AgNet DEMO

Author: Clint

  • Insect Pressure in Alabama Concerning for Producers

    Insect pressure is high right now throughout Alabama. Ayanava Majumdar, an Auburn Extension Professor in Entomology and Plant Pathology, wants producers to be aware of the difference between squash vine borer larvae and pickleworm larvae. Complaints have increased significantly for both insects.

    Squash vine borer larvae are found inside hollow stems at the soil surface. Eventually, they pupate in the ground. Squash vine borer larvae are creamish in color and plump. They spend their entire time in the stem tunnels filling them up with a profuse amount of excreta. Vines that are infested with the squash vine borers will suddenly droop in dry weather conditions, which leads to yield loss.

    Pickleworm larvae are found in flowers, fruits and upper stems. Larvae have spots when they are small, and the large ones eventually pupate in leaf fold.

    Other IPM observations:

    • Insects on the rapid rise: Fall Armyworm, Corn earworm, and Soybean Looper, Squash Vine Borer (cucurbit vegetables). Moth numbers have increase 1.5 to 2 times for these species.
    • This is one of the lightest years for tobacco budworm on row crops in recent years, whereas we have experienced very high levels of corn earworm moth activity and larval numbers in vegetable crops in Alabama.

  • New Ways to Promote Watermelon

    Winter Springs, Fla. – Watermelon continues to find its place on menus throughout the country despite the rapidly changing foodservice landscape. Partnering with both quick service and full service national chains in the spring and summer months, the National Watermelon Promotion Board (Board) focused on takeaway-and delivery-friendly options to not only include watermelon on the menu, but keep it top of mind with their customers.

    Juice and smoothies played a prominent role in all of these promotions, allowing operators to experiment with watermelon’s flavor profile, while understanding that away from home, consumers most enjoy watermelon raw, as a snack or with lunch.

    The Board worked with the following foodservice outlets:

    •Another Broken Egg – Chain wide usage in 74 outlets included a fruit side and Watermelon Cucumber Cooler. This year, the promotion started earlier in the year (March 17) and, for the first time, the chain tested a savory application, Tacos Verano with Watermelon Salsa.

    •First Watch-Running June 1 through the end of August in 380 locations, the Watermelon Wake Up juice scored a 96/100 for frequency of ordering desire on Datassentials SCORES, a monthly report that tracks and ranks new menu items tested with consumers. Promotions included in-store chalkboards, e-blast, blog post and social.

    •Nektar -Expanded social media promotional elements including Instagram Live and Stories withNektar founder Alexis Schulzeand Board beverage consultantTony Pereyra, amplified on Board channels. Offeringsin 165 unitsincludeda smoothieand juice, running from June 15 until Labor Day weekend.

    •Robeks – Custom graphics on Instagram and Facebook promoting the Wailea Watermelon Smoothie, a customer favorite,in 84 locations.

    “Adjusting to operators’and consumers’ needs was a top priority this year,” said Megan McKenna, Senior Director of Marketing and Foodservice. “Additionally, leveraging existing relationships with past partners has made executing programming straight forward and incredibly successful.”

    “You know you have a hit when guests ask for more watermelon salsa on an already generous portion or my favorite, when a guests asked how much for a container to take home because they know a dozen other things that the bright, sweet, spicy, crunchy, salty goodness would go with!” said Jason Knoll, Vice President of Culinary, Another Broken Egg of America Franchising, LLC.

    Looking forward to fall/winter programming, the Board will continue to monitor foodservice needs and consumer trends. For more information about the Foodservice program, including how NWPB can support watermelon usage in the foodservice sector, visit watermelon.org/foodservice or contact Megan McKenna at mmckenna@watermelon.org.

  • Georgia Ag Commissioner: One of the Vulnerabilities This Year Was Blueberries

    Gary Black

    Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Gary Black testified last week in a hearing with the U.S. Trade Representative’s Office that his state’s fruit and vegetable producers had a decent spring of production amid the coronavirus pandemic. However, one commodity group had its challenges especially when competing against Mexican imports.

    “I think one of the vulnerabilities this year was blueberries. We had some good weeks, but then we had an enormous influx of blueberries from Mexico. It was a little disheartening. You go to the middle of the blueberry belt and see in the big box stores, you see blueberries from Mexico right in the middle of our season,” said Black.

    Georgia Grown

    He also admits, though, more work can be done by his team to promote the value of Georgia Grown.

    “We can still do a better job of working with some of the retailers to enhance our brand; a lot of work to do still on consumer demand because consumers are going to drive what happens at the retail level,” Black said.

    Marketing was a key part of the Georgia Department of Agriculture’s (GDA) “Buy Georgia Grown, Now More Than Ever” campaign, which was launched during the early months of the initial pandemic. Georgia Grown partners with local governments to connect produce farmers directly to consumers in highly populated areas throughout the state.

    Georgia Grown To-Go was a series of pop-up markets, primarily in metro Atlanta, that provided customers an opportunity to purchase fresh produce directly from farmers with limited contact, drive-through service.

    Hearings

    Georgia producers and agricultural industry leaders testified in a virtual hearing last Thursday, Aug. 20. The hearings provided the U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC) and United States Department of Agriculture an opportunity to hear from growers in Georgia about the urgent need for federal action regarding unfair trade, specifically with Mexican imports.

    This was the second of two virtual hearings to be held. The first involved Florida growers and industry leaders on Aug. 13.

  • Clemson Extension Agents Provide Crop Updates

    Clemson Extension agents provided updates in The South Carolina Grower this week about the status of various crops being produced throughout the state.

    Statewide

    Dr. Tony Keinath reports, “For the past few years, Orondis Opti on cucumber and cantaloupe and Orondis Ultra on pumpkin and watermelon have been the best fungicides to manage downy mildew. Based on results from a spring 2020 cucumber experiment at Coastal REC, Orondis is no longer the “silver bullet” it was 2 years ago. In my experiment, Orondis Opti rotated with Bravo controlled downy mildew in the early part of the season, but disease increased significantly during the latter part of the season and ended up higher than expected. Part of the shortcoming of the Orondis Opti/Bravo spray program was the Bravo rotation. Bravo sprayed by itself every other week did not control downy mildew at all. So spraying Orondis Opti/Bravo acted like Orondis Opti sprayed every other week, which was not enough. The labels for Orondis Opti and Orondis Ultra say they must be rotated with another fungicide. For the rest of the 2020 season, use Orondis Opti/Ranman + chlorothalonil on cucumber and cantaloupe, and Orondis Ultra rotated with Gavel or Ranman + chlorothalonil on pumpkin and watermelon. Always use the high rate (2.5 pints/acre) of Orondis products. Note that the mancozeb in Gavel or adding chlorothalonil helps to manage other foliar diseases like gummy stem blight and anthracnose. Yield data and input costs from my experiment are being analyzed to see if spraying Orondis leads to a higher net return despite the higher cost of this fungicide. Results will be presented at the virtual Cucurbit meeting in February 2021 to help growers plan downy mildew fungicide programs for the 2021 season.”

    Cucurbit downy mildew continues to spread across the state.

    Coastal

    Rob Last reports, “Fall crops continue to grow well in the area.  Given the current weather patterns, pests and disease are active in some crops particularly where there are volunteers remaining from previous crops.  Vigilance will be required in scouting and pesticide management programs.  If in doubt scout.”

    Midlands

    Justin Ballew reports, “It’s been cool, cloudy, and kind of pleasant outside this past week, though, that has the vegetable crops growing a little slower. We’ve gotten some decent rains in most areas around the midlands as well. Bacterial spot is really showing up on fall tomatoes as a result of all the recent rain. It could be a bad fall for bacterial spot if the weather stays like this. Caterpillars are already out there on fall brassicas. It doesn’t take long once they’re planted. Start scouting, scout often and rotate insecticides. Remember to contact one of us about screening your farm for insecticide resistance in diamondback moths once you start seeing populations build up.”

    Bacterial spot and speck start on the bottom of the plant and can be splashed onto higher leaves and fruit by rain drops. Photo from Justin Ballew.
    Start scouting for caterpillars as soon as your fall brassicas are planted. Photo from Justin Ballew

    Pee Dee

    Bruce McLean reports, “Both fruit and vegetable development have slowed a bit due to cloudy conditions. Sunny conditions needed. Sweetpotatoes are sizing well and will be ready for harvest soon. Fall cucumbers and squash should soon be ready to start harvesting. Fall brassicas are being planted now. Muscadine crop is getting close to harvest. Noble is around 90% ripe; Carlos is around 60%; Doreen is still around 25%. Brix (sugar content) is off due to rain and cloudy conditions. Noble and Carlos brix are averaging around 11% with a low of 9.2% and a high of 15.0%. Doreen is averaging less than 10%. Did find a few Doreen that brix was over 19%… candy. Sunny conditions definitely needed.”

    Noble muscadines around 90% ripe. Photo from Bruce McLean.

    Tony Melton reports, “Beginning to harvest processing sweet potatoes but some have been stunted and delayed by excessive rain. Spraying processing peas for cowpea curculio.  Starting to plant processing greens by seed. Even though lots of rain and having to mud through fields, cucumbers for pickles are being harvested and still being planted.”

    Upstate

    Andy Rollins reports, “Blueberry pruning is best served for the dormant time of year, late January-late February.  I met with a commercial grower who was anxious about getting started early partly because he has many plants completely unproductive for the second year in a row. I like to call this revenge pruning as that is the primary motivation. Be careful, you could end up hurting yourself more in the long run. In his case, it was all about light and proper pruning to encourage light down through the canopy. The original spacing of Rabbiteye type varieties was very close so we also considered killing every other plant to get more light into the bushes but this would not replace the need for removing a few of the oldest canes each year, spacing them out so there is better light penetration. For a detailed explanation, please see NCSU Blueberry specialist Bill Cline’s presentation.”

  • Alabama Growers Be Mindful of Deadline Extension for CFAP

    lettuce
    File photo shows lettuce being grown in a field.

    Auburn University Assistant Professor and Extension economist Adam Rabinowitz wants Alabama non-specialty crop and specialty crop producers to be aware of the deadline being extended for the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP) and what crops in the state are most impacted.

    In the Alabama Extension blog, Rabinowitz reminded producers that CFAP provides financial assistance to growers of selected agricultural products. Initial payments of 80% of eligibility were made to producers who filed claims by the initial sign-up deadline. The USDA has since announced an extension of the deadline to Sept. 11.

    The USDA also announced that payments for the additional 20% of eligibility will be processed automatically for those who have already enrolled. Farmers producing eligible crops should visit their FSA office to enroll in this program. More information is available on the USDA website.

    Adam Rabinowitz

    Alabama Impact

    CFAP assistance is available to specialty crop producers, including selected fruits, vegetables, nursery crops, and cut flowers. Those crops that are most relevant to Alabama producers that are harvested before April 15 include but are not limited to:

    • Broccoli
    • Cabbage
    • Greens, collard, kale, mustard, and turnip
    • Lettuce
    • Peas
    • Potatoes, fresh and other
    • Squash, including zucchini
    • Strawberries

    As of Aug. 17, 33 specialty crop applications in Alabama were approved by the USDA Farm Service Agency, resulting in payments of just over $800,000 to Alabama producers.

  • 2020-’21 UF/IFAS Citrus Production Guide Available

    UF Glow variety of citrus. Photo taken 11-17-17

    By: Ruth Borger, 517-803-7631, rborger@ufl.edu

    LAKE ALFRED, Fla. — While the coronavirus pandemic has changed much of the University of Florida citrus programming, one annual tradition continues, albeit with some changes. The 2020-2021 UF Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Citrus Production Guide is now available to growers, just as it has in years past.

    The difference is that growers usually would have the first chance to pick up their copy at the annual Citrus Expo held in Fort Myers. With that show going virtual because of the pandemic, distribution plans for the guide have been adjusted.

    What is the same is the publication which includes the latest technical advice on citrus greening disease, tree nutrition, grove management and other aspects of Florida citrus cultivation. The 264-page document is a comprehensive reference meant to assist growers in development and management of citrus groves in Florida, said Lauren Diepenbrock, a UF/IFAS entomology assistant professor and a member of the guide’s editorial team.

    Topics covered in the guide include planting, irrigation, fertilization, weed control, insect management and disease management, she said. It was previously known as the Florida Citrus Pest Management Guide, but the name was changed a few years ago, after the content was expanded, she said. About 50 UF/IFAS personnel contributed to the latest edition.

    “Each year, we update the guide with new information as it becomes available, so that we can continue to meet the needs of our growers as we learn about and/or develop new tools and strategies for citrus production,” Diepenbrock said.

    Hard copies of the guide are now available at local UF/IFAS Extension county offices (please see chart)

    Hillsborough, Polk Counties Polk Office in BartowChris Oswalt

    		wcoswalt@ufl.edu (863) 519-1052
    Charlotte, Glades, Lee, Hendry, Collier Counties: Hendry Office in LaBelleMongi Zekri


         		maz@ufl.edu (863) 674-4092
    Highlands County Office in SebringAjia Paolilloajiacunningham@ufl.edu 863-993-4846
    DeSoto, Hardee, Manatee Office in ArcadiaAjia Paolillo  ajiacunningham@ufl.edu 863-993-4846
    St. Lucie, Indian River Office in Ft. Pierce

    		Amir Rezazadehamir2558@ufl.edu
    (772) 462-1628

    Orange, Lake, Marion Lake Office in TavaresJuanita Popenoe


         		jpopenoe@ufl.edu
    (352) 343-4101 ext. 2727

    Sumter County Office in BushnellMatt Smith

         		 smith197@ufl.edu
     (352) 569-6862
    Jefferson County Office in MonticelloDanielle Sprague

    		dsprague@ufl.edu
    (850) 342-0187

    Taylor County Office in PerryLisa Strangelstrange@ufl.edu (850) 838-3508  

    While Extension offices are open, it is always best to email or call the agent ahead of time to check that the office is open and ensure that they have the guides waiting for you. For a directory of citrus agents, visit  http://citrusagents.ifas.ufl.edu/locate/index.shtml.

    Another way to access the guide is on-line through the UF/IFAS Extension Electronic Data Information Source library at the EDIS website. It will also be available at the UF/IFAS Citrus Research and Education Center and the cirtrusresearch.ifas.ufl.edu websites.

  • Response Requested From Ag, Marine Industry Professionals for New Round of Surveys

    By: Kirsten Romaguera, 352-294-3313, kromaguera@ufl.edu

    GAINESVILLE, Fla. — University of Florida researchers have opened the second round of surveys on COVID-19’s impact on the state’s agriculture and marine industries, intended to capture changes in operations for the first half of the year.

    The Assessment of COVID-19 Impacts on Florida surveys were first deployed in mid-April and closed in mid-May, offering a glimpse at the changes and uncertainty that came with the early days of the pandemic. In total, more than 1,500 respondents across five sector-specific surveys shed light on how their businesses were faring just as statewide stay-at-home orders were in full effect. Reports on the findings are being finalized now and will soon be made available.

    Similar industry groups will be targeted for the second round of surveys, defined as follows:

    1. Agriculture and aquaculture production (broadly defined to include crop production, forestry/timber, nursery and greenhouse operations, agritourism, beekeeping, etc.); survey: tinyurl.com/uflsurvey-round2-agaquaculture
    2. Commercial fishing; survey: tinyurl.com/uflsurvey-round2-fishing
    3. Charter/For-hire operations; survey: tinyurl.com/uflsurvey-round2-charter
    4. Seafood wholesale dealers; survey: tinyurl.com/uflsurvey-round2-seafood
    5. Marine recreation support businesses; survey: tinyurl.com/uflsurvey-round2-recreation
    Christa Court

    “We were satisfied with the response rate of the first round of surveys, but I know there are experiences and impacts that we weren’t able to capture in the first round, especially when it came to specific commodities or sectors,” said Christa Court, assistant professor of regional economics in the UF/IFAS food and resource economics department. “Together, Florida’s agriculture and marine industries are a significant contributor to the state’s economy, but what makes our state unique is the diversity of activities and products that these industries engage in and produce. The more data we can collect from producers and operations of all types, the more insights we can provide on the variety of ways each of the sectors are being uniquely impacted by and adapting to the COVID-19 pandemic. It’s important that we find as many pieces of this puzzle as possible to understand implications for the broader food system and the economy.”

    Survey questions have been refined to make it as easy as possible for respondents to complete the survey while providing the information necessary for a detailed valuation of losses. Some questions might look familiar from the first round; however, in most cases, adjustments were made to account for the more nuanced impacts of the pandemic scenario.

    Court acknowledges that hurricane season is also a complicating factor for this second round of surveys. The UF/IFAS Economic Impact Analysis Program, which she directs, also conducts post-hurricane analyses.

    “Even though we saw in the first survey that the pandemic affects these sectors quite differently than natural disasters such as hurricanes, there’s a potential for compounding disasters in this next survey period,” she said. “We hope we don’t have to account for that, but we are prepared for the possibility.”

    As with the first round of pandemic-related surveys, Court is joined by fellow FRE faculty Andrew Ropicki and John Lai. Ropicki, an assistant professor of marine economics who also has a Florida Sea Grant appointment, will again lead the marine survey analysis. Lai, an assistant professor of agribusiness, focuses on the agriculture portion.

    In addition, based on responses from the first round of surveys, there is an ongoing collaboration between UF/IFAS, Florida Gulf Coast University, and Florida A&M University to conduct interviews with industry professionals. This effort spans across all segments of the food system, from input suppliers, to producers and processors, to restaurant owners, and everything in between. Previous survey respondents who expressed interest in sharing more about their experiences during this pandemic have been contacted and additional participation is welcomed. Industry professionals in agriculture or food-related sectors who are interested in sharing their stories and experiences should contact David Outerbridge, County Extension Director in Lee County, at douterbridge@ufl.edu or (239) 533-7512.

  • Auburn Economist: 301 Investigation Could Spark Retaliation From Mexico

    Adam Rabinowitz

    Georgia and Florida vegetable and specialty crop farmers are calling for a Section 301 investigation into unfair trade practices regarding Mexican imports.

    But Auburn University Assistant Professor and Extension economist Adam Rabinowitz is concerned about the potential ramifications that could loom as a result.

    Section 301

    According to the International Trade Administration, Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 provides the United States with the authority to enforce trade agreements, resolve trade disputes, and open foreign markets to U.S. goods and services.

    Rabinowitz said an investigation could lead to the U.S. imposing trade sanctions such as tariffs which would increase prices of inexpensive Mexican imports, in particular the fruit and vegetable crops. These are difficult for Southeast producers to compete against and were reasons that virtual hearings were necessary for the past two weeks with the U.S. Trade Representative’s Office.

    Adam Rabinowitz

    “We’ve seen the U.S. use this method against other countries for other industries. Representative (Robert) Lighthizer seems to be listening to the concerns. The one potential challenge may come from how Mexico may retaliate against any tariffs in that form,” Rabinowitz said. “There are concerns of other vegetable growers out west, there could be retaliation against some of their products that are flowing down into Mexico.

    “I think there will be further investigation in this. I think things will be heard. It’s just a question or not 301 will be used to actually apply some tariffs or if there could be some other type of resolution through a side agreement with the Mexican government that may address some of those concerns.”

    Virtual Hearings

    Georgia farmers and industry leaders voiced their concerns on Thursday, Aug. 20 and Florida producers testified on Aug. 13. The hearings were established to provide the U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC) and United States Department of Agriculture an opportunity to hear from growers in both states about the urgent need for federal action regarding unfair trade, specifically with Mexican imports.

    All who testified were consistent in their concerns about two main issues that are in Mexico’s advantage: government subsidies to Mexican producers and inexpensive labor.

    “If those could be addressed outside of tariffs, that could be a potential solution. Otherwise, you start getting into some of the trade disputes that raise some other issues,” Rabinowitz said.

  • Virtual Citrus Expo and VSC Expo See Great Success

    For nearly three decades, Citrus Expo has been the premier event that growers turn to for the latest information and products to run a successful operation. Although the annual in-person event took a hiatus this year to ensure safety during the COVID-19 pandemic, the virtual event saw tremendous success.

    “In these unprecedented times, it was important for us to find ways to still provide growers with the education they need,” says Robin Loftin, president of AgNet Media. “That’s what this industry is all about, continuing to adapt to challenges as they come and finding ways to overcome them.”  

    During the virtual two-day event that took place Aug. 19-20, over 1,100 participants logged into the Citrus Expo and Vegetable and Specialty Crop (VSC) Expo to view the educational seminar programs and interact with vendors and event sponsors.

    “We are extremely thrilled with this year’s turnout,” says Event Manager Josh McGill. “Despite the current situation, we were still able to provide a dynamic show packed with useful resources for the industry.”

    McGill notes that by holding the event virtually, it reached its broadest audience ever. Attendees logged into the Expos from 31 different countries.
    AgNet Media’s enthusiasm about the virtual event was also met by industry members.

    “Congratulations on a fantastic virtual Citrus/VSC Expo. Very well organized and executed! I sure did miss the opportunity to meet and network with others, but since that wasn’t possible, you made the most of it by offering an event that shared timely and valuable information,” said Debra Fitzgerald, market intelligence analyst for ISK Biosciences.

    Cacee Hilliard, Florida Farm Bureau’s CARES program coordinator, also offered words of gratitude regarding the event.

    “I just wanted to thank you for all the hard work putting on a virtual Citrus Expo! I am so pleased with how our sponsorship has been used. I feel attendees will easily see and access our information,” she says.

    For those who were not able to tune into the event, the general session, citrus, and VSC seminar programs and accompanying continuing education units will be available through the end of the year on CitrusExpo.net.
    The Citrus Expo and VSC Expo team sincerely appreciates the participation of attendees and seminar speakers. A big thank you also goes to the sponsors and exhibitors who invested in the Expos. The annual event cannot happen without their continued support.

    Furthermore, the Expo team appreciates the resiliency and passion found in Florida’s agriculture industry. Although it’s been a year unlike any other, growers continue to stand tall and provide for the world amid challenging times.

    The 2021 Citrus Expo and Vegetable & Specialty Crop Expo are set to take place Aug. 18–19 at the Lee Civic Center in North Fort Myers, Florida. We hope to see you there!

  • Georgia Ag Leaders Call for Healthy, Fair Trade

    Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Gary Black

    Georgia producers and industry leaders had their turn to testify on Thursday during a virtual hearing with the U.S. Trade Representative’s Office about unfair trade practices with Mexico. The hearings provided the U.S. Department of Commerce and Trump Administration an opportunity to hear from growers in Georgia about the urgent need for federal action regarding unfair trade.

    This was the second virtual hearing following the one on Aug. 13 involving Florida farmers.

    Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Gary Black believes a fair, healthy trade agreement is what is needed.

    Gary Black

    What is Needed?

    Farmers discussed trade practices about various produce such as blueberries, pecans, blackberries and cucumbers and how the future of the American farmer is at stake. Most farmers called for a 301 investigation into Mexico.

    Adam Rabinowitz, Auburn University Assistant Professor and Extension Economist, explained that a 301 Investigation is part of the Trade Act of 1974 and allows the U.S. to engage in trade activity, whether it be trade agreements but also resolving trade disputes. The idea was that the U.S. could access foreign markets but also that domestic markets were not impacted.

    An investigation could lead to the U.S. imposing trade sanctions such as tariffs which would increase prices of inexpensive Mexican imports, in particular the fruit and vegetable crops, that are difficult for Southeast producers to compete against and were reasons that hearings were necessary in the first place.

    The list of speakers included Congressmen Austin Scott (GA-08) and Buddy Carter (GA-01); Georgia Ag Commissioner Gary Black; Gerald Long, Georgia Farm Bureau Federation; Charles Hall, executive director of the Georgia Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association; as well as various farmers, including Russ Goodman (Cogdell Berry Farm), Sam Watson (Chill C Farms) and Bill Brim (Lewis Taylor Farms, Inc.).