2016 Pitahaya/Dragon Fruit Field Day
Friday – September 16, 2016
MVP Farms – Off Highway 126, Fillmore, CA
3095 West Telegraph Road, Fillmore, CA 93015, and
Hansen Agricultural Research and Extension Center – Santa Paula, CA
14292 West Telegraph Road, Santa Paula, CA 93060
TENTATIVE PROGRAM:
7:00 am Registration and Continental Breakfast at MVP Farms
8:00 am Overview and Tour of Field Research Trials at MVP Farms (Varieties, Irrigation, Fertilization, and Trellis System) - Jose Fernandez De Soto & Ramiro Lobo, UC Cooperative Extension; Manuel Dubon, MVP Farms; and, Keny Lam, AGQ Labs Inc.
9:30 am BREAK & Relocate to Hansen Agricultural Research &Extension Center in Santa Paula
10:00 am Pitahaya Production in Ventura County – A Research Update – Jose Fernandez de Soto, UC Hansen Research and Extension Center.
10:20 am Pitahaya or Dragon Fruit Varieties – Morphology, Genetic Characterization, Adaptation and Yield Data - Ramiro Lobo – Farm Advisor, UCCE San Diego County.
10:40 am Pitahaya Diseases, Prevention & Management Strategies – James Downer, Farm Advisor, UCCE Ventura County.
11:00 am Nematode Problems in Pitahaya Production – Research Update – Ole Becker, Extension Nematology Specialist, UC Riverside.
11:20 am Fertility Management for Pitahaya Production in California: Kenny A. Lam, Agronomy Director, AGQ Labs Inc.
11:40 am Integrated Pest Management (IPM) and Insect Pest Management Alternatives for Pitahaya Production in California – Anna D. Howell, Entomologist - UCCE Ventura County.
12:00 am Pitahaya or Dragon Fruit Establishment Costs and Market Considerations: Ramiro Lobo – Farm Advisor, UCCE San Diego County
12:30 PM LUNCH & Pitahaya Fruit/Ice Cream Tasting (included with registration)
2:00 PM ADJOURN!!
REGISTRATION: $30.00 per person if registered and paid online by Monday – September 12, 2016; or $40 at the door, if space allows. The registration fee covers handout materials, continental breakfast, refreshments, lunch, pitahaya fruit/ice cream tasting, and 6 cuttings of pitahaya or dragon fruit. Please register in advance to help us plan for meals and handouts!!
Register online at http://ucanr.edu/2016pitahaya-ventura
ACCESSIBILITY: UC Hansen Agricultural Research and Extension Center is a Handicapped accessible facility. However, the field portion of this event involves walking on uneven terrain without any shade. Please contact Jose De Soto (760.996.4874 or jfdesoto@ucanr.edu) or Ramiro Lobo (858.243.4608 or relobo@ucanr.edu) for any special accommodation you may need.
Program sponsored by the University of California Cooperative Extension offices in San Diego and Ventura Counties, in collaboration with MVP Farms and with financial support from the UC Thelma Hansen Fund.
