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Dr. Bruno Jl Pitton
11477 E Avenue
Auburn, CA 95603
bjpitton@ucanr.edu
Biography
Bruno Pitton is the University of California Cooperative Extension Environmental Horticulture Advisor for Placer and Nevada Counties.
Previously, he worked in the Department of Plant Sciences at the University of California in Davis, administering a grant-funded research and extension program for California’s nursery and greenhouse industry. Bruno has over twenty years of experience in Environmental Horticulture, beginning with his undergraduate education at UC Davis.
While an undergraduate student, he worked at the UC Davis Student Farm and the Arboretum Teaching Nursery. After graduation, he was employed in operations at the UC Davis College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences’ research greenhouses and teaching gardens. In the greenhouses, he oversaw integrated pest management, irrigation, and fertilizer programs for plant science research. He managed the teaching gardens and educated students in all aspects of landscape maintenance from urban forestry to perennial propagation and planting.
While working in the CA&ES greenhouses and teaching gardens, he conducted research on residential irrigation runoff with UCCE Environmental Horticulture Specialist Dr. Loren Oki and received an MS in Horticulture and Agronomy. In 2015, he began working full-time with Dr. Oki on a nationwide research project to develop online decision support tools for helping nursery and greenhouse growers reuse their irrigation runoff water. He collaborated with two California nurseries to understand irrigation application and runoff patterns and with academics to develop cleanwater3.org. He secured over $600,000 in funding for his PhD research on nitrogen management in nursery production to help growers meet state regulations, increase nitrogen use efficiency, and reduce the environmental impact of nitrogen loss.
After completion of his PhD, he conducted research to optimize nutrient application rates in the vegetable transplant industry and developed irrigation best management practice training for California’s underserved greenhouse and nursery staff to improve water-use efficiency and plant health.
Bruno is excited to be the UCCE Environmental Horticulture Advisor for Placer and Nevada Counties and wants to help improve the sustainability of the landscape and nursery industry while providing home gardeners with science-based solutions.
Education
Bibliography
Peer Reviewed
Pitton, B.J.L., A.M. Wikramanayake, G.E. Johnson. Mechanically?incorporated controlled?release fertilizer results in greater nitrogen and salt leaching losses from soilless substrate in containers. Horticulturae. 9:42. https://doi:10.3390/horticulturae9010042
Yang, Z., L.R. Oki, J.A. Sisneroz, D.L. Haver, B.J.L. Pitton. Effect of landscape irrigation regulations on runoff volume from low-density residential catchments during two California droughts. Heliyon. 10:e23602. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e23602
Pitton, B.J.L., L.R. Oki, J.A. Sisneroz, R.Y. Evans. A system nitrogen balance for production of a containerized woody ornamental plant. Scientia Horticulturae. 291:110569. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scienta.2021.110569
Pitton, B.J.L., G.E. Johnson, D.L. Haver, L.R. Oki. Water use and estimated evapotranspiration at a California container plant nursery. Acta Horticulturae. 1335:651. https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2022.1335.82
Pitton, B.J.L., X. Zhu?Barker, W.R. Horwath, R.Y. Evans, L.R. Oki. Gas flux from a fir?bark substrate at an ornamental nursery. Acta Horticulturae. 1305:537. https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2021.1305.71
2021 Pitton, B.J.L., R.Y. Evans, X. Zhu?Barker, L.R. Oki. Greenhouse gas emissions and global warming potential from a woody ornamental production system using a soilless growing substrate. ACS Agricultural Science and Technology. 1:35. https://dx.doi.org/10.1021/acsagscitech.0c00039
2020 Nackley, L.L., E. Fernandes de Sousa, B.J.L. Pitton, J.A. Sisneroz, and L.R. Oki. Developing a water? stress index for potted poinsettia production. HortScience. 55:1295. https://doi.org/10.21273/HORTSCI14914?20
2020 Redekar, N., T. Bourret, J. Eberhart, G.E Johnson, B.J.L. Pitton, D.L. Haver, L.R. Oki, J. Parke. Assessment of oomycete pathogens in a recycled irrigation water system at a horticultural nursery in southern California. Water Research. 183:116050. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.watres.2020.116050
2019 Gorgoglione, A., Bombardelli, F.A., B.J.L. Pitton, L.R. Oki, D.L. Haver, T.M. Young. Uncertainty in the parameterization of sediment build?up and wash?off processes in the simulation of sediment transport in urban areas. Environmental Modeling and Software. 111:170. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envsoft.2018.09.022
2018 Gorgoglione, A., Bombardelli, F.A., B.J.L. Pitton, L.R. Oki, D.L. Haver, T.M. Young. Role of sediments in insecticide runoff from urban surfaces: analysis and modeling. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 15:7. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph15071464
2018 Pitton, B.J.L., C.R. Hall, D.L. Haver, S.A. White, L.R. Oki. A cost analysis for using recycled irrigation water in container nursery production: a Southern California nursery case study. Irrigation Science. 36:217. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00271?018?0578?8
2017 Bale, A.E., S.E. Greco, B.J.L. Pitton, D.L. Haver, L.R. Oki. Pollutant loading from low density residential neighborhoods in California. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment. 189:386. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661?017?6104?2
2017 Oki, L.R., S. Bodaghi, E. Lee, D.L. Haver, B.J.L. Pitton, L.L. Nackley, D. Mathews. Elimination of Tobacco mosaic virus from irrigation runoff using slow sand filtration. Scientia Horticulturae. 217:107. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scienta.2017.01.036
2016 Pitton, B.J.L, L.L. Dodge, J. Gan, S.E. Greco, D.L. Haver, E. Lee, T.J. Majcherek, L.R. Oki. Comparison of pollutant concentrations from weekly discrete versus daily composite samples for residential dry? weather runoff. Journal of Environmental Management. 180:10. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2016.05.011
2016 Oki, L.R., L.L. Nackley, B.J.L. Pitton. Slow Sand Filters. A Biological Treatment Method to Remove Plant Pathogens from Nursery Runoff. Acta Horticulturae. 1140:139. https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2016.1140.30
Non-Peer Reviewed
Arrington, D. and B.J.L. Pitton. California goldenrod - Solidago velutina ssp. californica. https://www.pcwa.net/smart-water-use/summer-strong
Pitton, B.J.L. Increased grasshopper activity in areas of west Placer County. June 6, 2024. https://www.placer.ca.gov/9777/Increased-grasshopper-activity-in-areas-
Arrington, D. and B.J.L. Pitton. Manzanita hybrids – Arctostaphylos spp. https://www.pcwa.net/smart-water-use/summer-strong
Pitton, B.J.L. Nitrogen management in nursery production. Western Region International Plant Propagator's Society 2024 Meeting Proceedings. R. Stewart. Oct. 2024
Arrington, D. and B.J.L. Pitton. Red-flowered buckwheat – Eriogonum grande var. rubescens. https://www.pcwa.net/smart-water-use/summer-strong
Johnson, G.E. and B.J.L. Pitton. Rethinking your fertilizer. GrowerTalks. Oct. 1, 2024. https://www.growertalks.com/Article/?articleid=27007
Del Castillo Múnera, J. and B.J.L. Pitton. UCNFA’s commitment to supporting California’s greenhouse and nursery industry. July 8, 2024. https://ucnfa.ucdavis.edu/news/ucnfas-commitment-supporting-californias-greenhouse-and-nursery-industry
Arrington, D. and B.J.L. Pitton. Valley Violet California lilac - Ceanothus maritimus. https://www.pcwa.net/smart-water-use/summer-strong
Arrington, D. and B.J.L. Pitton. Western Redbud – Cercis occidentalis. https://www.pcwa.net/smart-water-use/summer-strong
ANR Workgroup Associations
- Floriculture and Nursery - Member
- Irrigation Management - Member
- Landscape and Urban Horticulture - Member