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New twist in the fight against the light brown apple moth

New twist in light brown apple moth fight

There's a new twist in the fight to eradicate the light brown apple moth. Work crews have been utilizing twist ties laden with a sexual attractant, which disrupts the breeding cycle of the insects. Installation is complete in the area around Oakley in Contra Costa County and starts today (Thursday) in Napa. Workers place a couple of the twist ties on trees or shrubs and move to the next property. Each twist tie lasts 90 days. Thus far no property owner has raised objections to the natural pheromone material.

Watermelons with reduced sugar available soon

Watermelons with half the sugar content could be available later this summer. Government plant breeders developed the red-seeded variety to appeal to dieters and diabetics. The developers are sharing the new watermelon stock with interested farmers. How soon it makes it to retail stores depends how soon farmers decide to try it. The new watermelon variety has all the same nutrients just less than half the sugar. It also has fewer calories.

Blueberry production increases

California blueberry production increased by about 6 million pounds over the 2006 season, according to the California Blueberry Association. About 14 and a half million pounds went to the fresh market and 2 million pounds went for processing. Newly planted acreage is expected to come into production next year so another production increase is anticipated. Central Valley harvest is over and farmers are now pruning their bushes preparing for the next crop.

Obesity factors listed

There are 4 main factors that are most likely to cause obesity in America. That is the finding of University of California researchers. They list consumption of dietary fat, sweetened beverages, restaurant foods and a pattern of breakfast skipping as major culprits. Parents wishing to have their children avoid becoming obese should include a diet with lots of fiber, fruits, and vegetables and adequate calcium and dairy products. Their findings are published in the current issue of California Agriculture.

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