By Frank Giles Over the years, the Florida Grower Citrus Show has become the premier event for growers on the East Coast of Florida while drawing growers from other key production regions as well. Last year, AgNet Media purchased the assets of Florida Grower magazine. With that transaction came the show. Since that time, the team at AgNet Media, along …
Florida Strawberries Face an Increase in Angular Leaf Spot
By Clint Thompson Angular leaf spot disease has been problematic for Florida strawberry growers. The colder winter weather contributed to its impact this season, says Natalia Peres, professor of plant pathology at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Gulf Coast Research and Education Center. “It usually becomes worse when we have freeze events which we’ve had …
Increased Angular Leaf Spot This Year in Florida Strawberries
By Clint Thompson Angular leaf spot disease has been problematic for Florida strawberry growers. The colder winter weather contributed to its impact this season, says Natalia Peres, professor of plant pathology at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Gulf Coast Research and Education Center. “It usually becomes worse when we have freeze events which we’ve …
Refreshed Format for Florida Grower Citrus Show
Over the years, the Florida Grower Citrus Show has become the premier event for growers on the East Coast of Florida while drawing growers from other key production regions as well. Last year, AgNet Media purchased the assets of Florida Grower magazine. With that transaction came the show. Since that time, the team at AgNet Media, along with its partners …
Controlling Weeds Through Composting and Organic Amendments
By Ramdas Kanissery and Mahesh Bashyal Using compost and soil amendments is beneficial to Florida citrus groves. Florida soils are sandy and have a low organic matter and cation exchange capacity. Adding compost and organic amendments (e.g., humic acid) can enhance the soil’s ability to retain water and nutrients. These practices can also boost soil microbial activity and improve soil …
Managing Tree Health After Removing IPCs
Researchers and growers have found that individual protective covers (IPCs) can keep young trees free of HLB for two or more years while providing additional benefits like improved tree growth. The IPCs work by keeping HLB-infecting Asian citrus psyllids out of the tree canopies. But trees outgrow the covers and must eventually be removed. Researchers have found that about 60% …
Nutsedge Control Requires Year-Round Management
By Clint Thompson One of the main weed threats to vegetable production requires a year-round management strategy, not just when the crop is in season. Stanley Culpepper, University of Georgia (UGA) Cooperative Extension weed specialist, discussed the nutsedge management during the Southeast Regional Fruit and Vegetable Conference in Savannah, Georgia. “Nutsedge is always a problem in vegetable production. It’s such …
Whitefly Pressure Building in Southwest Florida
Producers in southwest Florida should be wary that whitefly pressure is moderate to high depending on the location and wind direction, according to the South Florida Pest and Disease Hotline. They have been observed swarming at high numbers, with more than 10 adults per leaf in multiple crops. These include eggplant, pepper, potato and watermelon. In other fields, whitefly adults …
Plant-Parasitic Nematodes Complicate Crop Quality
By Johan Desaeger The importance of plant-parasitic nematodes (PPN) in agriculture was first demonstrated in the mid-1800s with the discovery of sugar beet cyst nematodes in Europe and root-knot nematodes in Europe and the Americas. Experiments with nematicides in the early-mid 1900s demonstrated the significant yield loss caused by these nematodes. Yet to this day, PPN’s true impact on crop …
Neopestalotiopsis on the Move in StrawberriesÂ
By Clint Thompson Neopestalotiopsis disease has been widespread across strawberry fields in the Southeast. It started in Florida and has continued in South Carolina. Natalia Peres, professor of plant pathology at the University of Florida/IFAS Gulf Coast Research and Education Center, said the increase in disease infestations is not surprising. “It’s not surprising considering we’ve had some weather like some rain and …