By: Kirsten Romaguera, 352-294-3313, kromaguera@ufl.edu As Florida moved to “safer at home” measures, not all work could be put on pause. When it came to University of Florida research, many UF/IFAS projects could not wait. There are living plants, animals and insects to feed and maintain; some projects have regular monitoring procedures for which postponement could have broader environmental consequences. …
Stem Splitting in Watermelon, Squash and Other Cucurbit Crops
Posted by: Joseph Kemble, Edward Sikora, and Gary Gray/Alabama Extension According to a recent post, over the past several weeks, lower than average temperatures have been common across Alabama. Cucurbit crops (squash, watermelons, cucumbers, cantaloupes, and other small melons) are warm season vegetable crops that can suffer damage when temperatures fall below 60 degrees F. Cold damage is cumulative and …
Deadline for Georgia Pecan Assessment Vote is May 30
By Clint Thompson All Georgia pecan growers planning to vote on this month’s one-cent per pound assessment need to have their ballots postmarked by Saturday, May 30. Georgia’s pecan farmers are voting this month to renew a one-cent per pound assessment on pecans for the Georgia Agriculture Commodity Commission for Pecans. Ballots have been sent to Georgia growers who own …
Diversification Key for Nutsedge Control in Vegetable Fields
By Clint Thompson University of Georgia Cooperative Extension weed specialist Stanley Culpepper encourages vegetable growers to diversify their management programs against nutsedge. This protects against potential resistance and provides adequate control. “In general, I would say with our guys, I’m not overly concerned because our fields with our most nutsedge, they get fumigation, they get tillage and they get herbicides,” …
Georgia Watermelon Season Kicks Off June 3
May 27, 2020 — LAGRANGE, GA – Sweet, refreshing Georgia watermelon is coming to a store near you in early June. The 2020 watermelon crop is expected to have the crisp, sweet flavor and high quality unique to Georgia watermelon. While Georgia has had a cool spring, consumers should still start seeing Georgia Grown watermelons in stores the first week …
UF/IFAS Researchers Try to Reduce Fruit Drop, Increase Yield in Valencia, Hamlin Oranges
By: Brad Buck 813-757-2224 (office); 352-875-2641 (cell); bradbuck@ufl.edu UF/IFAS citrus scientists Tripti Vashisth and Fernando Alferez are trying to reduce the amount of fruit that drops from Hamlin and Valencia trees prior to harvest. If fruit drops, growers can’t harvest it, and that leads to losses for farmers and less fruit at the market for consumers. Normally, about 10% to …
UGA Agriculture Faculty Produce COVID-19 Video, Materials for Farm Workers
By Maria M. Lameiras for UGA CAES News As the spring harvest approached, members of the Georgia Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association knew they needed assistance to provide important information about COVID-19 safety measures and food handling protocols to workers who make up the majority of the seasonal agricultural workforce, many of whom are native Spanish speakers. University of Georgia …
Sneak Peek: June 2020 VSCNews Magazine
By Ashley Robinson Policies and regulations can impact a farmer’s ability to make a living. The 2020 Florida, Georgia and Alabama legislative sessions have officially wrapped up, and the June issue of VSCNews magazine will tell readers how agriculture fared in each state. Adam Basford, director of state legislative affairs for Florida Farm Bureau, discusses the successes and progress that …
Mexican Imports Still a Concern for American Farmers
By Clint Thompson Mexican imports of produce into the United States continues to be a problem for American farmers. They especially felt the sting this year amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Southeast growers had to overcome a declining market when restaurants and schools closed in March for fears of COVID-19. They also were overshadowed by the constant influx of Mexican …
Watermelon Shortage Keeps Prices Up for Famers
By Clint Thompson Times have changed in the past two months for watermelon farmers in the Southeast. When farmers in Alabama, Florida and Georgia began planting their crop in late winter and early spring, the coronavirus pandemic struck and created a cloud of uncertainty for growers. What would harvest season look like? Would there be customers to purchase the crop? …