By Ernie Neff Adam Elend, CEO of Florigrown, LLC, addresses the four main options for starting industrial hemp plants in the field and offers some advice for choosing suppliers. In this interview with Southeast AgNet’s Tacy Callies, Elend reports in-depth on the pros and cons of three types of seed. The fourth option for planting is cuttings. “In an unpredictable …
Sneak Peek: January VSCNews Magazine
The January issue of VSCNews magazine explores the latest technology and research, giving growers a guide of what to look for in 2020. Kevin Folta, a horticultural sciences professor at the University of Florida, looks at how far technology has advanced over the past 20 years. He discusses the accelerating pace of genetic discovery and what technological advancements in crop …
Commissioner Nikki Fried Comments on House Passage of USMCA
(FDACS) — The U.S. House passed the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Trade Agreement (USMCA). In response, Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nicole “Nikki” Fried offered the following statement: “It is deeply disappointing that seasonal protections were not included in this USMCA implementing legislation. For nearly a year, I have called repeatedly for effective, timely relief from unfair trade practices for America’s seasonal produce growers in the USMCA. …
Anhydrous Ammonia: A Potential Addition to the Fumigation Toolbox
By Ramdas Kanissery and Pamela Roberts Soil fumigation is a fundamental step for successful commercial crop production in Florida under intensive conventional systems. It has been regularly used on crops such as vegetables, strawberries and potatoes. Soil fumigation is one of the most successful means of reducing soil pathogen and weed populations and is typically applied as a pre-plant soil …
BMPs Discussion Attracts Growers
By Ernie Neff A Dec. 16 discussion of local agricultural issues with a focus on best management practices (BMPs) attracted more than 50 attendees to Immokalee. The University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Southwest Florida Research and Education Center hosted the event. Professor and center director Kelly Morgan summarizes the discussions, which he says included “some …
Certified Seed for Hemp Explained
By Ernie Neff Many farmers looking at hemp as a potential alternative crop in Florida have been confused by the requirement that the hemp come from certified seed. Adam Elend, CEO of Florigrown, LLC, explains what certified seed is and is not. “The idea of certified seed is creating a lot of consternation among farmers,” Elend says. “I think that …
New Precision Ag Facility Adds to UF/IFAS Arsenal to Fight Pests, Diseases
(UF/IFAS) — In a new, 8,500-square-foot building at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Gulf Coast Research and Education Center, weed scientist Nathan Boyd uses images of weeds to train computers to identify them. Those pictures can be used to help growers know when, where and how to control pests. Using this form of precision …
Research Addressing Hemp Production Challenges
Future growers of industrial hemp in Florida will have the advantage of research being conducted now by the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS). The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services expects Florida farmers will be allowed to legally plant industrial hemp in 2020. Zach Brym, agronomist at the Tropical Research and Education Center in …
Root-Knot Nematode Update
“Root-knot nematode is really our number one nematode problem in Florida,” nematologist Johan Desaeger said at Florida Ag Expo in November. Desaeger is a University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences researcher at the Gulf Coast Research and Education Center. “It’s the most widespread nematode we have in Florida, and the most damaging,” he added. Florida has at …
Interest in UF/IFAS Hops Experiment Grows
(UF/IFAS) — Tampa Bay microbreweries have a hankering for hops, and some see a University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) experimental farm as a source for the crop that will help quench their customers’ thirsts. Several Tampa Bay area breweries have come to the UF/IFAS Gulf Coast Research and Education Center (GCREC) to pick up hops …