University of Florida researchers have released information about mites that could impact the state’s hemp producers.
The mites can cause devastation to hemp produced in fields and greenhouses. These include hemp russet mites, broad mites and spider mites.
“These pests can attack hemp by distorting growth, causing defoliation and even killing plants,” said Lance Osborne, a professor of entomology at the UF/IFAS Mid-Florida Research and Education Center, in a UF/IFAS press release .
A 30-minute presentation on mites can be viewed at the following website, Mites of Industrial Hemp in Florida. Osborne narrates the video, while Juanita Popenoe, a UF/IFAS Extension agent specializing in commercial fruit production for Lake, Orange and Marion counties, and research entomologist Cindy McKenzie of the U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service (USDA/ARS) at the U.S. Horticulture Laboratory, co-authored the new document.
“The video explores the most important groups of mites, how to identify them, latest research available on chemical and biological control methods and more,” Osborne said.
Producers can learn how to prevent mites from entering their greenhouses and how to scout for them in fields. Growers can also learn about symptoms to look out for.
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