The Produce Marketing Association’s (PMA) annual Fresh Summit took place Oct. 17-19 in Orlando, Florida. Every year, this huge summit brings members of the global produce and floral industries together to make connections and mingle with fellow industry professionals. Every year, southeastern agriculture has a huge presence at the summit, most notably in the Fresh from Florida and Georgia Grown …
Sneak Peek: November 2018 VSCNews Magazine
Get in the know on H2O with the November issue of VSCNews magazine. Water is a crucial aspect of agriculture in the Southeast, and the November magazine will give readers an update on ongoing water issues and a new irrigation technology. As the Florida population grows, water resources become scarcer, creating a challenge for the state’s agriculture industry. Rich Budell, …
Crop Diversification Considerations
By Breanna Kendrick There is a big push on nutrition in our nation right now, so it’s important that farmers are able to diversify to meet the demands of those seeking healthier diets. Wendy Mussoline, a University of Florida multi-county agriculture Extension agent for Flagler and Putnam counties, works with farmers who want to incorporate new crops into their production …
Georgia Vegetable Grower Discusses Hurricane Damage
Hurricane Michael decimated multiple sectors of Georgia agriculture, ranging from cotton to pecans. One industry that was heavily impacted was vegetables. What was supposed to be a banner fall season for Georgia growers has turned into devastation. Georgia Commissioner of Agriculture Gary Black says that while the economic damages of vegetables are smaller than other commodities like peanuts or cotton, …
Heavy Rains May Reduce Silverleaf Whiteflies
By Breanna Kendrick Silverleaf whitefly is a concern for growers across the state of Florida. The pest transmits tomato yellow leaf curl virus. “Some years, it’s very heavy early on and growers have to replant. But so far, the pests seem to be pretty well managed,” says Hugh Smith, associate professor of entomology and nematology at the University of Florida’s …
A Grower’s Perspective on Labor Shortages
By Chalmers Carr Ask any specialty crop producer in the Southeast to identify the greatest agricultural concern today and virtually every one of them will say access to reliable, legal and affordable laborers. How has this become such a huge issue? What can be done to solve this issue to allow the southeastern region to flourish and grow in its …
Late Blight: Centuries-Old Pathogen with Deadly Impacts
Late blight is a deadly, chronic pathogen that occurs annually in potato and tomato crops. Pam Roberts, a professor of plant pathology at the University of Florida, dubbed it a “disease of distinction” during her presentation at the 2018 Citrus Expo. According to Roberts, there is a variety of factors that can contribute to a late blight infection. Once a …
The Search for an Alternative Blueberry Chemical
By Breanna Kendrick Alternative chemicals are being researched to replace hydrogen cyanamide, a plant growth regulator that is used in Florida on blueberries to improve fruit earliness and develop more concentrated fruit set. Shinsuke Agehara, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences assistant professor at the Gulf Coast Research and Education Center in Balm, is conducting research on …
What’s Causing Bacterial Spot in Transplant Houses?
Bacterial spot infection in tomato transplant houses moves quickly and can cause serious losses. Peter Abrahamian, a post-doctoral associate at the University of Florida’s Gulf Coast Research and Education Center (GCREC), has been studying this disease and its movement in transplant houses. The main objective of Abrahamian’s research was to find out what causes the infection and how it moves …
Labor Issues in the Specialty Crop Industry
By Zhengfei Guan Florida is a large supplier of fruits and vegetables in the United States. Major fruits and vegetables produced in Florida include citrus, strawberries, tomatoes, bell peppers, cantaloupes, watermelons, etc. The production and harvest of these crops are labor intensive. For example, University of Florida researchers estimate that harvesting 1 acre of oranges requires 50 hours. More than …
















