Soil/Plant Testing & Diagnostics

How To Distinguish Weather-Related Crop Injury From Disease

There has been outrageous weather in parts of our nation this year. “Bomb cyclones” were dropping hsnow and unleashing winds. Historically huge snowstorms paralyzed all transportation and interfered with daily tasks. Cold-paralyzed iguanas were falling from trees in Florida!

3/9/2026

Growing Produce TriCal Diagnostics Ag Industry Environmental Stewardship Food Supply Steve Koike

Honoring Steve Koike

As Steve Koike enters retirement, we’re honored to spotlight his lasting impact on plant pathology. The TriCal blog highlights Steve’s decades of leadership, service, and contributions to the agricultural community, including his time with UC Cooperative Extension and TriCal Diagnostics.

1/21/2026

Ag News: TriCal Inc. TriCal Diagnostics TriCal Group TriCal Inc. California Employee Spotlight Microbial Research Nematodes Steve Koike

California Faces an Average of 9 New Invasive Species Each Year

California faces an average of 9 new invasive species each year, living below the soil surface, quietly impacting crops long before problems become visible. As part of a broader soil health strategy, soil fumigation can help manage certain soil-borne pest pressures.

1/16/2026

Ag News: TriCal Inc. TriCal Inc. California Pest Control Soil Fumigation Soil Health

Discovering New Vegetable Diseases Always a Work in Progress

“New” is not a word you want to see associated with “vegetable disease concerns.” Growers, production advisors, and field professionals are periodically faced with new and unfamiliar diseases. Researchers have an established protocol for proving that a problem is a new one.

11/3/2025

Growing Produce TriCal Diagnostics Ag Industry Steve Koike

Common Myth: TELONE™ by Teleos “Wipes Out” Life in the Soil

Independent third-party studies and numerous global trials show TELONE™ doesn’t sterilize the soil—but rather, it supports a diverse and highly functioning microbiome.

11/3/2025

Teleos Ag Solutions Chloropicrin Microbial Research Soil Fumigation Soil Health Telone™ by Teleos

CDPR Study Shows No Impact for 1,3-D

The California Department of Pesticide Regulation (CDPR) recently reported the results of a study conducted in Stanislaus County on air concentrations of three soil fumigants. No measurements exceeded 4% of the regulatory threshold, meaning there was no impact from the application of these fumigants.

7/16/2025

Ag Industry California Environmental Stewardship Sustainability Telone™ by Teleos

One Easy Change Can Double Soil’s “Good Guys”

We’ve always known Strike works. Season after season, growers tell us what they see in their fields: healthier plants, better root systems, and stronger yields. What’s happening beneath the surface? Not just in terms of pest control, but in the living biology of the soil itself?

6/17/2025

Canada Dr. Chad Hutchinson Potatoes Soil Fumigation Soil Health

More Effective Disease Control in Your Vegetables via Crop Rotations

Plant diseases are one of the most challenging obstacles facing growers. A biological reality is that if a farmer grows the same crop too many times, and if the farmer puts in the same crop too often over a short period of time, pathogens will be harder to manage.

3/7/2025

Growing Produce TriCal Diagnostics Broccoli Nematodes Soil Health Steve Koike Vegetables

Preparing For Spring Telone™ Applications

As spring approaches, it’s essential to prepare fields for planting by effectively managing soil-borne pests, particularly nematodes. This blog post outlines steps to ensure successful fumigation, including soil sampling, using pre-application checklists, and monitoring soil moisture levels.

2/19/2025

Teleos Ag Solutions Nematodes Soil Fumigation Soil Health Telone™ by Teleos

Unexpected Vegetable Disease Issues Can Lead to Unusual Findings

Yet another novel medical development is threatening people in some regions of the U.S. This concern is a Neisseria bacterium that is responsible for meningitis and bloodstream diseases. The “new” is a particular Neisseria strain that causes unusual, atypical symptoms.

11/6/2024

Growing Produce TriCal Diagnostics TriCal Inc. Steve Koike Vegetables

Could A Soil Fumigant Be Used as a Bio-Stimulant?

A group of scientists at the University of Florida have been investigating the impact of soil fumigation on microbial communities and recently published some of their findings. They found that fumigant treatments with greater than 60% chloropicrin consistently increased tomato yield

5/16/2024

Ag News: TriEst Ag Group Chloropicrin Florida Microbial Research Soil Fumigation Soil Health Tomatoes

Criteria for Successful Biocontrol Candidates on the Farm

Using biological agents to help manage plant diseases is no longer a novel concept. Research on biological candidates, development of biological products, and deployment of such materials in agriculture have been occurring for a long time.

3/7/2024

Growing Produce TriCal Diagnostics Organic Farming Steve Koike

A High-tech Look Inside Soil’s Microbiome

Chad Hutchinson is pleased to discuss soil microbes and sustainability with Joy Youwakim, an agroecology scientist at Biome Makers, an independent, third-party genomics company that specializes in DNA sequencing of agricultural soil samples.

1/30/2024

Biome Makers Inc. Spud Smart Strike™ The Dirt: A Blog Chloropicrin Dr. Chad Hutchinson Environmental Stewardship Joy Youwakim Microbial Research Soil Fumigation Soil Health Sustainability

Field Visit for Grape Trial in Modesto, Ca. with Dr. Kristi Sanchez

It was an honor to get invited by one of our Scientists, Dr. Kristi Sanchez. It was remarkable to see her in action out in the field, doing what she does best: helping diagnose nematode issues and providing support to growers throughout the Central Valley.

6/27/2023

Ag News: TriCal Inc. TriCal Inc. Dr. Kristi Sanchez Grapes Nematodes

New Report Finds 97% of Fruits and Vegetables Sampled in California Meet Pesticide Safety Standards

The DPR released the 2021 California Pesticide Residue Monitoring Program Report showing that 97% of produce collected in 2021 had no detectable pesticide residues. More than 98% of “grown in California” produce had no residues that exceeded allowable levels.

6/1/2023

Ag News: TriCal Inc. TriCal Inc. California Citrus Dr. Kristi Sanchez Food Safety Food Supply Vegetables

Pistachio Field Trials: Decreased Nematode Densities

Chloropicrin Shifts Soil Biology in Powerful Ways across Diverse Regions, Crops, and Soil Types

How To Distinguish Weather-Related Crop Injury From Disease

Honoring Steve Koike

California Faces an Average of 9 New Invasive Species Each Year

Discovering New Vegetable Diseases Always a Work in Progress

Common Myth: TELONE™ by Teleos “Wipes Out” Life in the Soil

CDPR Study Shows No Impact for 1,3-D

One Easy Change Can Double Soil’s “Good Guys”

More Effective Disease Control in Your Vegetables via Crop Rotations

Preparing For Spring Telone™ Applications

Unexpected Vegetable Disease Issues Can Lead to Unusual Findings

Could A Soil Fumigant Be Used as a Bio-Stimulant?

Criteria for Successful Biocontrol Candidates on the Farm

A High-tech Look Inside Soil’s Microbiome

Field Visit for Grape Trial in Modesto, Ca. with Dr. Kristi Sanchez

New Report Finds 97% of Fruits and Vegetables Sampled in California Meet Pesticide Safety Standards

E VA Red Potato Trial Soil Compaction Explanation

Agronomy in Action - Peanut Soil Fumigation Trial Part II

Why soil health is so important to Andrew Braham

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