By Clint Thompson Tomato season is here for producers in Florida. Diseases like bacterial leaf spot and target spot should be on the mind of growers preparing their fungicide programs, says Josh Freeman, University of Florida/IFAS Associate Professor in Horticultural Science. “In the fall season we really worry about bacterial leaf spot getting established early just because we’re in a …
Update on Tomato Brown Rugose Fruit Virus in Florida
By Ozgur Batuman and Salih Yilmaz Tomato brown rugose fruit virus (ToBRFV) is a highly contagious, devastating and economically important plant virus. It mainly threatens greenhouse-grown vegetable crops worldwide, especially tomatoes and peppers. ToBRFV is very similar to other tobamoviruses, such as tomato mosaic virus (ToMV) and tobacco mosaic virus (TMV), two tomato-infecting viruses common to most Florida growers. Although …
UF Scientist: Understanding the Past is Really a Window to the Future
LAKE ALFRED, Fla. — University of Florida scientists aiming to find a solution to citrus greening disease are looking to the past to hopefully find the answer. In a new study, published in Nature Communications, UF’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences collaborated with an international team of scientists and analyzed 69 genomes from the East Asian mandarin family, alongside their …
Explain Yourself: Florida Blueberry Producers Part of Survey on Pollinator Use
A national group of scientists, including University of Florida researcher Rachel Mallinger, hope to learn more about how blueberry growers use pollinators to boost their yields for the state’s $60 million-a-year industry. Mallinger is surveying Florida blueberry farmers to see how they utilize pollinators. “Pollination is extremely important for blueberries as little to no fruit forms without it,” said Mallinger, …
Nematode Management Key to Hemp Production in Florida
By Clint Thompson The long-term sustainability of producing hemp in Florida is still being researched. What is certain is that if growers hope to produce hemp in the Sunshine State, they’ll have to overcome nematodes. It is not a surprise to Johan Desaeger, Assistant Professor of Entomology and Nematology at the UF Gulf Coast Research and Education Center. “What we …
Key Strategies to Slow Down Neopestalotiopsis Fruit Rot in Strawberries
By Clint Thompson The dawn of another strawberry season brings added concern of Neopestalotiopsis Fruit Rot disease. The disease that has devastated the state’s strawberry crop since the 2018-19 season is the top concern for producers heading into the season. What can be done to manage the disease, which can cause leaf spots on strawberry plants? Natalia Peres, a Professor …
Sweet Future for Papayas in Florida?
By Clint Thompson University of Florida/IFAS research yielded profitable options for tropical fruit producers yearning to produce a new crop. That crop is papaya. “It’s about more options and de-risking the process,” said Alan Chambers, plant geneticist at UF/IFAS Tropical Research and Education Center. Chambers conducted research at the UF/IFAS Tropical Research and Education Center in Homestead and featured various …
Cover Crops: Benefit Now and in the Future
By Clint Thompson Most South Florida vegetable and specialty crop producers don’t utilize cover crops during the summer. University of Florida/IFAS research might change that philosophy in the future. Phillip Williams, an assistant professor at the UF/IFAS Southwest Florida Research and Education Center, has a year and a half of research data that point to multiple advantages that cover crops …
How the Next Generation of Citrus Variety Development Is Growing Forward
Amid the ongoing challenges from HLB, there is an increasing demand for more rootstock and scion field trials.
Cause for Concern: Blueberry Producers Be Wary of Algal Stem Blotch Disease
By Clint Thompson Florida blueberry producers need to stay vigilant in maintaining their blueberry bushes for the upcoming year, says Phil Harmon, professor and Extension plant pathologist at the University of Florida. One of the key diseases that growers need to protect against is algal stem blotch. It’s not a typical fungus disease so normal synthetic fungicides are not effective. …