By Clint Thompson Tomato season is here for producers in Florida. Diseases like bacterial leaf spot and target spot should be on the mind of growers preparing their fungicide programs, says Josh Freeman, University of Florida/IFAS Associate Professor in Horticultural Science. “In the fall season we really worry about bacterial leaf spot getting established early just because we’re in a …
What’s the Latest? Upcoming Expo Focuses on Vegetables, Specialty Crops on Aug. 18
By Clint Thompson Registration continues for the upcoming Citrus, Vegetable and Specialty Crop Expo, scheduled for Aug. 17-18 at North Fort Myers, Florida. Those interested in learning more about vegetable and specialty crops are encouraged to attend Thursday’s sessions. Various topics will be discussed. These include Mike Joyner, president of the Florida Fruit and Vegetable Association, discussing the impact of …
McBrayer Tapped To Lead Young Farmers Division
The Alabama Farmers Federation is welcoming a familiar face as director of its Young Farmers Division. Hunter McBrayer, a commodity director whose roots run deep in the Young Farmers program, will begin his new role Aug. 23. McBrayer said he is eager to travel the state, meet with members on their farms, increase engagement and help Young Farmers be more …
Update on Tomato Brown Rugose Fruit Virus in Florida
By Ozgur Batuman and Salih Yilmaz Tomato brown rugose fruit virus (ToBRFV) is a highly contagious, devastating and economically important plant virus. It mainly threatens greenhouse-grown vegetable crops worldwide, especially tomatoes and peppers. ToBRFV is very similar to other tobamoviruses, such as tomato mosaic virus (ToMV) and tobacco mosaic virus (TMV), two tomato-infecting viruses common to most Florida growers. Although …
Wet Summer: Minimal Dry Conditions Reported Across Southeast
Alabama, Florida, Georgia have sufficient moisture and are not reporting any abnormally dry conditions, according to Thursday’s release of the U.S. Drought Monitor. Persistent rainfall has been the dominant story of this year’s summer for most of the Southeast region. Similar conditions are being reported up the East Coast. Only a small portion of Greenville County and Spartanburg County are …
On the Job Training: UGA Students Experience Vineyard Management, Winemaking
Internships lead to experience for students in fields they are interested in. They seek opportunities that will help further their education and develop future job skills. For three University of Georgia interns, their summer internship experience has been very engaging. Through a partnership between the UGA College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (CAES) and the Winegrowers Association of Georgia, three …
Tomato, Pepper Listening Sessions Scheduled with USDA RMA
Florida and Georgia tomato and pepper producers are invited to listening sessions with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Risk Management Agency (RMA). Feedback about potential production and revenue history policy is wanted for both commodities. The fresh market tomato sessions are for growers in South Florida, industry members and regional insurance representatives. The pepper sessions are for fresh market growers …
Seeking Sunshine: North Alabama Feeling Impact of Persistent Rains
By Clint Thompson Unless you’ve been asleep for the last two months, you know how wet it has been across the Southeast. Persistent rains have been the story for farmers across the region, especially in north Alabama. Fortunately, the wet weather has slowed in recent days, according to Eric Schavey, Regional Extension agent in Northeast Alabama. “Rain’s kind of backed …
Planning Ahead: Strawberry Farmer Proactive to Remain Sustainable
By Clint Thompson Strawberry growers need to stay proactive to remain viable and sustainable amid growing challenges throughout the industry. Consider the obstacles that Florida producers like Dustin Grooms must deal with: Imports from other countries continue to flood the U.S. market, driving down prices. The rise of the new Neopestalotiopsis Fruit Rot disease in the last three years has …
Cooler, Wetter Weather Reported in July
It comes as no surprise to anyone in the Southeast this summer that July is cooler and wetter than normal in most areas. This is according to Pam Knox, University of Georgia Extension Agricultural Climatologist. Knox reported in her University of Georgia Extension Climate and Agriculture blog that even with the warmer temperatures being experienced this week, cooler temperatures and …