By Clint Thompson The first peak of San Jose scale activity is occurring now in Georgia peach orchards. Growers should be proactive in beginning their insecticide applications, says Brett Blaauw, assistant professor at the University of Georgia (UGA) College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences “We’re just at the beginning of the first real activity period,” Blaauw said. “Most of the …
Peach Production in Florida: Farmers Learn About Management Strategies During Field Day
By Clint Thompson Peaches’ popularity in Florida continues to bloom, but the crop has its production challenges in the Sunshine State. That’s why days like Tuesday’s Stone Fruit Field Day at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Plant Science Research and Education Unit in Citra, Florida, are so vital to the industry’s future. Whether it was …
Whitefly Pressure Increasing in Florida
Whitefly pressure is intensifying in regions across south Florida, according to the South Florida Pest and Disease Hotline. Populations have increased significantly in central Florida, reaching moderate to elevated levels in older plants of squash and cucumber. High levels of nymphs and eggs are also being observed, which indicates the potential for a population boom. Moderate levels are also reported …
Peach Production Management Strategies
By Clint Thompson Peaches’ popularity in Florida continues to bloom, but the crop has its production challenges in the Sunshine State. That’s why days like Tuesday’s Stone Fruit Field Day at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Plant Science Research and Education Unit in Citra, Florida, are so vital to the industry’s future. Whether it was …
Sneak Peek: May 2022 Specialty Crop Industry Magazine
By Clint Thompson The May issue of Specialty Crop Industry Magazine highlights management options available for blueberry farmers in combating anthracnose fruit rot (AFR). Philip Harmon, professor at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS), and Doug Phillips, UF/IFAS blueberry Extension coordinator, discuss the different options available for blueberry farmers. These include minimizing the use of …
Florida Hemp Program Celebrates its Second Year
April 27 marked the two-year anniversary that Florida’s hemp program overseen by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS). That’s when the agency began to accept applications to grow industrial hemp following formal approval from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). FDACS manages and regulates Florida’s hemp program and permit kitchens that make edible cannabis products, under the …
How to Manage Botrytis in Strawberries
By Clint Thompson Botrytis gray mold is an annual disease of strawberry producers. It may continue to worsen the more resistant it becomes to certain fungicides. Ed Sikora, professor and Extension plant pathologist in the Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology at Auburn University, said he and other colleagues have examined strawberry fields for more than a year. In about …
Florida Mango Supply Limited This Year
By Clint Thompson Count the Florida mango supply as a victim of a cold temperatures this year. Alan Chambers, plant geneticist at UF/IFAS Tropical Research and Education Center, said Florida mango supply will be extremely limited this year. “This is the first time that I’ve seen and from some of our historical knowledge, this just doesn’t happen very often. We …
Powdery Mildew Detected in North Florida Watermelon
By Clint Thompson Lab testing has confirmed powdery mildew disease in watermelon in the Suwanee Valley region of Florida. Growers should be proactive in beginning their fungicide spray programs, says Bob Hochmuth, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Regional Specialized Extension agent in Live Oak, Florida. “We got the first confirmation, and it was very good …
N.C. State’s Suchoff to Lead New Hemp Research Consortium
David Suchoff, North Carolina (N.C.) State assistant professor of alternative crops, was selected as the director of the new Hemp Research Consortium, initially funded by the Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research (FFAR) for up to $2.5 million. The consortium is a public-private partnership designed to align research-intensive and land grant universities’ research efforts with the hemp industry. The venture …