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Savings of more than $20 per acre are possible by using a nontillage system of almond culture in place of the conventional tillage method, according to this recent study in Butte County.

Excellent nursery trees of several clonal apple rootstocks were produced in these tests 11 months after hardwood cuttings were planted. Preplanting treatments with indolebutyric acid followed by bottom heat at the base of the cuttings, while the tops were exposed to normal winter chilling, were necessary. This method could replace the more expensive and slower “stooling” method of propagating clonal apple rootstocks.

Preliminary studies indicate that utilization of chicken manure as a rangeland fertilizer is a possibility, especially in areas of nitrogen and phosphorus deficiency.

The prototype of the new continuous-flow fruit press described in this report was developed mainly for wineries, but the flexibility of layout, light weight and low power requirements allow the press to be built in a large number of configurations and sizes. The average yields of liquid from grapes increased 9% above the conventional basket-pressing method. A commercial sized machine modeled after the prototype but with 36-inch-wide perforated-plastic belts and nine pressing stages could handle 125 tons of crushed grapes per hour and require only 10 hp—many times less than the power needed for other fruit presses of the same capacity. This machine has been patented and is being produced by commercial manufacturers.

The herbicide CIPC, applied at 4 lbs per acre as a preemergence treatment for weed control in garlic, can be used safely in major production areas of California—and offers substantial savings over the usual cultivation and hand-weeding costs.

Moderate water stress prior to sugar beet harvest did not significantly reduce sugar production in Kern County tests. Higher sugar content of roots and lower production costs could make this practice profitable, if stress is not prolonged.

These studies indicate that some of the microbial polysaccharides are relatively resistant to decomposition by soil organisms and, therefore, may well be contributing influences to the favorable effects of organic residues on soil physical properties.