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  • Fusarium Wilt: A Quick Review

    Integrated techniques are needed for fusarium wilt management.

    By Nicholas S. Dufault

    It has been more than 120 years since an unknown watermelon wilt disease was observed to cause heavy losses in the southern United States. The re-emergence of this disease, identified as fusarium wilt (FW) caused by the fungus Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. niveum (Fon), has led to a need for alternative control practices.

    MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES

    Numerous FW disease management strategies have been developed such as fumigation, long-term (>7 years) crop rotation, delayed planting, grafting and host resistance. This article will briefly discuss the pros and cons of current management techniques and explain how improved diagnostics with a better understanding of risk is important for future management of FW.

    The techniques listed above can all be effective at managing FW. However, inconsistent results related to fumigation as well as delayed planting in Florida have led to a need to further investigate when and how to implement these management options. Grafting and cultivar resistance both provide effective control of Fon, but cost or mixed pathogen populations can impact their usefulness, respectively.

    For example, the deployment of a resistant cultivar, even if it is not specific to all the races in the field, can result in less wilting than cultivars without resistance. The effectiveness of this technique is increased when the predominant pathogen present is the same race as the resistance trait. Unfortunately, there are times when the Fon population present in the field is not affected by resistance, which leads to significant wilting and losses.

    NEW TOOLS AND MORE KNOWLEDGE NEEDED

    Thus, deployment of new resistance sources is needed in combination with more accurate pathogen diagnosis techniques. Integrating these techniques, as well as others, will likely provide more consistent results for disease management. Finding the optimum integrated technique will require more information about the pathogen and disease risk.

    To improve risk assessment for FW, a bioassay is being assessed that can help detect the pathogen in the field after a long rotation. In addition, a climate/risk index tool is being developed to determine FW risk. These tools can provide further insights into the risk associated with FW but should only be considered as decision support aides and not prediction tools. The effectiveness of these tools will be improved by better documenting the Fon genotype present within a given field.

    Research currently being conducted across the Southeast is focused on expanding the understanding of the pathogen’s genetics. This genetic information can also be used to improve the understanding of the FON races and maybe even provide insights into what makes the pathogen virulent. As further information is gained about the pathogen’s genetics, it can be combined with breeding programs to focus on these virulence traits and used to improve disease diagnostic methods in the field and on the seed.

    Substantial progress has been made on understanding FW management. Unfortunately, no single method has proven to be completely effective or economically feasible for disease control. Improved knowledge about the pathogen’s genetics will be critical to implementing proper integrated management techniques as well as accurately assessing disease risk related to field history, climate and diagnostics.

  • N.C. Strawberry Association President: Overall, the Crop Looks Good

    Basket with fresh strawberries isolated on white background.

    By Clint Thompson

    The president of the North Carolina Strawberry Association is excited about this year’s crop.

    Jim Warenda, who is also the sales representative for Fresh Pick Produce in Kenly, North Carolina, exuded optimism when discussing the prospects of this year’s crop.

    “Everything’s great. We are a hair behind, just due to, it’s been a little bit cooler spring than what we’re normally used to,” Warenda said. “A normal strawberry flower will ripen in about 30 days. They’re ripening at about 37, 38 right now.

    “We’re probably a couple of days behind on some things. Overall, the crop looks good. We really haven’t hit any real big volume yet. We foresee that happening (this) week.”

    He said the normal window for harvesting strawberries is April 20 through June 15.

    Warenda is not alone in having hopes for this year’s strawberry crop in North Carolina. In a previous VSCNews story, Mark Hoffmann, North Carolina State small fruits Extension specialist, said he is expecting a “bumper crop” this year.

    “If the weather holds up, it’s going to be one of the best strawberry years in a long time,” Hoffmann said.

    While the crop appears bountiful, the strawberry market appears in good shape as well. This despite the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

    “We do some chain store business as well as roadside market stuff in the northeast. There has been a little bit of a decline in market, just because they’ve closed off some of these islands for this month. We haven’t really hit any volume yet, so everything’s been smooth so far. I don’t foresee any hiccups in the next couple of weeks. But this produce business can always change,” Warenda said.

    For more information about strawberry production in North Carolina, see N.C. State strawberry website.

  • Farm Recovery Block Grant Deadline for Georgia Farmers is April 30

    disaster
    Impact from Hurricane Michael.

    By Clint Thompson

    The Farm Recovery Block Grant deadline for Georgia farmers who were dealt financial losses by Hurricane Michael is Thursday, April 30.

    The Georgia Department of Agriculture is accepting online applications. The block grant funds include $347 million.

    This block grant program is designed to compensate producers for losses and expenses in seven categories of assistance, according to farm recovery. These include beef, dairy, fruit and vegetable, pecan, poultry, timber, and uninsured infrastructure.

    University of Georgia Cooperative Extension Ag economist Adam Rabinowitz believes all eligible farmers need to take advantage of the program.

    “Those block grants are really important for those who didn’t have any other assistance from USDA programs to recover from Hurricane Michael. It’s not your typical crop producers. It was some of your others in terms of trees and some infrastructure,” Rabinowitz said. “It certainly helps in a time when, just in general, we’re dealing with financial issues, continued recovery from Hurricane Michael and just real unknown. It’s essential to get those applications in by that extended deadline of April 30.”

    Georgia farmers and forest landowners in 95 eligible counties who suffered losses can enroll at farmrecovery.com.

    For more information and a guide to help prepare applicants for enrollment, visit farmrecovery.com.

    Hurricane Michael caused more than $2.5 billion in losses to Georgia’s agricultural sector, the state’s leading industry. This was according to estimates from the UGA Cooperative Extension agents and agricultural economists.

  • FDACS Launches Hemp Permit Application Portal

    Tallahassee, Fla. – Today, the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) launched the state’s online Hemp Cultivation Licensing Portal, allowing interested growers to apply for licenses. The portal’s user-friendly interface provides applicants with a checklist of recommended steps to allow for a quick and easy application process.

    state hemp plan

    “As we continue building our state hemp program into a national leader, our new online application portal will help growers quickly and easily apply for hemp cultivation licenses, as well as manage, renew, and view any current hemp applications,” shared Commissioner Nikki Fried. “We’re working to ensure that applying for a license is streamlined and simple, so Floridians interested in growing hemp can quickly get started.”

    The online Hemp Cultivation Licensing Portal can be accessed at Hemp.FDACS.gov, or on the FDACS hemp webpage. The page also contains a link to an application checklist, so interested growers have the necessary information for a quick, easy application process.

    As part of the hemp cultivation permitting process, applicants are required to complete a background check which includes fingerprint submission along with the ORI number (Originating Agency Identifier) that the Florida Department of Law Enforcement has assigned to FDACS: FL925080Z. The ORI number is currently active and may be used at locations that complete the fingerprinting and submission process (Livescan service providers).

    For a list of Livescan service providers, click here. To locate a Livescan service provider in your area, click here. Some Livescan service provers’ operations may be impacted due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We recommend applicants contact Livescan service provers prior to visiting a location.

    Today’s Hemp Cultivation Licensing Portal launch follows the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s formal approval of Florida’s state hemp program on April 16, 2020. Commissioner Fried and FDACS have been hard at work building the framework for Florida’s state hemp program, announcing new food safety and animal feed rules in January, forming a Hemp Advisory Committee to help guide rulemaking and industry development, and ensuring public input was heard during workshops held around the state to provide information on the draft rules.

    For updates and more information on the state hemp program, visit the FDACS hemp webpage or sign up for the FDACS hemp mailing list.

    Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services

  • Sneak Peek: May 2020 VSCNews Magazine

    Next month’s issue of VSCNews magazine.

    By Ashley Robinson

    The May issue of VSCNews Magazine targets the best pest management practices for growers.

    Researchers from the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) are already looking ahead and making plans to see what more can be learned about growing hemp in Florida, as they reach the midpoint of their pilot project. Lourdes Rodriguez, a public relations specialist for UF/IFAS Communications, provides a progress update of the UF/IFAS Industrial Hemp Pilot Project and future plans.

    In the Southeast, chemical control is the most predominant approach for managing root-knot nematodes in vegetable production systems. However, multiple cover crops are excellent candidates for managing nematodes. Abolfazl Hajihassani, an assistant professor and Extension specialist at the University of Georgia (UGA), and Josiah Marquez, a UGA plant pathology graduate student, address considerations of selecting the cover crop cultivar best suited to your production.

    Since its first detection in 2008, spotted-wing drosophila (SWD) has emerged as a devastating pest of berry and cherry crops throughout the U.S. Ashfaq Sial, an associate professor in the Department of Entomology at UGA, gives 10 of his best tips to effectively control SWD while protecting your fruit.

    In addition, Hugh Smith, a vegetable entomologist at the UF/IFAS Gulf Coast Research and Education Center in Wimauma, Florida, provides readers with strategies to effectively manage diamondback moth larvae. Diamondback moths, which feed on plants in the crucifer family, develop resistance to insecticides very easily.

    Finally, in the From the Back Forty column, growers can find information on relief efforts in the agriculture industry in light of COVID-19. Organizations such as American Farm Bureau and Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services are working diligently to bring some relief to US farmers.

    To receive future issues of VSCNews magazine, subscribe here.

  • Long Drought Leads to Water Restrictions in One Florida County

    By Clint Thompson

    A water restriction has been placed on one Florida county because of the long drought. Gene McAvoy would not be surprised if more restrictions will follow.

    On Friday, the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) and Lee County announced mandatory irrigation restrictions. According to the press release, the restrictions were to address low aquifer levels. They went into place on Saturday.

     “On the coast, they rely a lot more on wells, well fields. Water levels in the aquifer has dropped to extreme levels. That’s why they started with Lee County,” said McAvoy, UF/IFAS Extension agent emeritus. “I haven’t seen anything like this (drought) since 2008.”

    Long Period of Dry Weather

    The most recent map of the U.S. Drought Monitor shows Florida either in abnormally dry, moderately dry or severely dry conditions. Lee County, whose county seat is Fort Myers, is experiencing a moderate drought and severe drought in different parts of its county.

    “We did have a little bit of rain in Southwest Florida (Sunday) night, but it was really (just) enough to settle the dust in most places,” McAvoy said.

    According to the press release, Florida’s southwest coast received only 14.72 inches of rain from September 2019 to March 2020. That’s a deficit of minus-7.64 inches. In March, the southwest coast recorded only 0.27 inches of rain, only 12% of average.

    Due to the extended drought and record heat, Florida agriculture has been negatively impacted.

    “I’m actually in a (citrus) grove right now. Because of drought stress and the record heat we’ve been enduring the past few months, the trees are shedding fruit,” McAvoy said. “Farmers are not able to harvest them quite as fast as the fruit is falling off the tree. (We) probably got two boxes per tree on the ground right now in the grove I’m in right now.”

    The current rainfall deficit, extreme heat and decreasing surface and groundwater levels are expected to continue throughout the remainder of the dry season. It typically ends around the end of May.

    In a previous VSCNews story, climatologists fear that the drought will get worse before it gets better.

  • Florida Department of Agriculture Awarded $850,000 in USDA Research Funding

    Tallahassee, Fla. – On Friday, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced $9.5 million in funding to 11 collaborative, multi-state projects that seek to boost the competitiveness of U.S. specialty crops. The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) was awarded $850,816 to support research related to improvements in lettuce resistance to Bacterial Leaf Spot (BLS), funded through the Specialty Crop Multi-State Program (SCMP).

    commissioner
    Nikki Fried
    Florida Agriculture Commissioner

    “As the nation’s second-largest producer of specialty crops with a year-round growing season, Florida is an ideal environment for agricultural research and innovation,” said Commissioner Nikki Fried. “This funding is particularly important with Florida-grown lettuce facing losses up to 75 percent due to COVID-19. We look forward to working with state and federal partners to eradicate pathogens and diseases that threaten our valued agriculture commodities.”

    The full list of grant recipients and projects may be viewed here.

    U.S. lettuce production is estimated at nearly $1.9 billion, making lettuce one of the leading vegetable crops in the nation. The funding awarded to FDACS is in partnership with the University of Florida, the Pennsylvania State University, and the USDA Agricultural Research Service. The research will study disease resistance and diversity to improve lettuce cultivars against BLS through breeding, genetics, and study of the BLS-lettuce interaction.

    The USDA Specialty Crop Multi-State Program (SCMP) offers grants to enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops by funding collaborative, multi-state projects that address the following regional or national level specialty crop issues: food safety, plant pests and disease, research, crop-specific projects addressing common issues, and marketing and promotion.

  • Specialty-Type Melons Under the Microscope in Alabama

    A honeydew growing in a field in this file photo.

    By Clint Thompson

    Alabama produce farmers may soon have more options to choose from. This is due to ongoing research from Alabama Extension vegetable specialist Joe Kemble.

    Kemble is researching a melon trial this year that encompasses everything but watermelons and cantaloupes. It’s an expansion upon last year’s trial. He hopes to present relevant date at the annual Fruit and Vegetable Conference in November.

    “I’m doing a larger scale this year just to provide a lot more detailed information and provide growers with an option. Cantaloupes are good but we can also do honeydews and crenshaws and some of these other types of melons as well,” Kemble said. “The seed companies over the last dozen years have come up with a lot of improved varieties. In Alabama or in the Southeast in general, they tend to be challenging crops to grow because most of them don’t have a lot of disease resistance. But companies are spending a lot more effort developing varieties that perform better in the Southeast. I’m looking at adaptability and all things associated with fruit quality.”

    Local Markets

    These type of specialty melons should sell well in Alabama as well. The state’s produce farmers market their crops mainly to farmers markets and roadside produce stands.

    “It’s not the type of things you’re going to be growing lots of. Some of them, frankly, their shelf life is not good enough to take them and ship them. It’s going to be for local consumption,” Kemble said. “We’ve got a lot of farmers’ markets in Alabama, roadside markets and (Community Supported Agriculture) CSAs. I think some of these specialty type melons could fit in pretty well with those types of production.”

    Kemble’s second year of research features 20-plus varieties at two locations and will be replicated.

    “I’ll be collecting a lot of very detailed data to use for growers meetings,” Kemble said.

  • UGA Extension, Georgia Department of Agriculture seek to help farmers get produce to public

    University of Georgia/Georgia producers eager to sell fresh produce are being connected with buyers who need their products through UGA Extension partnership with Georgia Grown.

    By Maria M. Lameiras for CAES News

    Georgia farmers and agricultural producers eager to sell fresh produce and other products are being connected with consumers and other buyers who need their products through a new partnership between University of Georgia Cooperative Extension and the Georgia Department of Agriculture’s Georgia Grown program.

    Because of disruptions to the industry triggered by the COVID-19 crisis, many agricultural producers in Georgia — particularly smaller growers and producers — are experiencing difficulties getting their products out to those who can use them.

    Through its Georgia Grown Ag-products Industry Promotion and E-commerce Promotion programs, Georgia Grown — a state membership program designed to help agribusinesses thrive by bringing producers, processors, suppliers, distributors, retailers, agritourism and consumers together — will waive all membership fees for the service until July to help producers affected by the crisis.

    “The first step is facilitating connections between consumers and growers. There are many people who are looking for fresh produce and cannot find it, and we have producers who have produce and cannot sell it,” said Laura Perry Johnson, associate dean for Extension at UGA’s College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.

    Types of Products

    Types of agricultural products that qualify for the program include everything from vegetables, fruits and other produce. Also included are seafood, meats, dairy, poultry products and any other agriculture-related products, such as honey and prepared foods.

    “We are getting a lot of interest from many types of buyers, including consumer, wholesale, food banks and some restaurants,” said Matthew Kulinski, deputy marketing director for Georgia Grown. “This is a good way for producers who normally sell to restaurants to have a new outlet for their produce.”

    Georgia farmers who are keeping regular hours, providing curbside pickup, home delivery or e-commerce sales during the COVID-19 crisis can join the programs. They can visit the Georgia Grown Ag-Products Industry Promotion or Georgia Grown E-Commerce Promotion pages and fill out forms that will add their information to a statewide database of producers. It will be shared with consumers and buyers.  

    UGA Extension will support the program through its network of county agents and specialists throughout the state.

    “This is a grassroots effort that starts with all of our Extension agents, specialists and coordinators who have the relationships with these growers, producers and farmers,” said Johnson. “We are working on several different ways to get this information out to producers and consumers, including our Extension website emergency resources page and through traditional and social media. Together we can make this into something that will not only help agriculture in Georgia but the people who need access to fresh food as well.”

    Georgia Grown also provides a Pick your Own list of all producers who offer that option on their farms. This is for consumers who are interested in picking their own produce.

    View the list of farms and markets by county at extension.uga.edu/ag-products-connection. 

  • Why Some Florida Growers Aren’t Breaking Soil

    By Ashley Robinson

    When you think of Florida agriculture, hydroponic production in greenhouses or high tunnels probably isn’t the first thing that comes to mind. While the majority of the Sunshine State’s vegetable crops are produced outdoors, there is increasing interest in the use of protective structures for producing crops.

    Although the number of protected agriculture operations in Florida remain small in size, interest is increasing among growers who are weighing the benefits of being able to grow vegetables year-round in a variety of structures.

    Growing Hydroponically

    According to Bob Hochmuth, regional specialized Extension agent for vegetable crops at the University of Florida, his state is one of the leading states for hydroponic horticultural crops.

    Bob Hochmuth

    Hydroponic production refers to growing crops without soil. Hydroponic production can be achieved through several methods. These include growing crops in a nutrient solution, in a trough of running water or in soilless media.

    The hydroponic industry began as an industry primarily growing tomatoes, cucumbers and lettuce. However, growers today have the opportunity to grow all kinds of vegetable and specialty crops hydroponically.

    “We have seen a 4 or 5 times increase in acreage in the last 10 or 12 years. Many of which are tucked in near urban centers like Jacksonville, Palm Beach or Tampa,” Hochmuth says.

    Hydroponics production of lettuce

    According to Hochmuth, many of these growers are selling directly to consumers, restaurants and schools to reap the most profitability.

    Advantages of Hydroponic Production

    “The biggest advantage of growing hydroponics would be that growers can eliminate the hard-to-manage problems with our native soil here in Florida,” Hochmuth says. “In a hydroponic system we can eliminate a lot of the problems that come with growing in the soil. Those include insects, diseases, and nematodes that are commonly associated with our soil in Florida.”

    Growers may still see some pests enter the greenhouse, though it will exclude some difficult pests and diseases.

    “You still have pests that could become a problem. However, the structure does give you the ability to exclude some of the most common pests. We’re also able to reduce the amount of

    disease by moving air throughout the structure and having proper ventilation,” Hochmuth says.

    In addition to a reduction in pests and disease, hydroponics gives smaller growers the opportunity to become more cost-efficient. The cost of land has made it difficult for people to start farming operations. The acreage needed for a greenhouse has made this type of operation feasible for small growers. They avoid high start-up costs typically associated with farming.