TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Florida Governor Ron DeSantis requested last week that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) issue a Disaster Declaration for counties impacted by freezing temperatures. DeSantis also requested in his letter any assistance available under the Farm Service and other USDA programs to assist recovery efforts for agricultural producers. The letter is available here. More information about the …
Rabbit Problem to be Discussed at UF/IFAS Meeting
Rabbit populations have spiked in the Florida Glades. A University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) workshop on Friday, Feb. 18 will address the current problem and what management options are available for producers. Richard Raid, a professor in plant pathology at UF/IFAS , and Robert McCleery, an associate professor in the UF Wildlife Ecology and Conservation …
NIFA Grant a Vote of Confidence for UF/IFAS Vanilla Research
By Clint Thompson A grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) will help grow the vanilla industry in South Florida. Alan Chambers, plant geneticist at UF/IFAS Tropical Research and Education Center, said the $300,000 grant is a vote of confidence from NIFA that it values his research and the potential future success …
Late Blight Disease Discovered on Florida Potato
Florida’s potato and tomato growers should be on alert. Late blight disease has been discovered on potato in the Immokalee, Florida area. That is according to a report from Glades Crop Care. As a result, growers should scout susceptible crops and evaluate their fungicide programs if applications need to be made. Systemic products become distributed locally within plant tissues and …
Freeze Impact on Florida Peaches
By Clint Thompson Count Florida’s peaches among those crops impacted by the sub-freezing temperatures almost two weeks ago. The difference in the producers who protected their crop and those who did not was unmistakable, says Jose Chaparro, associate professor in the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS). “I can tell you that anybody north of central …
Not So Sweet Forecast for Florida Oranges
The February citrus crop forecast from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Agricultural Statistics Service showed a bitter forecast for Florida’s orange crop. Florida’s projected 2021–22 orange crop was reduced by 1 million boxes, to 43.5 million boxes in the forecast released on Wednesday, Feb. 9. The entire orange reduction was in the to-be-harvested Valencia crop, which was reduced …
U.S. Sugar Releases Second Annual ‘State of Our Air’ Report
Clewiston, FL – U.S. Sugar recently released air quality data from government and private sources showing the results of three years of air quality monitoring in the Glades farming communities. The latest report shows better than average air quality in the Glades. It also includes internal data collected by professional air monitoring experts on behalf of U.S. Sugar confirming the public air …
Florida Blueberry Management: February Points of Emphasis
Blueberry management in Florida in February is critical with harvest season just around the corner. University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) reminds producers of various tips to keep in mind this month. From a disease standpoint, growers need to monitor for botrytis and control when need. Farmers also need to apply fungicides in rotation for control …
Florida Blueberry Leader: We Were Lucky
By Clint Thompson Florida’s blueberry growers survived the worst freeze in recent memory. According to Brittany Lee, executive director of the Florida Blueberry Growers Association, producers were “lucky” following the sub-freezing temperatures on the morning of Jan. 30. “I think in Florida the damage was minimal, luckily. We had a lot of ice. But at least from my operation and …
Botrytis Problem for a Florida Strawberry Grower
By Clint Thompson One Florida strawberry grower emerged relatively unscathed from last weekend’s freeze event. But now Dustin Grooms is coping with a new problem for his strawberry crop. “We did okay. We definitely did lose a little bit of bloom, not too bad. Some of the berries got bit a little bit on the ends, but not real bad,” …