UF/IFAS Expert Touts Value of Soil Moisture Sensors

Clint ThompsonFlorida

By Clint Thompson Soil moisture sensors are used by most large-acre farmers in Florida, according to one industry expert. Extension personnel can help growers use the technology more effectively, says Jay Capasso, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Water Resources Regional Specialized Agent for Northeast District Capasso was a featured speaker during the recent Georgia-Florida Irrigation …

UF/IFAS Extension Agent Recaps North Florida Watermelon Season

Clint ThompsonFlorida

By Clint Thompson Watermelon harvests have come and gone for North Florida producers in the Suwannee Valley Region. A challenging start to harvest season ended positively for growers, explains Bob Hochmuth, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Regional Specialized Extension agent in Live Oak, Florida. “I think that, overall, the season has been okay, and I …

Reliable Research: Strawberry Producers Rely on UF/IFAS Plant Pathologists for Disease Diagnoses

Clint ThompsonFlorida

Strawberry growers across the country aren’t just tending fields – they’re often running a quiet race against fast-moving plant diseases. When trouble strikes, their first call is often to the plant pathologists at the Gulf Coast Research and Education Center (GCREC). The latest culprit has entered the scene in the form of Fusarium wilt disease, which is popping up along …

UGA, UF/IFAS Set to Host Irrigation Expo

Clint ThompsonFlorida, Georgia, Irrigation

By Clint Thompson The Georgia/Florida Irrigation Expo is slated for Wednesday, June 10 at the University of Georgia (UGA) Vidalia Onion and Vegetable Research Center in Lyons, Georgia. The UGA and University of Florida (UF) Extension Services are partnering with local RC&D councils and Soil & Water Conservation Districts to host the expo with a focus on irrigation. Cale Cloud, …

$130 Million Drain: UF/IFAS Researcher Looks to Genetics to Rein in Wasteful Strawberry Runners

Clint ThompsonFlorida

Strawberry growers pour roughly $130 million a year, nationally, into a surprisingly stubborn problem: a part of the plant that sabotages fruit production. These fast-growing offshoots – called “runners” – stretch out from the mother plant, siphoning energy that would otherwise go into plump, market-ready berries. University of Florida doctoral student Kaitlyn Vondracek wants to help farmers solve this costly …

Field to Fork: UF/IFAS Scientists Uncover Artichoke’s Health Power

Clint ThompsonFlorida

Are you craving a nutrient-packed bite to eat? The artichoke might just be your new super-snack, a University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) researcher says. “Artichokes are not only a tasty vegetable, but they are also rich in nutrients that are good for our bodies,” said Tie Liu, an associate professor of horticultural sciences at UF/IFAS. …

UF/IFAS Offering Petiole-Sap Testing for North Florida Watermelon Producers

Clint ThompsonFlorida

By Clint Thompson In his weekly email to North Florida watermelon producers, Bob Hochmuth, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Regional Specialized Extension agent in Live Oak, Florida, advised growers that Extension agents in the Suwannee Valley region will again offer weekly petiole-sap testing this year. Hochmuth said that growers should let their county Extension agents …

New UF/IFAS Research Helps Florida Strawberry Growers Overcome Pair of Pests

Clint ThompsonFlorida

Florida’s strawberry fields may look vibrant and abundant this time of year, but beneath those glossy leaves, a quiet battle is raging. At the very moment Florida’s crop hits peak production, two long-established surge onto the scene: the twospotted spider mite and the chilli thrips. These tiny pests can overwhelm plants in tandem, draining vigor, deforming fruit and leaving farmers …

Important Investment: UF/IFAS Groundbreaking Slated for New AI Center

Clint ThompsonFlorida

By Clint Thompson The groundbreaking for the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Center for Applied Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Agriculture is scheduled for Nov. 7 at the Gulf Coast Research and Education Center in Balm, Florida. Scott Angle, UF/IFAS Senior Vice President, discussed the historic groundbreaking, which supports UF/IFAS as the Silicon Valley of Agriculture. …