7:30 Breakfast with Vendors
Grab a bite to eat and meet with exhibitors.
8:45 Welcoming remarks
Jack Rechcigl, UF/IFAS GCREC, Center Director and Professor
Scott Angle, UF/IFAS, Vice President for Agriculture and Natural Resources
9:00 - Arnold Schumann, UF
Opportunities and Challenges for AI in Precision Farming
9:20 - Vance Whitaker, UF
Phenomics in Plant Breeding: Examples from Strawberry
9:40 - Manoj Karkee, WSU
AI and Robotics in Specialty Crops: Past Accomplishments and Future Direction
10:00 - Paul Nagel, Stout AgTech
Robotic Weeding Technology
10:20 - Pauline Canteneur, FarmWise
Automated Mechanical Weeding for Vegetable Crops
10:40 - Daniel Carmichael, Bear Flag Robotics
Advanced Tractor Automation
11:00 - Panel Discussion

11:00 - Break for Lunch
Grab a bite to eat and meet with exhibitors.
12:30 - CEU Sessions Begin
There will be two sets of concurrent CEU courses

Pest Management Session

12:30 - Asian Bean Thrips: Managing a New Invasive Pest of Florida Legume Crops
Hugh Smith, UF
12:50 - Recent Invasive Pest Problem in Strawberries of Canada
Sriyanka Lahiri, UF
1:10 - Using Cover crops to Help Manage Nematodes
Johan Desaeger, UF
1:30 - 2021 Strawberry Disease Update
Natalia Peres, UF
1:50 - 2021 Vegetable Disease Update
Gary Vallad, UF

BMP Session

12:30 - Understanding Senate Bill 712 and Agriculture BMPs
Lakesh Sharma, UF
12:50 - Soil Testing and BMPs
Rao Mylavarapu, UF
1:10 - Improved Soil-Test Based Fertilizer Recommendations: A Statewide Program
Kelly Morgan, UF
1:30 - Compact Bed Plasticulture for Reducing Environmental Footprint, Production Risks and Costs
Sanjay Shukla, UF
1:50 - Improving Effectiveness of Compost by Localized Application Methods
Shinsuke Agehara, UF

2:45 - Field Tours

Alternative Crops Tour

Breeding for Mechanical Harvesting
Sam Hutton, UF
Disease Management in Tomato/Watermelon
Gary Vallad, UF
Smart Spray Technology for Herbicide Application
Nathan Boyd, UF
Effects of Cover Crops on Vegetable Production
Johan Desaeger, UF
Artichoke and Hops Production in Florida
Shinsuke Agehara, UF

Successful Meeting: AFVGA Executive Director Pleased with Conference
By Clint Thompson Blake Thaxton, executive director of the Alabama Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association (AFVGA), was pleased with the association’s annual conference and trade show that was held on Nov. 18-19 in Gulf Shores, Alabama. Attendance was great. The seminar sessions provided insight in various challenges the industry is facing. It was everything Thaxton […]
New GFVGA Executive Vice President: Butts Assumes Role on Dec. 1
By Clint Thompson The new executive vice president of the Georgia Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association (GFVGA) hopes to continue the success the previous leader sustained for 25 years. Chris Butts has big shoes to fill when he takes over for Charles Hall as the new leader of the GFVGA on Dec. 1. But he […]
Jackson Grapefruit Research a Unique Approach to Managing HLB
By Clint Thompson Jackson grapefruit research trials are under the microscope at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Citrus Education and Research Center in Lake Alfred, Florida. Scientists like Arnold Schumann are studying the HLB (Huanglongbing)-tolerant rootstock in hopes of providing growers an effective option to counter the ongoing issue […]