By Maegan Beatty On May 18, the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) hosted a Grape Field Day at the Plant Science Research and Education Unit (PSREU) in Citra. There were about 50 farmers, researchers and students present at the event and a variety of speakers covering topics relating to the grape and winery industry. Participants …
UF/IFAS Researchers Find Tomato Plants Resistant to Devastating Disease
University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) researchers may have found the key to developing tomatoes that can resist a devastating disease. Although it has been around for 50 years, target spot of tomato has become increasingly problematic during the last few years. The disease causes lesions in both leaves and fruits. It is commonly found in …
UF/IFAS Faculty Appointed to National Committee
Two University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) researchers have been appointed to a prestigious National Academy of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine committee to provide guidance on a serious disease plaguing California’s important wine industry. Kirsten Pelz-Stelinski, an entomologist with the UF/IFAS Citrus Research and Education Center, and Ozgur Batuman, a plant pathologist with UF/IFAS Southwest Florida …
UF/IFAS Hosts Orchard Field Day
By Maegan Beatty Last week, the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) hosted an Orchard Field Day at the Plant Science Research and Education Unit in Citra, Florida. The field day served as an educational event for commercial farmers, home gardeners and industry representatives. Attendees gathered to learn more about fruit crop diversification options. Speakers covered …
UF/IFAS Hosts Orchard Field Day
By Maegan Beatty Last week, the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) hosted an Orchard Field Day at the Plant Science Research and Education Unit in Citra, Florida. The field day served as an educational event for commercial farmers, home gardeners and industry representatives. Attendees gathered to learn more about fruit crop diversification options. Speakers covered …
UF/IFAS Hosts Lebbeck Mealybug Workshop
Researchers are offering a lebbeck mealybug detection workshop in Fort Pierce on April 25. The event will be held from 9 a.m. to noon at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Indian River Research and Education Center (IRREC). Register for the meeting here. Lebbeck mealybug (Nipaecoccus viridis) is an invasive pest that can cost the fruit …
UF/IFAS Research: Intercropping Reduces Pest Abundance
Intercropping – the practice of planting mixtures of crops – can be an effective pest management tool worldwide, a new University of Florida (UF) study shows. The analysis compiled results from 44 field studies across six continents and focused on four crop types – cabbage, squash, cotton and onion – planted on their own and mixed with a companion plant …
Additional UF/IFAS Research Needed: Phosphorous Levels in Blueberries
By Clint Thompson Blueberry plants lose half of their phosphorous during harvest. Additional research at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences is needed to determine what it means for management of the nutrient in future seasons. Gerardo Nunez, assistant professor at UF/IFAS, discussed phosphorous management during the blueberry field day on March 9 in Citra, Florida. …
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 …
UF/IFAS Research After Hurricane Ian Seeks to Help Florida Growers
Researchers will assess 20 to 30 Florida citrus groves impacted by 2022’s Hurricane Ian to learn lessons that will help growers in the future. University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) researchers Christopher Vincent and Tripti Vashisth and their teams will conduct the assessment. The research will be funded by a $280,000, one-year grant from the U.S. Department of …