Chile and Mexico are rising, the increasing production costs for California growers may not translate into higher prices in the marketplace. Rather, increased imports could replace local production.