The June issue of VSCNews magazine will be growers’ go-to guide for crucial crop diseases in the Southeast. Gary Vallad, University of Florida (UF) pathologist, authors two articles in this issue. In the first feature, he discusses tomato bacterial spot, including where and how it begins in the transplant house. His second article addresses southern blight and the best ways …
Nematode Density Impacts Damage
Root-knot nematodes are many crops’ worst enemy, including watermelon. Abolfazl Hajihassani, vegetable nematologist with the University of Georgia, recently completed a study analyzing how the population density of nematodes impacts watermelon damage. He presented the results of this trial at the Southeast Regional Fruit and Vegetable Conference in Savannah, Georgia, in January. STUDY SUMMARY Hajihassani began the trial by inoculating …
Living with Fusarium Wilt
With multiple races that are increasingly aggressive, fusarium wilt has been a challenging disease for watermelon growers and a tough nut to crack for southeastern researchers. Nicholas Dufault, assistant professor and Extension specialist in the Plant Pathology Department at the University of Florida, says all races of fusarium wilt occur in Florida, but each is a little different. Fusarium wilt …
Sneak Peek: April VSCNews Magazine
The April issue of VSCNews magazine is packed with information for conventional and organic growers. Readers will learn about pest management methods and ongoing challenges faced by an organic commodity in Georgia in next month’s issue. An article by researchers with the University of Georgia and the U.S. Department of Agriculture — Bhabesh Dutta, Carroll Johnson and Jason Schmidt — …
Freezing Temperatures Mean Trouble for Southern Crops
An unusually warm February followed by a cold March could mean trouble for crops in the South. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Stephanie Ho has more on this story with USDA Meteorologist Brad Rippey. Hear the full story: Sponsored ContentTriEst Ag Group: Partners in ProfitabilityApril 1, 2024SECURE FUNDING NOW | USDA-Sponsored Farming Project Underway in the Southern PiedmontFebruary 1, …
Southeastern Growers Kick Off 2019 at Industry-Wide Conference
Every year, the southeastern fruit and vegetable industry starts a new year together at the Southeast Regional Fruit and Vegetable Conference (SERFVC), and 2019 was no different. Thousands of growers, packers, shippers, industry leaders and educators gathered together in Savannah, Georgia, on Jan. 10–13 at one of the industry’s biggest regional events. Charles Hall, executive director of the Georgia Fruit …
Desantis Urged to Help Farmers on Trade Deal
Incoming Gov. Ron DeSantis is being urged to use his close ties with President Donald Trump to bolster efforts to help Florida farmers fend off low-priced crop imports that weren’t addressed in the rewrite of the North American Free Trade Agreement. During a conference call last week, several members of DeSantis’ Transition Advisory Committee on the Environment, Natural Resources & …
Idea Exchange Benefits Growers
Several growers traveled to LaBelle, Florida, on Tuesday to view research plots by Seminis, a Bayer company. The Seminis plots test new and existing varieties of produce, such as cucumber, squash, tomato, watermelon, pepper, lettuce and green bean. Emily Standley, brand communications manager for Bayer CropScience, says events like this are great for growers to exchange ideas and hear what …
SmartIrrigation Technology Improves Tomato Production
By Ibukun T. Ayankojo and Kelly T. Morgan Fresh tomato production in the United States is dominated by the states of California and Florida. Florida harvests about 28,000 acres of tomatoes with a production value of $382 million. This accounts for approximately 40 percent of the total production value in the United States. IRRIGATION ACCURACY IS CRITICAL Vegetable production requires …
Southeastern Agriculture Well Represented at PMA Fresh Summit
The Produce Marketing Association’s (PMA) annual Fresh Summit took place Oct. 17-19 in Orlando, Florida. Every year, this huge summit brings members of the global produce and floral industries together to make connections and mingle with fellow industry professionals. Every year, southeastern agriculture has a huge presence at the summit, most notably in the Fresh from Florida and Georgia Grown …