By Clint Thompson
The April issue of Specialty Crop Industry Magazine highlights watermelon production. It looks at the current trends and the future of anthracnose disease while also spotlighting new viruses to watch for in watermelons and other cucurbit crops.
Severe anthracnose outbreaks have occurred in cucurbit-growing counties along the East coast, including in Florida and Georgia. University of Georgia Extension vegetable disease specialist Bhabesh Dutta and post-doctoral research associate Navjot Kaur discuss what growers need to look for when scouting for the disease’s symptoms.
Pamela Roberts, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) professor, provides a history of viruses impacting watermelons and cucurbit crops. She discussed the symptoms associated with the common viruses.
Also in next month’s issue of Specialty Crop Industry Magazine is a story about improving pre-emergent herbicide use in vegetable row middles. UF/IFAS’ Ramdas Kanissery, assistant professor; Ruby Tiwari, Ph. D. graduate student; and Nirmal Timilsina, master’s graduate student, discuss management tactics growers can implement to ensure effectiveness of the herbicide applications.
Jeb Smith talked about the future of Florida Farm Bureau, including some of its priorities, as he steps in as president.
Also, Ayanava Majumdar, Alabama Extension professor, and Extension agents Olivia Fuller, David Lawrence and Jacob Kelley highlight the ways that growers can prevent fruit-boring squash insects, like the squash vine borer.
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