By Kristin Woods Conservation funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (USDA NRCS) can help growers implement good land stewardship practices in an economically sustainable way. While these practices may affect pathogen movement in the farm environment, they are not meant to reduce produce safety risk. Additional consideration must be given around how implementing specific practices …
Sneak Peek: May 2021 VSCNews Magazine
By Ashley Robinson The future of weed control is here. The May issue of VSCNews Magazine provides the inside scoop on all things weed control. First up, Yiannis Ampatzidis, an assistant professor at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) at the Southwest Florida Research and Education Center (SWFREC) covers the future of precision weed control. …
Be on Alert: Gray Mold in Strawberries Can be Devastating
One of the most common diseases of strawberries has already been observed this year in Alabama. Gray mold, also known as Botrytis blight or Botrytis fruit rot, can devastate a crop and cause millions in lost revenue if not managed, according to Alabama Extension. No part of the strawberry plant is immune from the disease. Gray mold can affect the …
Citrus Interest Growing in North Florida, South Georgia
Interest in citrus continues to spike in North Florida and South Georgia. Georgia acres have doubled over the past year. North Florida has increased by another 300 to 400 this spring, says farmer Kim Jones, who owns a citrus packing facility in Monticello, Florida. “We’re seeing a whole lot of acres being planted. It’s hard to get trees. We’ve had …
UGA Encourages Cleaning of Equipment to Reduce Spread of Neopestalotiopsis
Neopestalotiopsis Fruit Rot is devastating strawberry fields in Georgia and Alabama. In an effort to reduce the pathogen’s spread, University of Georgia (UGA) Extension is encouraging strawberry producers to make sure farm equipment is clean before moving from field to field. According to the UGA Extension strawberry blog, washing equipment with soap and water after use in a field with …
Getting Bugs to Work for You: Biodiversity in Action
By Jason Schmidt, Carmen Blubaugh and William Snyder Before large monoculture agriculture became commonplace, farms had a bit of everything — from a vegetable garden and a fruit orchard, to a chicken coop and a honeybee hive, to a natural forest and even a lake or creek. These farms had rich and vibrant plant and animal life, healthy soils and …
Fungicide Sprays Vary for Various Pecan Varieties
By Clint Thompson It’s that time of year when Georgia pecan producers need to start protecting their trees against fungal diseases, including scab. According to the University of Georgia Extension pecan blog, sprays vary among the different cultivars and their specific level of resistance. Low Input Cultivars Those that are considered low input cultivars include Avalon, Elliot, Excel, Kanza, Lakota …
Alert: Florida Watermelon Producers Wary of Increased Disease Pressure
Rainfall over the weekend in north Florida has watermelon producers wary of potential diseases that could potentially occur. Bob Hochmuth, UF/IFAS Regional Specialized Extension agent in Live Oak, Florida, cautions farmers to look for any new symptoms that could occur. “Most of our fungicides are in fact preventative. Trying to play catch-up with a preventative fungicide after a disease has …
Rainy Forecast: Florida to Receive Heavy Rains This Weekend
Florida is on track to receive heavy rainfall thunderstorm activity through this weekend, says Gary England, UF/IFAS Extension Agent Emeritus. In his email, England alerted producers that the main precipitation accumulation is expected Saturday through early next week, mainly Monday and Tuesday. Most of north and north central Florida could receive at least two inches of rainfall with some locations …
February Freeze: Event Left Mark on Alabama Peach Crop
An Alabama freeze event has left its mark on the state’s peach crop. But it’s not the Alabama freeze event you might be thinking of. Edgar Vinson, assistant research professor and Extension specialist in the Department of Horticulture at Auburn University, believes the freezing temperatures experienced in February when the trees were dormant did more damage than the late-season freeze …