By Gary Vallad Few diseases present a persistent year-to-year challenge to tomato production like bacterial spot. Under ideal conditions, the disease can cause massive defoliation leading to yield losses through lost photosynthetic capacity and fruit exposure to the elements. This increases sunscald and raincheck as well as direct fruit infection by the pathogen. DISEASE SPREAD AND SYMPTOMS Xanthomonas perforans is …
Legislative Leaders Meet on USMCA and Disaster Relief
It was a busy Friday in the Southeast for U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue as he and other legislative leaders sat down with representatives from Florida and Georgia agriculture on June 7. The day started with a meeting in Tallahassee, Florida, followed by a meeting in Doerun, Georgia. The main topics of discussion were the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) and …
Trump Signs Disaster Relief Package
President Donald Trump on Thursday signed into law a $19.1 billion disaster-relief package that Florida officials have sought since Hurricane Michael pounded the Panhandle in October. The signing followed the U.S. House voting 354-58 on Monday to approve the measure, which passed the U.S. Senate earlier. The package is intended to assist communities in more than 40 states impacted by …
Long-Sought Disaster Aid Package Passes House
A federal disaster-relief package, long sought by Florida officials and Panhandle residents recovering from the ravages of Hurricane Michael, received approval Monday from the U.S. House after three earlier attempts were blocked. The 354-58 vote, which came after the House returned from a 10-day holiday recess, sends the $19.1 billion package to President Donald Trump. The Senate backed the measure …
It’s Watermelon Time in North Florida!
The watermelon harvest is now getting into full swing in the north-central Florida region. Visiting a field plot trial with the Enza Zaden seeds team this week, I had the opportunity to meet one of our Southeast AgNet radio listeners at his farm in Trenton, as the harvest crew was doing the first crown cut of one of his fields. …
Florida Growers Pave Way for New Crops
By Karla Arboleda Tradition runs deep in Florida, but the state now has more growers producing a new range of specialty crops. PURPLE SWEET POTATODanny Johns, a fourth-generation potato farmer, grows a purple sweet potato with a fresh aesthetic and more nutrients to promote healthier eating. Aside from being brand new eye candy, Blue Sky Farms’ new variety grows right …
USMCA Not Likely to Change for Southeastern Produce Industry
The Southeastern produce industry has been very vocal about the issues it faces with the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and now the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), which is the NAFTA rewrite. Due to heavy competition from Mexico, the industry says rural communities have been impacted and businesses have not been able to survive. After the USMCA was released, it …
UF Eyes Butterfly Pea as Natural Food-Color Source
It provides a natural food coloring. It gives nurseries another ornamental to grow and sell, and it might provide health benefits to those who eat it with their food. It is the Butterfly Pea, and University of Florida researchers are studying the flower to see if it will grow in Florida. Much of what we eat every day contains added …
VSC Expo Registration Opens June 1
AgNet Media is excited to introduce a new industry event: Vegetable and Specialty Crop Expo (VSC Expo). Held in conjunction with the Citrus Expo, which is now in its 28th year, VSC Expo is set to be an event that growers won’t want to miss. Last year, AgNet Media incorporated vegetable and specialty crop seminars into Citrus Expo. After receiving …
Fighting for Florida Ag in D.C.
Each year, Florida Farm Bureau (FFB) gives its members the unique opportunity to travel to Washington, D.C., to advocate for Florida agriculture to their legislators. Farmers and ranchers from throughout the state attended the Field to the Hill event last week along with FFB state staff. AgNet Media’s Abbey Taylor was able to tag along with the Farm Bureau members …