For dessert, how about a scoop of ice cream flavored with vanilla from Florida’s farmers? Because so many consumers enjoy vanilla, University of Florida (UF) scientists hope to help Florida farmers grow the bean. Consumers have an appetite for vanilla. The United States leads the world in imported vanilla beans, said Alan Chambers, an assistant professor of horticultural sciences at …
Latest Data from UF Citizen Scientists Show Air Potato Beetles Flourishing in Florida
Contact: Samantha Grenrock, 352-294-3307 (office), 949-735-1076 (cell), grenrosa@ufl.edu GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Across Florida, thousands of small, red beetles have been battling the invasive air potato vine for the last eight years, one bite at a time. And they appear to be prospering, according to the latest data collected through the collaborative efforts of the University of Florida, the Florida Department …
UF/IFAS Researchers May Use Fungi to Control Deadly Crop Disease
A group of fungi might fight a disease that’s dangerous to tomatoes and specialty crops. University of Florida scientists hope to develop this biological strategy as they add to growers’ tools to help control Fusarium wilt. Tomatoes are the number one vegetable crop in Florida. In 2017, approximately 28,000 acres of tomatoes were commercially harvested, with a production value of …
Georgia Blueberry Growers Suffer Second Consecutive Year of Loss
Commissioner Gary W. Black hosted a conference call to connect Georgia blueberry growers and agricultural industry representatives with U.S. Department of Agriculture Under Secretary Bill Northey to discuss recent loss assessments for the 2018 blueberry crop. According to University of Georgia Extension, overall losses of both highbush and rabbiteye varieties could exceed 60 percent. This would mark the second consecutive …
UF/IFAS Researcher Hopes to Breed, Grow Nutritious Pumpkins in Florida
By Brad Buck, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Pumpkins and their seeds are good for you. For example, the flesh of the fruit is a good source of many vitamins and fiber, and its seeds provide unsaturated fats that help reduce cholesterol, among their other health benefits. The pumpkin’s nutrient values are driving Geoffrey Meru, a fruit …
National Strawberry Day Brings Attention to UF/IFAS Varieties
Vance Whitaker toils day and night to develop the tastiest, best-looking, aromatic strawberries a consumer would want. Yummy enough for a nutritious snack or to help flavor a cake or pie just in time for National Strawberry Day on Feb. 27. Whitaker, an associate professor of horticultural sciences at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS), …
Taste Test Shows Luffa’s Potential
This emerging Asian vegetable is one to watch in Florida. By Yucong Xie, Guodong Liu, Bala Rathinasabapathi and Muhammad A. Shahid Luffa is a genus of tropical and subtropical plants in the cucumber family (Cucurbitaceae). Native to Asia, particularly in China and Vietnam, luffa is cultivated for its immature fruit, which is consumed as a cooked vegetable (Figure 1). Mature …
Fun, Informative Day at Florida Citrus Show
By Clint Thompson The Florida Citrus Show on Thursday provided attendees a fun, informative day to learn about citrus and specialty crops while engaging with exhibitors during the tailgate style format; all happening in Fort Pierce, Florida. Attendees flocked to South Florida to learn about how different trends are impacting the citrus and specialty crop industries through the various seminar …
Southeast Alabama Strawberry Producers ‘Cautiously Optimistic’
By Clint Thompson Strawberries are nearing harvest season in Southeast Alabama. Neil Kelly, Alabama regional Extension agent in Southeast Alabama, provided an update on the current season and what growers are doing now in preparations for harvest time. “What we’re trying to do right now is stick all of our blooms from this point forward. We start at the middle …
Alternatives to Copper Needed for Citrus Canker Management
Florida citrus producers have long used copper as a way to protect against citrus canker. However, it’s time for growers to have other options. That’s a message shared by Ozgur Batuman, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) associate professor and citrus pathologist at the Southwest Florida Research and Education Center in Immokalee. He spoke on this …