“Good science takes time.” That is the message Jerry Frankhauser is preaching. The assistant director of the Florida Agricultural Experiment Station who oversees the University of Florida hemp research program stresses that like other projects at other universities, the UF/IFAS Industrial Hemp Pilot Project will take between 3 and 5 years before they have a handle on how hemp will …
Heat Brings Out Antioxidants, Increases Red in Tomatoes
December 17, 2020 By: Brad Buck, bradbuck@ufl.edu, 352-875-2641 (cell) Turn up the heat, and get more nutrition from your tomato, University of Florida researchers say. Furthermore, when you buy a tomato, it will be about as red as it can be, thanks to the UF/IFAS methods deployed for the study. The findings are crucial to an industry in which Florida …
Georgia Pecan Producers Nearing End to Harvest Season
According to the USDA Market News Service, Georgia pecan producers are about 90% finished with harvesting this year’s crop, while prices have improved some since last week. Amid the lack of export opportunities, many growers are continuing to store their top quality and larger sized pecans in hopes of selling for better prices at a later date. Holiday retail and …
Fruit Drop Weighs Heavily on Florida Growers
Numerous Florida citrus growers are experiencing heavy fruit drop this fall. “For some growers, it’s the worst fruit drop they have experienced; 50%-plus,” says grower Lee Jones with Cross Covered Caretaking. Grower Jim Snively, with Southern Gardens Citrus, said he is hearing talk of around 30 to 50%-plus fruit drop. “I’m hearing pick-outs that are 20% to 70% below last …
Pandemic Fuels Some of ’20’s Most-Searched UF/IFAS Extension Information
December 15, 2020 By: Kirsten Romaguera, 352-294-3313, kromaguera@ufl.edu GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The coronavirus pandemic occupied space in everyone’s minds this year, prompting online searches about any variety of topics related to it. The year’s most popular UF/IFAS Extension EDIS publications were no exception, with two of the top 10 being brand-new documents related to food safety and the coronavirus. In …
Getting to the Bottom of Blossom-End Rot
By Maria M. Lameiras for UGA CAES News Home gardeners and commercial farmers alike can attest to the disappointment of seeing a beautiful tomato ripening on a vine, only to discover that the fruit has dark, sunken pits at the blossom end of the fruit. Called blossom-end rot (BER), this physiological disorder is prevalent in fruit and vegetable crops, including …
Pecan Harvest Season Nearing End
According to the USDA Pecan Report, growers are about 90% finished with harvesting their pecan crop this season. An estimated 50% have been sold, with the rest that are of good quality and size will be stored to sell later when prices have improved. The Pecan Report states, “Prices are about steady, and interest has increased as the push for …
U.S. Horticulture Operations Report $13.8 Billion in Sales
WASHINGTON, Dec. 8, 2020 – Today, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) released the 2019 Census of Horticultural Specialties report, the only source of detailed production and sales data for floriculture, nursery, and specialty crops for the entire United States. The data show that horticulture operations sold a total of $13.8 billion in floriculture, nursery and …
USTR Calls for Investigation of Imported Squash, Cucumbers
On Friday, December 4, 2020, U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer issued a letter to the Chairman of the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) requesting investigations into the import of cucumbers and squash and the effect on the domestic seasonal markets. The request is to investigate the monthly price trends, including an analysis and comparison of the prices of domestically produced products …
Pecan Prices Stay Low
It is getting late in the pecan harvest season. Prices remain low for farmers across the Southeast. According to the USDA Pecan Report, some producers are storing pecans they would normally export in hopes of getting a better price after the new year. Farmers and homeowners who are trying to sell now are still encountering decreased prices. “Export and retail …