By Breanna Kendrick MP-29 is a hybrid plum-peach rootstock that was created to give peach growers another weapon in the disease-fighting toolbox. Tom Beckman, a U.S. Department of Agriculture research horticulturist, discussed MP-29 at the recent Stone Fruit Field Day in Citra, Florida. MP-29 is the most recent rootstock release from Beckman’s breeding program. Beckman created MP-29 because growers needed …
University of Florida Has High Hopes for Hemp
By Breanna Kendrick The University of Florida will be researching hemp to determine its potential to be grown as a crop in the Sunshine State. Industrial hemp is Cannabis sativa, which is the same species as marijuana. However, there is a very important difference. Industrial hemp is required to have less than 0.3 percent tetrahydrocannabinol (THC, a psychoactive substance). The …
Bills Aimed at Better Review of Organic Products
By Brian German The U.S. Senate and the House of Representatives both have a bill up for consideration that is aimed at creating tighter scrutiny related to the review of organic products. The two pieces of legislation are focused on ensuring all organic products coming into the United States are truly organic, while prohibiting products that are labeled as organic …
Macro Bug Management
Though stink bugs and leaffooted bugs may be the easiest pests to scout due to their large size, they are also some of the most difficult to control. These large insects, also known as macro bugs, live in urban and rural areas and are highly migratory. Ayanava Majumdar, Extension entomologist with Auburn University, says these insects can cause massive destruction …
Yoho Introduces an Ag-Only Guest Worker Bill
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 …
Research Progress on Growing Olives in Florida
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 …
USDA Forecasts Fluctuations in Produce Prices
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 …
Soil Moisture Sensors Improve Irrigation
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 …
Advice for Managing Watermelon Diseases
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 …
Learn New Tools for Nematode Management
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 …