By: Kirsten Romaguera, 352-294-3313, kromaguera@ufl.edu As Florida moved to “safer at home” measures, not all work could be put on pause. When it came to University of Florida research, many UF/IFAS projects could not wait. There are living plants, animals and insects to feed and maintain; some projects have regular monitoring procedures for which postponement could have broader environmental consequences. …
Diversification Key for Nutsedge Control in Vegetable Fields
By Clint Thompson University of Georgia Cooperative Extension weed specialist Stanley Culpepper encourages vegetable growers to diversify their management programs against nutsedge. This protects against potential resistance and provides adequate control. “In general, I would say with our guys, I’m not overly concerned because our fields with our most nutsedge, they get fumigation, they get tillage and they get herbicides,” …
UF/IFAS Researchers Try to Reduce Fruit Drop, Increase Yield in Valencia, Hamlin Oranges
By: Brad Buck 813-757-2224 (office); 352-875-2641 (cell); bradbuck@ufl.edu UF/IFAS citrus scientists Tripti Vashisth and Fernando Alferez are trying to reduce the amount of fruit that drops from Hamlin and Valencia trees prior to harvest. If fruit drops, growers can’t harvest it, and that leads to losses for farmers and less fruit at the market for consumers. Normally, about 10% to …
Sneak Peek: June 2020 VSCNews Magazine
By Ashley Robinson Policies and regulations can impact a farmer’s ability to make a living. The 2020 Florida, Georgia and Alabama legislative sessions have officially wrapped up, and the June issue of VSCNews magazine will tell readers how agriculture fared in each state. Adam Basford, director of state legislative affairs for Florida Farm Bureau, discusses the successes and progress that …
Watermelon Shortage Keeps Prices Up for Famers
By Clint Thompson Times have changed in the past two months for watermelon farmers in the Southeast. When farmers in Alabama, Florida and Georgia began planting their crop in late winter and early spring, the coronavirus pandemic struck and created a cloud of uncertainty for growers. What would harvest season look like? Would there be customers to purchase the crop? …
USDA, USTR Announce Continued Progress on Implementation of Phase One Agreement
Contact: USDA PressEmail: press@oc.usda.gov WASHINGTON, May 21, 2020 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) today announced additional progress in the implementation of the agriculture-related provisions of the U.S.-China Phase One Economic and Trade Agreement (The Agreement), which entered into force on February 14, 2020. Recent actions described below build upon …
Florida Farmer Looking Forward to Next Season With Optimism
By Clint Thompson A devastating hit to the South Florida’s produce industry by COVID-19 has not deterred Toby Basore from looking forward to next season with optimism. “I don’t care where you’re at, if you went into your grocery stores during this, there wasn’t any toilet paper on the shelves. There wasn’t any Lysol or hand wipes. The cheaper meats …
UF/IFAS Awarded USDA Grant to Lead Multistate Research, Study Disease Resistance in Lettuce
By: Lourdes Rodriguez, 954-577-6363 office, 954-242-8439 mobile, rodriguezl@ufl.edu BELLE GLADE, Fla. – Lettuce is one of the top 10 vegetables cultivated in the United States and for good reason. Romaine, iceberg, leaf and butterhead types of lettuce are staples in refrigerators around the world. Used as a basis for salads, as a topping for burgers and sandwiches, as a bread …
Connecting the Watermelon Industry with Retail and Foodservice Buyers
Winter Springs, FL — May 20, 2020 – The new National Watermelon Promotion Board (NWPB) Watermelon Supplier Database is the perfect platform to connect retail and foodservice buyers with suppliers as the summer season takes off for America’s favorite melon. Each year the NWPB staff promotes watermelon to retail and foodservice audiences, both in person and digitally. When a contact …
Commissioner Fried Advises Farmers to Prepare CFAP Applications
Tallahassee, Fla. — Following Tuesday’s announcement by the U.S. Department of Agriculture on the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP), which will provide $16 billion in direct payments to support American farmers impacted by COVID-19, Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried is advising Florida farmers and ranchers to fill out forms in advance of applications being accepted starting May 26 through county Farm …