RSS 1.0Agronomy
ABOUT THE COLLECTION
The mission of the Arizona Pest Management Center (APMC) is to support College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) faculty in their efforts to develop and deliver outstanding Integrated Pest Management (IPM) programs that address the needs of Arizona’s citizens. This includes IPM programs serving agriculture, urban communities and natural areas.
QUESTIONS?
For information, please contact APMC at https://acis.cals.arizona.edu/about-us/arizona-pest-management-center.
Recent Submissions
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Future of the Colorado River – Southwest Ag SummitThis article (Vegetable IPM Newsletter, Vol. 16, No. 5) summarizes discussion from the 2026 Southwest Ag Summit on post-2026 Colorado River management alternatives outlined in the Bureau of Reclamation Draft Environmental Impact Statement. The piece highlights potential impacts to Lower Basin agriculture and emphasizes the importance of public input in shaping future water allocation policy.
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Colorado River Summary & UpdateThis article, published in the VegIPM Newsletter (Vol. 17, No. 3), provides an update on the status of the Colorado River, including declining flows, reservoir conditions, and ongoing water management negotiations affecting the Southwest.
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Soil Health: Regenerative and Conventional Crop Production SystemsThis article, published in the VegIPM Newsletter (Vol. 17, No. 2), examines regenerative and conventional crop production systems, highlighting how soil health outcomes depend on management practices, climate, and cropping context, with particular emphasis on desert agricultural systems.
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Soil Health: Decomposition of Organic Materials and Nutrient MineralizationThis article, published in the VegIPM Newsletter (Vol. 17, No. 1), explains how organic material decomposition and nutrient mineralization influence soil health and nutrient availability in desert crop systems.
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Soil Health: Organic and Inorganic Industrial Fertilizers Impact of Crop and Soil HealthThis article, published in the VegIPM Newsletter (Vol. 16, No. 25), compares organic and inorganic fertilizers and their effects on soil health. Silvertooth explains how each contributes differently to soil structure, biology, and nutrient delivery, emphasizing the value of integrating both in desert crop systems.
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Soil Health: Sources Utilized in Plant Nitrogen UptakeThis article in the VegIPM Newsletter (Vol. 16, No. 24) explains that crops mainly rely on inorganic nitrogen and that organic forms play only a minor role in plant uptake.
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Soil Health: Nitrogen Cycle and Management in Agricultural SoilsThis article, published in the Vegetable IPM Newsletter (Vol. 16, No. 23), explains the nitrogen cycle and the biological processes that transform nitrogen into plant-available forms. It highlights the importance of the mineralization–immobilization transformation (MIT) cycle in maintaining soil fertility, supporting crop productivity, and managing nitrogen efficiently in agricultural systems.
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Root System DevelopmentThis article, published in the Vegetable IPM Newsletter (Vol. 16, No. 22), highlights how healthy root systems support water and nutrient uptake, soil health, and overall plant vigor. It explains root structure, function, and maintenance for optimal crop growth.
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Germination and Seedling DevelopmentThis article, published in the Vegetable IPM Newsletter (Vol. 16, No. 21), explains how temperature, moisture, and soil conditions affect seed germination and seedling development, with focus on lettuce thermodormancy and managing heat with sprinkler irrigation.
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Developments in Plant GeneticsThis article, published in the VegIPM Newsletter (Vol. 16, No. 20), traces advances in plant genetics from the Green Revolution to Bt crops, while warning against past missteps like Lysenkoism.
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Sodic Soil Hazard from Irrigation WaterThis article, in the VegIPM Newsletter (Vol. 16, No. 19), explains how recent rainfall increased sodic soil hazards in the lower Colorado River Valley, highlighting temporary soil crusting issues and the return to stable conditions with Colorado River irrigation
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Salinity and Sodicity – Fundamental PointsThis article, in the VegIPM Newsletter (Vol. 16, No. 18), outlines key definitions, symptoms, and management strategies for saline and sodic soils in desert agriculture, emphasizing leaching, amendments, and drainage.
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Global Decline in Available Fresh WaterThis article, published in the VegIPM Newsletter (Vol. 16, No. 17), summarizes global GRACE satellite studies documenting unprecedented terrestrial water storage losses since 2002, with severe impacts in arid regions like the U.S. Southwest and Mexico.
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Chile Crop Water and Nitrogen DemandThis article, published in the VegIPM Newsletter (Vol. 16, No. 16), examines how water and nitrogen demand align with chile growth stages, with 2025 field data showing crops entering peak bloom and nutrient demand by late July.
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Basic Chile Crop Growth and DevelopmentThis article, published in the VegIPM Newsletter (Vol. 16, No. 15), outlines phenology of New Mexico–type chile, emphasizing heat unit–based benchmarks for crown formation, flowering, and fruit set as management tools.
