The last chance to preregister for the Florida Grower Citrus Show is Friday, April 7, at 12:00 p.m. Here is all you need to know before you go. Show Agenda Thursday, April 13 8:00 a.m. Registration begins/Breakfast served 9:00 a.m. General session begins 11:10 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. Lunch break 2:00 – 4:00 p.m. Concurrent citrus and vegetable sessions Tailgate …
Dry Conditions Worsening in South Florida
Drought-like conditions are worsening in certain areas of the Southeast, specifically in southern Florida and southern Alabama, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. The majority of Florida is either abnormally dry, moderately dry, severely dry or extremely dry, as is the case for Lee, Hendry and Collier counties in South Florida. Most of central and south Florida is severely dry, …
Pheromones Helping Reduce Pest Populations
Citrus growers should emphasize leafminer management this year to preserve new flushes. This is especially important for those producers affected by the Christmas freeze event. The management strategy should include pheromone disruptions, which can help reduce pest populations. Xavier Martini, assistant professor of entomology at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) North Florida Research and Education Center (NFREC), …
Tips for Managing Summer Weeds
Summer is “a field day for weeds,” Ramdas Kanissery said in a March 29 presentation about weed control for citrus. The University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences assistant professor provided a progressive step-by-step approach to suppressing weeds during the summer. CONTROL EXISTING WEEDSGrowers can get off to a good start by controlling existing weeds with post-emergent herbicides. …
Pheromones Essential in Leafminer Management
By Clint Thompson Citrus growers should emphasize leafminer management this year to preserve new flushes. This is especially important for those producers affected by the Christmas freeze event. The management strategy should include pheromone disruptions, which can help reduce pest populations. Xavier Martini, assistant professor of entomology at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) North Florida Research …
Additional UF/IFAS Research Needed: Phosphorous Levels in Blueberries
By Clint Thompson Blueberry plants lose half of their phosphorous during harvest. Additional research at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences is needed to determine what it means for management of the nutrient in future seasons. Gerardo Nunez, assistant professor at UF/IFAS, discussed phosphorous management during the blueberry field day on March 9 in Citra, Florida. …
Disposal of Waste Pesticides Throughout South Carolina
COLUMBIA — The South Carolina Department of Agriculture (SCDA) is offering South Carolina residents the opportunity to safely dispose of outdated, unusable or unwanted pesticides. The pesticide and chemical program is open to all private, commercial and non-commercial pesticide applicators in the state, as well as homeowners. SCDA staff will be on site to monitor pesticide collection and disposal and …
New Activities at Florida Grower Citrus Show
The 2023 Florida Grower Citrus Show, presented by AgNet Media, will be held April 13 in Fort Pierce. The show has a new venue this year — the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Indian River Research and Education Center (IRREC) and the adjacent U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Horticultural Research Laboratory. …
USDA Providing Financial Assistance for Struggling Farmers
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced that beginning in April it will provide approximately $123 million in additional financial assistance for qualifying farm loan program borrowers who are facing financial risk. This is a part of the $3.1 billion designated to help farm loan members that was provided through Section 22006 of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). This …
Watermelon Acres Decrease in North Florida
By Clint Thompson Watermelon plants are in the ground across the Suwanee Valley region of Florida. Bob Hochmuth, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) regional specialized Extension agent in Live Oak, Florida, expects there to be a decrease in acres this year across the northern part of the state. “I would say we might be down a …