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By Chalmers Carr Ask any specialty crop producer in the Southeast to identify the greatest agricultural concern today and virtually every one of them will say access to reliable, legal and affordable laborers. How has this become such a huge issue? What can be done to solve this issue to allow the southeastern region to flourish and grow in its …
Late blight is a deadly, chronic pathogen that occurs annually in potato and tomato crops. Pam Roberts, a professor of plant pathology at the University of Florida, dubbed it a “disease of distinction” during her presentation at the 2018 Citrus Expo. According to Roberts, there is a variety of factors that can contribute to a late blight infection. Once a …
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Hurricane Michael devastated the Florida Panhandle, and today Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Adam H. Putnam briefed Vice President Mike Pence and Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue on the initial agricultural damage assessment. Georgia Commissioner of Agriculture Gary W. Black joined Commissioner Putnam for the briefing. Commissioner Putnam’s statement is below: “Hurricane Michael devastated the Florida Panhandle, and …
By Breanna Kendrick Alternative chemicals are being researched to replace hydrogen cyanamide, a plant growth regulator that is used in Florida on blueberries to improve fruit earliness and develop more concentrated fruit set. Shinsuke Agehara, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences assistant professor at the Gulf Coast Research and Education Center in Balm, is conducting research on …
Bacterial spot infection in tomato transplant houses moves quickly and can cause serious losses. Peter Abrahamian, a post-doctoral associate at the University of Florida’s Gulf Coast Research and Education Center (GCREC), has been studying this disease and its movement in transplant houses. The main objective of Abrahamian’s research was to find out what causes the infection and how it moves …
Thanks to larger crops in two Southeast states, U.S. peach production this season rose 5 percent. Rod Bain has the details.
By Zhengfei Guan Florida is a large supplier of fruits and vegetables in the United States. Major fruits and vegetables produced in Florida include citrus, strawberries, tomatoes, bell peppers, cantaloupes, watermelons, etc. The production and harvest of these crops are labor intensive. For example, University of Florida researchers estimate that harvesting 1 acre of oranges requires 50 hours. More than …
The green algae debate continues to rage on as misinformation and pointed fingers keep leading to agriculture as the culprit of the toxicity in the water. However, members of the community in the Glades area have banded behind agriculture and would like to start a different conversation: a conversation about solutions. In the midst of the ongoing algae debate, it …
Farm Credit and Ag Communicators of Florida hosted a candidates’ forum on Oct. 4. Several candidates running for Florida offices in the upcoming general election shared their views with the agricultural community. AgNet Media’s Josh McGill attended the event and spoke with Lisa Lochridge, Florida Fruit & Vegetable Association director of public affairs and board member of the Ag Communicators …
Florida and Georgia have renewed their fight over the impact of Georgia’s water consumption on the Apalachicola River system. After the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in late June that Florida be given another chance to prove its case that Georgia’s overconsumption of water is damaging the Apalachicola region, the states filed a joint legal pleading this week before a federal …
