The November issue of Specialty Crop Industry Magazine provides a look at Hurricane Ian and its impact on Florida’s blueberry and strawberry crops. The storm passed through Florida in late September. It brought rains and heavy winds that flooded blueberry bushes and delayed strawberry plantings.
Denise Attaway, a writer/editor for the College of Agriculture, Forestry and Life Sciences at Clemson University, discusses smart-phone applications. They can ease the task of fertigation for the specialty crop industry. The Clemson Center Pivot Fertigation Calculator and Clemson Drip Fertigation Calculator aid growers in achieving the greatest returns on their investments while protecting the environment.
Kimberly Morgan, Xiuri Cui and Zhengfei Guan, each with the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS), highlight trends in Florida tomato production and markets. Their discussion emphasizes fresh tomato production. It is usually harvested at different maturity stages and marketed through retail or food-service channels. Tomato types, concerns and availability are highlighted in the story.
J. Scott Angle, UF/IFAS senior vice president for agriculture and natural resources, puts the spotlight back on artificial intelligence (AI). UF/IFAS is making a major financial investment to make AI a focal part of its research.
Ayanava Majumdar, Olivia Fuller and David Lawrence, each with Alabama Extension, talk about interplanting ornamentals with vegetable crops. They provide the pros and cons in implementing the practice.