By: Robin Koestoyo, Koestoyo@ufl.edu FORT PIERCE, Fla. — The first time Tolulope Morawo heard about the ability of beneficial insects to protect food crops from pest insects, he knew he had found his lifelong career. In 2009, Morawo learned from a lecture that phorid flies kill fire ants by laying their eggs inside the ants. When the next generation …
Watermelon Farmer Hopes to Capitalize on High Prices
By Clint Thompson Watermelons are in short supply and high demand right now. Alabama produce farmer Art Sessions hopes to capitalize when his crop becomes ready the first week in June. “We’ve been getting watermelons out of Florida and they are scarce. Everything coming out of Florida is really tight on account of this virus deal,” said Sessions, who also …
Watermelon Shortage by Memorial Day?
By Clint Thompson Watermelons are already in short supply. There soon could be a watermelon shortage, said Carr Hussey, a watermelon farmer in Florida and Alabama and chairman of the board of the Florida Watermelon Association. “It’s drying up by the minute. There’s going to be shortage for Memorial Day, I do believe,” Hussey said. “The kicker is, how fast …
Watermelon Supply Down; Prices Stay High for Farmers
By Clint Thompson The watermelon supply chain is currently down. As a result, prices are up. It’s a pleasant surprise for Florida growers who are currently harvesting this year’s crop, according to Gene McAvoy, University of Florida/Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Extension agent emeritus. “(The farmers) were a little bit apprehensive that with all of this COVID-related decline in …
Sanitation Key Following Harvest for Pest, Disease Control
By Clint Thompson Vegetable farmers are reminded they need to practice proper sanitation once harvest season ends. Doing so will protect against future pests and diseases. According to the South Florida Vegetable Pest and Disease Hotline, one of the best tactics that growers can do for themselves and their neighbors is to clean up crop residues promptly after harvest. Sanitation …
Presence of Powdery Mildew a Concern for Southeast Vegetable Growers
By Clint Thompson Powdery mildew disease is present on older squash in various vegetable fields across South Florida. According to the South Florida Vegetable Pest and Disease Hotline, respondents report that the disease has also started to show up on watermelon crops across the region as well. It’s also reported that powdery mildew is showing up on squash and cantaloupe …
Challenging Seasons for Georgia Blueberry Producers
By Clint Thompson Between natural disasters, a pandemic and unfair trade practices, Georgia blueberry farmers have taken one blow after another the past four years. For some farmers, a hailstorm on April 23 was the ultimate knockout punch. Russ Goodman, co-owner of Cogdell Berry Farm with 600 acres in Clinch and Lanier counties, lost between 60% and 70% of the …
Hydrogen Cyanamide for Uniform Bud Break in Peaches
By Ashley Robinson Weather conditions are an important factor when it comes to growing peaches in Florida. Florida’s mild winters and fluctuating temperatures in the fall continue to be challenges for peach production. Because peach trees are deciduous, they require a certain amount of cold weather to become dormant. Once the cold weather requirement for dormancy is met, the warm …
Get an Inside Look at the Latest Citrus Scion Trials
Here’s a snapshot of HLB data being evaluated in global citrus-producing areas.
Preliminary Reports in COVID-19 Impact Survey Show Effects Vary by Industry
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — As University of Florida economists cross the halfway point in their surveys of Florida’s agriculture and marine industries related to the impacts of COVID-19, initial reports indicate that impacts vary widely across industry types in terms of business closure rates, operations changes, and impacts to sales revenues and employment. In one of the five surveys of the …