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The 2025 Citrus & Specialty Crop Expo will feature a special speaker and inspirational message from retired Battalion Commander Jack Oehm of the Fire Department of New York City (FDNY). Oehm was a battalion chief who first arrived at Ground Zero after both World Trade Center towers collapsed on Sept. 11, 2001. It was a tragic day for Oehm, the …
By Clint Thompson A significant uptick in North Florida watermelon acreage over the last two years has increased production substantially, which has led market prices to drop; as was the case this year. Bob Hochmuth, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Regional Specialized Extension agent in Live Oak, Florida, highlighted the situation facing his region’s growers. …
By Clint Thompson Mental health was a focus of the recent Senate Special Committee on Aging hearing. Legislators asked witnesses, including American Farm Bureau (AFB) President Zippy Duvall, about the stigma surrounding mental health concerns in the agriculture industry. Duvall testified about the importance of farmers discussing their feelings, even when times are tough. “When I was back on the …
By Clint Thompson Frequent rain events in Georgia and Alabama have created a potential good and bad scenario for the states’ pecan producers. Lenny Wells, University of Georgia Extension pecan specialist, highlighted how the increased rainfall has impacted the region’s pecan crop. “From the standpoint of the crop’s needs, water is great for them. We’ve just gotten into the nut-sizing …
By Clint Thompson Laurel wilt disease impacted Florida’s avocado production so much over the past decade, acreage dropped 40%. Jonathan Crane, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) professor and tropical fruit crop specialist, estimated that 300,000 trees were lost. However, production may be on the rebound, and Crane explains why. His reasoning centers on the ambrosia …
By Clint Thompson The termination of the United States-Mexico Tomato Suspension Agreement is a win for the domestic industry and should increase domestic production across the country. That’s the hope shared by Robert Guenther, executive vice president of the Florida Tomato Exchange. It was announced on April 14 that the U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC) terminated the 2019 United States-Mexico …
University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) reminds Florida blueberry growers about what management options they need to consider during the summer months. Disease management should always be top of mind, especially algal stem blotch in Southern Highbush. Producers should prune out canes infected with algal stem blotch, Botryosphaeria stem blight and dead canes. Growers should monitor …
By Clint Thompson The number of hemp growers continues to decline across Alabama and the country. It coincides with market prices not being what they once were, according to Zachary Barnes, with the Alabama Department of Ag and Industries hemp program. “From 2020 until now, what they were fetching for a kilogram of crude CBD oil, I’ve heard numbers were …
By Clint Thompson Watermelons encounter their share of diseases in the Southeast. BASF/Nunhems is hoping to help producers overcome some of those diseases, especially fusarium wilt. In conjunction with the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, BASF/Nunhems hosted its North Florida Watermelon Variety Showcase in Lake Butler, Florida, last week. Ruhiyyih Dyrdahl-Young, Nunhems area sales manager for …
While strawberry production lasts from November through April in Florida, digital twin technology lets scientists simulate the growth of the fruit year-round, allowing research to proceed year-round. Digital twins are virtual replicas of objects, systems or processes that can predict system behavior as they interact in a simulated environment. Dana Choi and her team of University of Florida Institute of …
