By Clint Thompson The University of Georgia (UGA) Plant Molecular Diagnostic Lab is a key resource for Georgia citrus growers hoping to stay sustainable. The lab is located on the UGA Tifton Campus. While it is a fee-based service lab for the UGA Department of Plant Pathology, it provides free testing for citrus producers concerned about citrus greening, says Jonathan …
FFVA Honors FDACS Marketing Division
Click here for a high-res photo MAITLAND, Fla. (Sept. 22, 2021) – The Florida Fruit & Vegetable Association (FFVA) honored the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) Division of Marketing and Development with its 2021 Friend of the Industry Award. The award was presented during FFVA’s 77th annual convention in Naples on Sept. 14. The award recognizes the …
Alabama Extension Provides Tips for Controlling Pestalotia in Strawberries
Alabama Extension provides tips to strawberry growers looking to protect their crops this year against Pestalotia, a leaf spot and fruit rot disease caused by the fungus Neopestalotiopsis. The disease that has recently wreaked havoc on strawberry producers in Florida and Georgia is a threat to Alabama strawberries. It affects the plant roots, crown, leaves and fruit and eventually leads …
Whiteflies a Factor in South Florida Crops
Whiteflies are already being observed at high levels on tomatoes and watermelons in the South Florida region. According to the South Florida Pest and Disease Hotline, up to eight whitefly adults have been observed on melons in the Immokalee, Florida area. Scouts report between 15% to 60% of plants having one or multiple adults. It’s a similar scenario facing tomato …
UF/IFAS to Offer Citrus Nutrition Day Seminar in Lake Alfred
LAKE ALFRED, FLA — The University of Florida (UF) Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences is offering a Citrus Nutrition Day Seminar at the UF Citrus Research and Education Center in Lake Alfred, Florida on Oct. 26. Proper nutrition for citrus trees damaged by various diseases is essential to extending their productivity. Growers can learn more about UF research into …
New UF Highlands County Extension Agent Excited to Work With Area Producers
LAKE ALFRED, FL – Lourdes Pérez Cordero, who recently started her position as the University of Florida (UF) Institute of Food and Agricultural Science Extension agent for Highlands County, is excited to work with local citrus and vegetable growers. Originally from Puerto Rico, Pérez Cordero is completing her master’s degree in entomology with UF and expects to graduate in spring, …
All Things Considering: Georgia Pecan Crop Good Amid High Scab Disease Pressure
By Clint Thompson The earliest pecan varieties are a couple of weeks away from harvest. As Georgia growers and industry leaders take stock of this year’s crop, fortunately, it is not as bad as it could have been, says Lenny Wells, University of Georgia Cooperative Extension pecan specialist. “It’s certainly worse than we’d like it to be. Really, considering all …
USDA NASS to Issue Pecan Survey
The USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) will soon be sending pecan producers a survey to forecast pecan production for the upcoming season. Growers will have the option to respond to the survey online. Producers who have not responded by Sept. 29 will be contacted for a telephone interview by a NASS representative. Survey results will be published on Oct. …
Valor Watermelon: Syngenta Variety Pays Tribute to Veterans
By Clint Thompson Syngenta’s newest watermelon variety pays tribute to veterans while providing growers a product for the upcoming season with some disease resistance. Valor should quickly become a highly sought-after variety for growers in the Southeast. It has a dark red, crispy flesh with a rind thickness that allows it to be transported from farm to the market without …
FFVA Convention: Timely Issues at Forefront of Three-Day Event
By Clint Thompson This week’s Florida Fruit and Vegetable Association (FFVA) convention was filled with timely topics and educational insight into how to help the vegetable and specialty crop growers remain sustainable. Maybe most importantly, though, it was three days of reunion with friends and colleagues within the industry, says Mike Joyner, FFVA President. “People are just so ready to …