faculty description

Louise Ferguson,
Extension Pomologist
Ph.D., University of Florida, Gainesville, 1984

Phone (559) 646-6541 FAX (559) 646-6593
E-mail: louise@uckac.edu

Department of Plant Sciences,
University of California, Davis
Phone (530) 752-0507; FAX (530) 752-8502

Areas of Specialty:
Pistachios, olives, figs, persimmons and citrus

Web Site: Fruit & Nut Research and Information Center

Research Statement
My research has focused on improving production efficiency and cultivar and rootstock evaluation. Under this general heading, I have concentrated my research in these specific areas:

Pistachios

	Determining salinity tolerance of 4 major pistachio rootstocks.
	Pistachio rootstock trials to determine the contribution of rootstock and scion in alternate bearing, and to evaluate the horticultural performance of four major pistachio rootstocks.
	Pistachio cultivar development and evaluation.

Citrus

	Evaluation of citrus rootstocks for Satsuma and Clementine mandarins and red grapefruit.
	Evaluation of Satsuma and Clementine mandarin introductions.

Olives

	Evaluation of foliar urea sprays on olive.
	Developing mechanical pruning of olives.
	Investigation of etiology of oil scum in canned olives.

Figs

	Breeding new cultivars of non-caprifying Calimyrna type figs.
	Investigating effect of pruning on Black Mission fig size.

Selected Publications

1995. Ferguson, L., J. Maranto, and R. Beede. Mechanical topping mitigates alternate bearing of ‘Kerman’ pistachios (Pistacia vera L.). HortScience 30(7):1369-1372.

1995. Ferguson, Louise. (ed.) Pistachio Production. University of California, Davis. 148 pp.

1994. Ferguson, L., G. Steve Sibbett, and George C. Martin. (eds.) Olive Production Manual, University of California, Division of Agricultural and Natural Resources, Publication 3353.

1991. Ferguson, Louise, Hesham Gawad, G. Steven Sibbett, Mark Freeman, and James J. Hatakeda. Using fruit size to predict harvest timing of California ‘Manzanillo’ olives for ripe-black processing. HortScience 26(1):26-29.

1990. Ferguson, L., N. Sakovich, and M. Roose. California citrus rootstocks. University of California, Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Publication 21477. 18 pp.