A male Peach fruit fly was found in a trap near Davie, FL earlier this month. This fly is active for the whole year and is considered a very serious pest as it attacks over 50 different species. Similar to the Oriental fruit fly, these 2 species are attracted to the same lure and trap, cause similar damage, and often compete against each other. A perimeter has been set up in multiple cities surrounding Davie, FL with traps being monitored by...
With many new plantings being done every day in Florida, Phytophthora is becoming a growing as it contributes to losses of 3% to 6% every year, which is the equivalent of $20 million annually. A recommendation that Megan Dewdney, UF/IFAS assistant professor of plant pathology, gives is to make sure that the plant graft union is 6 to 9 inches above the soil during planting. The UF/IFAS 2022-2023 Florida Citrus Production Guide is a good resource...
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) decided on Tuesday to declare April as 2023 Invasive Pest & Disease Awareness Month. Each year an estimated $40 billion in damage is caused by invasive plants and insects, including damage to major crops. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack says, “This spring, familiarize yourself with the invasive pest quarantines in your area and do your part to avoid inadvertently moving invasive insects...
Apiaceous crops such as celery, carrots and dill are grown in Florida during the fall and spring each year to compensate for the environmental conditions in California so the national markets are supplied. Insect injuries were found on these plants in the Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA) where most of these plants are grown during that time of the year. After much research and specialists examining the specimens, the weevil was found to be...
A new study published by HortScience was conducted by the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) researchers. The information found in this study will help growers select better-performing rootstocks with the ongoing HLB conditions. Out of the six rootstocks that were experimented on, it was found that A+Volk x Orange 19-11-8 had the highest nutrient uptake.
The United Egg Association and United Egg Producers funded studies that show the transition to cage-free increases costs and reduces profits on egg farms. This transition can be costly for the producer and the consumer, and approximately 55% of consumers are price driven when it comes to eggs and they do not discriminate between cage and cage-free eggs. Also, cage-free eggs have higher costs and more labor requirements.
The 4 R's of fertilizer application are the RIGHT fertilizer source, the RIGHT rate, the RIGHT time and the RIGHT place for the crop. Using these practices is key to maintaining Best Management Practices (BMP's) so we can achieve environmental, social and economic sustainability of commercial crop production. While each of the 4 R's has its own considerations, they must be used together for best results.
Florida's agriculture industry is already struggling to compete against foreign imports and invasive pests, and there are 1,000 people moving to Florida each day, which is taking up viable land that could be used for agriculture. Farmers in Florida are not only asked to be the grower, but also the harvester, manufacturer and retailer, and bamboo could benefit the farmer by allowing them to do what they do best.
TSWV stands for tomato spotted wilt virus, which is a serious disease that can spread to 35 different plant families. This year, the virus has spread into the peanut crop and has made some serious economic impacts. Scott Montfort, University of Georgia (UGA Cooperative Extension peanut agronomist, said, "We have gotten somewhat complacent about what we do. We are planting in April and planting a third of the crop in April. That pushes that risk...
Cocoa and chocolate come from the cacao tree and its beans, but these products are harvested in 2 different ways, and they contain different components. Cocoa contains fewer calories, so it is listed as the healthier product, while chocolate is high in fat and sugar. The market for these products has grown with the market value jumping from $46.4 billion in 2021 to $69.1 billion in 2022.
