By Clint Thompson
Registration remains open for the Florida Tomato Conference, scheduled for Thursday, Sept. 4 at the John Boy Auditorium in Clewiston, Florida.
The event is free for all employees of Florida tomato growers, packers, sponsors, presenters and university affiliates. Other attendees are charged $50.
Participants must select the sessions they plan to attend. Early registration will close on Monday, Aug. 25, while late registration will incur a $50 additional fee.
Those attending can collect CCA and CEU credits for select portions of the Florida Tomato Institute.
Presenters will be part of the Tomato Institute from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. to discuss various topics pertinent to the state’s tomato industry.
Robert Guenther, executive vice president of the Florida Tomato Exchange, will provide a state of the industry address: The Future Looks Better than Ever. Jessica Chitwood-Brown, assistant professor of horticulture at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Gulf Coast Research and Education Center in Wimauma, Florida, will update attendees on the tomato breeding program.
Some of the talks include a whitefly panel discussion and presentations focusing on phosphorous recommendations in tomato, the impact of summer cover crops on nematodes and tomato yields and what viruses are impacting Florida fields.
A steak lunch will be provided by the Hendry County Cattleman’s Association followed by a food safety workshop from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Click here to register.