By Ernie Neff State representatives Byron Donalds and Bob Rommel met with citrus and vegetable growers at a Dec. 16 discussion in Immokalee about local agricultural issues. The event was hosted by the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Southwest Florida Research and Education Center. Donalds said he wants to be sure IFAS recommendations, on which …
Fumigation for Soilborne Pathogens in Strawberries
By Ashley Robinson Since the phaseout of methyl bromide, charcoal rot, caused by the pathogen Macrophomina, has become a growing issue for Florida strawberry growers. For years, soil fumigation with methyl bromide was the preferred method to manage soilborne pathogens such as Macrophomina. However, because methyl bromide was categorized as a Class I ozone-depleting substance, its production and use have …
Managing Cucurbit Diseases
By Ernie Neff University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences doctoral student Andrew Shirley suggested ways to control three cucurbit diseases at Florida Ag Expo in November. Shirley is pursuing his degree at the Gulf Coast Research and Education Center, site of the Expo. He shares highlights of his presentation in an interview with Southeast AgNet’s Tacy Callies. …
Hemp Plant Options and Advice
By Ernie Neff Adam Elend, CEO of Florigrown, LLC, addresses the four main options for starting industrial hemp plants in the field and offers some advice for choosing suppliers. In this interview with Southeast AgNet’s Tacy Callies, Elend reports in-depth on the pros and cons of three types of seed. The fourth option for planting is cuttings. “In an unpredictable …
Start the New Year at the Southeast Regional Fruit and Vegetable Conference
By Abbey Taylor Every year, southeastern produce growers kick off the new year at the annual Southeast Regional Fruit and Vegetable Conference (SERFVC) in Savannah, Georgia. The SERFVC will take place on Jan. 9–12 at the Savannah International Trade & Convention Center. Featuring a top-notch trade show and extensive educational sessions, the event is organized by the Georgia Fruit and …
Sneak Peek: January VSCNews Magazine
The January issue of VSCNews magazine explores the latest technology and research, giving growers a guide of what to look for in 2020. Kevin Folta, a horticultural sciences professor at the University of Florida, looks at how far technology has advanced over the past 20 years. He discusses the accelerating pace of genetic discovery and what technological advancements in crop …
Grafted Watermelon Seedlings Could Benefit Growers
By Ashley Robinson Researchers at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences are studying grafted watermelon seedlings because of the advantages they can provide to growers. The grafted seedlings, an intentional fusion of plant parts, are resistant to fusarium wilt and tolerant to cold temperatures. “This is kind of an additional tool to use if you do …
Pesticide Products Registered for Use on Hemp
In December 2019, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) approved adding hemp to the use sites of 10 pesticides. Nine of the products are biopesticides and one is a conventional pesticide. As EPA receives additional applications to amend product labels to add use on hemp, the agency will process those applications on an ongoing basis and update this list. Biopesticides EPA Registration Number: 70310-5. Applicant: Agro Logistic …
Current Data Shows Glyphosate Is Not Linked to Cancer
By Ashley Robinson The world’s most widely used weed killer has been under review by researchers and agencies after being accused of causing cancer. Public concerns have been on the rise since 2015 when the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) reclassified glyphosate, the active ingredient in Roundup, as a probable carcinogen. Roundup, the world’s most commonly used herbicide, …
Anhydrous Ammonia: A Potential Addition to the Fumigation Toolbox
By Ramdas Kanissery and Pamela Roberts Soil fumigation is a fundamental step for successful commercial crop production in Florida under intensive conventional systems. It has been regularly used on crops such as vegetables, strawberries and potatoes. Soil fumigation is one of the most successful means of reducing soil pathogen and weed populations and is typically applied as a pre-plant soil …