UPCOMING CONFERENCE
"Lychee and Longan Production and Marketing in California"
 A day-long meeting, entitled "Lychee and Longan Production and Marketing in California," is planned for April 23, 24, and 25, at three locations in central and southern California. The April 23 meeting will begin at 8:30 a.m. at Castle Creek Inn, 29650 Circle K Way, Escondido. The April 24 meeting will begin at 8:30 a.m. at the UC Cooperative Extension Office, 669 County Square Drive #100, in Ventura. The April 25 meeting will begin at 8:30 a.m. at the Elks' Lodge #613 at 150 N. Kellogg Avenue, in Goleta (Santa Barbara). All of the meetings will begin with morning speakers/discussions and will move to field plot demonstrations following lunch.
The speaker program will cover a wide range of topics on lychee and longan biology, adaptation, production, costs of production, and marketing. The initial results from ongoing field trials with lychee and longan at different sites in California will be discussed, and afternoon field sessions will visit selected trial sites.
The speaker program titles to be presented at the meetings include:
- Project Overview - Research and Development Leading to Commercial Production of Lychee and Longan in California - Mark Gaskell, UCCE, Santa Barbara County.
- Lychee and Longan Biology and World Adaptation - Dr. Francis Zee, Curator, Lychee Germplasm Center, USDA Pacific Basin Agricultural Research Center.
- Overview of Lychee and Longan Production/Research Worldwide - Ben Faber, UCCE, Ventura County.
- Marketing Lychee and Longan in the U.S. - Bill Vogel, President, Tavilla Marketing, Los Angeles.
- Imported Lychee and Longan as Pest Threats for California Agriculture - Vincent Arellano, CDFA Pest Exclusion Branch.
- Initial Projections - Costs of Production for Lychee and Longan in California - Eta Takele, UCCE, Riverside County.
- Lessons Learned from "Research and Development Leading to Lychee and Longan Production in California" - Grower/Farm Advisor Panel.
The afternoon field portion will include a discussion of performance to date of new lychee and longan variety plantings and demonstrations of lychee and longan grafting, lychee and longan airlayering, airlayer growing media, ground preparation and planting, and pruning and irrigation management.
The conference fee is $25 per person ($30 at the door) and includes lunch. Space is limited, and all registrations are on a first come basis. The program is sponsored by the University of California Cooperative Extension in Santa Barbara, Ventura and San Diego Counties, and supported by a grant from the California Department of Food and Agriculture, Pest Exclusion Branch.
For more information about the meeting or to request registration forms, contact: Mark Gaskell, Santa Barbara County, 805/934-6240; Ben Faber, Ventura County, 805/645-1462; or Ramiro Lobo, San Diego County, 858/694-3666.
|
