To protect against pests and diseases, keeping fields clean is a year-round job for growers. Scott Adkins, a research plant pathologist for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agriculture Research Service, has some advice for growers on this subject. He spoke with AgNet Media at the Southeast Regional Fruit and Vegetable Conference in Savannah, Georgia, in January, following his presentation at …
Target Spot Getting Tougher to Control
Alarming levels of fungicide resistance have been detected among isolates of the pathogen that causes target spot on tomato in Florida. By Gary E. Vallad and Samuel Hutton Fresh-market tomatoes are a valuable crop for Florida and are vulnerable to a number of fungal diseases. However, few fungal diseases have caused as much grower concern over the last six years …
Sneak Peek: February 2018 VSCNews Magazine
The February issue of VSCNews magazine is packed with information about protecting your crops against disease. Included in the issue is the latest research on diseases like target spot, fusarium wilt, center rot and more. Gary Vallad, University of Florida associate professor, explores target spot in tomatoes. He discusses what to look for as well as methods for management. Bhabesh …
Experimental Crop Bed Design Survived Hurricane Irma
While producers and growers across Florida lost some, if not all, of their crops due to Hurricane Irma, a University of Florida researcher saw his experimental bedding survive the storm. “We were testing for flooding, and didn’t expect to have winds strong enough the effects of wind force on crops,” said Sanjay Shukla, UF/IFAS professor in the agricultural and biological …
Studying Insect Behavior for Pest Control
Controlling insect behavior might lead to better pest management for growers in the Southeast. Xavier Martini, assistant professor at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences North Florida Research and Education Center in Quincy, studies insect behavior to help growers control pests. One part of his research uses natural enemies to combat major pests in the field. …