By David Riley and Alton Sparks The pepper weevil (Figure 1) is one of the most serious pests of peppers in the Americas. This weevil was introduced into the United States from Mexico as early as 1904(Elmore et al., 1934). The weevil can effectively shut down pepper production if not controlled early enough in the growing season. Even with the …
Labor Struggles Continue
By Amy Wolfe Growers across the United States, and the Southeast in particular, are once again challenged to find stable, consistent and quality sources of labor. Long dependent upon the H-2A guest worker visa program, growers continue to rely heavily on their knowledge and effective use of the only viable, legal mechanism for securing foreign labor. Trends show, however, that …
DOC Announces Preliminary Dumping Margin on Mexican Tomato Imports
Department of Commerce Refutes Mexican Claims of No Dumping:Announces Preliminary Dumping Margin of 25% on Mexican Tomato Imports (FTE) — On July 24, the U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC) announced that Mexican tomatoes are being dumped in the United States. The preliminary average dumping margin is 25.28 percent. This announcement refutes the recent Mexican claims that the data they submitted …
New Hemp Industry Buoyed by CBD Demand
TALLAHASSEE (NSF) — Hemp has been hyped as a lifesaver for Florida farmers, touted as a versatile crop that can be used to build houses, feed livestock and create clothing. But it’s the plant’s healing qualities that have sparked a second cannabis “green rush,” as the state’s hemp program gets off the ground. The nationwide craze for products containing CBD …
Sneak Peek: August 2019 VSCNews Magazine
The August issue of VSCNews magazine explores the latest technology and surrounding issues facing the modern grower. Yiannis Ampatzidis, assistant professor with the University of Florida (UF), discusses up-and-coming smart sprayer technology. He breaks down how the technology works and how it could help growers cut costs. Water is one of the most important ingredients to a healthy crop and …
Nikki Fried Announces Members of New Hemp Advisory Committee
Commissioner Nicole “Nikki” Fried announced the members of her new Hemp Advisory Committee, which will help guide the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services’ hemp rulemaking process and the state’s emerging hemp industry development. Commissioner Fried is committed to Florida becoming a national leader on industrial hemp production. The appointment of committee members comes after the department held three workshops …
Potential Impacts of the USMCA on Florida and Georgia
By Karla Arboleda Two individual reports from the University of Florida (UF) and University of Georgia (UGA) say that the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) could lead to economic losses in both Florida and Georgia, respectively, if it is ratified by Congress. The renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) has been ratified in Mexico, and the United States …
VSC Expo Speaker Spotlight: Ozgur Batuman
By Ashley Robinson Florida’s tomato growers seeking the latest information on tomato viruses will not want to miss this year’s Vegetable and Specialty Crop Expo (VSC Expo) seminar program. Ozgur Batuman, an assistant professor of plant pathology at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, will be speaking about tomato brown rugose fruit virus. This newly reported …
Dealing with Spider Mites During Drought
By Karla Arboleda Spider mites will feed on crops when the weather is hot and dry, but growers should use cultural control tactics before considering pesticides. Droughts raise the likelihood of seeing spider mites, but so does using pesticides that kill beneficial spider mites. Ayanava Majumdar, Extension entomologist with the Alabama Cooperative Extension System at Auburn University, says spider mites …
Controlling Purple Nutsedge in Tomatoes
Purple nutsedge can be a tough nut to crack for many tomato growers. Nathan Boyd, weed scientist at the University of Florida’s Gulf Coast Research and Education Center (GCREC), recently completed herbicide trials examining whether pre-emergent or post-emergent herbicides work better in controlling purple nutsedge in tomatoes. The trials took place at the GCREC in Wimauma. Purple nutsedge can be …