Living with Fusarium Wilt

Web AdminCucurbits, Top Posts, VSCNews magazine, Watermelon

With multiple races that are increasingly aggressive, fusarium wilt has been a challenging disease for watermelon growers and a tough nut to crack for southeastern researchers. Nicholas Dufault, assistant professor and Extension specialist in the Plant Pathology Department at the University of Florida, says all races of fusarium wilt occur in Florida, but each is a little different. Fusarium wilt …

Developing Tea as a Cash Crop for the Southeast

Web AdminResearch, Top Posts, VSCNews magazine

By Donglin Zhang Tea (Camellia sinensis) is a native plant to China with more than 3,000 years of cultivation. Like its cousins, sasanqua and Japanese camellias, tea has been grown in the continental United States for more than 150 years. But due to the costs of processing, cultivation and labor, it has never become a large-scale cash crop. With growing …

SmartIrrigation Technology Improves Tomato Production

Web AdminResearch, Top Posts, VSCNews magazine, Water

By Ibukun T. Ayankojo and Kelly T. Morgan Fresh tomato production in the United States is dominated by the states of California and Florida. Florida harvests about 28,000 acres of tomatoes with a production value of $382 million. This accounts for approximately 40 percent of the total production value in the United States. IRRIGATION ACCURACY IS CRITICAL Vegetable production requires …

What Exactly Causes Toxic Algae?

Web AdminTop Posts, VSCNews magazine, Water

By Lisa Krimsky Florida has an algae problem, and we’re not alone. The population on this planet is growing, as is the need to feed and house 7.6 billion people. Algae blooms are naturally occurring. However, a warming climate, human activities and nutrient inputs from stormwater, agricultural and urban land use, and sewer and septic systems have significantly increased the …

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UF Study: Buyers Want Environmentally Safe Strawberry Production

Web AdminIndustry News Release, Strawberry, Top Posts

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — As buyers browse strawberry packages at the supermarket, they might see labels such as “organically grown” or “locally grown.” But they’d also like to know if the fruit was produced in a way that preserves the environment, a new University of Florida (UF) study shows. Consumers say they’ll pay more for strawberries grown in a manner that …

Advice for Growers Implementing the Produce Safety Rule

Web AdminBusiness, Food Safety, Top Posts, VSCNews magazine

By Travis K. Chapin and Michelle D. Danyluk Good agricultural practices have been followed by fresh fruit and vegetable producers for decades on a voluntary and market-driven basis to reduce risks from produce safety hazards. Such hazards include microbial pathogens, chemicals and physical hazards like broken glass or plastic. More recently, growers have been fulfilling the Food Safety Modernization Act’s …

Celebrate Sweet Corn Harvest Season with Local Farmers

Web AdminCorn, Industry News Release, Top Posts

WEST PALM BEACH, FLA – Sweet corn season is in full swing in Palm Beach County’s Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA), with farmers projected to harvest 430 million ears of locally grown sweet corn by the end of May. Almost as many ears will be listening for the starting bell that inaugurates the International Federation of Competitive Eaters Corn Eating Contest at …

Irrigation Influences Pest Management

Web AdminPests, Top Posts, Water

Water is one of the most critical issues in the modern agricultural world. “We need to conserve water,” says Ayanava Majumdar, an Extension entomologist for the Alabama Cooperative Extension System. Majumdar has been looking at how irrigation can impact pest management. “Irrigation is related to plant health, which is related to … pests and how well your plants resist those …

Sneak Peek: March 2018 VSCNews Magazine

Web AdminResearch, Sneak peek, Top Posts, VSCNews magazine

Growers are constantly looking for ways to better the health of their crops while increasing yields. In the March 2018 issue of VSCNews magazine, growers can learn methods to improve plant production from top researchers in the Southeast. Finding alternative methods to methyl bromide has been a constant struggle for growers. Jenna C. Vance, University of Georgia (UGA) crop and …