By Breanna Kendrick Melon 1 — a grower, packer and shipper of watermelons — has been shipping Florida watermelons all along the east coast to its customers for over 25 years. Rachel Syngo, director of new business development for Melon1, recently attended the New York Produce Show in New York City. “We came to the show because … this is …
Winter Defoliation for Florida Peaches
By Breanna Kendrick According to Ali Sarkhosh, assistant professor of tree fruit at the University of Florida, peach growers in Florida should consider the leaves on their peach trees during two times of the year. The first time is after harvesting the fruit in June, July and August. He says it’s important to keep the leaves on trees during this …
Florida-Georgia Water War Rolls On
The Florida-Georgia water war has made it to the nation’s highest court and back multiple times due to a dispute about water conservation. The water war involves the Chattahoochee and Flint rivers. These rivers begin in Georgia, then join to form the Apalachicola River, which is near the Florida border and flows into the Apalachicola Bay. Florida began the war by requesting limitations on …
Higher Prices Save Florida Watermelon Season
By Breanna Kendrick The 2018 Florida watermelon season posed challenges for most growers that resulted in lower yields and higher fruit prices. Bob Hochmuth, regional specialized Extension agent for vegetable crops at the University of Florida (UF) Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences North Florida Research and Education Center in Suwannee Valley discussed Florida’s 2018 watermelon season. He addressed the …
Review of New Peach Rootstocks
By Breanna Kendrick If you’re a peach grower trying to decide what rootstock to use, Tom Beckman has some advice. At the recent Stone Fruit Field Day in Citra, Florida, Beckman spoke about new rootstock options available. A research horticulturist with the United States Department of Agriculture, Beckman is working on developing new rootstocks for the peach industry in the …
Cowpea Curculio Wreaking Havoc in the Southeast
By Breanna Kendrick One of the toughest insect problems to deal with in the Southeast is cowpea curculio. It has been very difficult to control because it becomes resistant to insecticides. Cowpea curculio is a weevil that can be very destructive to the crops it attacks. This pest is just as destructive to southern peas as the boll weevil is …
Peach Problems and the Role of Rootstocks
By Breanna Kendrick Tom Beckman, a research horticulturist with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural Research Service located in Byron, Georgia, is primarily responsible for developing new rootstocks for the Southeastern peach industry. Beckman spoke at the Stone Fruit Field Day in Citra, Florida, about peach diseases and how they influence rootstock development for the Southeast industry. He …
Using Peach History to Aid the Future
By Breanna Kendrick Without the accumulated knowledge and development of peach rootstocks, the Florida peach industry would not be where it is at today. There are still many challenges facing peach growers, but with the experience of people like Tom Beckman, who has 30 years of peach research under his belt, solutions will be found in the near future. Beckman …
Post-Irma Root Rot Concerns in Georgia Peaches
Most of the nation is aware that the Florida citrus industry suffered greatly when Hurricane Irma made landfall in September 2017. The storm resulted in approximately $760 million in citrus damage. In addition, the Florida fruit and vegetable industry sustained about $180 million in loss. By the time Irma reached Georgia, it had weakened substantially, going from a hurricane to …