By Nathan Boyd Weed management programs for plasticulture tomato production in the southeastern United States typically rely on an array of tools to achieve satisfactory weed control. This may include tools such as fumigants, plastic mulches, pre-emergence herbicides, post-emergence herbicides and hand weeding. THE CULPRITS Purple and yellow nutsedge can be especially problematic due to their ability to puncture the …
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 …
Tomato Fertilization Recommendations for Florida
By Phillip Williams Tomatoes are grown statewide in Florida in a diverse manner depending on the region of the state. Sandy soils make up the dominant soil type for tomato production in Florida. Sandy soils are prone to leaching mobile nutrients such as nitrogen, potassium and even phosphorus by heavy rain or excessive irrigation. Therefore, sandy soils must be managed …
Breeding Tastier Tomatoes in Different Environments
(UF/IFAS) — A University of Florida tomato expert is calling on researchers worldwide to use genetics to help farmers grow tastier tomatoes in many geographic locations. Consumers crave tasty tomatoes, but the trick comes in growing flavorful fruit in different environments, said Jay Scott, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) professor emeritus. “I am proposing a worldwide …
Drones Detect Two Tomato Diseases With 99 Percent Accuracy
(UF/IFAS) — New technology being developed by University of Florida scientists identifies two dangerous tomato diseases with 99 percent accuracy. This finding is critical because diseases can cost growers millions of dollars annually in the state’s third most valuable crop. Thus, the earlier farmers detect those ailments, the better their chances of treating them before the diseases cause excessive damage. …
Crop Insurance Deadline Approaching for Tomatoes and Pecans
(FDACS) — The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services is reminding Florida’s tomato and pecan growers of the approaching crop insurance deadline. Growers have until Jan. 31, 2020, to apply for crop insurance coverage for the 2020 crop year. Current policyholders who would like to make changes to their existing coverage also have until the Jan. 31 sales closing date …
ITC Affirms That Mexican Dumping Threatens U.S. Tomato Growers
(FTE) — In a unanimous decision, the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) made an affirmative determination that dumped Mexican tomato imports threaten the U.S. industry with material injury. This determination comes on the heels of an announcement last month by the U.S. Department of Commerce, which found that Mexican tomatoes had been dumped in the U.S. market at an average …
New Rules Aimed at Protecting Tomato Crops
(NSF) — New federal inspection rules are now in place for tomatoes and peppers, a month after Florida agricultural officials expressed concern that a virus had been found in tomatoes imported from Mexico. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced that tomatoes and peppers from Mexico, Israel and the Netherlands must be inspected for tomato brown rugose fruit virus, …
Action Taken to Protect the United States From Tomato Brown Rugose Fruit Virus
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is taking immediate action to prevent the introduction of tomato brown rugose fruit virus into the United States and protect U.S. tomato and pepper production worth more than $2.3 billion annually. APHIS has issued a federal order imposing restrictions on imports of tomato and pepper seed lots …
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 …