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Burning rice straw, the residue of harvesting, pollutes the air and is possibly hazardous to health, but other alternatives proposed so far would place a heavy economic burden on growers who may not be able to pass their expenses on to consumers. The most likely long-term solution will be to find a way to utilize rice straw, possibly, for example, as fodder for cattle.

Not only have changes occurred in the way farms and farm families are run (see January 1980 issue of California Agriculture), but there have been dramatic changes within a single generation in the handling of hired labor (there is less need for it) and in the composition of rural communities (more Spanish-speaking residents are settling down, particularly in the Central Valley). This is the last of two articles on the subject.

Wide fluctuations in yield have resulted in an unstable market for growers.

The six newly developed strawberry varieties recently announced by University of California researchers are described in detail. Three are “day-neutral” types suitable for cultivation by home gardeners and three are “short-day” types intended for commercial growers seeking to supply early markets.

A deceptively low count on new regrowth may signal a population buildup and potential crop loss.