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In the midst of a farm bill being finalized, labor is still top of mind for U.S. Congressman Ted Yoho. In mid-July, he visited AgNet Media to discuss imperative agricultural legislation. There is currently a bill for agricultural labor, Rep. Goodlatte’s AG Act. Yoho says it’s a good bill and he could support it. However, he is pushing for his …
By Breanna Kendrick When olives began to be investigated as a potential crop for Florida, it made sense for Mack Thetford to be involved with the research. He has traditionally worked in plant propagation, dune restoration and evaluation of plants for drier landscapes, which is where olive trees are typically grown. Thetford is an associate professor of environmental horticulture with …
By Breanna Kendrick According to the recent U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) consumer price index report on changes to food category forecasts, prices for fresh fruits declined 1.2 percent from May to June but are up 1.9 percent compared with June 2017. Citrus prices rose 2.3 percent while prices for apples and bananas fell 0.4 percent. Prices for all other fruits fell 4 percent …
By Charles Barrett Soil moisture sensors are useful for making irrigation decisions, record keeping and monitoring plant roots. Knowing where a crop root zone is or is not helps fine-tune an irrigation schedule. Here is how: DETERMINING HOW MUCH WATER TO APPLY An irrigation schedule is a game plan for how a crop will be irrigated. Many Extension programs publish …
By Breanna Kendrick Depending on where you are, different diseases could affect your watermelons. Phytophthora, fusarium wilt, anthracnose, downy mildew and gummy stem blight are the biggest issues that Nicholas Dufault, University of Florida associate professor and Extension plant pathologist, has seen. These are the most common diseases in Florida-grown watermelons. With phytophthora, whole plant death is associated with a …
Nematodes are a key pest in vegetables and strawberries. Johan Desaeger, an assistant professor of nematology at the University of Florida’s Gulf Coast Research and Education Center, has spent years studying nematodes and how to manage them. He will be giving a presentation at the upcoming Vegetables and Specialty Crops Expo. According to Desaeger, historically, most growers used methyl bromide …
The Georgia Agribusiness Council (GAC) invites those interested to attend the 2018 Ag Issues Summit, which will be held Aug. 23 in Perry. While the meeting is free, registration is required as space is limited. While the meeting is free, registration is required as space is limited. Georgia’s two Agriculture Committee Chairmen, Senator John Wilkinson and Representative Tom McCall, are hosting this year’s event. The agenda includes …
Organically grown produce is climbing in popularity in the United States. The August issue of VSCNews magazine will give growers the information they need to help their organic farm thrive or to convert to organic growing. For growers looking toward growing organically, AgNet Media’s Ernie Neff and Abbey Taylor explore what it takes to become organically certified by the U.S. …
Citrus Expo is excited to introduce a general session to the seminar program this year. The presentations are tailored to citrus, vegetable and specialty crop growers. This new addition will cover crucial topics impacting these industries. HURRICANE RELIEF FUNDING Mike Sparks, executive vice president and chief executive officer of Florida Citrus Mutual, will give a presentation on the status of …
By Breanna Kendrick Cory Penca, a Ph.D. candidate as well as a student in the Doctor of Plant Medicine program at the University of Florida, recently presented at the Stone Fruit Field Day in Citra, Florida. His presentation covered basic pest management tactics for scales, among many other pests of peaches. Scales are difficult to manage because they have a …
