(HCCGA) — FDACS has created the attached form for producers to fill out with their product availability. Once submitted, FDACS will utilize to forward to their Fresh From Florida contacts, as well as the Florida Department of Corrections, food banks and make connections with other State Departments of Agriculture in hopes of providing market opportunities to move product during the Coronavirus …
Late Blight Disease Discovered at UF Research Farm
By Clint Thompson Potato and tomato producers in Florida need to be wary of the discovery of Phytophthroa infestans, the causual agent for potato and tomato late blight. Gary England, RSA/Director for the Hastings Ag Extension Center in Hastings, Florida, confirmed that samples collected from the Extension Center site tested positive. He scouted the rest of the affected portion of …
Controlling Late Blight in Potatoes and Tomatoes
By: Ashley Robinson Late blight is an annual problem for potato and tomato growers. New strains of the pathogen, Phytophthora infestans, continue to emerge, becoming more aggressive and often resistant to fungicides. LETHAL PATHOGEN “Late blight is a devastating pathogen,” says Nick Dufault, associate professor of plant pathology at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences. “Any …
Microbial Marauder of Potato, Tomato Crops Has an Accomplice
(USDA/ARS) — Descendants of the fungus-like pathogen that caused the Irish potato famine in the 1840s — Phytopthora infestans — may have had a “helping hand” in recent U.S. outbreaks of the costly blight disease. Reporting in the September 2019 issue of Virus Research, a team of Agricultural Research Service (ARS), Cornell University (CU) and Rutgers University scientists announced they had identified a virus that …
USDA Invests $11M In Research That Will Support Specialty Crop Farmers
WASHINGTON (USDA-Oct. 3, 2019) — U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Deputy Under Secretary Scott Hutchins announced that the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) has invested $11 million in research that will support specialty crop farmers. “This collaborative public-private research effort will focus on applying innovative solutions to pest management problems that often are otherwise not available to specialty …
Potato Late Blight Detected in Tri-County Area
By Alison DeLoach Potato late blight genotype US 23 was recently identified in Saint Johns County, Florida. This strain of potato late blight is susceptible to fungicides with the active ingredient mefenoxam, found in the commonly used product Ridomil Gold SL. Nicholas Dufault, associate professor of plant pathology at the University of Florida, presented a disease update on potato blight …
Crop Diversification Considerations
By Breanna Kendrick There is a big push on nutrition in our nation right now, so it’s important that farmers are able to diversify to meet the demands of those seeking healthier diets. Wendy Mussoline, a University of Florida multi-county agriculture Extension agent for Flagler and Putnam counties, works with farmers who want to incorporate new crops into their production …
Late Blight: Centuries-Old Pathogen with Deadly Impacts
Late blight is a deadly, chronic pathogen that occurs annually in potato and tomato crops. Pam Roberts, a professor of plant pathology at the University of Florida, dubbed it a “disease of distinction” during her presentation at the 2018 Citrus Expo. According to Roberts, there is a variety of factors that can contribute to a late blight infection. Once a …
Taking Precautions for Increased Rain
By Breanna Kendrick With widespread rain in Florida for the past week and a half and another week of rain forecasted, growers are becoming concerned about what this might mean for their crops. For the past seven days, rainfall has ranged from 1.20 to 9.43 inches in Florida. Depending on location, the rain has either been devastating or vital for …
Latest Data from UF Citizen Scientists Show Air Potato Beetles Flourishing in Florida
Contact: Samantha Grenrock, 352-294-3307 (office), 949-735-1076 (cell), grenrosa@ufl.edu GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Across Florida, thousands of small, red beetles have been battling the invasive air potato vine for the last eight years, one bite at a time. And they appear to be prospering, according to the latest data collected through the collaborative efforts of the University of Florida, the Florida Department …