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With spring and the rainy season just around the corner, many cattle producers look toward fertilization and weed control applications in the weeks and months ahead. As part of our coverage of this week’s National Cattlemen’s Beef Association convention in Phoenix, we learned from Dow AgroSciences range and pasture experts that a new herbicide application technology is available in Georgia …
The Florida Farm Bureau held its legislative days in Tallahassee, where it advocated for an “Ag Strong” legislative agenda. Adam Basford, director of legislative affairs for Florida Farm Bureau, was pleased with the turnout at this year’s events. Sporting “Ag Strong” pins, nearly 200 members of the Florida Farm Bureau made appointments with their legislators to advocate for critical agriculture …
Blueberry breeders continue to try to improve varieties as grower needs and markets change. Scott NeSmith, professor at the University of Georgia’s Department of Horticulture, said there are three main challenges that are facing blueberry growers right now that breeders are working to solve. The first challenge is to avoid times where the crop could be exposed to too much …
Researchers are investigating new behavioral and cultural controls to help protect crops from spotted wing drosophila (SWD). SWD has been attacking many crops, such as small berries, and leaving growers with devastating losses, said Ashfaq Sial, assistant professor at the University of Georgia. This pest is such an issue for growers because there is a very large window of when …
By: Brad Buck, 352-294-3303, bradbuck@ufl.edu GAINESVILLE, Fla. — In light of the competitive and dynamic global economy, experts from the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) and other organizations will share knowledge about how to deal with pressures facing growers in Florida at the third annual Florida Agricultural Policy Conference. The conference will be held Feb. …
Last year’s low-chill issues, combined with cold weather this year, could affect Georgia peach crops in 2018. Phil Brannen, professor and Extension plant pathologist at the University of Georgia (UGA), gave an outlook for the peach season. Issues from 2017 have the possibility to carry over into this season and affect the crops. Many growers did not follow all the way through with …
The February issue of VSCNews magazine is packed with information about protecting your crops against disease. Included in the issue is the latest research on diseases like target spot, fusarium wilt, center rot and more. Gary Vallad, University of Florida associate professor, explores target spot in tomatoes. He discusses what to look for as well as methods for management. Bhabesh …
The Georgia legislative session began on Jan. 8, and agricultural leaders have set goals for what they would like to achieve this session. Bryan Tolar, president of the Georgia Agribusiness Council, spoke about the council’s priorities for the 2018 session. Tolar laid out a few key issues that will take much of his focus. He said he has spent the …
Auburn University researchers are studying the most resistant varieties of pears for combating fire blight in Alabama. A publication by Alabama A&M University and Auburn University describes fire blight as a common and destructive pome fruit disease in the Southeast. “The fire blight pathogen … is a rod-shaped bacterium that overwinters in tissues around the edge of cankers on large …
Predictive systems and preventing new diseases in blueberries were topics Phil Brannen addressed at the 2018 Southeast Regional Fruit and Vegetable Conference in Savannah, Ga., in January. Brannen is a professor and Extension plant pathologist at the University of Georgia. Predictive systems can benefit growers by letting them know when their disease risks are highest and lowest. Brannen said a …
