Southeast watermelon growers delivered a flavorful crop this year that yielded a sweet price at the market, said Mark Arney, executive director of the National Watermelon Promotion Board. “We’re happy, we’re happy for the guys. Obviously, the guys that didn’t have a crop, it doesn’t matter how hot the market is, they’re not going to make money. We feel terrible …
Actuality: One Reason not to Plant Unsolicited Seeds from Unknown Sources
United States Department of Agriculture Jacob Barney, invasive plant expert at Virginia Tech University, giving one of several reasons why we should not plant seeds that show up at our door unsolicited from unknown sources.
UF/IFAS to Host Vegetable Growers Meeting
The University of Florida/IFAS will host a vegetable growers meeting on Aug. 20 from 10 a.m. to noon. It will be a virtual meeting and feature talks from Extension agents and specialists. Extension agent Craig Fey will discuss fundamentals of weed management and focus on principles such as exclusion, prevention, cultural and chemical strategies. UF/IFAS weed scientist Ramdas Kanissery will …
U.S. Sugar Statement on Motion to Dismiss Baseless Lawsuit Against Florida Farmers
Clewiston, FL— Judy Sanchez, Senior Director of Corporate Communications and Public Affairs at U.S. Sugar, issued the following statement on the company’s motion to dismiss filed in response to a baseless lawsuit brought against sugarcane farmers: “Publicly available air quality monitoring data maintained by the state of Florida has shown, and continues to show, that the Glades communities have some …
Soil Sample for Nematodes Now
The time is now to soil sample for nematodes, says Pablo Navia, Adama Technical Development Leader for East Region. “This is the best time since populations of nematodes are really high right now in the soil. There’s still some roots that they are feeding on. This is the best time to sample,” Navia said. “It’s a good way to know …
Southeastern Farmer of Year Winner to be Named at ’21 Sunbelt Ag Expo
Contact: Becca Turner(229) 985-1968 x2228 Due to the cancellation of the 2020 Sunbelt Ag Expo show, plans for the selection of the 2020 Swisher Sweets/Sunbelt Ag Expo Southeastern Farmer of the Year Winner have been amended. Originally, this year’s judging tour was planned for August 10-14. Due to current health concerns, the tour has been postponed indefinitely. 2020 State Winners …
Commissioner Fried Pleads for Secretary Perdue Expand CFAP to Include More Commodities
Tallahassee, Fla. – Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried wrote to U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue on Tuesday, once again asking the USDA to expand eligibility for the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP) to include additional agricultural commodities. On July 9, the USDA announced expanded CFAP eligibility that included many impacted Florida crops, but aquaculture and horticulture commodities were not …
CFAP Deadline is Aug. 28
Farmers impacted by COVID-19 and hoping to take advantage of the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program have a little more than three weeks left before the Aug. 28 deadline. That is when the United States Department of Agriculture will stop accepting applications from producers. Through CFAP, USDA made available $16 billion in financial assistance to producers of agricultural commodities who have …
Broad Sequencing of Tomato Genomes Will Help Geneticists Breed Better Varieties
By Maria M. Lameiras for CAES News New technology has led to a greater understanding of how gene placement within the tomato genome influences gene expression and, therefore, the characteristics of the resulting plant’s fruit, a discovery that is important for breeders and producers. University of Georgia horticulture researcher Esther van der Knaap provided vital information for an expansive new …
Fungicide Resistance in Georgia Strawberry Fields
By Phil Brannen, Md Emran Ali, Jeff Cook, Sumyya Waliullah and Owen Hudson Anthracnose fruit rot disease, caused by fungal Colletotrichum species, is one of the most significant disease problems of commercial strawberry production in the Southeast. Dark, sunken lesions on fruit are the main disease symptoms (Figure 1). Hot, humid weather and significant rainfall make Colletotrichum-induced fruit rot a …