By Abolfazl Hajihassani Tomato is the most economically important vegetable crop in the United States and has a history of heavy dependence on pesticides. PATHOGEN PAIR Root-knot nematodes and southern blight disease are among the most damaging pathogens of tomato. Pre-plant soil fumigation is often, but not always, effective at minimizing yield losses due to soilborne nematode and fungal pathogens. …
Identification Key in Managing Stink Bugs in Tomatoes
Stink bugs are a diverse species that can wreak havoc on Florida’s tomato crop. With a piercing-sucking mouthpart, stink bugs pierce the fruit and suck out fluids. They also secrete enzymes while doing so, which damages the cells right under the skin of the fruit. This leads to little spots forming all over the fruit. It is more visible once …
Florida Tomato Growers Reminded to Destroy Plants Following Final Harvest
University of Florida/IFAS reminds tomato producers that plants must be destroyed within five days following final harvest of their crop. Under Florida law, abandoned tomato fields that have not been destroyed within five days after final harvest are subject to an Immediate Final Order per Rule, says Gene McAvoy, UF/IFAS Extension agent emeritus. If tomato plants are left in the …
Heat Brings Out Antioxidants, Increases Red in Tomatoes
December 17, 2020 By: Brad Buck, bradbuck@ufl.edu, 352-875-2641 (cell) Turn up the heat, and get more nutrition from your tomato, University of Florida researchers say. Furthermore, when you buy a tomato, it will be about as red as it can be, thanks to the UF/IFAS methods deployed for the study. The findings are crucial to an industry in which Florida …
Getting to the Bottom of Blossom-End Rot
By Maria M. Lameiras for UGA CAES News Home gardeners and commercial farmers alike can attest to the disappointment of seeing a beautiful tomato ripening on a vine, only to discover that the fruit has dark, sunken pits at the blossom end of the fruit. Called blossom-end rot (BER), this physiological disorder is prevalent in fruit and vegetable crops, including …
Managing Root-Knot Nematodes in Vegetables
By Johan Desaeger Root-knot nematodes (Meloidogyne spp.) are one of the most rapidly spreading of all pests and pathogens. The southeastern United States (Florida, in particular) is a paradise for these parasites. Nematodes cause damage to vegetables all over the world, and anyone who has had to deal with root-knot nematodes knows how difficult they are to control. Root-knot nematode …
Tomato Juice with UF/IFAS-Bred Garden Gem Pleases Palates
October 21, 2020 By: Brad Buck, bradbuck@ufl.edu Florida-grown tomatoes – particularly the UF/IFAS-bred Garden Gem – pack a tasty punch for tomato juice, new University of Florida research shows. By and large, the biggest market for Florida tomatoes remains food services. They’re not generally harvested for processed products, such as juice, paste and more. But they’re still fresh, whole tomatoes. …
Tomato Industry Expert: Inspections Running Smoothly
Though Mexican exports of tomatoes have not reached the ‘peak’ season, inspections appear to be running smoothly and efficiently, says Michael Schadler, executive vice president of the Florida Tomato Exchange. The inspection provision, which was part of the Tomato Suspension Agreement established in September, 2019 between the U.S. Department of Commerce and Mexican tomato exporters, allows for the United States …
Supplemental Fumigation Strategies for Tomato Production
By G.E. Vallad, J. Desaeger, J. Noling and N. Boyd Vegetable and strawberry growers have long relied on soil fumigants to contend with various soilborne pathogen and pest complexes, as part of an integrated management strategy that includes crop resistance, cultural control and pesticides. However, with the loss of methyl bromide (MBr), many growers have struggled to maintain consistent soilborne …
Tomato Growers Watch Out for Insects
Tomato planting is currently underway across the Southeast. It is never too early to start thinking about insect pests that could hinder fall production in Alabama. According to the Tomato Insect Pests 101 video, Ayanava Majumdar, Auburn Extension Professor in Entomology and Plant Pathology, cautions growers to scout their tomato fields every week for pests and look for insects over …