By Clint Thompson Florida’s tomato season is nearing an end this year. While the crop struggled amid the coronavirus pandemic, growers were able to finish production amid a supply shortage, specifically with pallets. But the fall crop is just around the corner. That is a concern for Bob Spencer, President of West Coast Tomato in Palmetto, Florida. “We never experienced …
Lingering Effect: COVID-19 Still Impacting Tomato Industry
By Clint Thompson The coronavirus pandemic continues to have a lingering effect on Florida’s tomato industry. Bob Spencer, President of West Coast Tomato in Palmetto, Florida, said it’s been a rough year for Florida producers. COVID-19 is a main reason why as are imports from Mexico. “The majority of our produce is used in food service. A lot of it …
Devastating Disease: Bacterial Spot a Problem for Some Florida Producers
According to the South Florida Pest and Disease Hotline, bacterial spot disease is active in tomato and pepper fields on the east coast and around southwest Florida. It is present at moderate levels in older hot pepper plants. Bacterial spot disease flares up after rain events and with fog in tomatoes and non-resistant peppers across the southwest region of Florida. …
Light at the end of the Tunnel: Florida Tomato Producers Longing for Good News
Bob Spencer, with West Coast Tomato in Palmetto, Florida, believes there is light at the end of a year-long tunnel for the state’s tomato producers. As more states continue to reopen combined with the recent passage of the America Rescue Plan, there appears to be good news on the horizon for Florida tomato producers who have struggled from the onset …
What to Grow? Tomato Variety Selection Important Decision for Producers
The most important decision farmers can make when growing tomatoes in Alabama is variety selection. Joe Kemble, Alabama Extension vegetable specialist, insists that growers understand what varieties grow well in Alabama before they plant this spring. “Easily the most important decision you can make is picking which varieties to grow. You can buy local transplants. It’s always great when you …
Tools to Solve Tomato Pathogen Problems
By Abolfazl Hajihassani Tomato is the most economically important vegetable crop in the United States and has a history of heavy dependence on pesticides. PATHOGEN PAIR Root-knot nematodes and southern blight disease are among the most damaging pathogens of tomato. Pre-plant soil fumigation is often, but not always, effective at minimizing yield losses due to soilborne nematode and fungal pathogens. …
Identification Key in Managing Stink Bugs in Tomatoes
Stink bugs are a diverse species that can wreak havoc on Florida’s tomato crop. With a piercing-sucking mouthpart, stink bugs pierce the fruit and suck out fluids. They also secrete enzymes while doing so, which damages the cells right under the skin of the fruit. This leads to little spots forming all over the fruit. It is more visible once …
Florida Tomato Growers Reminded to Destroy Plants Following Final Harvest
University of Florida/IFAS reminds tomato producers that plants must be destroyed within five days following final harvest of their crop. Under Florida law, abandoned tomato fields that have not been destroyed within five days after final harvest are subject to an Immediate Final Order per Rule, says Gene McAvoy, UF/IFAS Extension agent emeritus. If tomato plants are left in the …
Heat Brings Out Antioxidants, Increases Red in Tomatoes
December 17, 2020 By: Brad Buck, bradbuck@ufl.edu, 352-875-2641 (cell) Turn up the heat, and get more nutrition from your tomato, University of Florida researchers say. Furthermore, when you buy a tomato, it will be about as red as it can be, thanks to the UF/IFAS methods deployed for the study. The findings are crucial to an industry in which Florida …
Getting to the Bottom of Blossom-End Rot
By Maria M. Lameiras for UGA CAES News Home gardeners and commercial farmers alike can attest to the disappointment of seeing a beautiful tomato ripening on a vine, only to discover that the fruit has dark, sunken pits at the blossom end of the fruit. Called blossom-end rot (BER), this physiological disorder is prevalent in fruit and vegetable crops, including …