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 …
Don’t Miss the Buzz About Pollinator Week
By Frank Giles This week is National Pollinator Week. Pollinator species, such as bees, other insects, birds, and bats play a critical role in producing more than 100 crops grown in the United States. Honeybee pollination alone adds more than $18 billion in value to agricultural crops annually. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) used the week as an occasion …
New Developments in Glyphosate Cases
There have been a few new developments in cases involving the popular herbicide glyphosate. The Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals agreed with environmental groups that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) didn’t adequately consider whether or not the herbicide causes cancer or threatens endangered species. The litigation against glyphosate began after EPA reauthorized the label and use of the herbicide …
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 …
Resistance to Tebuconazole is Widespread in Gummy Stem Blight Fungus in South Carolina
South Carolina cucurbit growers should reduce tebuconazole applications in managing gummy stem blight. The pathogenic fungus has become moderately resistant to this very commonly used fungicide, according to Clemson plant pathologist Tony Keinath in The South Carolina Grower. Seven watermelon fields were sampled in 2019 (six fields) and 2021 (one field) in Beaufort, Bamberg, Barnwell and Hampton counties. Of 229 …
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. …
A Primary Challenge to Pepper Production
By Pamela Roberts, Aastha Subedi, Erica Goss and Jeffrey Jones Bacterial spot of pepper is one of the most common and chronic disease challenges to pepper production. Infection can occur on the stems, leaves and fruit of the pepper plant. SYMPTOMS AND SPREADSymptoms on the leaves start as small, water-soaked (dark, greasy-like spots) areas that are light brown at first …
North Florida Watermelon Update
By Clint Thompson North Florida watermelon producers should carefully consider whether another round of fungicide applications is in their best interest, especially as harvest season nears an end for many. Bob Hochmuth, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Regional Specialized Extension agent in Live Oak, Florida, said fields that are mostly free of disease may not …
Field Surveys for Resistance-Breaking Viruses in Tomatoes
By Ozgur Batuman and Salih Yilmaz Florida is the leading state in the United States for the production of fresh market tomatoes. In recent years, the emergence of novel tomato-infecting virus species and resistance-breaking variants worldwide has raised concern for the tomato industry. More than 300 virus and virus-like pathogens have been reported to infect tomatoes, which collectively limits their …