By Clint Thompson Farming is an inherently dangerous occupation. But growers don’t usually think about the dangers that come with driving a tractor and working with various pieces of equipment. Not when it is a practice they have done day in and day out for decades. It is a concept not lost on Serap Gorucu, assistant professor in the University …
Fumigation: Pros and Cons Discussed at Annual Watermelon Meeting
By Clint Thompson Despite stringent regulatory requirements and high costs, fumigation remains a vital tool in a specialty crop producers’ toolbox when managing certain pests. “The reality is there’s just some pests and some crops where that is our most reliable tactic,” said Josh Freeman, an agronomist and regional manager with TriEst Ag Group. “Consider peppers for example. You have …
Watermelon Institute’s Annual Meeting Educates Producers Ahead of Season
By Clint Thompson The Suwanee Valley Watermelon Institute’s annual meeting in Fanning Springs, Florida on Thursday came at just the right time for the region’s producers. They are about a month away from breaking ground for next year’s crop. The meeting allowed them the opportunity to learn about the latest research at the University of Florida Institute of Food and …
MELCAST System Could Help Watermelon Producers Reduce Fungicide Sprays
By Clint Thompson Imagine a system in place that would aid watermelon growers in knowing when to apply fungicide sprays for management of foliar diseases. The University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) is conducting research to verify the effectiveness of one such system. Mathews Paret, UF/IFAS associate professor of plant pathology, discussed MELCAST, a spray advisory …
Watermelon Day at N.C. State Farmers Market
RALEIGH – Giant watermelons, watermelon royalty and free slices of the summertime fruit – what’s not to love about Watermelon Day, scheduled for today at the State Farmers Market in Raleigh, North Carolina (N.C.). Activities including a giant watermelon contest, visits by the N.C. Watermelon Queen Emory New and the National Watermelon Queen Bethany Barfield, live music and face painting …
Artificial Intelligence: Helps Detect Watermelon Disease Quickly, Accurately
The needs of Florida watermelon producers motivate Yiannis Ampatzidis to use artificial intelligence (AI) to detect pathogens early and accurately. One such disease, downy mildew, spreads like wildfire, said Ampatzidis, a University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) associate professor of agricultural and biological engineering. In newly published research, Ampatzidis used spectral reflectance — the energy a …
North Florida Watermelon Crop ‘Pretty Well Done’
By Clint Thompson North Florida’s watermelon crop is “pretty well done,” according to Bob Hochmuth, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) regional specialized Extension agent in Live Oak, Florida. The intense heat in recent weeks helped accelerate the crop’s harvest across the region. “I think we were on the way to winding down anyway but certainly …
Watermelon Producer: It’s Been a Downhill Slide
By Clint Thompson Various factors have contributed to a difficult watermelon season for Southeast producers. But it has been a challenge, says Carr Hussey, a watermelon farmer in Florida, Georgia and Alabama and chairman of the board of the Florida Watermelon Association (FWA). “From the beginning it’s been a downhill slide. These guys are actually probably selling stuff below production …
Extreme Heat Sweltering Watermelon Crop
By Clint Thompson Extreme heat the past couple of weeks should lead to an early end for watermelon harvests across the Southeast. Especially with temperatures this week eclipsing 100 degrees Fahrenheit, watermelons ripen quicker, leading to fields being done earlier than expected. “Everything is based on growing degree days. We accumulate a lot more growing degree days when it’s 100 …
Heat Impact on Georgia Watermelons
By Clint Thompson High temperatures in Georgia the past couple of weeks should have a positive and negative impact on the state’s melon crops. Tim Coolong, associate professor in the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, discussed what growers experience when temperatures near 100 degrees Fahrenheit (F). “I think the quality of the fruit is going to …