Richard Raid, a professor in plant pathology at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS), advises lettuce growers that downy mildew disease was found last week in the Everglades Agricultural Area. Downy mildew is a foliar disease of lettuce that impacts the crop’s yield and quality. In addition to losses in the field, downy mildew’s impact …
Blueberry Management Tips for January
January remains a busy time of year for Florida blueberry farmers managing this year’s crop. The University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) reminds growers that it is essential to monitor for disease development, especially with Botrytis flower blight. Once bloom occurs, growers need to monitor for the disease during cool and wet periods. Producers need to …
Strawberry Disease Alert: Florida Growers Be on the Lookout
By Clint Thompson Florida’s strawberry producers have more than just Neopestalotiopsis Fruit Rot to worry about from a disease management standpoint. Natalia Peres, professor of plant pathology at the University of Florida/ Gulf Coast Research and Education Center, highlights a couple of additional diseases that growers need to be wary of as production continues this year. “There’s some Phytophthora out …
Looking Ahead: UF/IFAS’ Resources Help Blueberry Growers Navigate Season
By Clint Thompson Florida blueberry growers have resource tools to help them navigate through diseases and pests leading up to harvest time over the next couple of months, says Doug Phillips, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) blueberry Extension coordinator. “We’ve got the new 2022 version of the Blueberry IPM guide that’s out. We’ve also got …
Attention Florida Blueberry Producers: Pests, Diseases to Look Out for This Season
By Clint Thompson Florida’s blueberry crop is starting to bloom across the state. Harvests will commence in just a few months. Growers need to be mindful of multiple pests and diseases that could impact this year’s production, says Doug Phillips, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences blueberry Extension coordinator. “The things that growers are concerned about or …
What’s Happening? Clemson Extension Agents Provide Crop Updates
Clemson Extension agents provide updates in the The South Carolina Grower this week about the status of various crops being produced throughout the state. Coastal Region Rob Last reports, “Pest and disease activity remain low in the area. Disease pressure may increase following some welcome rainfall last week. Remember to keep scouting. I would also like to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas …
Making Sense of Biologicals: Multiple Modes of Action for Plant Protection
By Clint Thompson The life of a synthetic fungicide is not everlasting. Vegetable and specialty crop producers need alternatives to remain sustainable. As resistance continues to build up in different fungi, some conventional chemistries could become ineffective and obsolete. Biologicals provide growers another option with a different mechanism, says Alex Cochran, chief technology officer for Douglas Plant Health. Resistance Problem …
Onion Growers Stay Vigilant Against Diseases
By Clint Thompson The management strategies for onion diseases remain the same for Georgia’s Vidalia onion growers heading into next season. Growers need to stay vigilant in their spray programs against fungal and bacteria diseases, says Bhabesh Dutta, University of Georgia Cooperative Extension vegetable disease specialist. “Onion is a six-month crop, and Vidalia onions are also stored for a few …
Grower Awareness: Hemp Producers be Mindful of Disease Development
By Clint Thompson Alabama’s hemp season is still in its early stage, but crop disease is quickly becoming a concern for the state’s producers. Katelyn Kesheimer, Auburn University Assistant Professor and Extension Specialist, said weather conditions have been ripe for disease development. “We hadn’t had rain in maybe about a week, then in some spots we got six inches in …
Update on Florida Industrial Hemp Diseases
By Nicholas Dufault and Zach Eldred Industrial hemp diseases have continued to be identified in Florida’s production fields and greenhouses across the state. As researchers learn more about how to grow this crop, they are identifying the diseases that will affect the state’s industrial hemp production systems. There is a list of more than 40 currently know hemp diseases; 16 …