By Clint Thompson What was mainly a fall disease problem for sweet corn producers has transitioned into a concern for growers during winter and spring production as well. Southern corn leaf blight is an issue that now concerns Florida growers year-round, mostly due to warmer temperatures, said Richard Raid, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) professor …
Heat Standard Impact: Comment to OSHA Before Dec. 27
By Clint Thompson Potential rules protecting indoor and outdoor workers from hazardous heat could have significant ramifications for vegetable and specialty crop producers. Imagine 35-to-45-minute paid rest breaks every hour if the temperatures are high enough during the summer. Ellen Hendley, vice president at AgWorks H2, LLC, can’t fathom it, either. That’s why she encourages growers to be as vocal …
Neopestalotiopsis Management: Send in Samples to Ensure Disease is Present
By Clint Thompson Neopestalotiopsis Fruit Rot in Florida strawberries is inevitable this year, based on previous years of production. But because symptoms manifest themselves similarly to other diseases, growers need to make sure the disease is actually present in their fields before taking action. Vance Whitaker, strawberry breeder at the University of Florida Gulf Coast Research and Education Center, encourages …
Improving Productivity of Florida-Grown Peaches
By Tripti Vashisth Unlike citrus, peaches are deciduous fruit trees. Deciduous trees shed their leaves during the late fall and early winter and undergo dormancy. During this dormant stage, a certain amount of cold weather (measured by an accumulation of chill units) is needed to resume normal growth in the spring. When the cold weather requirement for dormancy is fulfilled, …
Blueberry Gall Midge: UF/IFAS Scientists Studying Insect’s Behavioral Patterns
By Clint Thompson University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) researchers are studying one of blueberries’ main pests to provide better management options for Florida growers. The blueberry gall midge has become more problematic for blueberry growers in the past two decades. Its larvae feed on southern highbush blueberry and rabbiteye floral and vegetative buds. Severe feeding …
Pecan Production Could be Worse Than Originally Projected
By Clint Thompson Pecan production could be worse this year than previously projected across the Southeast. According to the University of Georgia (UGA) Extension pecan blog, UGA Extension pecan specialist Lenny Wells estimates that Georgia’s production will not exceed 60 million pounds, and that number may fall even further, below 50 million pounds for the first time since 2006 when …
Georgia Farmer: It’s Not Sustainable Right Now
By Clint Thompson The recent spike in input costs has forced farmers to plead with their customers on renegotiating their current contracts. South Georgia vegetable farmer Jaime Patrick has implemented this strategy and seen mixed results. “Especially on contract business that we have, year by year contracts or multiple year contracts, we’re having to go back now and say, ‘Hey, …
Hops on Display: See a Unique Crop at Florida Ag Expo
By Clint Thompson Hops research, seven years in the making at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Gulf Coast Research and Education Center (GCREC) in Wimauma, Florida, will be on display at Florida Ag Expo on Nov. 18. Jack Rechcigl, GCREC center director, said one of the highlights of the Expo will be the hops …
Whitefly Pressure Varies Across Florida
Whitefly pressure remains low to moderate in various locations throughout South Florida, according to the South Florida Pest and Disease Hotline. Respondents in the Manatee Ruskin area report seeing widespread infestations across all vegetables. Growers and scouts in Southwest Florida report that whitefly numbers remain low in tomatoes, though adult numbers have increased in multiple places. Nymphs are being observed …
Bridging the Gap: Southeastern, Western Producers Need to Compromise
Ag Labor Reform a Complex Issue By Clint Thompson A resolution to the lingering issue of Ag labor legislation starts with bridging the gap between southeastern growers and western producers. Bob Redding, who works for the Redding Firm and serves as a lobbyist for agricultural groups in Washington, D.C., discusses the impact that would be met if both sides could …