By Bhabesh Dutta and Aparna Petkar Alternaria blight and head rot (ABHR) of broccoli and other brassicas is caused by several species in the genus Alternaria, including A. brassicicola, A. brassicae and A. raphanin. All these species can cause significant economic losses. These fungi are facultative pathogens that primarily survive in crop debris, although chlamydospores and microsclerotia are known to …
Sweet Corn Alert: Alabama Growers Be Wary of Pests
By Clint Thompson Katelyn Kesheimer’s message to Alabama’s sweet corn producers is simple: “At this point, if your plants are thinking about silking, be prepared to spray.” The Auburn University Assistant Professor and Extension Specialist advises producers to be mindful of corn earworms and fall armyworms. Both need to be taken care of before infestations get out of control. “Corn …
U.S. Drought Monitor Update: Florida’s Dry Conditions Diminishing
According to the Thursday’s release of the U.S. Drought Monitor, dry conditions are slowly diminishing in Florida, especially in the southern part of the state. While most counties, including Miami-Dade, Palm Beach, Hendry, Collier and Glades are still abnormally dry, none are in a moderate drought. Other counties that are partially abnormally dry include Polk, Hardee, Manatee and Sarasota in …
Managing Whitefly-Transmitted Viruses in Georgia
By Bhabesh Dutta and Rajagopalbabu Srinivasan The silverleaf whitefly (Bemisia tabaci), also known as sweetpotato whitefly, is a pest of several horticultural and agronomic crops in southern Georgia. While direct feeding can injure plants and lead to problems such as silvering of leaves, deposition of honeydew and formation of sooty mold, whiteflies also can transmit numerous devastating plant viruses. Transmission …
Growing Calabaza: Crop Perfect for Summer Gardening in Florida
MIAMI-DADE, Fla. – Attention Florida vegetable producers and homeowners: Don’t let the summer go by without trying your hand at producing the calabaza. New crop on the block, Calabaza Pumpkin in Florida is the latest video led by Geoffrey Meru, a vegetable geneticist at the UF/IFAS Tropical Research and Education Center. The video guides homeowners and interested growers with the background …
CFAP 2 Key Benefit for Vegetable, Specialty Crop Producers
By Clint Thompson Were your agricultural sales impacted by COVID-19? Why not take advantage of a United States Department of Agriculture program designed to provide aid to growers who struggled during the global pandemic. The Coronavirus Food Assistance Program, or CFAP 2, provides financial assistance to producers whose markets were disrupted by COVID-19. This is part of a larger initiative …
Limiting Nematodes: Cover Crops Effective Management Option
By Clint Thompson The time in between production seasons provides Florida vegetable producers a chance to manage nematodes. While cover crops improve the soil quality and health in preparation for the upcoming growing season, they can also help reduce nematode reproduction; if growers implement cover crops that are poor hosts. “It’s basically got to be a decision a grower makes …
Commissioner Fried Commends $6 Billion in USDA Aid for Producers
Tallahassee, Fla. – Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried applauded the agricultural aid of $6 billion by the U.S. Department of Agriculture as part of the Pandemic Assistance for Producers Initiative. “With so many agricultural businesses and producers lacking equitable access to earlier assistance under the previous administration, this aid will be incredibly helpful to Florida’s farmers, ranchers, specialty crop growers, …
Insect Impact: Whiteflies, Wireworms, Rindworms Impacting Florida Watermelons
Insects are active in North Florida watermelon fields. According to his weekly email, Bob Hochmuth, UF/IFAS Regional Specialized Extension agent in Live Oak, Florida, said rindworms remain a problem. Growers need to maintain a good preventative program up until the last week of harvest. There have also been various reports of whitefly populations. This is especially concerning because they vector …
Mite-y Problem: Spider Mites a Concern During Hot, Dry Conditions
By Clint Thompson Hot and dry weather across the Southeast make for ideal conditions for spider mites in peach orchards. Brett Blaauw, University of Georgia assistant professor in the Department of Entomology, discusses in the UGA Peach Blog what symptoms producers need to watch out for. “At least in peaches, keeping an eye out for bronzing of the leaves. That’s …