Peach growers are currently in need of ways to control bacterial spot, a severe disease that is at its worst when rain is frequent. Dave Ritchie, a plant pathologist at North Carolina State University, spoke about the disease and management options for growers at the 2019 Southeast Regional Fruit and Vegetable Conference. Bacterial spot is particularly challenging because of the …
No ‘Haggling’ Needed for Environmental Funding?
Gov. Ron DeSantis admits being worried that he asked for too much in his environmental-funding request. But as the House and Senate move forward with their budget plans, maybe he should have gone bigger. “I’ve got to say I’m pretty pleased where they came in, particularly on this water quality,” DeSantis said Thursday after appearing at a gathering of the …
Some Avocados Voluntarily Recalled
By Alison DeLoach Henry Avocado Corporation in California has voluntarily recalled its avocados in response to fear the fruit might be contaminated with listeria. The avocados were packaged and distributed to six states, including California, Arizona, Florida, New Hampshire, North Carolina and Wisconsin. The company decided to voluntarily recall its avocados after a test for listeria came back positive during …
Sneak Peek: April VSCNews Magazine
The April issue of VSCNews magazine is packed with information for conventional and organic growers. Readers will learn about pest management methods and ongoing challenges faced by an organic commodity in Georgia in next month’s issue. An article by researchers with the University of Georgia and the U.S. Department of Agriculture — Bhabesh Dutta, Carroll Johnson and Jason Schmidt — …
An Avocado Tree’s Worst Nightmare
Laurel wilt could be considered an avocado tree’s worst enemy. According to Jonathan Crane, professor of horticulture and tropical fruit specialist with the University of Florida, laurel wilt was introduced in the United States in 2002 and made its way to Homestead, Florida, in 2012. Since then, over 100,000 avocado trees have been lost, equaling roughly 1,000 acres of production. …
UF/IFAS Turfgrass Specialist Gets International Extension Award
As a child in Dodge City, Kansas, Bryan Unruh grew up in 4-H. During his first year in the organization, he attended a lawn mower safety school taught by the county agriculture agent. That summer he mowed three lawns every week. In fact, he calls himself “a product of the Cooperative Extension Service.” In high school, Unruh envisioned himself as …
He Grew Up in 4-H, Now Brown Honored as ‘Friend of IFAS’
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Raised on a family farm in Orange Heights, Florida, Reggie Brown recalls taking his chickens to the Gainesville town square for a 4-H contest when he was about 9 or 10. “I won the blue ribbon. I was real proud,” Brown said. As a child, Brown immersed himself in such Florida 4-H projects. For another project, he …
Watch Out for Sweet Potato Weevil
By Breanna Kendrick What’s small, black, has six legs and causes a lot of damage to sweet potato crops? The sweet potato weevil. Once this pest is present and fields become highly infested, it’s very difficult to control. The weevil causes unsightly effects to the outside and inside of the sweet potato, making it hard to move the product through …
Labor Contractors Help Growers Use H-2A Program
By Brian German Farms across the United States have been struggling for a number of years now to find and retain the amount of agricultural labor that is required for their operations. Many growers have switched to crops that can be mechanically harvested or simply require less labor. For the farmers who do not have that option, or remain dedicated …
Improving Mechanical Harvesting of Fresh-Market Blueberries
By Fumiomi Takeda The growth of the blueberry industry in the past three decades has been remarkably robust. For the blueberry industry to remain competitive and sustainable, growers are seeking solutions to ever-increasing problems with labor shortages and rising labor costs for harvesting blueberries by hand. More growers are now using over-the-row (OTR) mechanical harvesters to pick blueberries for the …