The following peer-reviewed research articles have been published in the University of California’s California Agriculture journal. To download full-text PDFs, go to: http://californiaagriculture.ucop.edu

Management reduces E. coli in irrigated pasture runoff: Microbial pollutants, some of which can cause illnesses in humans, chronically contaminate many California water bodies. This study examined the potential to reduce E. coli contamination from cattle in irrigated pastures. During the 14 irrigation events examined, E. coli concentrations were lowest with a combination of three treatments: filtering runoff through a natural wetland, reducing runoff rates, and letting the pasture rest from grazing at least a week prior to irrigation. Contact: Kenneth W. Tate, UC Cooperative Extension Watershed Specialist, (530) 754-8988, kwtate@ucdavis.edu.

Juniper removal may not increase water yields in the Klamath Basin: Western juniper has expanded dramatically within the semiarid Klamath River Basin over the past 130 years. UC researchers evaluated the feasibility of augmenting water yields by removing this water-loving tree. The results suggest that the conversion of western juniper woodlands to shrublands or grasslands would not substantially increase water yields in the Basin. Contact: Kenneth W. Tate, UC Cooperative Extension Watershed Specialist, (530) 754-8988, kwtate@ucdavis.edu.

West Coast agricultural cooperatives are financially competitive: In recent years, several agricultural cooperatives have experienced high-profile financial difficulties or failures. West Coast cooperatives and investor-owned firms were analyzed in the fruits and vegetables, dairy, farm supply and grain sectors, using standard financial ratios for profitability, liquidity, leverage and asset efficiency from 1991 through 2002. The overall financial performance of cooperatives on the West Coast was on par with that of similar investor-owned firms. Contact: Shermain Hardesty, Director, UC Small Farm Center, (530) 752-7774, sfpdirector@ucdavis.edu.

Mandated marketing programs focus on health, food safety: California farmers currently participate in 63 marketing programs, paying annual assessments of more than $226 million to support advertising, promotion, research and inspection programs. Marketing programs emphasized supply controls in the 1930s and 1940s, but now focus on generic advertising and promotion, food safety inspection, health and nutrition research, and market information. Contact: Hoy Carman, UC Davis Agricultural Economics Professor, (530) 752-1525, hfcarman@primal.ucdavis.edu.

Also in this issue, news and editorial features include:

• Innovative water-quality research to reduce nonpoint-source pollution
• UC Santa Cruz agroecology center celebrates 40 years
• UC students eating local, organic produce
• Editorial: Sustainable food systems link growers and consumer markets

California Agriculture is the University of California’s peer-reviewed journal of research in agricultural, human and natural resources. For a free subscription, go to: http://californiaagriculture.ucop.edu, write to calag@ucop.edu or call (510) 642-2431 x33. For a hard copy of the journal contact Janet Byron, (510) 642-2431 x19 or janet.byron@ucop.edu.