To protect crop yields and the environment, the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) is increasingly leveraging powerful tools such as technology driven by artificial intelligence (AI). In an effort to expedite such development, UF/IFAS will build a 19,000-square-foot AI hub at the Gulf Coast Research and Education Center (GCREC) in Balm, about 25 miles southeast …
Drive-Through Field Day Gives a Glimpse at Millennium Block
The University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Indian River Research and Education Center (IRREC) in Fort Pierce hosted a drive-through field day for attendees to tour its Millennium block. The grove features more than 5,500 2- and 3-year-old trees. A total of 154 new citrus scion/rootstock combinations are included in the research project. The trial has …
Florida Ag Commissioner Statement on Initial Ian Damage Estimate
The University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) released a preliminary assessment of agricultural production losses associated with Hurricane Ian. The report estimates a potential loss of up to $1.56 billion for Florida producers. The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumers Services (FDACS) is expected to release its own findings later this week. “After speaking with producers and seeing the …
Tomato Prices High Following Hurricane Ian
By Clint Thompson Tomato prices are extremely high right now. Unfortunately, there’s not much supply for growers to take advantage. “North Florida and South Georgia are probably the only domestic supply of tomatoes we’ve got for the foreseeable future,” said Josh Freeman, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) associate professor in horticultural science. Freeman estimated those …
Assessing Hurricane Ian’s Impact on Florida Vegetables
By Frank Giles Hurricane Ian will have far reaching impacts on Florida agriculture. An initial estimate released by the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) puts farm losses at between $787 million and $1.56 billion. The storm brought hurricane-strength winds to nearly 1.2 million acres agricultural lands in Florida. Vegetable growers are reporting varying degrees of …
Federal Grant: UF Scientist to Investigate Strategies to Control Tomato Disease
Diseases like bacterial spot can threaten tomatoes, a $1.9 billion-a-year crop planted on 330,000 acres across 18 states. Gary Vallad, a University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) professor of plant pathology, has been awarded a $5.8 million federal grant to study how to mitigate this disease. “Bacterial spot of tomato is a major challenge to commercial …
Agricultural Losses to Hurricane Ian Could Top $1.5 Billion in Florida
The combination of seasonal crops, livestock, nursery and aquaculture products potentially lost as a result of category 4 Hurricane Ian will likely be valued between $787 million and $1.56 billion, University of Florida economists predict. The estimate was released as part of a new document, “Preliminary Assessment of Agricultural Losses and Damages resulting from Hurricane Ian,” from the UF/IFAS Economic Impact …
Hurricane Ian Aftermath: Economists Estimate Up to $1.5 Billion Hit to Florida Agriculture
The combination of seasonal crops, livestock, nursery and aquaculture products potentially lost as a result of category 4 Hurricane Ian will likely be valued between $787 million and $1.56 billion, University of Florida economists predict. The estimate was released as part of a new document, “Preliminary Assessment of Agricultural Losses and Damages resulting from Hurricane Ian,” from the UF/IFAS Economic …
Hurricane Ian Recovery Resources for Growers
Florida Citrus Mutual’s crop estimate luncheon on Oct. 12 included the live announcement of the citrus crop forecast. But the focus of the event was on resources growers can tap into for assistance after Hurricane Ian. Speakers from various agencies shared information that can aid grower recovery efforts. “After the storm, we knew whatever number (for the citrus crop estimate) …
October Management Tips for Blueberries
Blueberry specialists at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) remind growers about management options they need to be mindful of during October. Producers should monitor and manage leaf diseases, especially in evergreen systems. It is important to scout for algal stem blotch and selectively prune out canes infected with algal stem blotch, Botryosphaeria stem blight …