Mark Gaskell: SFP Advisor, San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara Counties
Mark Gaskell retired on July 1, 2018. We are maintaining this webpage temporarily to provide access to his most recent research, which will also be archived elsewhere on the Small Farm website.
Contact Information:
UC Cooperative Extension,
San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara Counties
2156 Sierra Way, Suite C
San Luis Obispo, CA 93401
(805) 788-2374
fax: (805) 781-4316
e-mail: mlgaskell@ucdavis.edu
Key Research Projects/Interests
- New crop research and development
- Special production constraints of organic agriculture
Current Research Projects
Lychee and longan field trials are conducted on 20 sites between San Luis Obispo and San Diego Counties.
- Extended-season blueberry production in California
- Research and development leading to commercial production of lychees and longans in California
- The effects of green manure, compost, and feather meal on soil nitrogen dynamics, beneficial soil microrganisms and bell pepper yield
Extension Educational Outreach Projects
- Alternative crops and markets
- Off-season, fresh-market small fruit (blueberry, raspberry, and blackberry) production
- Fresh-market edamame production in California for domestic or export markets
- Lychee, longan, and exotic subtropical fruit production in California
- Soil management practices for efficient organic vegetable production
- Improving production and marketing efficiency on small farms
- Irrigation management
- Financial management
- Market information
Collaborative or Other Special Projects
Fresh market lychee fruit is one of a number of promising potential new commercial crops in California.
- Lychee and longan research and development
- Ben Faber, UC Cooperative Extension, Ventura County
- Ramiro Lobo, UC Cooperative Extension, San Diego County
- Gary Bender, UC Cooperative Extension, San Diego County
- Organic Soil Amendments
- Carolee Bull, USDA Agriculture Research Service, Salinas
- Richard Smith, UC Cooperative Extension, Monterey County
- Steve Koike, UC Cooperative Extension, Monterey County
- Edamame Production
- Wyatt Brown, Crop Science Department, Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo
- Marita Cantwell, Vegetable Crops Department, UC Davis
- Richard Smith, UC Cooperative Extension, Monterey County
- Richard Molinar, UC Cooperative Extension, Fresno County
- Steve Temple, Agronomy and Range Science, UC Davis
Publications
You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader (free software) to download some of the publications. Contact Mark Gaskell directly with questions regarding additional publications.
Ongoing field trials with organic fertilizers are important aspects of research efforts to improve organic vegetable production in California.
- Organic Certification, Farm Planning, and Marketing (Pub 7247)
- Soil Management and Soil Quality for Organic Crops (Pub 7248)
- Weed Management for Organic Crops (Pub 7250)
- Insect Pest Management for Organic Crops (Pub 7251)
- Plant Disease Management for Organic Crops (Pub 7252)
- Edible Pod Pea Production in California (Pub 7233)
- Pumpkin Production in California (Pub 7222)
- Summer Squash Production in California (Pub 7245)
- Small Farms and Specialty Crops Newsletter Articles
- Organic Vegetable Production in California - Science and Practice.
Gaskell, Mark, C. Fouche, S. Koike, T. Lanini, J. Mitchell, and R. Smith. 2000.
Horticultural Technology 10(4):699-712. Contact Mark Gaskell directly for more
information about this publication.
Miscellaneous
(Languages spoken, links to recommended web pages, etc.):
- Fluent Spanish reading, writing, and speaking
- Recommended web pages:
UC Cooperative Extension County Contacts
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