Fresno State junior Vivian Maier placed second in the oral research presentation contest at the California Weed Science Society annual conference in Monterey held Jan. 18. She received a $300 award for her submission that focused on the dormancy requirements of the herbicide-resistant hairy fleabane weed, a problem in California orchards, vineyards and non-crop areas. Two plant science students also made research poster presentations — senior May Yang (insect and weed interactions in area Southeast Asian farm and cropping systems) and sophomore Samikshya Budhathoki (junglerice glyphosate herbicide resistance in relation to temperature dependence). Dr. Anil Shrestha presented his research on the resistance of the Palmer Amaranth weed that has now been discovered in California. It was ranked as the nation’s most troublesome weed in 2016 in a Weed Science Society of America survey. INFO: Shrestha at 559.278.5784.
