By Frank Giles The Florida Legislature passed the largest budget on record during its 2022 session. The final tally came in at $110 billion. Lawmakers showed strong support for agriculture, passing several important bills. The Legislature allocated millions of dollars for the industry as well. SB 1000The most significant action was passage of SB 1000 Nutrient Application Rates. The legislation …
Blueberry Management for July
University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) reminds Florida producers about what blueberry management tactics they need to consider as the calendar turns to July. Growers should scout for algal stem blotch, a key disease in southern highbush blueberries. It can stunt growth and cause yellowing in leaves. Farmers should also monitor and manage leaf diseases. They …
North Florida Watermelon Crop ‘Pretty Well Done’
By Clint Thompson North Florida’s watermelon crop is “pretty well done,” according to Bob Hochmuth, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) regional specialized Extension agent in Live Oak, Florida. The intense heat in recent weeks helped accelerate the crop’s harvest across the region. “I think we were on the way to winding down anyway but certainly …
Sneak Peek: July 2022 Specialty Crop Industry Magazine
The July issue of Specialty Crop Industry Magazine highlights the changing landscape in agriculture and the need for policy reform, specifically pertaining to increased imports. Zhengfei Guan, an associate professor, and Kuan-Ming Huang, a postdoctoral research associate, both at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Gulf Coast Research and Education Center in Wimauma, Florida, discusses …
Extreme Heat Sweltering Watermelon Crop
By Clint Thompson Extreme heat the past couple of weeks should lead to an early end for watermelon harvests across the Southeast. Especially with temperatures this week eclipsing 100 degrees Fahrenheit, watermelons ripen quicker, leading to fields being done earlier than expected. “Everything is based on growing degree days. We accumulate a lot more growing degree days when it’s 100 …
Heat Impact on Georgia Watermelons
By Clint Thompson High temperatures in Georgia the past couple of weeks should have a positive and negative impact on the state’s melon crops. Tim Coolong, associate professor in the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, discussed what growers experience when temperatures near 100 degrees Fahrenheit (F). “I think the quality of the fruit is going to …
Register for Upcoming Florida Brassica Production Workshop
Attention Florida specialty crop producers: Save the date and register for an upcoming virtual Florida brassica production workshop. The University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) will host the workshop on Tuesday, Aug. 23, from 9 a.m. to noon. The workshop will provide up-to-date information on Florida brassica production. Highlighted topics include weed management, nematode management, nutrient …
Cover Crops a Management Practice with Multiple Benefits
By Clint Thompson The fallow season means an opportunity for specialty crop producers to implement cover crops. It is a management tool that helps growers remain sustainable now and into the future. It is also a practice that Johan Desaeger, assistant professor of entomology and nematology at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Gulf Coast Research and Education Center, …
Cover Crops a Management Practice with Multiple Benefits
By Clint Thompson The fallow season means an opportunity for specialty crop producers to implement cover crops. It is a management tool that helps growers remain sustainable now and into the future. It is also a practice that Johan Desaeger, assistant professor of entomology and nematology at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Gulf Coast Research …
Florida’s Next Commodity: Tea?
It is iced tea season in Florida. But whether you take your tea hot or iced, sweet or unsweet, black or green, the infused leaf in your cup could soon originate from a Florida farm. University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) researchers are investigating whether it is feasible to produce tea plants in the Sunshine State. …