By Allison Fortner for CAES News The international popularity of pecans is trending upward, but more reliable measures for guaranteeing quality during storage are needed to meet demand in Georgia, the top state for pecan production. A review conducted by University of Georgia researchers identified scientific principles behind postharvest storage and handling techniques for pecans and revealed the need for a mathematical model …
Plan Ahead Before Planting This Fall
Planting fruit trees can be rewarding but only if you plan ahead. If growers don’t research their crops extensively and determine what varieties will grow best in their region, the potential rewarding experience can lead to a letdown. Edgar Vinson, assistant research professor and Extension specialist in the Department of Horticulture at Auburn University, reminds commercial growers and homeowners the …
Sneak Peek: December 2020 VSCNews Magazine
By Ashley Robinson Georgia growers may recognize the man on the cover of the December issue of VSCNews Magazine. Stanley Culpepper, University of Georgia (UGA) Cooperative Extension Weed Agronomist, has more than two decades of experience working with vegetable crops. Learn more about Culpepper’s expertise and his impact on the vegetable industry in the magazine. Also discussed in the magazine are …
University of Florida Citrus Faculty Highly Sought After As Research Partners in Fight Against Greening
(UF/IFAS) — University of Florida citrus researchers continue to be sought out as partners in ground-breaking research projects to fight Huanglongbing, also known as citrus greening disease. The National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), recently awarded nearly $4.5 million in grants to UF Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences faculty to find novel ways to fight the disease. But UF/IFAS researchers are serving leadership roles in four other multi-million-dollar grants awarded to colleague institutions from …
UF Still Calculating Damages Following Eta
The University of Florida Food and Resource Economics Department estimates between $85 million and $320 million in agricultural losses and damages stemming from Tropical Storm Eta. Christa Court, assistant professor of regional economics, said the storm’s timing was significant since it impacted Florida’s vegetable crops two weeks before Thanksgiving. “I know that we grow a lot of the vegetables and …
Alabama Extension Offers Planting Tips for Fruit Trees
Soon it will be time to plant fruit trees in Alabama. Edgar Vinson, assistant research professor and Extension specialist in the Department of Horticulture at Auburn University, reminds growers about basic planting tips they need to be mindful of when planting trees this winter. Variety Selection Variety selection is the most important and practical way to manage diseases and other …
Why You Should Re-Check Your Citrus Fertility Recommendations
Updates have been made to the ‘Nutrition of Florida Citrus Trees’ manual from UF/IFAS. Learn how it reflects a new thinking since HLB’s arrival.
Gwinnett to Host Georgia Grown To Go
Gwinnett County is excited to host the final Georgia Grown To Go of the season at Coolray Field, 2500 Buford Drive, Lawrenceville, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 21. “Our Georgia Grown To Go pop-up markets were a huge hit this spring and summer, bringing a safe and convenient shopping experience to those who craved local products,” …
Safe Food Production Training to be Available to Florida’s Small and Beginning Farmers
November 19, 2020 By: Ruth Borger, 517-803-7631, rborger@ufl.edu LAKE ALFRED, Fla. — A new opportunity for Florida’s small and medium-sized produce farmers will become a reality with the support of a U.S. Department of Agriculture Food Safety Outreach Program (FSOP) grant designed to produce and provide easy-to-access training in safe food production methods to underserved farmers. Faculty from the University …
Decision-Support Tool Using HiPerGator May Help Manage Devastating Avocado Disease
November 18, 2020 By: Brad Buck, bradbuck@ufl.edu, 352-875-2641 (cell) UF/IFAS researchers are working on a decision-support app to help policy makers and growers decide the best regional treatment options for laurel wilt disease, which is challenging Florida’s $35 million-a-year avocado crop. Laurel wilt disease is spread by several ambrosia beetle vectors. People, whether they grow avocados or not, can spread …