Each year, Florida Farm Bureau (FFB) gives its members the unique opportunity to travel to Washington, D.C., to advocate for Florida agriculture to their legislators. Farmers and ranchers from throughout the state attended the Field to the Hill event last week along with FFB state staff. AgNet Media’s Abbey Taylor was able to tag along with the Farm Bureau members …
Battling Silk Flies in South Florida Sweet Corn
By Julien Beuzelin South Florida sweet corn growers continue to face two major insect problems: fall armyworms and corn silk flies. The two pests can be devastating, but corn silk flies are more challenging to manage than fall armyworms under current production practices. Three silk fly species have been reported to cause the majority of the damage: Euxesta eluta, Euxesta …
Hemp Research: ‘A Lot of Different Moving Pieces’
An update on industrial hemp research in Florida filled most of the auditorium at the Everglades Research and Education Center near Belle Glade on May 16. Zack Brym, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences assistant professor from Homestead, reviewed the latest information and answered questions from those attending in person and via webinar. Brym reviewed the progress …
Enza Zaden Field Day Features Watermelons and More
Growers and seed distributors had a field day Tuesday at the Enza Zaden seed breeding and field trials facility near Myakka City, Florida. The main attraction was the watermelon trials that include new varieties being tested and introduced into the market. Other trials added great flavor to the day’s tour and discussions, with multiple plots for bell peppers, mature green …
Tips for Dual-Season Strawberry Production
By Ashley Robinson Joshua Mays, regional agronomist with the North Carolina Department of Agriculture, discussed dual-season production of strawberries at the Southeast Regional Fruit and Vegetable Conference in January. Mays believes the most important factors for growers to consider before starting fall production of strawberries is their market and their ability to market strawberries to buyers that would cost them …
Beetle Borer in Blueberries
By Janine Spies Since 2014, several Florida blueberry growers have reported seeing tunneling or girdling on the canes of their blueberry bushes. Oscar Liburd at the University of Florida has been investigating the source of the damage in blueberries along with his graduate students Lindsy Iglesias and Krystal Ashman in the Fruit and Vegetable IPM Laboratory. In the summer of …
Fact Checking South Florida’s Water Politics – What Got Us Here?
by Gary Cooper Roots of Algae Debate Show Political Rhetoric Trumping the Facts Politically driven actions in recent months have undeniably brought major upheaval and confusion in South Florida’s water management circles. More than eight million people who are living in and invested in South Florida are directly impacted by these decisions in one way or another. Misinformation swirls about …
Can Pomegranates Be Grown in Florida?
Researchers at the University of Florida (UF) are exploring pomegranates as a possible cash crop for the Sunshine State. Ali Sarkhosh, assistant professor at UF, recently updated growers on some promising varieties for Florida. According to Sarkhosh, pomegranates with red or dark red skin that have red or dark red arils (the flesh inside the pomegranate) do the best in …
Watermelon Field Day to Showcase New Varieties
Florida watermelon growers will want to mark their calendars for the Enza Zaden Watermelon Field Day. The field day is set to take place May 14 from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at the Enza Zaden Research Station in Myakka City, Florida. On May 7, Enza Zaden held a closed event to preview the varieties that will be shown during …
Tomato Suspension Agreement Officially Terminated
On May 7 the Tomato Suspension Agreement officially terminated. The Department of Commerce announced the U.S. withdrawal in the beginning of the year. The agreement, made back in 2013, was designed to prevent an anti-dumping investigation in exchange for Mexican growers agreeing to certain restrictions. Michael Schadler, executive vice president of the Florida Tomato Exchange, has been very vocal about …