Central Florida grove land sold for about 30% less per net tree acre in 2020 than the year before, according to a firm that sells Florida land. Brian Beasley, senior advisor at SVN Saunders Ralston Dantzler in Lakeland, reported the sales in the firm’s Lay of the Land 2020 Market Report. “We assume most of this decrease (in prices) is …
Tomato Producers Be Wary of Fall Diseases
By Clint Thompson Tomato season is here for producers in Florida. Diseases like bacterial leaf spot and target spot should be on the mind of growers preparing their fungicide programs, says Josh Freeman, University of Florida/IFAS Associate Professor in Horticultural Science. “In the fall season we really worry about bacterial leaf spot getting established early just because we’re in a …
Update on Tomato Brown Rugose Fruit Virus in Florida
By Ozgur Batuman and Salih Yilmaz Tomato brown rugose fruit virus (ToBRFV) is a highly contagious, devastating and economically important plant virus. It mainly threatens greenhouse-grown vegetable crops worldwide, especially tomatoes and peppers. ToBRFV is very similar to other tobamoviruses, such as tomato mosaic virus (ToMV) and tobacco mosaic virus (TMV), two tomato-infecting viruses common to most Florida growers. Although …
Wet Summer: Minimal Dry Conditions Reported Across Southeast
Alabama, Florida, Georgia have sufficient moisture and are not reporting any abnormally dry conditions, according to Thursday’s release of the U.S. Drought Monitor. Persistent rainfall has been the dominant story of this year’s summer for most of the Southeast region. Similar conditions are being reported up the East Coast. Only a small portion of Greenville County and Spartanburg County are …
Cooler, Wetter Weather Reported in July
It comes as no surprise to anyone in the Southeast this summer that July is cooler and wetter than normal in most areas. This is according to Pam Knox, University of Georgia Extension Agricultural Climatologist. Knox reported in her University of Georgia Extension Climate and Agriculture blog that even with the warmer temperatures being experienced this week, cooler temperatures and …
Technological Advancements Helpful in Preserving Florida’s Water Supply
By Clint Thompson Water is one of the most valuable resources Florida vegetable and specialty crop producers utilize every season. But that doesn’t mean there’s an endless supply. “I think it is easy for us to forget it is a finite resource and there are limits. It’s easy for us to forget because we just got five inches of rain …
Explain Yourself: Florida Blueberry Producers Part of Survey on Pollinator Use
A national group of scientists, including University of Florida researcher Rachel Mallinger, hope to learn more about how blueberry growers use pollinators to boost their yields for the state’s $60 million-a-year industry. Mallinger is surveying Florida blueberry farmers to see how they utilize pollinators. “Pollination is extremely important for blueberries as little to no fruit forms without it,” said Mallinger, …
Little Drought Reported Across Southeast
A wet summer across the Southeast can only mean one thing – very little drought across the region. That continues to be the case as evidence by the U.S. Drought Monitor. Persistent rains have provided sufficient moisture for Georgia and Alabama. Neither state is reporting any abnormally dry conditions. The majority of Florida has sufficient moisture as well, except for …
North Georgia Dealing with Excessive Rains
By Clint Thompson South Georgia is not the only part of the state receiving excessive rains this summer. The northern part of the state has received its share as well. It is impacting production at Jaemor Farms in Alto, Georgia, located just above Gainesville. Drew Echols, owner of Jaemor Farms, said his 20 acres of watermelons will be ready for …
Nematode Management Key to Hemp Production in Florida
By Clint Thompson The long-term sustainability of producing hemp in Florida is still being researched. What is certain is that if growers hope to produce hemp in the Sunshine State, they’ll have to overcome nematodes. It is not a surprise to Johan Desaeger, Assistant Professor of Entomology and Nematology at the UF Gulf Coast Research and Education Center. “What we …