Vance Whitaker toils day and night to develop the tastiest, best-looking, aromatic strawberries a consumer would want. Yummy enough for a nutritious snack or to help flavor a cake or pie just in time for National Strawberry Day on Feb. 27. Whitaker, an associate professor of horticultural sciences at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS), …
Growers’ Needs Steer Blueberry Breeding
Blueberry breeders continue to try to improve varieties as grower needs and markets change. Scott NeSmith, professor at the University of Georgia’s Department of Horticulture, said there are three main challenges that are facing blueberry growers right now that breeders are working to solve. The first challenge is to avoid times where the crop could be exposed to too much …
Multiple Methods for Fighting Spotted Wing Drosophila
Researchers are investigating new behavioral and cultural controls to help protect crops from spotted wing drosophila (SWD). SWD has been attacking many crops, such as small berries, and leaving growers with devastating losses, said Ashfaq Sial, assistant professor at the University of Georgia. This pest is such an issue for growers because there is a very large window of when …
Battling Blueberry Diseases
Predictive systems and preventing new diseases in blueberries were topics Phil Brannen addressed at the 2018 Southeast Regional Fruit and Vegetable Conference in Savannah, Ga., in January. Brannen is a professor and Extension plant pathologist at the University of Georgia. Predictive systems can benefit growers by letting them know when their disease risks are highest and lowest. Brannen said a …
Georgia Blueberry Industry Optimistic for 2018
While chilling hours are still a factor for a successful season for Georgia blueberry growers, industry leaders are staying optimistic about 2018. Brandon Wade, president of the Georgia Blueberry Growers Association, spoke with AgNet Media’s Josh McGill in October at the Produce Marketing Association’s 2017 Fresh Summit in New Orleans, Louisiana. “If we don’t have any bad freeze issues, then …