AgNet DEMO

Category: Florida

  • Alert: Florida Watermelon Producers Wary of Increased Disease Pressure

    File photo/Wilting is common in a heavy gummy stem blight outbreak.

    Rainfall over the weekend in north Florida has watermelon producers wary of potential diseases that could potentially occur. Bob Hochmuth, UF/IFAS Regional Specialized Extension agent in Live Oak, Florida, cautions farmers to look for any new symptoms that could occur.

    “Most of our fungicides are in fact preventative. Trying to play catch-up with a preventative fungicide after a disease has gotten started is not the best plan,” Hochmuth said. “There are some systemic fungicides that have good activity once we see the disease start. But for sure, we want to try to stay on a really good, early-season preventative maintenance program. What we try to do as we move into these next few weeks is to keep a close eye on new diseases and then begin to target the fungicide application to the best-case scenario for the diseases that show up.

    “We don’t have a lot of silver bullets to correct a problem once it occurs.”

    Farmers Prefer Dry Conditions

    Florida watermelon producers prefer a dry production season since the crop is vulnerable to various diseases. Farmers utilize drip irrigation to supply ample amount of water. But any extra moisture leaves the crop susceptible to potentially devastating diseases.

    “The drier conditions typically help reduce the disease pressure. The only exception to that is powdery mildew. It can still be a problem, even in dry weather,” Hochmuth said. “But the other diseases, the primary ones being downy mildew, gummy stem blight and bacterial diseases, those are all encouraged by, especially, multi-day rain events.”

    He added that watermelon fields were disease-free heading into the weekend. But chances are that could change this week.

    “There was pretty significant rainfall throughout the watermelon growing region. A little bit on Friday but pretty significant on/off showers over the weekend,” Hochmuth said. “We were clean going into the weekend I feel like. We haven’t really seen anything other than the fusarium wilt, which has nothing to do with rain.

  • Florida Farmer: It’s Going to Take a Movement

    Two farmers. Two states. One message: The government needs to do more to support the American farmer.

    In an era of increasing costs and imports that continue to flood the marketplace, more and more farmers express concern about the decreasing role American farms have in feeding our country.

    “Florida specialty crops is really getting the raw end of the deal here. There are people that are making lots of money off exporting. It’s not us,” said Florida strawberry producer Dustin Grooms. “Our berries are meant to be eaten fresh right here locally and around the U.S. We can’t compete with (Mexico’s) labor. That’s one of the main things is their labor. We just can not compete with their low prices. They know that. Every time it seems that we’re starting to get somewhere with the government, we take one step forward and about 10 steps backwards. It’s a losing battle.”

    Labor Battle

    Labor is at the forefront of this battle and one that Mexico is winning. It was established during the USITC hearing on cucumbers and squash that labor rates in Mexico were just shy of $12 per day; which is comparable or even less than what some American farmers have to pay for workers per hour.

    “I just don’t understand how in America we expect the farmer to grow things under certain environmental regulations and labor regulations and that comes with a cost. If you’re going to regulate the American farmer then you’ve got to protect them against countries that don’t have similar regulations,” said Georgia blueberry farmer Russ Goodman. “If nothing’s done about it, and we’re already starting to feel the repercussions in rural communities across the country, it’s just going to get worse.”

    Increasing Frustration

    Goodman is especially frustrated about the report that says the Biden Administration plans to manage the immigration crisis by asking private U.S. companies to invest in Mexico and Central America.

    “I hope at some point in time our government will recognize it’s a national security issue,” Goodman said. “If you take anybody that has a 90% advantage over something that is 40% of their costs of doing business, they’re going to put their competitor out of business. The sad thing is that competition comes in the form of the American family farm. I just don’t know what the future holds. It’s absolutely amazing to me that our country is not trying to do something to protect farmers.”

    Food security and food awareness need to be heightened in this country. Consumers need to be made aware of how and where they get their food.

    “We need the support of the government. We also need the support of the American people to buy our products and not foreign imports,” Grooms said. “That’s what it’s going to take, a movement.”

  • New Chair: Gunter to Lead UF Horticulture Programs

    GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) will soon have a new chair of the Horticultural Sciences Department.

    Christopher Gunter will join UF/IFAS, with an official start date of June 7.

    Chris Gunter

    Gunter will lead experts and programs specialize in research, plant breeding and genetics, fruit and vegetable production and related disciplines that continue to shape the future of food in Florida and globally.

    “I’m excited to be part of one of the best – if not the best – horticultural science departments in the country,” Gunter said. “This department is a crown jewel of our profession, and I feel privileged to be joining this group.”

    Gunter comes to UF/IFAS from North Carolina State University, where he was a faculty member for 14 years. His previous role as the director of graduate programs also involved sharing his vegetable production expertise through education and Extension.

    Scott Angle, UF vice president for agriculture and natural resources and leader of UF/IFAS, said Gunter’s background makes him a natural fit to lead the department.  

    “A world-class leader has been hired to support a world-class department,” Angle said. “Dr. Gunter will assure that the department is there for the fruit and vegetable industry as an essential part of the economy of Florida. I know that our teaching, research and Extension programs will flourish under his leadership.”

  • Rainy Forecast: Florida to Receive Heavy Rains This Weekend

    National Weather Service/WPC forecast map

    Florida is on track to receive heavy rainfall thunderstorm activity through this weekend, says Gary England, UF/IFAS Extension Agent Emeritus.

    In his email, England alerted producers that the main precipitation accumulation is expected Saturday through early next week, mainly Monday and Tuesday. Most of north and north central Florida could receive at least two inches of rainfall with some locations receiving between four and five inches during the period. 

    According to the most recent update from the U.S. Drought Monitor, much of central and south Florida is abnormally dry.

  • Pepper Weevil Pressure Increasing in South Florida

    This pepper weevil grub was found inside a jalapeno pepper.

    According to the South Florida Pest and Disease Hotline, pepper weevil pressure is high in Palm Beach County. Pepper weevil numbers are also increasing around the Homestead, Florida area.

    Respondents report that weevil pressure continues to increase around southwest Florida. Older fields are hosting high populations, while adults are now showing up in most  younger pepper plantings.

    Weevil numbers remain mostly low in the Manatee Ruskin area.

    Click here for management options of pepper weevil.  

  • Drought Monitor: South Florida Remains Abnormally Dry

    South Florida received a substantial amount of rainfall last weekend, but it still remains dry across the region. According to the Thursday’s release of the US Drought Monitor the majority of south Florida and parts of central Florida are abnormally dry. Even counties like Monroe, Collier and Palm Beach are classified ‘D1’ or in a moderate drought.

    The abnormally dry conditions extend as far north as Citrus County, Marion County, Putnam County and Flagler County.

    South Georgia still has enough moisture from the excessive rains it received in February. There are about 20 counties in north Georgia that are abnormally dry. They start in Henry County and Clayton County and extend as far east as Elbert County and Hart County.

    There is also a few counties that abnormally dry along the Georgia-Alabama line. They include Haralson County, Carroll County and Heard County.

    In Alabama, the abnormally dry counties are Cleburne County, Randolph County and Chambers County along the Georgia-Alabama state line. There is a small portion that is abnormally dry in Monrore County and Wilcox County.

  • AI: UF Researchers Using Artificial Intelligence to Study Nematodes

    Nematodes as seen from under a microscope. Photo courtesy, Peter DiGennaro, UF/IFAS.

    Artificial intelligence (AI) may help Florida producers combat one of the most destructive pests farmers encounter every year.

    University of Florida (UF) scientists are using AI to identify parasitic nematodes more rapidly. Some nematodes live in the ground and harm plants, while others are beneficial. It is important to distinguish which ones are which, said Peter DiGennaro, a UF/IFAS assistant professor of entomology and nematology.

    DiGennaro and Alina Zare lead the research, which was among 20 projects to receive $50,000 last year through the UF Artificial Intelligence Research Catalyst Fund.

    “We have the AI algorithms already developed but not for this issue,” Zare said. “We will need to apply them to the nematode imagery and further develop and validate the algorithm for this issue.” 

    Quicker Management Option

    Growers need a quicker alternative in identifying nematodes in their soil to decide on the most efficient management treatment, DiGennaro said. Artificial intelligence could assist with this initial diagnosis of the nematode, making it quicker and cheaper to know what types of nematodes are in farmers’ fields.

    DiGennaro’s colleagues at the UF/IFAS Nematode Assay Lab receive about 7,000 samples each year from commercial growers, residents and golf courses in Florida. Lab specialists plan to view each sample with a digital microscope, which would capture about 15,000 images per sample, DiGennaro said. This can generate hundreds of thousands of images each year.

    Time Consuming

    This manual process is extremely time consuming. When the lab receives a soil sample, specialists extract the nematodes from the soil and view them under a microscope. They identify each kind of harmful nematode, count how many there are and assess the potential for plant damage.

    With AI, the technology has the power to automate some of the processes, Zare said. DiGennaro and Zare are creating a machine-learning algorithm.

    “Essentially, we pair each training image with a label,” said Zare, whose lab specializes in developing machine-learning algorithms that can learn from imprecise image-level labels, which are usually much easier, faster and cheaper to create than precise training labels. “Machine learning algorithms generally learn by repeatedly updating parameters until the output of the algorithm matches the desired outputs provided in the training labels.” 

    The algorithm will speed up the identification process of the nematodes. If the project succeeds, scientists could also tell growers which management practices would be most suitable to use to protect their crops.

    “If artificial intelligence helps make nematode identification accurate and practical, it might reduce the lab’s labor costs and decrease turnaround time for nematode diagnosis,” said Billy Crow, UF/IFAS professor of nematology and director of the UF/IFAS Nematology Assay Lab. “The quicker we can tell a grower what is going on, the quicker they can do something about it.”

  • UF/IFAS Extension Agent: Cold Damage Was Close on Watermelons

    Almost two weeks after a cold Easter weekend, North Florida watermelon producers are still counting their blessings. They understand the minimal damage their crop sustained during a chilly Easter weekend could have been a whole lot worse.

    Bob Hochmuth

    “It was really, really close,” said Bob Hochmuth, UF/IFAS Regional Specialized Extension agent in Live Oak, Florida. “Because a lot of those plants were very well established; in other words, they had a big root system and the dark plastic gives you an opportunity for a lot of warming in that root system, so they have the capacity, physiologically, to come back in a hurry. That’s basically what happened. The younger plants that were more recently transplanted are probably in a little different situation.

    “Because a lot of our crop had been planted for basically a month, the rebound was a result of the fact that we had large, well-established root systems that were able to push the crop back.”

    How Cold Was it?

    Hochmuth estimated that temperatures in the Suwanee Valley area – Levy County, Gilchrist County, Alachua County – on up to the Georgia line, the temperature range was 32 degrees Fahrenheit to 37 degrees. Most temperatures centered around 33 degrees or 34 degrees. Heavy frost was also constant throughout most throughout the area.

    Hochmuth also believes farmers will continue to see damage from the frost that didn’t show up in the first day or two. But don’t be alarmed.

    “As the crop gets older and older, we’re going to continue to see probably the remnants of damage tissue that dries out over the course of the season. We just need to have the anticipation that’s going to be the case,” he added. “It doesn’t mean that some new disease necessarily has moved in on the crop or anything like that.”

  • Labor Shortage? Not According to Southeast Farmers, Industry Leaders

    One of the focal points of the U.S. International Trade Commission hearing on the impact imports of cucumbers and squash have on the domestic industry is labor; how much it costs and the availability of it.

    Lance Jungmeyer, president of the Fresh Produce Association of Americas, insists the lack of workers has led to a quality issue with produce grown in the Southeast.

    “Without adequate labor, Southeast growers are at a severe disadvantage for how they grow and pack. Their products result in a distinct quality disadvantage that U.S. retail customers clearly recognize,” Jungmeyer said.

    Not So Fast

    But farmers and industry leaders in Georgia and Florida scoff at the notion that there is a problem with worker availability.

    “I would dispute that,” said Florida farmer Marie Bedner. “We have the same people that return year after year. We invested in our farming future and built a state-of-the-art 400-bed facility for these employees.”

    Mike Joyner, president of the Florida Fruit and Vegetable Association (FFVA), said Florida brought in 39,000 H-2A workers last year.

    “To the labor issue, I’m concerned that there’s a theme that we have a problem and I’m just not seeing it,” Joyner said.

    Same for Georgia

    The same is true in Georgia as well.

    “Those growers that are using H-2A, we do not have a labor shortage. Generally, workers are using some domestic help, or they’re using H-2A workers. Labor shortage is not a problem,” said Charles Hall, executive director of the Georgia Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association.

    Last August, Veronica Nigh, an economist with American Farm Bureau Federation, said H-2A applications were processed effectively and in a timely manner even during the early onset of COVID-19. She noted that Florida was the largest user of the H-2A program during the year’s first three quarters. It listed 28,005 certified positions. Georgia listed a little more than 23,000 certified positions.

    What Southeast producers may be most concerned with is Mexico dumping produce, or exporting a product at a price below the price charged in the country of origin.

    “Our growers are paying well above minimum wage by the time you add in all the travel, housing. That labor is costing $15, $16 an hour,” said Gene McAvoy, University of Florida/IFAS Regional Vegetable Extension Agent IV Emeritus. “If you look at the cost of labor being about 30% of our cost of production and the break-even price on squash is $8.50 a box, take $3 off of it, and that’s $5.50. It’s still hard to see how Mexico could put squash into the U.S. market in recent weeks at $3.98 a box. There’s just no way it could be done.

    “Tractors (there) cost as much as they do in the United States. Boxes cost as much as they do in the United States. Chemicals cost as much as they do in the United States. Even if you subtract labor, there’s no way that product is coming into the market without dumping occurring.”

  • Peachy: UF Scientists Find Rootstocks That Survive Flooding

    Ali Sarkhosh is pictured looking over peaches. The photo is courtesy of Ali Sarkhosh, UF/IFAS.

    Flooding can be problematic for Florida peach producers. It can cause permanent damage to peach trees and lead to tree death. Ali Sarkhost, a UF/IFAS Assistant Professor of Horticultural Sciences, said floods will increase as climate change continues to challenge growers across the world.

    “If peach farmers experience flooding, the fruit size and quality can be adversely affected, and the tree may prematurely drop fruit yield,” Sarkhosh said. “We’re searching for flooding tolerance for peaches before a storm wipes out any farms.”  

    A few hundred acres of Florida peaches were lost due to flooding due to Hurricane Irma in 2017.

    New research from Sarkhosh and one of his doctoral students shows three peach rootstocks that can survive flooding.

    Peaches are often produced using a scion-rootstock system, in which growers can select the best compatible scions, which are the above-ground portion of the tree, with rootstocks, the below-ground portions of the tree to fit their operation. Scientists and nurseries join scions and rootstocks by grafting them together.

    Peach Research

    Sarkhosh leads a lab of graduate students. They study issues faced by the state’s stone fruit and grape growers, including those who produce peaches. One of his students, Trequan McGee, led recently published research to try to find peach rootstocks with increased resistance to flooding.

    In the UF/IFAS-led study conducted in Gainesville, researchers tested six peach rootstocks to see whether they would survive flooding. Researchers measured variables like photosynthesis, nutrient content and activity of the rootstock’s antioxidant system.

    Scientists found three rootstocks worked better than ‘Flordaguard,’ the one that is used mostly in Florida. The rootstocks are known as ‘MP-29’, ‘P-22’ and ‘R5064-5’.

    “In Florida, peach growers have relied on ‘Flordaguard’ rootstocks, because for years, this was the only rootstock available that is resistant to the Florida peach root-knot nematode,” Sarkhosh said.

    Damage from flooding translates into visible symptoms like leaf yellowing, leaf drop and eventual death of the scion portion of the crop, Sarkhosh said.

    Source: UF/IFAS