Lindcove Research and Extension Center (LREC) continues to diversify it's crop portfolio with the addition of a new walnut block housing two research trials. On April 11, 2016 UCCE Farm Advisor, Elizabeth Fichtner, established both a rootstock observation trial and a study designed to screen biological and biorational compounds for protection of walnut rootstocks from soilborne pathogens. 

Due to local disease pressure from thousand cankers disease, soil infestation with Phytophthora parasitica, and heightened local incidence of lethal paradox canker, LREC is the ideal location to challenge new rootstock genotypes generated by the walnut improvement program (WIP) at UC Davis.  Four experimental genotypes, including one with potential Phytophthora resistance, have been included in the trial.

In a separate trial, commercially-available products sold for tree protection from soilborne fungi are being tested on seedling ‘Paradox' rootstock. The trial includes root treatments with endomycorrhizal fungi (MycoApply EndoMAXX, Valent), a bacterial biocontrol agent (Activate, Natural Resources Group), and a botanical extract mixture containing salicylic acid, a known compound involved in induced resistance (Root Rx, Redox Chemical).