Managing Stink Bugs on Peaches

Web AdminPeaches, Pests, Stone Fruit, Top Posts

By Breanna Kendrick At the recent Stone Fruit Field Day, Cory Penca gave a presentation on managing key pests of peaches in Florida. Penca is an entomology Ph.D. candidate and a student in the Doctor of Plant Medicine program at the University of Florida. His presentation covered stink bugs, Caribbean fruit flies, plum curculio and mites.  Penca’s pest management practices …

Organic Summit Registration Is Open

Web AdminOrganic, Top Posts

Registration for the second annual Organic Food and Farming Summit is now open! Presented by Florida Organic Growers (FOG), the summit aims to educate organic and conventional growers alike on organic production methods. Similar to last year, the summit will consist of food and farming tours, a trade show, and short- and long-form educational seminars. The first day of the …

Precautions Growers Should Take in the Rainy Season

Web AdminTomatoes, Top Posts, Watermelon

By Breanna Kendrick The abundance of rain in Florida over the past two weeks has brought concerns about bacterial disease issues for farmers. Gary Vallad, University of Florida associate professor of plant pathology and associate center director at the Gulf Coast Research and Education Center, discusses some of the precautions growers can take to make it through this rainy season. …

Producing Profitable Peaches in Florida

Web AdminPeaches, Top Posts

By Breanna Kendrick Ali Sarkhosh moved to America last October from Australia to conduct research on the peach industry in Florida. He is an assistant professor and Extension specialist in the Horticultural Sciences Department at the University of Florida. Many growers are concerned about the profitability of growing peaches in Florida. According to Sarkhosh, “The opportunity is huge! In the …

Stone Fruit Day Focuses on Florida Peach Production

Web AdminPeaches, Stone Fruit, Top Posts

By Breanna Kendrick Ali Sarkhosh, assistant professor and Extension specialist in the Horticultural Sciences Department at the University of Florida (UF), spoke at and co-hosted the annual Stone Fruit Field Day at the UF Plant Science Research and Education Unit in Citra. The event included discussions on the issues and challenges in the stone fruit industry. It provided information on …

Could a Pacific Northwest Crop Be Produced in Florida?

Web AdminHops, Top Posts

By Breanna Kendrick Plant physiologist and researcher at the Gulf Coast Research and Education Center, Shinsuke Agehara, is studying the potential of growing hops in Florida. His research focuses on the production of hops and how it will grow in Florida’s climate. The exact amount of hops production in Florida is unknown at this time. Many growers are trying to …

Sneak Peek: June VSCNews Magazine

Web AdminLegislative, Top Posts, VSCNews magazine

Policies and regulations can impact a grower’s ability to make a living. The June issue of VSCNews magazine will be growers’ one-stop-shop for important governmental updates on the state and federal levels. Southeastern growers will get an overview of their state’s 2018 legislative session. Adam Basford, director of state legislative affairs for Florida Farm Bureau (FFB), gives a summary of …

Beware of Bacterial and Fungal Pathogens in Increased Rainfall

Web AdminTop Posts, Watermelon, Weather

By Breanna Kendrick Nicholas Dufault, assistant professor and Extension agent in the Plant Pathology Department at the University of Florida, researches management of diseases affecting vegetable crop production in Florida. “With all the rainfall, the biggest thing we want to pay attention to is the movement of fungal and bacterial pathogens,” said Dufault. “Fungal and bacterial pathogens will be a …

Taking Precautions for Increased Rain

Web Adminpotato, Research, Top Posts, Weather

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

Web AdminIndustry News Release, potato, Top Posts

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 …