tomato disease

UF/IFAS Team Hopes to Fight Prevalent Tomato Disease

Web AdminIndustry News Release, Research, Tomatoes

A University of Florida (UF) scientist will lead a team of researchers trying to help battle Fusarium wilt, a major tomato disease around the world. In doing so, investigators hope to help farmers increase their tomato production. Sam Hutton, an associate professor of horticultural sciences at the UF Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS), will use a new $490,000 …

Kelly Morgan Named New Director of UF/IFAS Southwest Florida Research and Education Center

Web AdminIndustry News Release, Research, Top Posts

By: Beverly James, 352-273-3566, beverlymjames@ufl.edu GAINESVILLE, Fla. – As Best Management Practices Coordinator for the state, Kelly Morgan has spent years helping growers find optimum ways to irrigate and fertilize their crops to maximize results. Now, he will get the chance to coordinate even more groundbreaking research. The University of Florida has named Morgan the new director of the UF/IFAS …

UF/IFAS Hopes to Grow Vanilla, Meet Consumer Demand

Web AdminIndustry News Release, Research, Top Posts

For dessert, how about a scoop of ice cream flavored with vanilla from Florida’s farmers? Because so many consumers enjoy vanilla, University of Florida (UF) scientists hope to help Florida farmers grow the bean. Consumers have an appetite for vanilla. The United States leads the world in imported vanilla beans, said Alan Chambers, an assistant professor of horticultural sciences at …

fungi

UF/IFAS Researchers May Use Fungi to Control Deadly Crop Disease

Web AdminFruit, Industry News Release, Research, Strawberry, Tomatoes, Vegetables, Watermelon

A group of fungi might fight a disease that’s dangerous to tomatoes and specialty crops. University of Florida scientists hope to develop this biological strategy as they add to growers’ tools to help control Fusarium wilt. Tomatoes are the number one vegetable crop in Florida. In 2017, approximately 28,000 acres of tomatoes were commercially harvested, with a production value of …

UF/IFAS Researcher Hopes to Breed, Grow Nutritious Pumpkins in Florida

Web AdminIndustry News Release, Research, Top Posts, Vegetables

By Brad Buck, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Pumpkins and their seeds are good for you. For example, the flesh of the fruit is a good source of many vitamins and fiber, and its seeds provide unsaturated fats that help reduce cholesterol, among their other health benefits. The pumpkin’s nutrient values are driving Geoffrey Meru, a fruit …

National Strawberry Day Brings Attention to UF/IFAS Varieties

Web AdminBerries, Industry News Release, Strawberry, Top Posts

Vance Whitaker toils day and night to develop the tastiest, best-looking, aromatic strawberries a consumer would want. Yummy enough for a nutritious snack or to help flavor a cake or pie just in time for National Strawberry Day on Feb. 27. Whitaker, an associate professor of horticultural sciences at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS), …

Florida Hops Research Offers Bright Spot as Craft Beer Market Slows

Clint ThompsonFlorida

Despite a recent softening in demand for craft beer, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) experts say there’s reason for optimism â€“ especially as researchers supply Florida-grown hops to the state’s brewers. At the June 2 Hops Field Day at the Gulf Coast Research and Education Center (GCREC), attendees got a front-row look at how UF/IFAS researchers are working to strengthen the state’s craft-beer ecosystem …

Harvest Season Winding Down for North Florida Watermelon Producers

Clint ThompsonFlorida

By Clint Thompson North Florida watermelons continue to be harvested across the Suwanee Valley Region. It won’t be long before growers can call it a season, according to Bob Hochmuth, UF/IFAS Regional Specialized Extension agent in Live Oak, Florida. Various factors will impact how much longer producers will harvest this year’s crop. “I think the market will drive a lot …

Downy Mildew Reported in North Florida Watermelon

Dan CooperWatermelon

Bob Hochmuth, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) regional specialized Extension agent for commercial vegetable crops, has reported downy mildew has shown up in the Suwannee Valley region of North Florida this week. “It was seen in small areas at the end of last week but as downy mildew can do, it spread rapidly over the …

downy mildew

Downy Mildew’s Impact in Suwanee Valley

Clint ThompsonFlorida

By Clint Thompson Downy mildew’s confirmation in North Florida watermelons was later than normal this year. But it still could impact certain watermelon fields in the Suwanee Valley Region. Bob Hochmuth, UF/IFAS Regional Specialized Extension agent in Live Oak, Florida, talks more about the disease in an interview with AgNet Media. “Some (farmers) are, you know, maybe one harvest away …