By Clint Thompson
One Florida watermelon industry expert believes South Florida’s production succeeded this fall, due in large part to minimal whitefly pressure and zero tropical system impact.
Laura Land, member of the executive council of the Florida Watermelon Association, talked about South Florida’s season during the Suwanee Valley Watermelon Institute on Dec. 4.
“I think they had a good crop in South Florida this year. They’ve not had as much pressure with the whiteflies, which is a wonderful thing. That’s the best thing you can look forward to in South Florida,” Land said. “The market’s been good. They’ve had good crops. Watermelons have been good, which good watermelons always equal sales.”
Whitefly infestations are significant because of their potential impact throughout the year. They typically migrate from winter vegetables to spring vegetables to agronomic crops, like cotton, to fall vegetables and back to winter vegetables. The buildup of whiteflies is concerning since their feeding injuries in vegetables can lead to virus transmission, including cucurbit leaf crumple virus, cucurbit yellow stunting disorder virus, cucurbit chlorotic yellow virus, squash vein yellowing virus and tomato yellow leaf curl virus.
“Whiteflies in South Florida are probably the largest problem that we face, and it’s one that we’ll probably fight forever,” Land said.
South Florida producers also dodged a tropical storm and hurricane from impacting the region. The lack of a tropical system was a welcomed surprise for growers who have experienced their share of adverse weather events in recent years.
“We were so delighted all over Florida that we’ve had no tropical systems. We’ve hit a little drought, but that’s something a farmer normally can take care of,” Land said. “A dry watermelon that you’ve had to water is sweeter than most and definitely has less disease.”