The Florida Strawberry Growers Association (FSGA) was encouraged and confident following the coldest night of the winter season on Sunday, Jan. 30. Sue Harrell, director of marketing for FSGA, surveyed and videoed a field on the association’s Facebook page. The crop survived low temperatures in the high 20s. “We protected our crop with overhead irrigation by coating the plants with …
Emergency Declared for Florida Post-Freeze Harvest
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Feb. 2 issued an executive order declaring a state of emergency in many counties where citrus and other agricultural commodities were affected by a Jan. 28–30 freeze. It specifically gives state officials authority to relax restrictions on commercial vehicles to facilitate an emergency harvest. “The relaxation of the restrictions on commercial vehicles is necessary to …
USDA-NIFA Grant To Enhance UF/IFAS Vanilla Research, Promote Domestic Industry
HOMESTEAD, Fla – A University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) tropical fruit breeder is a step closer to establishing a domestic vanilla industry for growers in Florida, Hawaii and Puerto Rico. Alan Chambers, an assistant professor and plant geneticist at UF/IFAS Tropical Research and Education Center (TREC) has been awarded a $300,000 grant from the U.S. Department …
Cold Weekend Helps with Pest Control
By Clint Thompson Sub-freezing temperatures this past weekend impacted specialty crop production across the Southeast. But they also helped producers with managing the pest populations, specifically whiteflies. Bob Hochmuth, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Regional Specialized Extension agent in Live Oak, Florida, discusses the significance that the cold temperatures had on the pest. “This is …
Aphid Update in South Florida
According to the South Florida Pest and Disease Hotline, aphid populations are starting to build up in certain areas. Respondents on the east coast report a few aphids are showing up in pepper and squash. Along the Everglades Agricultural Area, aphids are present in celery, cabbage and other crucifers, though pressure is light to moderate. Aphids are also present in …
Chilling Out: Alabama Fruit Tree Producers Enjoying Cold January
By Clint Thompson Alabama’s fruit tree producers have enjoyed the cold temperatures in January. They have provided much-needed chilling hours that the trees need to mature. That’s according to Edgar Vinson, assistant research professor and Extension specialist in the Department of Horticulture at Auburn University. He pointed out during Monday’s Alabama Extension Commercial Horticulture Facebook webinar how much ground was …
Pepper Weevil Management: Be Proactive Instead of Reactive
By Clint Thompson It is better for growers to be proactive instead of reactive when managing pepper weevils in their vegetable crops. That is the approach Southeast growers should utilize this spring, says Stormy Sparks, University of Georgia Extension vegetable entomologist. “Pepper weevils, we are definitely overwintering them. We’ve documented that for the last three or four years now where …
Freeze Impact: Void in Supply Chain Likely a Result
Clint Thompson Farming in South Florida usually provides the best frost protection. But not in 2022. The impact of last weekend’s sub-freezing temperatures on vegetables is likely to create a void in the supply chain, believes Wade Purvis, who farms in Immokalee, Florida and is part of the Farmers Alliance. The result could lead to an influx of imports from …
Whiteflies Impacting South Florida Vegetables
According to the South Florida Pest and Disease Hotline, adult whiteflies are in abundance in melons, eggplant, tomatoes and peppers around the Immokalee, Florida area. Immature whiteflies are active in older plantings. Wind, rain and cold temperatures knocked them back for a few days, but are expected to worsen again once temperatures improve. Whiteflies are present in pepper, tomato and …
Truck Driver Industry Expert: Stop Stealing Each Other’s Drivers
By Clint Thompson The ongoing truck driver shortage is not a problem that will be solved overnight. What can help, though, is that companies stop stealing each other’s drivers, says Tra Williams, owner and president of Fleetforce Truck Driving School in Winter Haven, Florida. “Stealing each other’s drivers is not solving this problem. The longer you focus on saying, ‘I’ve …