By Breanna Kendrick Spotted wing drosophila (SWD) are small fruit flies that resemble the flies commonly seen indoors buzzing around rotting fruit. Adult male SWD have a little spot on each of their wings, making them easy to identify. Females are more difficult to identify. At the rear of the female SWD abdomen is an egg-laying structure called an ovipositor. …
New General Session Is Tailored to Growers
Citrus Expo is excited to introduce a general session to the seminar program this year. The presentations are tailored to citrus, vegetable and specialty crop growers. This new addition will cover crucial topics impacting these industries. HURRICANE RELIEF FUNDING Mike Sparks, executive vice president and chief executive officer of Florida Citrus Mutual, will give a presentation on the status of …
Black Rot: Ongoing Threat for Georgia Cabbage Growers
By Breanna Kendrick Cabbage is inflicted with numerous insect pests and plant diseases, but black rot has been the leading threat to the Georgia cabbage industry for years. Black rot is caused by the bacterium Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris. Bhabesh Dutta, vegetable Extension pathologist at the University of Georgia, has been focusing his research on this disease. One reason for …
UF Hosts Hemp Workshops for Growers, Industry in August
By: Beverly James, 352-273-3566, beverlymjames@ufl.edu GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences is taking the first step to introduce industrial hemp to growers and industry across the state. The UF/IFAS Industrial Hemp Pilot Project will host a series of workshops for grower and industry project partners. UF/IFAS faculty will provide an update about the …
Advice for Growers Implementing the Produce Safety Rule
By Travis K. Chapin and Michelle D. Danyluk Good agricultural practices have been followed by fresh fruit and vegetable producers for decades on a voluntary and market-driven basis to reduce risks from produce safety hazards. Such hazards include microbial pathogens, chemicals and physical hazards like broken glass or plastic. More recently, growers have been fulfilling the Food Safety Modernization Act’s …
Citrus Expo Welcomes Vegetable and Specialty Crop Growers!
This year, AgNet Media is excited to invite vegetable and specialty crop growers to Citrus Expo, which is set to take place August 15–16 at the Lee Civic Center in North Fort Myers, Florida. AgNet Media Founder and President Gary Cooper believes this industry will feel right at home at one of the largest grower events in Florida. Since Citrus …
Precautions Growers Should Take in the Rainy Season
By Breanna Kendrick The abundance of rain in Florida over the past two weeks has brought concerns about bacterial disease issues for farmers. Gary Vallad, University of Florida associate professor of plant pathology and associate center director at the Gulf Coast Research and Education Center, discusses some of the precautions growers can take to make it through this rainy season. …
Georgia Blueberry Growers Suffer Second Consecutive Year of Loss
Commissioner Gary W. Black hosted a conference call to connect Georgia blueberry growers and agricultural industry representatives with U.S. Department of Agriculture Under Secretary Bill Northey to discuss recent loss assessments for the 2018 blueberry crop. According to University of Georgia Extension, overall losses of both highbush and rabbiteye varieties could exceed 60 percent. This would mark the second consecutive …
Blueberry Growers from Florida, Georgia Support NAFTA Renegotiations
The Florida Blueberry Growers Association (FBGA) and the Georgia Blueberry Growers Association (GBGA) teamed up to write a letter about the need for modernization of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). Blueberries, among other specialty crops, from Florida and Georgia have been facing heavy competition from Mexican imports, making it difficult to keep up with their production. Renegotiation of …
Florida & Georgia Blueberry Growers Call On To Be Considered in NAFTA Negotiations
Brooksville, FL – Today, the Florida Blueberry Growers Association (FBGA) and Georgia Blueberry Growers Association (GBGA) sent a joint letter to their Congressmen asking that provisions to protect the blueberry industry of Florida and Georiga be included in North American Free Trade Agreement negotiations (NAFTA).  “The Florida & Georgia Blueberry industries have experienced growth and stability in the recent past, however …

















