The Australian finger lime has created a buzz among chefs and mixologists for its caviar-like texture and flavorful pulp. The fruit also has captured interest among growers for its seemingly high tolerance to HLB. On March 23, the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) hosted a half-day online symposium on finger limes to provide growers with …
Blueberry Production: Protect Against Root Rot Disease
By Clint Thompson Blueberry growers who utilized overhead freeze protection to protect their crop from the freeze event during the weekend of March 12, need to guard against the development of root rot disease. Growers used overhead irrigation to protect against sub-freezing temperatures. In doing so, however, a large amount of water was utilized, resulting in saturated root zones. This …
Unpredictable Year for Florida Peaches
By Clint Thompson Peach production in Florida is unpredictable this year. The inconsistent weather conditions are a key reason why, explains Jose Chaparro, associate professor in the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS). “The way that we accumulated chilling this year was really bizarre. I can tell you that in the Umatilla area that they’re going …
ABT Populations Low Across South Florida
Asian bean thrips (ABT) populations remain low across the South Florida region, according to the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS). Scouting detected ABTs at a rate of less than 0.1 per bloom across most of the monitored fields. The one exception was eastern Immokalee, where populations reached 0.5 per bloom late in the crop cycle. …
North Florida Watermelon Plants Rebounding from Freeze
By Clint Thompson The majority of North Florida’s watermelon plants have rebounded from the cold temperatures during the weekend of March 12. Damaged plants are beginning to show new growth and make a significant recovery in a week and a half since temperatures dropped below freezing. Growers who started planting earlier in mid-to-late February are seeing the biggest difference, says …
Oversaturated Soils Delaying Specialty Crop Plantings in North Alabama
By Clint Thompson Persistent rains and oversaturated soils have delayed plantings for some specialty crops in North Alabama. “A lot of rainfall is delaying planting dates. Like (Monday), I visited a couple of growers in central to North Alabama and they were saying, ‘We have all of our seedlings ready for transplants, but our soils are too wet,” said Andre …
USDA Disaster Declaration for Florida Growers Impacted by Freeze
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Florida Division of Emergency Management (FDEM) announced the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) disaster designation for 17 counties and 10 contiguous counties impacted by the freezing temperatures that occurred in late January. View the USDA’s approval letter here. “With the approval of our request for a disaster declaration, farmers in Florida have resources available to them …
New Florida Blueberry Varieties on Display during Field Tour
By Frank Giles The University of Florida (UF) blueberry breeding team hosted a farm tour last week to showcase commercially available and varieties in development at stops in Arcadia and Dade City. Doug Phillips, blueberry Extension coordinator for UF, said the tour evaluated two production systems. “We visited a farm down in Arcadia for the morning stop on our Blueberry …
Gummy Stem Blight Disease: Be Proactive, Not Reactive
By Clint Thompson The best defense against gummy stem blight disease is a good offense. Protectant fungicides are available for Alabama’s watermelon producers to guard against it, but growers need to be proactive in applying the fungicides and not be reactive, says Ed Sikora, professor and Extension plant pathologist in the Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology at Auburn University. …
Management Strategies for Cucurbit Farmers Against Anthracnose
By Clint Thompson The best management strategies for cucurbit farmers in combating anthracnose disease occurs before the crop will be planted this season. Ed Sikora, professor and Extension plant pathologist in the Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology at Auburn University, discusses the importance of using varieties that are resistant to the pathogen. “Fortunately, we do have resistant varieties to …