According to the South Florida Pest and Disease Hotline, few spider mite hotspots remain around Homestead, Florida. Broad mites continue to stay active in the area as well. A similar scenario is being reported in the southwest part of the state, too. Spider mites are showing up in various locations on cucurbits, tomatoes and eggplants. Broad mites have flared up …
Strawberry Disease Alert: Florida Growers Be on the Lookout
By Clint Thompson Florida’s strawberry producers have more than just Neopestalotiopsis Fruit Rot to worry about from a disease management standpoint. Natalia Peres, professor of plant pathology at the University of Florida/ Gulf Coast Research and Education Center, highlights a couple of additional diseases that growers need to be wary of as production continues this year. “There’s some Phytophthora out …
Florida Snap Bean Conference Postponed
The Florida Snap Bean Conference, scheduled for Tuesday, Jan. 11, has been postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic and strict Palm Beach County regulations. University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) announced the conference will be rescheduled towards the end of the growing season to provide updates on this year’s research trials. UF/IFAS hopes to schedule a …
Challenges of Florida Strawberry Production
By Clint Thompson Strawberry production in Florida is not for the faint of heart. So many challenges exist that growers must overcome to remain sustainable. Just ask Florida farmer Dustin Grooms. “If you’ve got a berry field, you’ve got a problem,” Grooms said. Grooms and other farmers are in the middle of another strawberry season. Production has increased some this …
UF Research: Environmentally Friendly Way to Control Pest in Strawberries
BALM, Fla. — University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) researchers have discovered a more environmentally-friendly way to control the chilli thrips in strawberries. It includes using less pesticides. With a new, biological control method, farmers could save up to 5,000 gallons a year in pesticides that would be used on the crop, said Sriyanka Lahiri, a …
Sneak Peek: January 2021 Specialty Crop Industry Magazine
By Clint Thompson A new year brings a new name to VSCNews Magazine. That’s right, the leader in specialty crop news will now be known as Specialty Crop Industry. The January issue of Specialty Crop Industry highlights the name change and what it means for its parent company, AgNet Media. The issue also focuses on blueberries and highlights different aspects …
Fertilization of Blueberries in Pine Bark Beds
By Doug Phillips and Jeffrey G. Williamson Blueberries have specific nutrient requirements that differ from other horticultural crops. They have shallow root systems and no root hairs, which limits the ability to take up nutrients. Blueberries grow best in acidic soils (ideal pH range of 4.5 to 5.5) with at least 3% organic matter and prefer the ammonium form of …
ABT Population Update in South Florida
The University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) reports that higher Asian bean thrips (ABT) populations were reported across South Florida. However, these were observed only in more mature plantings with few blooms. Insecticide applications are not recommended unless scouting indicates populations are greater than 1.0 ABT per bud or bloom. Populations reached 0.6 per bloom in …
Fertigation Systems Efficient and Accurate – If Used Properly
By Clint Thompson Multiple factors impact the efficiency of a fertigation system in watermelons. Mark Warren, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Extension agent in Levy County, stresses the importance of being more efficient with your resources, especially when nutrients are expensive and in limited supply. “I think it’s tough to put an accurate economic dollar on …
Attention Florida Blueberry Producers: Pests, Diseases to Look Out for This Season
By Clint Thompson Florida’s blueberry crop is starting to bloom across the state. Harvests will commence in just a few months. Growers need to be mindful of multiple pests and diseases that could impact this year’s production, says Doug Phillips, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences blueberry Extension coordinator. “The things that growers are concerned about or …