North Florida Watermelon Season Nearing End

Clint ThompsonFlorida

By Clint Thompson North Florida’s watermelon season is nearing its final few days of harvest. It’s not as if there isn’t plenty of fruit still left to be sold. The low market prices are contributing to growers finishing up this year, says Bob Hochmuth, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Regional Specialized Extension agent in Live …

Downy Mildew Update in North Florida Watermelons

Clint ThompsonFlorida

Bob Hochmuth, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS Regional Specialized Extension agent in Live Oak, Florida, talks about how downy mildew has impacted North Florida’s watermelon crop this year. He also demonstrates what symptoms look like. Downy mildew can degrade or destroy the plant’s foliage very rapidly. It thrives in a wet, humid environment, and the …

Specialty Crop Grower Magazine: High-Density Orchards the Future of Florida Peach Production

Clint ThompsonFlorida

By Clint Thompson The future of Florida’s peach industry potentially rests on results generated from research at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS). With labor expenses at an all-time high and showing no signs of slowing, Florida’s peach growers need a more efficient way to produce a crop that is heavily reliant on manual labor. …

Saturated Alabama Impacting Fruit, Vegetable Production

Clint ThompsonAlabama

By Clint Thompson Alabama has sufficient moisture. According to the June 5 edition of the U.S. Drought Monitor, there are no dry conditions being observed throughout the state. Conditions are especially saturated in central Alabama, says David Lawrence, regional Extension agent in central Alabama. “All the ponds are full right now. It is wet. About every three or four days …

Irrigation’s Importance for North Florida Watermelon Crop

Clint ThompsonFlorida

By Clint Thompson North Florida watermelon growers must remain diligent with their irrigation applications as harvests continue across the Suwanee Valley. Bob Hochmuth, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Regional Specialized Extension agent in Live Oak, Florida, highlighted in his weekly email the importance of irrigation, especially with some fields picked just once or not at …

Drought Monitor Update: Conditions Worsening in South Florida

Clint ThompsonFlorida

The May 29 issue of the U.S. Drought Monitor shows dry conditions expanding and worsening across southern Florida. Abnormally dry conditions cover a wide area of Southwest Georgia, while minimal drought is observed in Alabama. The worst area in Florida is covered in the southwest part of the state. Extreme drought is observed in Manatee, Hardee, Sarasota, DeSoto, Charlotte, Lee, …

Lot of Tonnage Left: North Florida Watermelon Harvests Continue

Clint ThompsonFlorida

By Clint Thompson North Florida watermelon harvests are in their fourth week across the Suwanee Valley region. One industry expert believes there is still more than half of the crop remaining. “There are many fields that are basically in the first harvesting. I would say we have a lot of tonnage out in the fields yet to be harvested if …

Bacterial Spot’s Long Impact on Southeast Tomatoes

Clint ThompsonFlorida

This is the first in a two-part series on the disease and UF/IFAS research. By Clint Thompson One tomato disease has long been a thorn in the side of producers throughout the Southeast. Gary Vallad, professor of plant pathology at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Gulf Coast Research and Education Center, discussed bacterial spot …

Salibro an Effective Treatment Option for Nematodes

Clint ThompsonFlorida

By Clint Thompson Salibro nematicide provides Florida vegetable growers another new tool in the toolbox when managing nematodes. 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, discusses Salibro and its impact on the soil pests. “We have this new nematicide called Salibro which …

Downy Mildew Remains Key Threat to North Florida Watermelon Crop

Clint ThompsonFlorida

Downy mildew disease remains the most important threat to North Florida watermelons, a couple of weeks into harvest season. That’s the assessment made by Bob Hochmuth, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Regional Specialized Extension agent in Live Oak, Florida. The disease has not “blown up” this year, and Hochmuth attributes that to growers being proactive …