USDA Grants $3.2 Million Toward Whitefly Research

Web AdminGeorgia, Research, Top Posts, Vegetables

By Karla Arboleda After years of growers experiencing problems with whiteflies in vegetable crops, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will fund $3.2 million toward whitefly research. The grant will fund research at the University of Georgia (UGA), Fort Valley State University and the USDA Agricultural Research Service in South Carolina. Bhabesh Dutta, a vegetable Extension pathologist at UGA-Tifton, shared …

USDA Invests $11M In Research That Will Support Specialty Crop Farmers

Web AdminAvocado, Berries, Fruit, Grapes, Hemp, Hops, Horticulture, Industry News Release, Leafy Vegetables, Mangos, Mushrooms, Nuts, Olives, Onion, Organic, Peaches, Pecan, Pomegranates, potato, Produce, Stone Fruit, Strawberry, Sugar, Sweet Potatoes, Tomatoes, Tropical Fruit, Vegetables, Watermelon

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 …

FTE: New Suspension Agreement Is Step in Right Direction

Web AdminFlorida, Fruit, Industry News Release, Tomatoes, Vegetables

Washington, D.C. (FTE-September 19, 2019) — The Florida Tomato Exchange (FTE) welcomes the signing by the U.S. Department of Commerce and Mexican tomato exporters of a new agreement suspending the antidumping investigation of fresh tomatoes from Mexico. The new suspension agreement includes strong monitoring, enforcement and anti-circumvention provisions, including border inspections, that should help eliminate the injury to American tomato …

Whitefly and Diamondback Moth Management in South Florida

Web AdminPests, Top Posts, Vegetables

By Karla Arboleda Researchers at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) are looking into products that are effective against whiteflies and diamondback moths in South Florida. Hugh Smith, vegetable entomologist at the UF/IFAS Gulf Coast Research and Education Center (GCREC), works to apply information growers share about their experiences toward better insect management in crops. …

Cloud-Based Software Helps Farmers on the Ground

Web AdminFlorida, Fruit, Industry News Release, Research, Vegetables

A University of Florida agricultural engineer has developed software that can help farmers find the best places to plant crops and to identify fruit and vegetable varieties that perform better against diseases. Now, Yiannis Ampatzidis is leading an effort to refine the software so it can help growers even more. To help farmers protect and even increase their harvests, Ampatzidis, …

Perdue on New Draft Suspension Agreement on Fresh Tomatoes from Mexico

Web AdminExports/Imports, Fruit, Industry News Release, Tomatoes, Vegetables

Washington, D.C. (USDA) – U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue issued the following statement after U.S. Department of Commerce announced a new Draft Suspension Agreement on Fresh Tomatoes from Mexico: “I want to thank my colleagues at the U.S. Department of Commerce for working diligently to reach a mutually beneficial agreement for tomato growers in both the U.S. and Mexico. …

U.S. Department of Commerce Announces a New Draft Suspension Agreement on Fresh Tomatoes from Mexico

Web AdminFruit, Industry News Release, Tomatoes, Vegetables

WASHINGTON, D.C. (USDOC) — The U.S. Department of Commerce initialed a draft agreement with Mexican tomato growers to suspend the ongoing antidumping (AD) investigation of fresh tomatoes from Mexico, ensuring that the domestic tomato industry will be protected from unfair trade. “For many years, there have been disputes over the roughly $2 billion worth of tomatoes that are imported from …

UF/IFAS Vegetable Production Handbook Debuts at Citrus Expo

Web AdminFlorida, General, Industry News Release, Vegetables

GAINESVILLE, Fla. (UF/IFAS) — Last year, the Citrus Expo event broke new ground by adding a day-long program devoted to vegetables and specialty crops, curated by experts with the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences. This year, when the program returns to Citrus Expo Aug. 14-15 at the Lee County Civic Center in North Fort Myers, organizers …

DOC Announces Preliminary Dumping Margin on Mexican Tomato Imports

Web AdminFlorida, Fruit, Industry News Release, Tomatoes, Vegetables

Department of Commerce Refutes Mexican Claims of No Dumping:Announces Preliminary Dumping Margin of 25% on Mexican Tomato Imports (FTE) — On July 24, the U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC) announced that Mexican tomatoes are being dumped in the United States.  The preliminary average dumping margin is 25.28 percent.  This announcement refutes the recent Mexican claims that the data they submitted …

Dealing with Spider Mites During Drought

Web AdminPests, Top Posts, Vegetables

By Karla Arboleda Spider mites will feed on crops when the weather is hot and dry, but growers should use cultural control tactics before considering pesticides. Droughts raise the likelihood of seeing spider mites, but so does using pesticides that kill beneficial spider mites. Ayanava Majumdar, Extension entomologist with the Alabama Cooperative Extension System at Auburn University, says spider mites …