The team at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Gulf Coast Research and Education Center (GCREC) works on a multitude of crops historically grown in the Central Florida region. However, GCREC researchers have also been dedicating their time to finding new alternative crops for Florida. One of those crops is blackberries. Zhanao Deng, professor of ornamental …
Factors to Consider Before Adopting Alternative Crops
By Karla Arboleda Choosing to grow an alternative crop could prove to be a beneficial move for growers, but there are some factors that must be considered first. From macadamias to avocados, the worthiness of different alternative crops is dependent on several factors. Jose Chaparro, an associate professor at University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences in the …
More Ways to Manage Fusarium Wilt
By Karla Arboleda Five years ago, there was no solid foundation for managing fusarium wilt in watermelons. Now, researchers have identified several techniques watermelon growers can use to help combat the disease. Nicholas Dufault, associate professor of plant pathology at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS), says his research on the pathogen is leading to …
Florida Hemp Diseases on the Horizon
Florida growers are not strangers to dealing with disease, and future hemp growers will be no different. Nicholas Dufault, University of Florida (UF) associate professor of plant pathology, has been working on the UF hemp pilot project to examine what kind of diseases hemp growers could see in the field. He presented his initial findings at a recent hemp workshop …
Sneak Peek: September VSCNews Magazine
The September issue of VSCNews magazine is packed with information ranging from breeding updates to peach production. Florida growers will recognize the man on the cover next month. On July 31, University of Florida (UF) Extension Agent Gene McAvoy retired. The September VSCNews cover story dives deep into McAvoy’s career and tells how he went from world traveler to Florida …
Disease Watch for Florida Vegetables and Specialty Crops
By Karla Arboleda Gene McAvoy, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) emeritus vegetable Extension agent, discussed South Florida crop diseases during the 2019 Vegetable and Specialty Crop Expo seminars. McAvoy mentioned diseases that are currently prevalent in the United States, like black tar spot in field corn, and how basil downy mildew has affected production in …
Perdue on New Draft Suspension Agreement on Fresh Tomatoes from Mexico
Washington, D.C. (USDA) – U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue issued the following statement after U.S. Department of Commerce announced a new Draft Suspension Agreement on Fresh Tomatoes from Mexico: “I want to thank my colleagues at the U.S. Department of Commerce for working diligently to reach a mutually beneficial agreement for tomato growers in both the U.S. and Mexico. …
Tomato Brown Rugose Spreading Globally
By Karla Arboleda Tomato brown rugose fruit virus (ToBRFV) is not currently in Florida produce, but the virus has a global track record. Detected first in 2015 in Jordan, and with outbreaks as recent as 2018 in California, ToBRFV is easily transmitted through contact. Ozgur Batuman, citrus pathologist at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Southwest …
U.S. Department of Commerce Announces a New Draft Suspension Agreement on Fresh Tomatoes from Mexico
WASHINGTON, D.C. (USDOC) — The U.S. Department of Commerce initialed a draft agreement with Mexican tomato growers to suspend the ongoing antidumping (AD) investigation of fresh tomatoes from Mexico, ensuring that the domestic tomato industry will be protected from unfair trade. “For many years, there have been disputes over the roughly $2 billion worth of tomatoes that are imported from …
SmartIrrigation Apps Improve Water-Use Efficiency
By Vasileios Liakos and George Vellidis Ample water is a critical input needed to grow high-yielding, high-quality crops. Today, irrigated agriculture represents 20 percent of the total cultivated land, but contributes 40 percent of the total food produced worldwide. Due to overuse, droughts and growing demand by urban and industrial users, competition for available fresh water supplies is rapidly increasing. …