By Clint Thompson The U.S. Trade Representative’s (USTR) pledge of assistance to specialty crop producers was needed for growers suffering from increased imports from Mexico. Even if ambassador Katherine Tai opted not to follow through on a Section 301 petition to assist the Southeast seasonal produce industry, she pledged to work with the U.S. Department of Agriculture to establish an …
Alabama Strawberry Producers Be Wary of Diseases
By Clint Thompson Strawberry plantings are being conducted across Alabama. Producers need to be wary of different diseases prior to planting. Ed Sikora, professor and Extension plant pathologist in the department of entomology and plant pathology at Auburn University, suggests growers apply a fungicide dip to help with Anthracnose. “This will provide some early-season protection against anthracnose and someother diseases,” …
Center for Applied Artificial Intelligence in Agriculture Coming to GCREC
To protect crop yields and the environment, the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) is increasingly leveraging powerful tools such as technology driven by artificial intelligence (AI). In an effort to expedite such development, UF/IFAS will build a 19,000-square-foot AI hub at the Gulf Coast Research and Education Center (GCREC) in Balm, about 25 miles southeast of Tampa. …
FFVA Statement on USTR’s Response to Section 301 Petition
This week the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) announced that it will pursue avenues to assist the Southeast seasonal produce industry in coordination with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) after members of Congress requested an examination of certain issues in a Sept. 8, 2022, Section 301 petition. The Florida Fruit and Vegetable Association (FFVA) released …
AI Center Coming to Gulf Coast Research and Education Center
To protect crop yields and the environment, the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) is increasingly leveraging powerful tools such as technology driven by artificial intelligence (AI). In an effort to expedite such development, UF/IFAS will build a 19,000-square-foot AI hub at the Gulf Coast Research and Education Center (GCREC) in Balm, about 25 miles southeast …
USTR, USDA, to Pursue Avenues to Assist Seasonal Produce
WASHINGTON – The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) announced on Sunday that it will pursue avenues to assist the Southeast seasonal produce industry in coordination with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) after Members of Congress requested an examination of certain issues in a Sept. 8, 2022, Section 301 petition. Southeast producers have faced challenges, which …
Giving Blueberries a Boost to Continue Consumption Growth
By Frank Giles The Florida Blueberry Growers Association hosted its annual short course in Howey-in-the-Hills, Florida, in October. The meeting featured educational sessions ranging from optimizing pollination and marketing to chilli thrips control and new varieties. Growers were in good spirits at the meeting, despite impacts from Hurricane Ian. While some growers further south in the state took a hard …
October Management Tips for Blueberries
Blueberry specialists at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) remind growers about management options they need to be mindful of during October. Producers should monitor and manage leaf diseases, especially in evergreen systems. It is important to scout for algal stem blotch and selectively prune out canes infected with algal stem blotch, Botryosphaeria stem blight …
Georgia’s Vidalia Onion Plants Spared by Ian
By Clint Thompson Vidalia onion producers were fortunate that Hurricane Ian skirted the Southeast Georgia region and spared this year’s seedlings that were in the ground. Instead of heavy rains and high winds that were felt in some areas in Florida, the Vidalia onion region received some winds but dodged any major impact, says Cliff Riner, Vidalia Onion Committee chairman. …
Strategies for Strawberry Disease Management
By Jeff Cook, Garrett Hibbs and Phillip Brannen The key to a successful strawberry season is protecting the plants and developing fruit from insects and diseases. Other than spider mites, fungal diseases pose the biggest threat in the form of production losses. Using multiple disease control strategies helps reduce damage and is important in disease resistance management. FIRST STEPS AND …