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Two new growth-retardants—NIA-10637 and NIA-10656—sprayed on regrowth of topped Bacon avocado trees in Ventura County resulted in significant growth inhibition.

Applications of TIBA (trüodobenzoic acid) have broken terminal dominance, and caused sprouting and growth of axillary buds in young avocado trees without killing the terminal shoot which continues to grow at a reduced rate. This chemical may offer a way to alter the marked upright growth of varieties such as Zutano and Bacon into a more desirable spreading-scaffold branch structure.

The income tax advantages of cattle investments, and their use by nonfarm investors as a tax shelter, are examined in this study. A budgeted example is included showing that investors continue to realize positive returns, even after passage of the Tax Reform Act of 1969. Tax advantages in cattle investments are the greatest for taxpayers in the highest marginal income tax brackets.

Root pruning and care during the first two nursery transplantings of four tree species significantly increased the percentage of plants with good root systems. The earlier the plants were moved from the seedflat into peat pots and then into gallon cans, the higher the percentage of plants with good root systems, and the larger they grew in caliper and height. Plants root-pruned during the early moves were larger than those not pruned. However, later root pruning resulted in smaller plants than those moved earlier, or than those moved at the same time but not root pruned.

Confused males—and effective control of cabbage looper—resulted from the uniform placement of synthetic sex pheromone stations spaced about 100 m apart in field tests. The synthetic sex pheromone of the cabbage looper, Trichoplusia ni (Hübner) (Noctuidae) was continuously evaporated from uniformly spaced sources in a field at a rate of about 1 mg per hectare per night. Males of this species were almost completely prevented from locating pheromone-releasing females. This male inhibition technique offers considerable promise for the control of insect pest populations.

Deep drilling of soil profiles in the Chino-Corona dairy area, which has an estimated average NO-₃ concentration of about 315 ppm (70 ppm NO₃-N) in drainage water underneath croplands and pastures. Predictions for the NO-₃ concentration in the drainage water in the unsaturated zone for this disposal rate agree with this determined value. The disposal rate should be lowered to about three to four cows per disposal acre to have an acceptable NO-₃ load in the drainage water.

These tests show that a good initial stand of asparagus can be obtained through direct seeding from early spring to late summer; however, the final established stand was dependent upon the cultural practice following the first season of growth. Plantings made in July or later, in warm production areas such as southern California, do not gain sufficient size during the first season to permit covering with soil before the second season. The production of marketable spears from one-year-old plants was limited, and it appeared that this reduction in quality may be carried over into subsequent harvest seasons.