By Clint Thompson A new thrips species is wreaking havoc on pepper plants in Florida. Its impact in Georgia remains an unknown. Stormy Sparks, University of Georgia (UGA) Extension vegetable specialist, discussed Thrips (T.) parvispinus during the Southeast Regional Fruit and Vegetable Conference in January “It’s going to be a wait and see. It’s like Thrips palmi when it showed …
January Freeze Nips Some Sweet Corn
By Clint Thompson A mid-January freeze event impacted sweet corn production in South Florida. The significance of the impact during the weekend of Jan. 13-15 depends on what production stage the corn was in. Tori Rumenik, commodity services and supply chain manager for the Florida Fruit and Vegetable Association, elaborated on how some producers were affected by the freeze burn …
Mid-January Freeze Impacts Sweet Corn Production
By Clint Thompson A mid-January freeze event impacted sweet corn production in South Florida. The significance of the impact during the weekend of Jan. 13-15 depends on what production stage the corn was in. Tori Rumenik, commodity services and supply chain manager for the Florida Fruit and Vegetable Association, elaborated on how some producers were affected by the freeze burn …
Thrips Parvispinus Species Damaging Peppers in Palm Beach County
The thrips parvispinus species that was first detected in the United States in 2020 is wreaking havoc on pepper plantings in eastern Palm Beach County, Florida, according to the South Florida Pest and Disease Hotline. Scouts have observed that the species is causing substantial damage in young and mature plantings in the region. Other fields have experienced low levels of …
An Advocate for All Growers
By Clint Thompson Karla Thompson is a lawyer by training and farmer by marriage. That combination makes her one of the Southeast’s leading advocates for growers. “I think with advocacy work it really helps because I understand the misperceptions and ideas that people have about the ag industry because I had them myself,” Thompson says. “Before I got involved in …
Sweet Corn Producer: H-2A’s Regulatory Makeup is Intense
By Clint Thompson The most significant challenge to sweet corn production isn’t disease or pest pressure or water requirement, says one Georgia/Florida producer. It is finding and utilizing a labor workforce to pick the crop, says Karla Thompson with JET Farms. She and her family’s business utilize the H-2A program to find nearly 250 workers every year for their fall …
Weevil Pest a Threat to Celery, Parsley
By Clint Thompson An emerging weevil pest is cause for concern for celery and parsley producers in South Florida. Julien Beuzelin, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) assistant professor in entomology, discussed the impact that Listronotus sparsus could have on those two crops. It could stunt the growth of celery plants and cause a quality issue. …
Tomato Prices High Following Hurricane Ian
By Clint Thompson Tomato prices are extremely high right now. Unfortunately, there’s not much supply for growers to take advantage. “North Florida and South Georgia are probably the only domestic supply of tomatoes we’ve got for the foreseeable future,” said Josh Freeman, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) associate professor in horticultural science. Freeman estimated those …
Crops Losses Following Hurricane Ian
Crop loss estimates are starting to filter in following Hurricane Ian’s impact in late September. The damages are devastating for some specialty crop producers, according to the South Florida Pest and Disease Hotline. Vegetable crop losses were high in the Hillsborough/Manatee area. Some locations experienced flooding, while others had wind damage. Assessments show losses between 50% and 100% in planted …
Citrus Growers Stymied by Snails
By Clint Thompson Florida citrus growers can add bulimulus snails to their growing list of pest problems. The snails are challenging some citrus groves across the state, says Lauren Diepenbrock, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences assistant professor and entomologist. The Damage They Do While the bulimulus snails do not do much in terms of physical damage …