Category Archive

By Clint Thompson Florida strawberry growers are on the brink of planting this season’s crop. One University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) expert is cautioning producers about disease control. One disease specifically comes to mind, says Natalia Peres, professor of plant pathology at the UF/IFAS Gulf Coast Research and Education Center. “I think Neopestalotiopsis is still … Read More

By Clint Thompson Florida tomato growers need to be more efficient with their fungicide sprays for target spot disease. According to Gary Vallad, professor of plant pathology at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Gulf Coast Research and Education Center in Wimauma, Florida, producers are currently spraying too many times when they don’t have to. … Read More

By Clint Thompson Florida tomato growers have a new concern with plant disease management this year. “The big news that we have right now is that we’ve identified a new race of fusarium wilt on tomato that appears to overcome a lot of our sources of resistance that are currently deployed. I’m just trying to get the word out to … Read More

By Clint Thompson One University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) researcher is using artificial intelligence (AI) to apply herbicides more efficiently. Nathan Boyd’s research will help growers eliminate chemical applications where they are not needed. “We use artificial intelligence that we’ve trained to differentiate. You could train it to differentiate species. We’ve decided that’s not really … Read More

By Clint Thompson A multi-pronged approach to nematode management remains the best approach for Florida specialty crop producers. Johan Desaeger, assistant professor of entomology and nematology at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Gulf Coast Research and Education Center, discussed nematode management during the recent Citrus and Specialty Crop Expo in Tampa, Florida. “Try to … Read More

By Clint Thompson University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) research into chilli thrips provides a more accurate way for strawberry growers to manage this annual problem. Producers can now be more efficient in controlling thrips populations. Sriyanka Lahiri, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) assistant professor of entomology and nematology at the … Read More

By Clint Thompson University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) research has yielded confirmation on why chilli thrips are an annual problem for strawberry growers, especially early in the season. Sriyanka Lahiri, UF/IFAS assistant professor of entomology and nematology at the Gulf Coast Research and Education Center, talked about the findings she has discovered. “We are surveying … Read More

By Clint Thompson An innovative way of producing specialty crops provides Florida growers with a more efficient and potentially more sustainable way of farming. Nathan Boyd, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) professor of horticulture and weed science, focused on the topic of relay cropping during his presentation at the Citrus and Specialty Crop Expo. Relay … Read More

Blueberry specialists at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) remind growers about management options they need to be mindful of during October. Producers should monitor and manage leaf diseases, especially in evergreen systems. It is important to scout for algal stem blotch and selectively prune out canes infected with algal stem blotch, Botryosphaeria stem blight … Read More

By Clint Thompson Fusarium wilt in lettuce is not yet a widespread problem for Florida producers. Germán Sandoya wants to keep it that way. Sandoya, assistant professor at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, provides management options for growers to help keep the disease out of their fields. “We’ve only seen it in field plots, so … Read More