scientists

UF Scientists Hope to Breed Better-Tasting Sweet Corn

Web AdminCorn, Industry News Release, Research

University of Florida (UF) scientists plan to use a $7.3 million, four-year grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture (USDA NIFA) to find the genetic traits that will make sweet corn taste even better, last longer and grow better across the nation. Mark Settles, a professor of horticultural sciences at the UF Institute of …

Pest and Disease Management for Organic Squash

Web AdminOrganic, Top Posts, VSCNews magazine

By Elizabeth Little Organic vegetable production has been steadily increasing in Georgia. Growers offer a wide variety of high-quality produce, especially during the cooler months from October to June. However, summer production can be challenging due to the proliferation of pests and diseases on non-adapted crops. Both summer and winter squash can be plagued by many pests and diseases, and …

Spotted Wing Drosophila Spells Trouble for Grape Growers

Web AdminGrapes, Pests, Top Posts

By Breanna Kendrick Spotted wing drosophila (SWD) are small fruit flies that resemble the flies commonly seen indoors buzzing around rotting fruit. Adult male SWD have a little spot on each of their wings, making them easy to identify. Females are more difficult to identify. At the rear of the female SWD abdomen is an egg-laying structure called an ovipositor. …

eaa farmers

Cleaning Up Florida’s Red Tide Aftermath

Web AdminIndustry News Release, Water

Source: Everglades Agricultural Area Farmers Some have erroneously claimed that farms south of Lake Okeechobee contribute to the ecological problems in Lake Okeechobee and on the coasts, as they claim that farmers back pump farm water to the lake, which is not true.  We encourage you to read the special report from the Palm Beach Post, especially excerpts below. Your …

Local Group Fights for the Glades in Algae Debate

Web AdminTop Posts, Water

As the Lake Okeechobee green algae debate continues, it can be difficult to decipher the truth from misinformation. A debate that has now become a national news story has been decades in the making. The same arguments from north and south of the lake have been made throughout the debate’s history. One local group is fighting for the Glades community …

Congressman Ted Yoho Discusses the Farm Bill

Web AdminFarm Bill, Legislative, Top Posts

Before returning to Washington, D.C., U.S. Congressman Ted Yoho stopped by AgNet Media’s Gainesville office to discuss the farm bill. The House and the Senate both passed their versions of the farm bill. Now, an appointed committee will hammer out the details of the separate bills to combine it into one. There is a massive amount of crucial policies for …

Putting Australian Peaches and Raspberries to the Test

Web AdminFruit, Peaches, Research, Top Posts

By Breanna Kendrick Rachel Itle, assistant research scientist in fruit production and genetics at the University of Georgia (UGA), and Dario Chavez, assistant professor at UGA, recently spent two weeks in Australia collecting seeds from wild raspberries, peaches and citrus.  Itle and Chavez plan to use this seed collection to breed new varieties of raspberries and peaches specifically for the …

Georgia Farmers Enjoying Improved Peach Crop

Web AdminIndustry News Release, Peaches, Produce, Top Posts

Last year, the peach crop in Georgia really suffered. But according to Jeff Cook, University of Georgia Cooperative Extension Agriculture and Natural Resources agent for Taylor and Peach counties, this year’s crop has rebounded following colder temperatures this past December and January. In an article written by Clint Thompson, news editor with the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and …

From Farmer to Legislator

Web AdminLegislative, Top Posts, VSCNews magazine

Those with deep agricultural roots in Florida and Georgia discuss their journey into the world of politics. SONNY PERDUE U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue never wanted to enter the world of politics. As a child he grew up on a diversified row crop farm close to Perry, Georgia. After high school, he attended the University of Georgia (UGA) with …