By Clint Thompson Planting season is under way for Florida’s tomato producers. Hopefully, farmers have done their due diligence and planned for whiteflies with proper sanitation of previous crops. That is one of the best management tactics growers can implement, says Hugh Smith, Associate Professor of Entomology and Nematology at the University of Florida Gulf Coast Research and Education Center. …
Fall Season Means Increased Risk for Florida Vegetable Producers
By Clint Thompson The dawn of another fall vegetable season in Florida means increased risk for producers, especially when compared to spring production. “The fall generally has more risk exposure than the spring does,” says Josh Freeman, University of Florida/IFAS Associate Professor in Horticultural Science. “You worry about whiteflies, you worry about tropical weather. You have all these things to …
Perfect Tomato? Plant Breeding a Challenge For Even the Best
By Clint Thompson University of Florida tomato breeder Sam Hutton can sometimes be in a no-win situation when trying to create a variety of the future. Between a consumer base that desires quality, and farmers, who crave quantity, it presents a challenging scenario. How do you keep farmers and consumers happy? It is almost impossible. “As you increase your sugars, …
Whitefly Time: Low Numbers Reported in Georgia
By Clint Thompson It is about that time of the summer that one insect becomes more noticeable for certain vegetable farmers and cotton producers. Right on cue, low whitefly infestations have been observed, explains University of Georgia Cooperative Extension vegetable entomologist Stormy Sparks. “Phillip (Roberts) told me (the other day) that he had one person report some yesterday, but really, …
Managing Whitefly-Transmitted Viruses in Georgia
By Bhabesh Dutta and Rajagopalbabu Srinivasan The silverleaf whitefly (Bemisia tabaci), also known as sweetpotato whitefly, is a pest of several horticultural and agronomic crops in southern Georgia. While direct feeding can injure plants and lead to problems such as silvering of leaves, deposition of honeydew and formation of sooty mold, whiteflies also can transmit numerous devastating plant viruses. Transmission …
Non-Factor: Whitefly Numbers Low So Far This Season
By Clint Thompson One pest that can have a devastating effect on vegetable crops in the Southeast has been a non-factor so far this production season. But that doesn’t mean growers should let their guard down against whiteflies. “We probably have the lowest populations we’ve had in several years coming out of winter vegetables, which is fantastic,” says Stormy Sparks, …
Sanitation Important Management Tool
It may be the end of the season for many South Florida vegetable and specialty crop producers, but preparations should already be made for the upcoming fall season. According to the South Florida Pest and Disease Hotline, field sanitation is one of the most important management tools that producers utilize. It’s essential that growers clean up crop residues after harvest. …
Whitefly Populations High in South Florida
According to South Florida Pest and Disease Hotline, whitefly populations are high in beans, squash, eggplants and tomato in Southwest Florida. As a result, Tomato Yellow Leaf Curl Virus is high in most tomato fields. Older cucurbit and fruiting vegetables are experiencing especially high numbers. “Some growers report that they are worse than they have ever been while others claim …
Whitefly Infestations Surge Across South Florida Region
According to the most recent South Florida Pest and Disease Hotline, whitefly pressure continues to build across the region, with populations reaching high numbers. This is especially true in older cucurbit and fruiting vegetables at or close to harvest. Whiteflies feed on various hosts but the crop that’s proven to be most vulnerable is older tomato fields that should have …
South Florida Producers Dealing with Abnormally Dry Conditions
South Florida is abnormally dry. While it is not uncommon this time of year, vegetable and specialty crop producers are having to adjust with their irrigation management, says Gene McAvoy, University of Florida Regional Vegetable Extension Agent IV Emeritus. “It’s pretty characteristic of this time of year in South Florida. We’re in the height of our dry season now. We …