By Clint Thompson
Next month’s Citrus & Specialty Crop Expo has a lot to offer Southeast fruit and vegetable growers planning to attend the two-day show, scheduled for Aug. 20-21, at the Florida State Fairgrounds in Tampa, Florida
Key industry topics like labor, trade and farm policy will be discussed during the general session on Wednesday morning. Specialty crop sessions will be held during the afternoon on Aug. 20 and all day on Aug. 21.
Special sessions will be dedicated to the main pest challenges that growers encounter today. In-depth discussions are planned on whiteflies, chilli thrips and Thrips parvispinus on Wednesday, Aug. 20.
On Thursday, Aug. 21, weed management will be highlighted during a talk from University of Florida weed scientist Nathan Boyd. UF plant pathologist Gary Vallad will cover disease management.
Brett Bultemeier, director of the UF’s Pesticide Information Office, will present on changes the Environmental Protection Agency makes in labeling pesticides. It will impact how growers document and apply chemicals.
A final session will be dedicated to alternative crops, including bamboo, which could provide growers another option to diversify their farming operations.
Check out the full specialty crop agenda here.
Registration
Don’t wait, register now! Registration is free for commercial growers, commercial grove owners, commercial grove managers, certified crop advisers, grower association executives, government, legislative and universities.