By Clint Thompson An essential component of fumigation is likely to be in short supply this year. The ramifications will impact specialty crop producers across the Southeast. Johan Desaeger, assistant professor of entomology and nematology at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Gulf Coast Research and Education Center, updated attendees at last week’s Florida Grower …
Tips for Managing Summer Weeds
Summer is “a field day for weeds,” Ramdas Kanissery said in a March 29 presentation about weed control for citrus. The University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences assistant professor provided a progressive step-by-step approach to suppressing weeds during the summer. CONTROL EXISTING WEEDSGrowers can get off to a good start by controlling existing weeds with post-emergent herbicides. …
UF Blueberry Specialist: Growers Cautiously Optimistic This Harvest Season
By Clint Thompson Blueberry harvests are well under way across Florida. After a year that’s seen producers challenged with multiple weather events, like Hurricane Ian last September, Hurricane Nicole last November and multiple days of cold temperatures during Christmas week, growers are optimistic about this year’s crop. Phil Harmon, professor and Extension plant pathologist at the University of Florida (UF) …
UF/IFAS Receiving Favorable Comments with Blueberry Growers Guide App
By Clint Thompson The University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Blueberry Growers Guide phone app has drawn rave reviews from the people who need it the most – Florida’s blueberry producers. Doug Phillips, UF/IFAS blueberry Extension coordinator at the Gulf Coast Research and Education Center, discussed the app, which started a couple of years ago. “I …
The Tailgate Party Is Almost Here!
The 2023 Florida Grower Citrus Show is April 13! Exhibitors are preparing their tasty dishes for the tailgate party. Make sure to swing by the following exhibits and fill up in between seminar sessions. Sponsored ContentNew Syngenta Varieties Offer Grower SolutionsFebruary 1, 2026Attribute® II Technology Adds More Flexibility and Strength to Sweet Corn Pest ManagementJanuary 1, 2026Nuseed Carinata Covers New …
New Weevil Pest of Celery and Related Crops
By Julien Beuzelin and Anna Mészáros Florida produces apiaceous crops, which include celery, parsley, cilantro, dill and carrots, from the fall to the spring. The production of these vegetables and herbs complements the production from the West Coast to supply national markets, playing a key role during the winter, particularly when unfavorable environmental conditions decrease production in California. The major …
The Seasonal Satsuma Bottleneck
The short timeframe for satsuma mandarins to be harvested and sold in the fall created a bottleneck of supply around the Thanksgiving holiday in 2022. An excess supply led to a challenge for growers attempting to sell their fruit when demand diminished, according to Kim Jones, who grows and packs citrus in Florida and Georgia. “The week of Thanksgiving when …
Sens. Ossoff, Tillis Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Reverse Adverse Effect Wage Rate Increase
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Jon Ossoff (D-GA) is working to reverse this year’s Adverse Effect Wage Rate (AEWR) increase. Sens. Ossoff and Thom Tillis (R-NC) introduced the bipartisan Farm Operations Support Act, which would revert the AEWR to the December 2022 rate for the remainder of 2023. The AEWR in Georgia rose 14% from $11.99/hour to $13.67/hour in January …
Quarantine Established in Lee County Due to Giant African Land Snail
(FDACS/TALLAHASSEE, FL/March 16, 2023) — The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) and its Division of Plant Industry (DPI) announced that a quarantine has been established in specific areas of Lee County in response to previously detected Giant African Land Snails (GALS). Under the quarantine, it is unlawful to move a giant African land snail or a regulated article, including, but not limited to, plants, plant parts, plants in …
AFBF’s Boatright: H-2A Becoming More Difficult to Utilize Over Time
By Clint Thompson The future of the H-2A program rests with legislative reform. Specialty crop interest groups have lobbied for changes to the program for years. The fight continues. Groups like the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) continue to educate legislative leaders about the importance of reform to the sustainability of farming operations across the country. John Walt Boatright, director …