By: Brad Buck, 813-757-2224, bradbuck@ufl.edu, 352-875-2641 (cell) Organic food sales topped $50 billion in the United States in 2018. Statistics from the Organic Trade Association tell part of the story of this growing market: Fruits, vegetables and other specialty crops combined to make up 36.3% of total organic sales — up 5.6% from the previous year. Naturally, farmers want to …
Florida Farmers Overcome COVID-19 Impacts
By: Tory Moore, 352-273-3566, torymoore@ufl.edu More than 70% of Florida’s large farms sell to the service industry which includes theme parks, hotels, restaurants and cruise lines. When COVID-19 brought the tourism industry to a crashing halt this spring, farmers around the state quickly pivoted to sell the bounty of fruit and vegetables that were at peak harvest. In a recently …
Coming Soon: White Strawberries From the Wild
By Seonghee Lee and Vance M. Whitaker The University of Florida will soon commercialize a new strawberry variety. It doesn’t have a name yet, but it is already drawing attention for a very unusual characteristic. When it is ripe and ready to eat, it is white inside and out, with a slight pink blush on the exterior and red seeds. …
Whiteflies Impacting Georgia Blueberries
Whiteflies are not just impacting vegetables and cotton this year. According to the University of Georgia Integrated Pest Management blog, whitefly populations are impacting blueberries in Georgia. Since harvest season ended, University of Georgia blueberry entomologist Ash Sial has fielded calls of whitefly infestations in major blueberry-producing counties in Georgia. In the past, UGA blueberry experts have identified heavy infestations …
Trialing and Developing Blackberries for Florida
By Zhanao Deng Blackberry has emerged as an alternative crop in Florida. More and more Florida growers are growing or trialing blackberries for commercial production. They have indicated a dire need for suitable blackberry cultivars that can yield well and produce berries of good quality. PAST CULTIVARS AND RESEARCH In the 1950s, University of Florida (UF) released two blackberry cultivars, …
Citrus Breeding Progress on Track in Florida
Find out what several experts are seeing in the field and the lab.
Sneak Peek: September 2020 VSCNews Magazine
The September issue of VSCNews magazine is packed with information about breeding updates and new varieties. Readers can see what’s new in strawberries, blueberries, blackberries and cucurbits. Breeding new varieties is a vital component to push agriculture forward. The University of Florida (UF) is a leader in the breeding industry. Recently, blackberries have emerged as an alternative crop in Florida. …
Fungal Biopesticides Useful in the Fight Against Citrus Pests
Learn more about a product that can aid in control of the Asian citrus psyllid.
World Outreach Helps UF Strawberry Breeding Program
By: Brad Buck, 813-757-2224, bradbuck@ufl.edu, 352-875-2641 (cell) BALM, Florida — UF/IFAS-bred strawberries are grown in over 70 countries across six continents. One of those countries, Egypt, ranks among the top strawberry-producing nations in the world. So, it seems fitting that an Egyptian-American scientist is leading an effort to facilitate the expansion of production of UF/IFAS-bred strawberries internationally. Behind the United …
Response Requested From Ag, Marine Industry Professionals for New Round of Surveys
By: Kirsten Romaguera, 352-294-3313, kromaguera@ufl.edu GAINESVILLE, Fla. — University of Florida researchers have opened the second round of surveys on COVID-19’s impact on the state’s agriculture and marine industries, intended to capture changes in operations for the first half of the year. The Assessment of COVID-19 Impacts on Florida surveys were first deployed in mid-April and closed in mid-May, offering …