Roundup Presents Challenges for Growers

Web AdminCucurbits, Research, Top Posts

By Alison DeLoach A well-known herbicide for growers, glyphosphate (Roundup), can cause harm to crops if not properly applied. According to Stanly Culpepper, weed scientist with the University of Georgia, when applied too close to planting or when the application rate is too high, Roundup can severely damage a plant. When looking at the labels for Roundup PowerMAX II, there …

UAV-based Remote Sensing Can Help Avocado Growers by Detecting Asymptomatic Pathogen

Web AdminAvocado, Industry News Release, Research, Top Posts

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Remote imaging can effectively detect a pathogen that endangers the $100 million-a-year Florida avocado industry – even before the trees show symptoms — University of Florida scientists say. Yiannis Ampatzidis, an assistant professor of agricultural and biological engineering at the UF Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, led recently published research that shows that multispectral cameras can …

Genomic Technologies for Breeding Better Crops

Web AdminResearch, Technology, Top Posts

By Tong Geon Lee The rapid explosion of genomic data in studies of plant genetics and biology is revolutionizing crop breeding. This progress has been driven by advances in genomic technologies. While genomic technologies are becoming increasingly common to plant breeders and geneticists, there has been a call for building a shared understanding of these technologies between non-scientific and scientific …

An Avocado Tree’s Worst Nightmare

Web AdminAvocado, Research, Top Posts

Laurel wilt could be considered an avocado tree’s worst enemy. According to Jonathan Crane, professor of horticulture and tropical fruit specialist with the University of Florida, laurel wilt was introduced in the United States in 2002 and made its way to Homestead, Florida, in 2012. Since then, over 100,000 avocado trees have been lost, equaling roughly 1,000 acres of production. …

extension

UF/IFAS Turfgrass Specialist Gets International Extension Award

Web AdminIndustry News Release, Research

As a child in Dodge City, Kansas, Bryan Unruh grew up in 4-H. During his first year in the organization, he attended a lawn mower safety school taught by the county agriculture agent. That summer he mowed three lawns every week. In fact, he calls himself “a product of the Cooperative Extension Service.” In high school, Unruh envisioned himself as …

Reducing Sour Rot in Wine Grapes

Web AdminResearch, Top Posts

By Breanna Kendrick Three faculty members at the University of Georgia are working on a project to improve sour rot management in wine grapes. Brett Blaauw, assistant professor and Extension specialist in entomology, is among one of those working on the project. According to Blaauw, a small fly, the spotted wing drosophila, can attack healthy grapes and help transmit sour …

Biofortified Fruits and Vegetables Bring Benefits

Web AdminProduce, Research, Top Posts, VSCNews magazine

By Jaya Joshi Every morning, more than half the American population takes a multivitamin in the belief that the pharmaceutical industry has boiled down the benefits of bananas, sweet potatoes, broccoli and tomatoes into a pill. According to the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey program, 10 percent of Americans rely on five or more supplements of some kind for …

Gene Editing: Not Your Grandfather’s GMO

Web AdminResearch, Top Posts, VSCNews magazine

By Kevin Folta The refrigerator is a wonderful invention. It’s the place we find a cold drink on a hot day and the big box where we hide the cheese. Sometimes ice and water come right out of the door. Since its inception, the refrigerator allowed homeowners to store food, save leftovers and suffer less spoilage and waste. Most of …

agriculture

UF Program Probing Hemp Production

Web AdminHemp, Research, Top Posts, VSCNews magazine

Industrial hemp could be Florida’s next big specialty crop. The University of Florida (UF) Industrial Hemp Pilot Program is tasked with figuring out how to successfully grow the crop in the Sunshine State. During the 2018 Citrus Expo, Zachary Brym outlined the program objectives and how growers can get involved. Brym is an associate professor at the UF Tropical Research …