By Clint Thompson Overuse of specific pesticides led to chilli thrips being more of a problem for Florida strawberry producers this season. Sriyanka Lahiri, assistant professor of entomology and nematology at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Gulf Coast Research and Education Center, said pesticides should be used in rotation. “You have four products. All of …
Specialty Crop Farmer: Make Sure You Have Orderly Marketing
By Clint Thompson One Florida specialty crop industry leader believes there has been no letup in the spike in input costs. That’s why Aaron Troyer, Florida potato farmer and chairman of the Florida Fruit and Vegetable Association, insists growers ensure that what is being grown matches the demand for it. “Make sure your budget is in order and make sure …
Tri-County Growers Gather for Hastings Field Day
By Frank Giles Faculty and staff of the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Hastings Agricultural Extension Center were excited to host growers for their 2022 spring field day in April. The event had been on hiatus the past two years due to COVID-19. Much of the tour focused on potato production, which is a significant …
Traveling the State Provides Perspective and Appreciation
By J. Scott Angle In all the traveling I’ve done in my career, I’ve never been greeted with finish-line tape, “Chariots of Fire” playing on a public address system, a 4-H’er hanging a medal around my neck and a state map cake with a different color frosting on every county. When I joined the University of Florida Institute of Food …
Tri-County Growers Gather for Hastings Field Day
By Frank Giles Faculty and staff of the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Hastings Agricultural Extension Center were excited to host growers for their 2022 spring field day in April. The event had been on hiatus the past two years due to COVID-19. Much of the tour focused on potato production, which is a significant …
Florida Tomato Leader: We’re Just Trying to Hang on Here
By Clint Thompson On the surface, an oversupply of Florida tomatoes helped lead to suppressed prices for the industry. However, one industry leader stresses that supply still pales in comparison to previous seasons. “Look at what’s happened to our industry over the last one to two decades. An industry gets beaten down over a couple of decades and you have …
Georgia Watermelon Crop Stymied by Adverse Weather Conditions
By Clint Thompson Georgia’s watermelon crop is off to a sluggish start following cool temperatures, heavy rains and high winds in recent weeks. Ty Torrance, University of Georgia Cooperative Extension vegetable agent for Colquitt, Tift and Worth counties, describes the impact he has noticed in fields so far. “There’s a little bit of cold injury. The largest impact is everything’s …
Alternative to Lack of Oryzalin Herbicide for Fruit Producers
By Clint Thompson Specialty crop producers need to be wary this spring of supply issues with regards to Oryzalin, a popular herbicide. None is being manufactured, according to Wayne Mitchem, N.C. State Extension associate and Southern Region Small Fruit Consortium coordinator. He discusses the impact that a lack of the product will mean for some fruit farmers. “The thing about …
Freeze Effect: Legislation Introduced to Protect Growers
U.S. Representatives Greg Steube (R-Fla.) and Darren Soto (D-Fla.) introduced The Temperature Endorsement for Multi-Peril Policies (TEMP) Act this week. It will protect farmers impacted by crop-damaging freezes. Rep. Steube proposes this legislation for inclusion in the 2023 Farm Bill. “This winter, a freeze caused significant damages to Florida’s citrus, sugarcane, ornamental plants, and many fruits and vegetables. Currently, specialty-crop insurance policies are expensive, leaving …
U.S. Drought Monitor: Latest Update for Southeast
South Florida continues to experience various levels of dry conditions, according to Thursday’s release of the U.S. Drought Monitor. Severe drought conditions are observed along the southwestern part of the state, in Sarasota, Charlotte, Lee and Collier counties. Moderate dry conditions are being felt in the south-central region, as far north as Hillsborough, Polk and Osceola counties and as far …