Auburn University researchers are studying the most resistant varieties of pears for combating fire blight in Alabama. A publication by Alabama A&M University and Auburn University describes fire blight as a common and destructive pome fruit disease in the Southeast. “The fire blight pathogen … is a rod-shaped bacterium that overwinters in tissues around the edge of cankers on large …
Researchers and Growers Working with Olives
The possibility of a commercial olive industry in the Southeast has caused many growers and researchers to begin looking at what could be attainable. Peter Andersen, professor of horticulture at the University of Florida (UF), said north Florida and south Georgia are two areas of the Southeast looking at the possibility of olives as a commercial crop. More research is …
Taste Test Shows Luffa’s Potential
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 …
Experimental Crop Bed Design Survived Hurricane Irma
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 …
Secretary Perdue Outlines USDA Services in the Event of a Government Shutdown
(Washington, D.C.) – U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue Friday outlined U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) services available in the event of a government shutdown. “USDA is committed to safeguarding life and property through the critical services we provide – and should the government shut down, we will continue to do just that,” said Secretary Perdue. “I am proud of …
Georgia Grown Reveals New Slogan
Georgia Grown was well represented at the Southeast Regional Fruit and Vegetable Conference (SERFVC) in Savannah this past week. Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Gary Black was excited to be representing Georgia Grown at the conference and to release its brand-new slogan. Georgia Grown is ready to begin 2018 with its new slogan: Nature’s Favorite State. The Georgia Department of Agriculture’s “Georgia …
Improving Grape Varieties for Southeastern Growers
Auburn University research has created new opportunities for growers who want to begin or increase grape production. Elina Coneva, Extension specialist for the Auburn University department of horticulture, said new research has increased interest in grape production in the Southeast. Muscadine grapes are currently the most popular type of grapes grown in Alabama. This is due to the resistance the …
Perdue Presents Rural Prosperity Task Force Report
After many stops across the country, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue presented findings of the Interagency Task Force on Agriculture and Rural Prosperity to President Trump at the 2018 American Farm Bureau Annual Convention in Nashville, Tennessee. The task force was formed by an executive order from President Trump in April 2017 with Secretary Perdue serving as chairman. According …
Produce Safety Rule Takes Effect Jan. 26
The highly anticipated Produce Safety Rule, part of the Food Safety Modernization Act, will go into effect for the largest farms on Jan. 26. Farms that make $500,000 or more in annual revenue will be the first to face the Produce Safety Rule. American Farm Bureau Federation Economist Veronica Nigh said the first year under the new rule will be …
Integrated Pest Management for Spotted Wing Drosophila
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture’s Organic Agriculture Research and Extension Initiative allows researchers in many parts of the United States to help find organic management strategies for devastating pests in their area. Ashfaq Sial, assistant professor at the University of Georgia, said he is using this initiative to research the spotted wing drosophila (SWD), …