Tallahassee, Fla. – Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried is announcing that the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) has been awarded a $500,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to carry out a new Farm Stress Awareness and Reduction Initiative in Florida. With this grant award, FDACS will launch an outreach campaign to help raise awareness about …
Sweet Corn Insect Management: Scouting Important Against Fall Armyworms
By Clint Thompson Scouting remains the main key for Florida sweet corn farmers in fending off fall armyworms this season. Julien Beuzelin, a University of Florida (UF) Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) entomologist, said appropriate management of fall armyworms starts with making sure you have a problem to begin with. “For armyworms, scouting is very important because you …
Intelligent Disease Identification
By Yiannis Ampatzidis and Pamela Roberts Accurate and rapid disease identification at the beginning of an outbreak is essential for implementing effective management tactics. Diagnosis based on visual symptoms is often compromised by the inability to differentiate among similar symptoms caused by plant pathogens and abiotic disorders. Recent technological advances in sensors, machine vision, mechatronics, big data analytics and artificial …
Nematode Management in Florida Hops
By Clint Thompson Like other specialty crops grown throughout Florida, hops are not immune to nematode damage. However, they may be able to tolerate them better than others, says Johan Desaeger, Assistant Professor of Entomology and Nematology at the University of Florida (UF) Gulf Coast Research and Education Center. “One thing that we noticed with hops, and I think that’s …
Smart Spray Technology for Weed Control in Row Middles
By Nathan Boyd and Arnold Schumann Would you be willing to reduce herbicide inputs if it did not negatively impact your bottom line, required no additional labor, and weeds were still adequately controlled? For most growers, the answer would automatically be yes if it was possible. How the Technology Works University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) …
Current and Future Citrus BMPs Getting a Closer Look
Learn why growers are concerned with new guidance on phosphorus.
Turf Breeding: UGA, UF Collaborate to Develop Better, Tougher Turf
By Maria M. Lameiras, Kirsten Romaguera for CAES News When the University of Georgia (UGA) Bulldogs take the field against the University of Florida (UF) Gators for their annual football game on Saturday, the teams will be playing in neutral territory at TIAA Bank Field in Jacksonville, Florida. But the grass they are playing on could be considered home turf …
Spotlight: Arthropod Pest Management in Conventional Strawberry Production
By Sriyanka Lahiri Thrips Crop rescue through a well-planned pesticide rotation program currently remains the most effective method of pest management in conventionally grown strawberries. However, close monitoring for pests should be conducted as the first line of defense, especially since most strawberry pests are not visible through unaided vision. Flower thrips immatures and adults can feed on the fruit …
Sneak Peek: November 2021 VSCNews Magazine
By Clint Thompson The November issue of VSCNews Magazine highlights the upcoming Florida Ag Expo, which will be held on Nov. 18 at the University of Florida (UF) Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) Gulf Coast Research and Education Center in Wimauma, Florida. The Expo’s return is highly anticipated following last year’s cancellation due to COVID-19. The magazine outlines …
UF Research: Bags on Peaches Help Keep Pests, Diseases Away
Peaches are popular, especially in the Southeast, with annual national production of about 806,000 tons. Growers can help keep pests and diseases from damaging the fruit by placing bags around individual peaches, University of Florida researchers say. David Campbell, a UF/IFAS post-doctoral researcher, led new research, funded by a U.S. Department of Agriculture Organic Research and Extension Initiative grant. UF/IFAS …