The Florida State Horticultural Society (FSHS) announces that it will hold its 131st annual meeting on June 10 through June 12, 2018, at the Renaissance Fort Lauderdale Cruise Port Hotel located at 1617 SE 17th Street in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. With over 100 technical presentations and special sessions with invited speakers, there will also be a welcome reception, Extension luncheon, …
Pest Issues for Florida Berry Growers
By Jaci Schreckengost Many Florida strawberry and blueberry growers face similar challenges when managing mites and insects. Chilli thrips affect strawberries by feeding on the foliage and fruit of the crop. The pest affects blueberries by feeding on new growth in the spring and summer. Chilli thrips are relatively new to Florida growers, said Justin Renkema, assistant professor at the …
Growers Can Get Help with High Tunnels
By Jaci Schreckengost The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) has an initiative to assist growers with the installation of high tunnels in their production systems. Monica Jones, a district conservationist with the NRCS in Florida, said the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) offers a High Tunnel System Initiative to help growers with installing a high tunnel. The NRCS is an …
Grower Input Drives Seed Technology
Cecelia Chi-Ham, director of global R&D strategy for HM Clause, said she attended the Vegetable & Flower Seed Conference to support many meetings, including the plant breeding innovation meetings. Presented by the American Seed Trade Association, the conference took place in January in San Diego, California. Chi-Ham is in the business of developing new varieties of seeds for growers. In …
The Evolution of the Industry’s View on the Farm Bill
“We never wanted to be brought into the farm bill,” says Robert Guenther, senior vice president of public policy for the United Fresh Produce Association. He is speaking for the fruit and vegetable industry. “We were really focused on not wanting to become a subsidized commodity back in the day. That’s evolved,” he says. So, why the change? Guenther says …
Research Progress in Combating Center Rot of Vidalia Onion
By Bhabesh Dutta Annually, Georgia plants over 12,000 acres of sweet Vidalia onions (National Agricultural Statistical Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture) with farmgate value of approximately $145 million dollars. Vidalia onion ranks first in terms of farmgate value among vegetables in Georgia, making it the most important vegetable crop in the state. Among the spring-grown onions in the United States, …
Keeping Fields Clean Year-Round
To protect against pests and diseases, keeping fields clean is a year-round job for growers. Scott Adkins, a research plant pathologist for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agriculture Research Service, has some advice for growers on this subject. He spoke with AgNet Media at the Southeast Regional Fruit and Vegetable Conference in Savannah, Georgia, in January, following his presentation at …
Target Spot Getting Tougher to Control
Alarming levels of fungicide resistance have been detected among isolates of the pathogen that causes target spot on tomato in Florida. By Gary E. Vallad and Samuel Hutton Fresh-market tomatoes are a valuable crop for Florida and are vulnerable to a number of fungal diseases. However, few fungal diseases have caused as much grower concern over the last six years …
FAMU’s Programs Help Tomato and Pepper Growers in Florida
Researchers at Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (FAMU) are working to give growers hands-on help for pest and disease management. The Center for Biological Control in the College of Agriculture and Food Sciences at FAMU provides effective integrated pest management (IPM), said Muhammad Haseeb, assistant professor at the center. The center’s program gives solutions to help growers tackle issues they …
Georgia Peach Outlook Uncertain
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 …