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  • Trialing and Developing Blackberries for Florida

    Blackberries are grown as a commercial crop in North Carolina.

    By Zhanao Deng

    Blackberry has emerged as an alternative crop in Florida. More and more Florida growers are growing or trialing blackberries for commercial production. They have indicated a dire need for suitable blackberry cultivars that can yield well and produce berries of good quality.

    PAST CULTIVARS AND RESEARCH

    In the 1950s, University of Florida (UF) released two blackberry cultivars, Flordagrand and Oklawaha. Both produced high yields of large, attractive berries, but their trailing growth habit and thorny canes made them unsuitable for commercial production.

    The University of Arkansas has maintained an active blackberry breeding program for more than five decades and has released dozens of new cultivars. Essentially all the blackberry cultivars currently grown in Florida and other Southeast states are from this breeding program.

    Some of the popular floricane-fruiting cultivars include Apache, Navaho, Natchez, Osage and Ouachita. They produce berries on second-year canes (floricanes). In 2005, the program released the first primocane-fruiting cultivars that can produce berries on the current-year canes (primocanes) as well as floricanes. Prime-Ark® 45, Prime-Ark® Freedom and Prime-Ark® Traveler have this new type of fruiting habit.

    Flowers are pollinated for blackberry breeding.

    With funding from the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services Specialty Crop Block Grant program, UF researchers began trialing these cultivars in 2017 in a blackberry orchard at the Gulf Coast Research and Education Center (GCREC). Prior to this, Shinsuke Agehara trialed Navaho, Natchez and Ouachita in wooden boxes and large containers. In his trials, Natchez outperformed Ouachita and Navaho. In the orchard trial, Osage had the highest yield among the five floricane-fruiting cultivars, with an average of 3.9 pounds of berries per plant. Among the three primocane-fruiting cultivars, Prime-Ark® Freedom had the highest yield, producing an average of 6.3 pounds of berries per plant.

    Researchers used in-row spacing of 3 feet and between-row spacing of 10 feet in the trials. With this spacing, 1,452 plants could be grown per acre. The estimated per-acre yield would be 5,663 pounds for Osage and 9,148 pounds for PrimeArk® Freedom. Natchez showed significant variability in berry yield from year to year or site to site.

    CURRENT CULTIVARS

    In recent years, the University of Arkansas blackberry breeding program has released two new floricane-fruiting cultivars, Caddo and Ponca. Based on release documents, both cultivars are high yielding, thornless, erect and produce medium to large fruit. Ponca is the sweetest cultivar released to date and has good shipping and handling traits. Both cultivars have been introduced to Florida, and a new trial is being set at GCREC to test their performance. Stay tuned for trial data in the next two years. 

    In small trials conducted in Arkansas, these cultivars had the potential to produce 10,000 to more than 20,000 pounds of berries an acre. Why do these cultivars yield much less in Florida? Researchers think the primary reason is that chilling requirements were not met in Florida, especially in Central Florida. Very much like blueberries, blackberries need a period of chilling (temperature below 45° F) to break sufficient numbers of buds and develop enough flowers so that growers can have a decent crop.

    The current blackberry cultivars grown in Florida were bred and initially selected in Arkansas, and they need 300 to 900 hours of chilling. On average, Central Florida only has about 100 to 300 hours of chilling. Without enough chilling, blackberry plants break much fewer buds, have much fewer fruiting laterals and flowers, and yield poorly with berries ripening over an extended period.        

    BUILDING A BREEDING PROGRAM

    UF trials and growers’ experiences indicate a strong need for new blackberry cultivars that are better adapted to a low-chill environment. This need prompted UF researchers to breed blackberries. The breeding program received private funding and technical support from Coastal Varieties Management. The GCREC and the UF Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) Dean for Research Office provided funding to cover expenses associated with facilities.

    In spring 2015, UF researchers made the first batch of crosses to produce blackberry seeds. Newly produced seeds were treated with a strong acid to burn part of the seed coat and then they were kept cold for several months before they were germinated. The seedlings were then grown and selected in Florida. Researchers repeated this process each year since then.

    So far, more than 10,000 blackberry seedlings or young plants have been screened in Florida. Dozens of plants were selected for further trials. Shoot tips have been collected from some of the most promising plants and cultured in test tubes for rapid propagation. The first batch of tissue culture-propagated blackberry young plants from one of the selected lines was sent to growers this past June for trialing.

    Blackberry cultivar trials are underway at the Gulf Coast Research and Education Center in Wimauma, Florida.

    In the meantime, researchers have set up the first replicated trials to test the new line’s berry yield and quality. Effort is being made to expand the blackberry orchard and produce additional liners for more field trials, which is warranted to select the best adapted cultivars for Florida growers.

    As more Florida growers begin growing blackberries, they have more questions needing practical solutions. To better address growers’ needs, a UF/IFAS research and Extension team has been formed. It consists of six specialists from the GCREC and the Horticultural Sciences Department and two Extension faculty from Orange, Marion and Hillsborough counties. Team members are well experienced with berry breeding; variety selection and trials; plant management and manipulation; fertilization; disease, insect pest, nematode and weed identification and control, etc. The team has received great support from Florida growers and some seed funding from the UF/IFAS Support for Emerging Enterprise Development Integration Teams program and the GCREC.

    UF plans to produce the first blackberry production and spray guide by early 2022 and provide growers and Extension agents with more training. The goal of the team and these efforts is to facilitate the development of the Florida blackberry industry and help growers produce profitable crops sustainably.

  • Alabama Pumpkin Growers Be Aware of Downy Mildew Disease

    File photo shows trailer of pumpkins.

    The hint of fall in the air and the calendar turning to September means pumpkins are growing across Alabama. But producers need to be wary of certain diseases that can be detrimental to the pumpkin growing season, says Joe Kemble, Alabama Extension vegetable specialist.

    “We do have a lot of pumpkins coming in. I was walking around a large patch (the other day). I would say, if you’re a pumpkin grower, with these frequent rain showers we’re getting, make sure you scout for downy mildew as well as anthracnose,” Kemble said. “Downy mildew can be devastating on pumpkins. It requires conventional fungicides, and the fungicides have to be out there to protect the crop before the disease develops. There really aren’t any fungicides that are curative.”

    Cucurbit crops — like cucumbers, melons, squashes and pumpkins — are susceptible to downy mildew. The disease can destroy plant foliage and cause the leaves to curl and die. Without healthy leaves and vines, a plant is vulnerable to blisters and sunscald during hot days.

    Growers need to be aware of what downy mildew symptoms look like and the damage it can inflict on vegetable crops. The pathogen thrives in wet, humid conditions and needs moisture on the surface of the plant for successful spore germination and further infection.

    “Downy mildew, I believe has been found in every county in Alabama. It’s devastating on cucurbits in general,” Kemble said. “It is a specific species on pumpkins. Just because you have it on your pumpkins doesn’t necessarily mean you’re going to have it on your cucumbers next to it. However, that’s a pretty good indicator that conditions are right for development of those diseases.”

  • H-2A Process Should Be Smoother Next Season

    The H-2A application process had its challenges this spring in getting the farm workers needed from Mexico to Florida and Georgia. Veronica Nigh, economist with American Farm Bureau, believes the process should continue to improve next season amid the coronavirus pandemic, even if a vaccine is not in place.

    Nigh

    “A good deal of uncertainty was presented both to farmers and to workers early on (this year) because we really didn’t know what we were dealing with and how long it would be. Even though the administration worked hard to get the program to continue to be operable, there were some delays,” Nigh said. “The fact that we now know more about COVID-19 and were able to put procedures in place should make for a significant reduction in that uncertainty.”

    Applications Processed Timely

    According to a previous VSCNews article, H-2A applications during the third quarter, or when COVID-19 first impacted the U.S., were processed in a timely fashion, which happens when an application is resolved 30 days before the needed start date. For the period of April 1 through June 30, 96% of applications were processed in a “timely” manner.

    According to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, the H-2A program allows U.S. employers who meet specific regulatory requirements to bring foreign nationals to the United States to fill temporary agricultural jobs. Florida is the largest user of the H-2A program during the first three quarters of the year. It listed 28,005 certified positions. Georgia, another user of the program, listed a little more than 23,000 certified positions.

    “Fair Amount of Challenges”

    “There was a fair amount of challenges of actually physically getting some workers to the U.S., figuring out transportation. A lot of folks fly, and a lot of routes were closed down. Certainly, the airlines are learning more about (COVID-19) than they knew six months ago,” Nigh said.

    “Same thing with how do we safely transport a group of people in an enclosed airspace like a van or a bus? What sort of spacing requirements are necessary in order to make that travel safe? Every day, every week we’re learning more about how this actually spreads and how to prevent that. One would expect next year will go even smoother than this year given that we continue to learn more even if we don’t have a vaccine at that point.”

    Nigh said more than 90% of H-2A workers come from Mexico.

  • Deadline is Friday, Sept. 11 to Apply for CFAP

    The deadline is this week for farmers and ranchers to apply for the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP). Producers who faced price declines and additional marketing costs due to the coronavirus pandemic and are interested in applying to receive direct payment relief need to do so by Friday, Sept. 11.

    According to VSCNews, more than 160 commodities are eligible for CFAP. These include certain non-specialty crops, livestock, dairy, wool, specialty crops, eggs, aquaculture and nursery crops and cut flowers.

    According to https://www.farmers.gov/cfap, CFAP provides vital financial assistance to producers of agricultural commodities who have suffered a 5%-or-greater price decline or who had losses due to market supply chain disruptions due to COVID-19 and face additional significant market costs. Many of the fruits and vegetables, including tomatoes, watermelons and strawberries are covered under CFAP and were in production, especially in Florida, when the coronavirus struck in mid-March.

    Just a couple of weeks ago, Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced additional commodities would be covered under CFAP and the deadline to apply was extended to Sept. 11. It was also announced that producers with approved applications will receive their final payment.

    Customers seeking one-on-one support with the CFAP application process can call 877-508-8364 to speak directly with a USDA employee ready to offer general assistance. This is a recommended first step before a producer engages the team at the Farmer Service Agency (FSA) county office at their local USDA Service Center.

  • USTR Offers Encouraging Action for Blueberry Producers

    One commodity that’s been at the center of unfair trade disputes by producers in Georgia and Florida was at the forefront of the federal agencies’ plan of action issued this week.

    Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Gary Black

    Georgia Ag Commissioner Gary Black was pleased to see the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) requesting the International Trade Commission to initiate a Section 201 global safeguard investigation into the extent to which increased imports of blueberries have caused serious injury to domestic blueberry growers.

    “I was really encouraged by singling out some action on behalf of blueberry. We’ve had some real pressure from Mexico on blueberry. I think the awareness of that is shown through this plan, and I think policing and enforcing and guarding against illegal trade practices, particularly on blueberry, I think is a win for us,” Black said.

    In a prior VSCNews story, Florida blueberry farmer Ryan Atwood believed Mexican imports this year contributed to a price drop for Southeast producers. The market dropped almost overnight, he said.

    “I think it went from about $5.50 a pound, which is a really great price to you couldn’t hardly move the fruit; you would be lucky to sell it at all, like within two days,” said Atwood in late April.

    Section 201

    A Section 201 investigation is part of the Trade Act of 1974. It allows the International Trade Commission to investigate where domestic producers have been harmed by imports. They have to be seriously injured, meaning that level of injury to their marketing opportunities. Typically, it must be completed within 120 days after filing.

    To read the plan, click here.

    Click here to read the full transcript of the virtual hearing held on August 13, 2020.

    Click here to read the full transcript of the virtual hearing held on August 20, 2020.

    To view all submitted comments to the public docket, click here.

  • COVID-19 Safety Trainings: How to Protect Your Farm Labor

    Back by popular demand, additional training dates have been added for COVID-19 safety trainings for farm workers and supervisors.

    The additional dates include Sept. 16,  Sept. 24,  Oct. 7,  Oct. 13 and Oct. 21. The trainings will be held via zoom from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and will include English and Spanish instruction.

    It is free training on how to protect your workers, supervisors and essential personnel from contracting COVID-19. Training will be based on CDC guidelines. We encourage all your employees who are in direct contact with farm workers to attend. You will receive a copy of resources to help you access further information related to COVID-19 and assist you in obtaining masks and other materials.

    Free Registration

    Pre-registration is required. To register please send an email to Barb Hyman at hymanb@ufl.edu and include:
    • Which date you would like to attend
    • Your company name and address
    • Your email address and phone number
    • Names of those who will be attending, their job title and which language they prefer; English or Spanish. (There will be separate Zoom links for each language.)

    Upon receiving your email, you will be sent the Zoom link. It is suggested that you set up your free Zoom account before the meeting, if you do not have it already. We will include the website in our email.

  • Ask the Expert: What does CFAP Mean for Specialty Crop Producers?

    By Carl Purvis, USDA

    In this Ask the Expert, Charles Stephens, Associate Deputy Administrator, Specialty Crops Program, for USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) answers a few questions on how the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP) can assist specialty crop growers.

    ​ ​ Charles Stephens, Associate Deputy Administrator, Specialty Crops Program, for USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service ​Charles Stephens, Associate Deputy Administrator, Specialty Crops Program, for USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service [Click and drag to move] ​
    Charles Stephens, Associate Deputy Administrator, Specialty Crops Program, for USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service

    What is the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP)?

    CFAP provides direct payments to producers to offset price declines and additional marketing costs due to the pandemic. CFAP is not a loan program and there is no cost to apply.

    The application period for CFAP ends on Friday, Sept. 11, 2020. If you are a specialty crop grower who has been impacted by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, but you thought you weren’t eligible to receive support from the CFAP program, I encourage you to take another look. On August 11, 2020, USDA declared an additional 40-plus specialty crops, nursery crops and cut flowers are now eligible for this program.

    How can it help specialty crop producers?

    For eligible producers, the CFAP payments can help offset price declines and additional marketing costs because of the coronavirus pandemic.

    Who is eligible for CFAP payments?

    You are eligible to apply for CFAP payments if you are an individual grower or a legal entity who shares in the risk of producing a crop and you are either entitled to a share in the crop available for marketing or you would have shared had the crop been marketed. If you are an urban farmer or a farmer with a Community Supported Agriculture operation, you also are eligible for CFAP payments if you meet the requirements of an eligible producer. Producers growing crops for processing also are eligible; however, processors are not.

    If you are an eligible producer, you can receive CFAP payments if you experienced at least one of the following between January 15, 2020, and April 15, 2020, as a result of the pandemic:

    • You had crops that suffered a five percent-or-greater price decline.
    • You shipped produce, but it subsequently spoiled due to loss of marketing channel.
    • You had shipments that did not leave the farm or mature crops that remained unharvested.  

    What specialty crops are eligible for the payments?

    Over 130 specialty crops are eligible for this program. This includes crops grown for fresh markets, and crops grown for processing. USDA announced on August 11, 2020, that nursery crops and cut flowers are also eligible for CFAP assistance. Nursery crops means decorative or non-decorative plants grown in a container or controlled environment for commercial sale. Cut flowers includes cut flowers and cut greenery from annual and perennial flowering plants grown in a container or controlled environment for commercial sale.

    Visit farmers.gov/cfap for updated information on eligible specialty crops, nursery crops and cut flowers.

    How will specialty crop producers be paid?

    The total CFAP payment to producers for eligible specialty crops will be based on the following conditions between January 15, 2020, and April 15, 2020:

    • The volume of production sold.
    • The volume of production shipped, but unpaid.
    • The number of acres for which harvested production did not leave the farm or mature product was destroyed or not harvested during that same time period, and which have not and will not be sold.

    How can specialty crop farmers apply for CFAP payments?

    You must apply for a CFAP payment through your local Farm Service Agency (FSA) at your local USDA Service Center. You can find the phone number and the location of your local USDA Service Center and view its operating status at farmers.gov/coronavirus/service-center-status. If you are a new customer to USDA, your local FSA staff will work with you to apply for the program.

    You can download the CFAP Application Generator and Payment Calculator and forms at farmers.gov/cfap/apply. Producers with an eAuthentication account can apply for CFAP via the CFAP Application Portal.

    USDA Service Centers are open for business, including some that are conducting business in person by appointment only. Remember to check your local Service Center’s operation status and please call ahead to schedule an appointment.

    Carl Purvis is the Deputy Public Affairs Director for USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service. Carl can be reached at Carl.E.Purvis@usda.gov.

  • Collins Statement on Trump Administration Requesting Investigation into Mexico’s Unfair Trade Practices

    Collins

    GAINESVILLE, Ga. — Rep. Doug Collins (R-Ga.) released the following statement after the Trump Administration released a 28-page report detailing how it would address threats that increased imports pose to American producers of seasonal and perishable fruits and vegetables. The report also requested a U.S. International Trade Commission investigation into blueberry imports from Mexico, which have long harmed blueberry farmers in Georgia.

    “This is a positive step forward in addressing foreign unfair trade practices and the negative impact they have on our farmers. For far too long, Mexico’s unfair trade practices have caused significant harm to Georgia farmers, particularly blueberry growers. By requesting an investigation into these practices, President Trump and his Administration are reaffirming their commitment to put American farmers first by leveling the playing field.”

    On August 20, 2020, Collins testified on Mexico’s unfair trade practices during a virtual hearing hosted by the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR), the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), and the U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC).

    Collins testimony is cited on page 12 of the report:

    Rep. Doug Collins (GA): “To provide an example of one commodity that is disastrously struck by Mexico’s practice, Mexico’s share of the U.S. blueberry market has gone up by 2,111 percent over the last 10 years. I didn’t make a mistake there. That’s 2,000 percent in 10 years.”Back in July, Collins and Rep. Austin Scott (R-Ga.) sent a letter to U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer urging the Administration to protect Georgia farmers from Mexico’s unfair trade practices as it works to implement the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA).

  • High Tech Farming Coming to Hampton County, S.C.

    $314 Million Agriculture Technology Campus a Big Win for Local Food

    COLUMBIA – A 1,000-acre agribusiness cluster in Hampton County, South Carolina will employ 1,547 people in growing, packing and shipping tomatoes, leafy greens, blueberries and other fresh produce – using a cutting-edge approach called Controlled Environment Agriculture.

    The $314 million Agriculture Technology Campus is a joint venture encompassing multiple greenhouses and hoop-houses, a 150,000-square-foot distribution center, and a large co-packer centrally located within the cluster, which is situated near I-95.

    The project brings together several powerhouse agribusinesses – Mastronardi, a Canadian company that sells tomatoes under the Sunset label; LiDestri Food and Drink, which will provide processing, packing, shipping and logistical services; and Clear Water Farms, an experienced indoor grower of leafy greens – along with GEM Opportunity Zone Fund.

    Controlled Environment Agriculture is a technology-based approach to indoor farming that allows growers to minimize space and conserve water while controlling for factors like weather.

    Weathers

    For the past three years, the South Carolina Department of Agriculture has been exploring the potential for Controlled Environment Agriculture to boost the state’s agricultural economy, not only providing new jobs but offering opportunities for existing South Carolina farmers as agribusiness operations build a local supply chain. Growing and sourcing locally grown foods helps ensure food supply chain security, a need amplified during the COVID-19 pandemic, and minimizes operating expenses through co-location.

    The Agriculture Technology Campus cluster is projected to increase total economic output in Hampton County by $551.7 million a year, or $7.4 billion over 15 years, according to an economic impact study commissioned by the Department. The campus is expected to be operational in 2022.

    “The Agriculture Technology Campus investment in South Carolina agriculture is transformative, creating jobs in the Hampton County region and future opportunities for South Carolina farmers,” said Commissioner of Agriculture Hugh Weathers. “A Controlled Environment Agriculture project of this scale will conserve land and water and offer South Carolinians more chances to buy local produce.”

    “This is a historic day for a region steeped in agricultural history,” said GEM Opportunity Zone Fund CEO Zeb Portanova. “I am thrilled to be part of this innovative group looking to grow high quality agriculture across the region. We will deploy sustainable practices such as using recycled rainwater to irrigate our greenhouses while also providing all Carolina farmers access to our state-of-the-art co-packing facility. This will help pave the way for citizens to visit their local grocery stores, where they will be able to purchase pesticide-free, locally grown produce.”

  • NCDA&CS, WNC Communities Sign Proclamation to Continue Hemlock Restoration Initiative

    RALEIGH – North Carolina Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler today co-signed a proclamation with Jennifer Ferre, the executive director of WNC Communities, in which both leaders pledge continued support for the Hemlock Restoration Initiative.

    Troxler first announced the allocation of seed funding for the initiative in March of 2014. Since then, collaboration with WNC Communities has resulted in positive momentum in the effort to restore North Carolina’s hemlock trees to long-term health. Dead hemlocks can negatively affect nesting songbirds, trout populations, plant nurseries and landscapers, homeowners and tourism.

    Troxler

    “The hemlock woolly adelgid continues to kill a large number of eastern and Carolina hemlocks in North Carolina, but our combined efforts are making a difference,” said Troxler. “As just one example, we recently recognized dozens of N.C. Forest Service employees for a five-month project that treated nearly 42,000 hemlocks on more than 1,500 acres in the state. It was a huge project, and we’re committed to continuing our efforts in various ways.”

    While NCDA&CS provides resources such as funding, forestry expertise and manpower, the Asheville-based nonprofit WNC Communities manages grants and other funding sources, recruits research partners and provides administrative support for the program.

    “The proclamation further cements the partnership between the Department of Agriculture and WNC Communities, and it serves as a promise for the future of the Hemlock Restoration Initiative,” Ferre said.

    For more details about the initiative, go to savehemlocksnc.org. A copy of the proclamation is linked here.