By Clint Thompson Powdery mildew is a disease all cucurbit farmers need to be familiar with this spring season. Unlike other pathogens that need wet, rainy conditions to flourish, powdery mildew prefers a drier environment. If weather conditions turn dry this spring, powdery mildew could be most concerning, says Ed Sikora, professor and Extension plant pathologist in the Department of …
PRVCGA: Florida Growers Score Wins During Legislative Session
By Frank Giles Members of Peace River Valley Citrus Growers Association gathered in Arcadia last week for its annual meeting and dinner. Updates were provided on association business, orange juice marketing and citrus Extension activities. Matt Joyner, executive vice president/CEO of Florida Citrus Mutual, also gave an update on the 2022 state legislative session. He said the citrus industry scored …
Florida Citrus Growers’ Institute Returns as an In-Person Event Next Week
After being forced to the virtual space by COVID-19 for the past two years, the Florida Citrus Growers’ Institute will return to an in-person event next week. This year’s institute will be held Tuesday, April 5 from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. at South Florida State College, Alan Jay Wildstein Center for the Performing Arts in Avon Park, Florida. “We …
N.C. Tomato Growers Association Offering Scholarship
The North Carolina (N.C.) Tomato Growers Association is offering a $1,000 merit/need-based scholarship for the 2022-2023 academic year. Any North Carolina resident who pursues a horticulture or agribusiness undergraduate or graduate degree at a four-year North Carolina college or university is eligible to apply. The deadline for submitting an application is May 31. The award will be based on a …
USDA Disaster Declaration for Florida Growers Impacted by Freeze
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Florida Division of Emergency Management (FDEM) announced the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) disaster designation for 17 counties and 10 contiguous counties impacted by the freezing temperatures that occurred in late January. View the USDA’s approval letter here. “With the approval of our request for a disaster declaration, farmers in Florida have resources available to them …
Georgia Apple Growers Vote to Continue Apple Commission Assessments
Earlier this year, Georgia apple producers voted to continue the Georgia Apple Commission Marketing Order for an additional three years. The new marketing order will allow the assessment rate to be changed from the current two cents per marketed bushel to a range of two to four cents per marketed bushel. The final rate will be established by the five …
Little Impact from Neopestalotiopsis Fruit Rot This Season for Florida Strawberry Growers
By Clint Thompson A calm disease year for Florida’s strawberry growers meant fewer instances of Neopestalotiopsis Fruit Rot disease. After the previous couple of seasons, producers welcomed the break, says Natalia Peres, professor of Plant Pathology at the University of Florida/IFAS Gulf Coast Research and Education Center. “It’s been pretty quiet with few exceptions from growers that got plants that …
Little Impact from Neopestalotiopsis Fruit Rot This Season for Florida Strawberry Growers
By Clint Thompson A calm disease year for Florida’s strawberry growers meant fewer instances of Neopestalotiopsis Fruit Rot disease. After the previous couple of seasons, producers welcomed the break, says Natalia Peres, professor of Plant Pathology at the University of Florida/IFAS Gulf Coast Research and Education Center. “It’s been pretty quiet with few exceptions from growers that got plants that …
Freeze Impact: Watermelon Growers Still Determining Extent of Damage
By Clint Thompson Thursday’s expected sunshine should help shine a light on the damage inflicted on North Florida’s watermelon plants from last weekend’s sub-freezing temperatures. How much acreage will need to be replanted is still a question for growers impacted by temperatures as low as 30 degrees Fahrenheit in the Suwanee Valley. “Because this was not necessarily a frost situation, …
Nematodes Expected to be a Problem Again for Florida Specialty Growers
By Clint Thompson Another spring production season means another year of nematode management required for Florida’s specialty crop producers. Johan Desaeger, assistant professor of entomology and nematology at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Gulf Coast Research and Education Center, discusses why growers should always be wary of the microscopic worm-like pests. “They’re a problem every …