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Below you'll see everything we could locate for your search of “watermelon”
Vegetable farmers should be aware that whitefly populations are increasing across South Florida, according to the South Florida Pest and Disease Hotline. Scouts are reporting medium to high levels in watermelon, eggplant, tomatoes and brassicas across Southeast Florida. All life stages of the insect are present. Following the late fall tomato crop, scouts noticed an increase in younger plantings as …
By Clint Thompson Persistent rains in the North Florida region amid the current El Niño weather pattern is a potential concern for the region’s watermelon producers. But as long as growers stay on top of their fungicide applications, any disease inoculum should be controlled, believes Bob Hochmuth, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Regional Specialized Extension …
Production for 26 estimated vegetable and melon crops totaled 758 million cwt in 2023, an increase of 6% from 2022, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS). The three largest crops were tomatoes, onions and sweet corn. They combined for 54% of all the vegetables total. The value of utilized production for vegetable crops in …
By Clint Thompson A costly but effective option for watermelon producers hoping to overcome fusarium wilt disease is the use of Carolina Strongback rootstock. Bhabesh Dutta, University of Georgia Extension vegetable pathologist, spoke about the rootstock during the Southeast Regional Fruit and Vegetable Conference. He talked about its success in research trials on the UGA Tifton Campus. “This is our …
By Clint Thompson The sustainability of Georgia’s No. 1 industry continues to be threatened by various factors; maybe none more so than the high input costs. It was a topic discussed by the state’s legislative and farming leaders during the University of Georgia Ag Forecast meeting last Friday. “We’re looking at commodity prices that were around 20, 30 years ago,” …
By Clint Thompson Anthracnose and downy mildew provide similar disease symptoms in watermelons. Producers should be careful in self-diagnosing the potential disease in their crops this season. Bhabesh Dutta, University of Georgia Extension vegetable plant pathologist, implores growers to consult Extension personnel when deducing what problem they might have. A wrong diagnosis could have financial repercussions. “What we recommend is …
By Clint Thompson Increased rainfall during December and January is placing added pressure on producers trying to prepare for their spring plantings. If conditions stay saturated, growers will be unable to complete time-sensitive tasks, says Ty Torrance, University of Georgia Cooperative Extension vegetable agent for Colquitt, Tift and Worth counties. “I spoke with a couple of different growers (last Wednesday) …
By Clint Thompson North Florida watermelon producers should be wary of increased potential for fusarium wilt disease with planting season looming. The current El Niño weather pattern is offering cooler temperatures and wetter conditions, says Nick Dufalt, a plant pathologist with the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences. “I think being cooler always promotes fusarium wilt. Having …
Specialty Crop Grower Magazine is a new publication for AgNet Media. It is a product of the merger of Florida Grower and Specialty Crop Industry magazines. The inaugural January issue features the specialty crop tracker, a record of the crop progress based on observations from producers, Extension agents and industry stakeholders throughout the Southeast. The crops highlighted include watermelons, strawberries, …
By Clint Thompson Much-needed rainfall during December helped alleviate much of the drought present across the Southeast, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. It is seen especially in Georgia and Florida and part of Alabama. Florida is mostly drought free, though abnormally dry conditions are still present in Escambia and Santa Rose counties in the Panhandle. Some areas along the …
