By Clint Thompson The H-2A program remains essential to agriculture’s future. With little to zero domestic options available to work in vegetable and specialty crop fields, Southeast farmers have no other alternative but to utilize the workforce program. But its needs adjusting. It’s a cumbersome process, says Florida farmer Matt Parke. “It needs to be simplified. It is just the …
UF, Australia Collaborate on Tropical Fruit Research
By Clint Thompson The University of Florida Board of Trustees and Northern Territory of Australia have signed an agreement to increase the development of research projects and share technological knowledge on tropical crop production. It’s a win-win for both entities who are trying to enhance vanilla, mangoes and passionfruit in both countries, believes Alan Chambers, plant geneticist at UF/IFAS Tropical …
Plea for Help: Rubio, Colleagues Urge USTR to Safeguard American Seasonal Producers
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Representatives Mario Díaz-Balart (R-FL), Darren Soto (D-FL), Austin Scott (R-GA), Bill Huizenga (R-MI), and Al Lawson (D-FL) led a bipartisan letter to United States Trade Representative (USTR) Katherine Tai urging her to work with members of Congress to implement immediate trade relief measures that safeguard American producers of seasonal and perishable fruits …
South Florida Remains Abnormally Dry
Thursday’s release of the U.S. Drought Monitor shows sufficient moisture for most of Florida. But South Florida is still lacking precipitation. It remains abnormally dry with Collier County still in a moderate drought. The dry conditions extend as far north as Hendry County, Palm Beach County and Martin County. Two specific areas in Georgia remain abnormally dry. In the northwest …
Whitefly Populations High in South Florida
According to South Florida Pest and Disease Hotline, whitefly populations are high in beans, squash, eggplants and tomato in Southwest Florida. As a result, Tomato Yellow Leaf Curl Virus is high in most tomato fields. Older cucurbit and fruiting vegetables are experiencing especially high numbers. “Some growers report that they are worse than they have ever been while others claim …
Florida, Georgia Remain Two of Top Blueberry-Producing States
By Clint Thompson Two of the top blueberry-producing states remain Florida and Georgia. They continue to produce their share of blueberries, according to the USDA 2020 summary. Georgia was third in the country behind Washington and Michigan in harvested areas in 2020 with 16,000 acres, a decrease from 16,200 in 2019. Georgia also produced 4,640 pounds per acre. Florida produced …
Fusarium Wilt on Rise in Watermelons
By Clint Thompson North Florida and South Georgia watermelon producers should not be surprised to see more fusarium wilt disease this spring. Weather has helped the disease be more problematic this year, according to Bhabesh Dutta, University of Georgia Cooperative Extension plant pathologist. “North Florida and South Georgia have the same issue in melons. We are two weeks or three …
Looking to the Future: UF/IFAS Research Focused on New Cultivars
FORT PIERCE, Fla. — New citrus cultivars could be the future for food production, believes one University of Florida/IFAS graduate student. Consider the obstacles that stand in the way of citrus production in Florida: Citrus greening, climate change and devastating insects. Martin Zapien is looking to the future to combat these challenges. Zapien’s research takes place at the Indian River …
Farming’s Future: UF/IFAS to Host Ag-Tech Expo
The future of agriculture is ready to be unleashed today. Between robots, drones, machine learning and plant genetics, growers can use any combination to make crops disease-resistant and, perhaps, tastier. To find out more about innovative technology that includes artificial intelligence, precision agriculture and plant genetics, register for the “Future of Farming.” It’s a two-day virtual Ag-tech Expo that will …
UGA Specialist: Anybody Who Got Plants From That Nursery, They’re Just Decimated
By Clint Thompson What started as a problem for Florida strawberry producers has developed into cause for concern for Georgia farmers. Phil Brannen, University of Georgia Cooperative Extension Fruit Disease Specialist, estimates that at least 10% of Georgia’s crop is infected with Neopestalotiopsis Fruit Rot, though it could be as high as 20%. Bill Brim, co-owner of Lewis Taylor Farms …