Hole-Punch Technology Dramatically Reduces Herbicide Use

Web AdminResearch, Top Posts

By Nathan S. Boyd and Arnold Schumann The majority of vegetables grown in Florida are grown on raised, fumigated beds covered with plastic mulch. This production technique has been widely adopted because the combination of plastic mulch and drip tape improves water and fertility efficiency. The use of plastic mulches has many additional benefits, including improved crop quality, reduced water …

Florida Blueberry Growers Report Crop Loss Due to Gall Midge

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Update: The FBGA sent another email on March 30 with some survey results. This is what it reported: “Approximately a third of the state’s acreage has responded to our survey, 95% of which are reporting damage at some level. Over two-thirds of the acreage are reporting more than 20% crop loss (many of which indicated they are seeing between 30-50% …

Florida Artichokes Starting to Look Promising

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Gary England, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) regional specialized Extension agent and director of the Hastings Agricultural Extension Center, is excited to have an artichoke harvest this year at the Cowpen Branch Road Demonstration and Research Farm in Hastings. Although many research projects occur at the 50-acre farm, England says he would not call the …

Hydrogen Cyanamide for Low-Chill Peaches in Florida

Web AdminPeaches, Top Posts, VSCNews magazine

By Tripti Vashisth and Mercy Olmstead Interest in Florida peach production remains steady, with approximately 2,000 acres in the state. Florida peach growers have a number of advantages: 1) Early flowering and fruit set result in the ability to harvest fruit earlier in the domestic market window, yielding higher economic returns. 2) Recent surveys show that consumers prefer local produce, …

The Four Newest Members to the Florida Agricultural Hall of Fame

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Four more Florida agricultural leaders were inducted into the Florida Agricultural Hall of Fame on Feb. 13. Florida Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam presented the inductees with their awards, while Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Gary Black served as the master of ceremonies during the banquet. In a room filled with agricultural leaders from across the state, Alfonso and J. Pepe Fanjul, Lowell …

The Top 3 Things on Florida Farm Bureau’s Legislative Plate

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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 …

Florida Ag Policy Conference to Help Growers Deal with the Ever-Changing Global Economy

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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. …

Taste Test Shows Luffa’s Potential

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This emerging Asian vegetable is one to watch in Florida. By Yucong Xie, Guodong Liu, Bala Rathinasabapathi and Muhammad A. Shahid Luffa is a genus of tropical and subtropical plants in the cucumber family (Cucurbitaceae). Native to Asia, particularly in China and Vietnam, luffa is cultivated for its immature fruit, which is consumed as a cooked vegetable (Figure 1). Mature …

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Experimental Crop Bed Design Survived Hurricane Irma

Web AdminIndustry News Release, Research, Vegetables

While producers and growers across Florida lost some, if not all, of their crops due to Hurricane Irma, a University of Florida researcher saw his experimental bedding survive the storm. “We were testing for flooding, and didn’t expect to have winds strong enough the effects of wind force on crops,” said Sanjay Shukla, UF/IFAS professor in the agricultural and biological …

North Florida Research and Education Center Expands

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Due to a high level of research possibilities in the Suwannee Valley area, another location has been added to the North Florida Research and Education Center. The University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Suwannee Valley Agricultural Extension Center will become the North Florida Research and Education Center at Suwannee Valley (NFREC-SV), said Bob Hochmuth, assistant director of …