specialty crop farm bill

Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance Members Visit Capitol Hill

Web AdminFarm Bill, Industry News Release

Urge Congress to Fund Key Farm Bill Programs Members of the Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance (SCFBA), a national coalition of more than 120 specialty crop organizations, will take their message to Congress on May 9, advocating for investment in specialty crops in the 2018 Farm Bill. During visits on Capitol Hill, the SCFBA members will outline their priorities, making …

Florida Blueberry Growers Report Crop Loss Due to Gall Midge

Web AdminBerries, Pests, Top Posts

Update: The FBGA sent another email on March 30 with some survey results. This is what it reported: “Approximately a third of the state’s acreage has responded to our survey, 95% of which are reporting damage at some level. Over two-thirds of the acreage are reporting more than 20% crop loss (many of which indicated they are seeing between 30-50% …

Pepper Weevil Woes

Web AdminPests, Produce, Top Posts, Vegetables

Pepper weevil has been a problematic pest in Georgia peppers, and now it appears to be moving into other crops. David Riley, a professor of entomology at the University of Georgia, has been studying pepper weevil since he received his doctorate nearly 30 years ago, and he was shocked to see this pest spread to other hosts. According to Riley, …

Annual Meeting of the Florida State Horticultural Society

Web AdminIndustry News Release, Top Posts

The Florida State Horticultural Society (FSHS) announces that it will hold its 131st annual meeting on June 10 through June 12, 2018, at the Renaissance Fort Lauderdale Cruise Port Hotel located at 1617 SE 17th Street in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. With over 100 technical presentations and special sessions with invited speakers, there will also be a welcome reception, Extension luncheon, …

Foliar Nematodes in Florida Strawberries

Web AdminPests, Strawberry, Top Posts

A nematode thought to be new in Florida was found recently on strawberry crops. The foliar nematode is one area of research at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Gulf Coast Research and Education Center in Wimauma, said Johan Desaeger, assistant professor of entomology and nematology. After some research, Desaeger found this nematode is not new …

Multiple Methods for Fighting Spotted Wing Drosophila

Web AdminBerries, Pests, Top Posts

Researchers are investigating new behavioral and cultural controls to help protect crops from spotted wing drosophila (SWD). SWD has been attacking many crops, such as small berries, and leaving growers with devastating losses, said Ashfaq Sial, assistant professor at the University of Georgia. This pest is such an issue for growers because there is a very large window of when …

Critical Organic Insecticides

Web AdminOrganic, Pests, Top Posts

Auburn University Extension entomologist Ayanava Majumdar says for organic growers, the use of organic insecticides can make or break a production system. “Organic insecticides are critical for organic producers; we shouldn’t forget about them,” Majumdar says. Southeastern weather conditions are among the most unique in the nation, making pests a year-round issue. For starters, the southeast has heat, humidity and …

Secretary Perdue Outlines USDA Services in the Event of a Government Shutdown

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(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 …

Whiteflies Cause Concerns for 2018

Web AdminPests, Top Posts

Southeastern growers continue to struggle with whiteflies and the diseases they leave behind in crops. Josh Freeman, assistant professor of horticulture at the University of Florida, said he is trying to advise growers to help them manage the pests and diseases as effectively as possible. The large amount of adult whiteflies in crops had some very strong negative effects for …