By Clint Thompson University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) research into chilli thrips provides a more accurate way for strawberry growers to manage this annual problem. Producers can now be more efficient in controlling thrips populations. Sriyanka Lahiri, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) assistant professor of entomology and nematology at the …
Starting Clean Key to Florida Strawberry Success
By Clint Thompson Florida strawberry growers are close to planting this year’s crop. Success this season will hinge largely on how “clean” the plants are that producers get from nurseries, believes Dustin Grooms, a producer in Plant City, Florida. “Getting good plants is the beginning of it all. If you get problematic plants, you’ll fight with it all year. You …
‘Clean Plants’ Vital to Success for Florida Strawberry Growers
By Clint Thompson Florida strawberry growers are close to planting this year’s crop. Success this season will hinge largely on how “clean” the plants are that producers get from nurseries, believes Dustin Grooms, a producer in Plant City, Florida. “Getting good plants is the beginning of it all. If you get problematic plants, you’ll fight with it all year. You …
From Start to Finish: Chilli Thrips Remain a Season-Long Concern for Florida Strawberry Growers
By Clint Thompson Strawberry planting season is just around the corner for South Florida producers. One part of production that growers will have to be ready for is managing chilli thrips. Sriyanka Lahiri, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) assistant professor of entomology and nematology at the Gulf Coast Research and Education Center, discussed chilli thrips …
Florida Vegetable Producer: Importing 60% of Produce is Scary
By Clint Thompson Communication remains the key tool in the toolbox that growers and specialty crop industry leaders need to utilize in convincing consumers to support locally grown produce. It is a strategic tactic that is being under-utilized according to Chuck Obern with C&B Farms, located south of Clewiston, Florida. “The real issue all of us have and I don’t …
Florida Strawberry Grower: Food, National Security Are One and the Same
By Clint Thompson Dustin Grooms is not just a fourth-generation specialty crop farmer in Plant City, Florida, he is an army veteran and proud American who recognizes the dangers this country is in if it does not prioritize providing more support to producers across the country. Grooms was one of the many speakers during Monday’s Farm Bill listening session. He …
Potential Telone Shortage a Concern for Specialty Crop Producers
By Clint Thompson An essential component of fumigation is likely to be in short supply this year. The ramifications will impact specialty crop producers across the Southeast. Johan Desaeger, assistant professor of entomology and nematology at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Gulf Coast Research and Education Center, updated attendees at last week’s Florida Grower …
Warm February Accelerated Florida Strawberry Growth
By Clint Thompson The unseasonably warm February sparked growth in Florida’s strawberry crop that overwhelmed the market. It was not the ideal scenario for producers like Dustin Grooms with Fancy Farms in Plant City, Florida. “I definitely think (the warm February) hurt us. We needed a cold front to move through about once a week and we just didn’t see …
Florida Strawberries Face an Increase in Angular Leaf Spot
By Clint Thompson Angular leaf spot disease has been problematic for Florida strawberry growers. The colder winter weather contributed to its impact this season, says Natalia Peres, professor of plant pathology at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Gulf Coast Research and Education Center. “It usually becomes worse when we have freeze events which we’ve had …
Increased Angular Leaf Spot This Year in Florida Strawberries
By Clint Thompson Angular leaf spot disease has been problematic for Florida strawberry growers. The colder winter weather contributed to its impact this season, says Natalia Peres, professor of plant pathology at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Gulf Coast Research and Education Center. “It usually becomes worse when we have freeze events which we’ve …