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  • Cup of Joe in the Sunshine State? UF Researchers Using AI to Study Coffee’s Potential

    A changing climate could lead to a new crop for Florida producers.

    A coffee plant in a pot in a greenhouse. The red berries contain coffee beans. Photo by Juan Giuliani.

    University of Florida (UF) scientists are already growing coffee plants at the UF/IFAS Plant Science Research and Education Unit. This could lead to coffee being produced in the Sunshine State one day.

    The project, which is a collaboration between the UF Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering and UF/IFAS, is funded by a grant from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture.

    “We believe that there is the potential for coffee as a novel crop in Florida,” said Diane Rowland, chair of the agronomy department and UF/IFAS’ research lead on the project.

    “Coffee is a crop of global interest that is already facing major challenges due to climate change. At present, the world knows very little about coffee plant roots, their architectures and their function under climate change conditions. The roots are key points in this process,” Rowland said.

    Use of Minirhizotrons

    Researchers are using minirhizotrons, which are clear plastic tubes with tiny cameras inside. This helps them better understand how coffee grows in the field. The devices record images of their roots, as they are placed underground next to the plants.

    Because Minirhizotrons collects so much data, UF/IFAS scientists are collaborating with Alina Zare and Sanjeev Koppal in the College of Engineering to apply artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning technology to improve and speed up the process.

    Zare will develop artificial intelligence approaches to automatically process and understand the minirhizotron imagery. Koppal will develop new computer vision-based hyperspectral imaging systems to capture more information about the roots and the soil surrounding them than can be obtained from current minirhizotron systems.

    “Minirhizotron datasets are extremely large, require lots of image processing, and are fraught with tremendous measurement variability given the small apertures involved. All of these problems are amenable to machine learning approaches,” Rowland said. “We believe that current algorithms under development by our collaboration will be able to automate and accelerate substantial portions of data collection from minirhizotron data.”

    Minirhizotrons will collect data from the coffee plants growing at the UF/IFAS Plant Science Research and Education Unit, where the researchers have planted coffee alongside existing citrus trees.

    “Coffee is very sensitive to the cold, so our thought was to try to grow it with another tree that could shelter it. In addition, the citrus grove has freeze protection systems installed, so that could also protect the coffee,” Rowland said.

    While the researchers are growing coffee alongside citrus for practical reasons right now, the combination could one day be economically advantageous, they said.

    “As we thought more about it, we could also explore the combination of citrus and coffee as a possible cropping system in Florida — perhaps a future option the citrus growers might consider. This is a ways off — different questions and logistics would have to be worked out — but definitely worth exploring,” Wilson said.

    The research team is growing Arabica coffee. Globally, Arabica is the most commonly grown variety and the most valuable one on the market.

    For more information, see UF/IFAS News.

  • What’s Happening? Clemson Extension Agents Provide Crop Updates Across State

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

    Weekly Field Update-3/8/21

    Statewide

    Dr. Matt Cutulle reports, “Anyone planting spring broccoli should be wary of the cold weather we have had regarding soil herbicide interactions. Be careful with Pre-transplant applications of Devrinol and to a lesser extent Dual Magnum, as they can cause some stunting when soil temperatures are cooler. Goal or Goaltender is the safest pre-transplant herbicide applied when the soil temperatures based on field studies in Charleston.”

    Coastal

    Zack Snipes reports, “We had some sunshine last week which really brightened everything up. The last few nights have been cool with some frost on the ground in the mornings. Things are starting to green up, and fields are drying out enough to plant. We are still direct-seeding crops around the region and will begin transplanting tomatoes in some areas this week. I spent last week checking strawberry fields to make sure things were good to go before they really bust out. I have been helping folks calibrate their drip fertigation systems for the upcoming season. If you think you need a hand with this please let me know. Dialing in exactly how much fertilizer to use each day or week can really increase yields and lessen the amount of fertilizer that is leached. Leaching fertilizer means your plants aren’t taking it up, thus costing you money.”

    Venturi type fertigation injector on a strawberry farm.  Dialing in your fertility can really increase yields and reduce leaching of fertilizer. Photo from Zack Snipes.
    A nice patch of ball clover in the drive row of strawberry.  We planted this to hold the soil, reduce sand on the berries, withstand foot traffic and bring in early season beneficial insects to help with thrips control. Photo from Zack Snipes.

    Midlands

    Justin Ballew reports, “We had several beautiful, sunny days last week. The warm days seemed to really push the plants along. Last night, it got cool (29 degrees at my house), and strawberry growers had to pull row covers over the fields to protect the blooms. We have some small, developing fruit now that would easily be damaged without row covers. I’m seeing very few spider mites in fields, even though conditions have turned dry here in the midlands. Remember that Botrytis spore production is high when temperatures are in the 60-to-70 degree range, so we need to be staying on top of our spray programs right now. In other news, brassica planting continues, and for now, caterpillar pressure seems to be light.”

    Small developing strawberries like this one can be damaged easily by the cold. Photo from Justin Ballew
    Internal discoloration of the two strawberries on top indicate cold damage. These fruit will not ripen and will become excellent sources of Botrytis inoculum. Photo from Justin Ballew.

    Pee Dee

    Bruce McLean reports, “Boy, it got a bit chilly last night. Still looking at temperatures for the area, but it would be a safe bet that much of the area saw 28 degrees or lower. Strawberries were covered, so little problems there. Blueberries did see some damage on blooms that had fully opened. Most of the flowers were still in the Early Pink Bud stage or at budbreak, so no damage to those blooms. Frost protection could have saved those flowers and potential fruit, but it is still early in the season. Keeping our fingers crossed that we don’t see any more nights of freezing temperatures.”

    Early pink stage in blueberry flowering. Photo from Bruce McLean.
    Damaged corollas (flowers) on blueberries. Likely experienced 28 degrees or lower. Photo from Bruce McLean.

  • Georgia Blueberry Growers to Vote on Continuation of Assessment

    blueberry

    Georgia’s blueberry producers can vote until March 30 on the continuation of the Georgia Commission Blueberry Marketing Order. This allows for the assessment of blueberries produced in Georgia.

    Growers who annually produce and market 2,000 pounds or more of blueberries are eligible to vote. The current assessment amount is set at $5 per ton.

    Growers can vote and return the addressed envelope with the ballot by March 30, 2021. They must also sign and fill out the back of the envelope to certify they are a qualified Georgia blueberry producer, so the ballot can be counted.

    A percentage of two-thirds of the returned eligible ballots are required for the continuation of the market order.

    The Georgia Agriculture Commodity Commission for Blueberries uses the funds for research, education and promotion of Georgia blueberries.

    If a grower does not receive a ballot, please contact:

    Andy Harrison
    Manager, Commodity Commissions
    Georgia Department of Agriculture
    Andy.harrison@agr.georgia.gov
    (404) 710-1196

  • Chilling Out: Early Alabama Peach Varieties Look Good Following Freeze Event

    developing
    This is what peach trees are beginning to look like in the Southeast; blooms everywhere.

    Chilling hours is not a concern for Alabama peach producers for the upcoming season. Potential damage from freezing temperatures is, however, something that may impact this year’s crop, according to Elina Coneva, Extension specialist in the Horticulture Department at Auburn University.

    “Feb. 15 was an important day for all fruit growers in the state. There were two things that were accomplished on that day. First of all, we have reached, at least in Chilton County, we have reached 1,009 chilling hour accumulation,” Coneva said during a ‘Q&A Friday’ segment on the Alabama Extension Commercial Horticulture Facebook page.

    “We thought, ‘Wow, our peaches are going to produce this year.’ We won’t have those concerns like in previous years when we were experiencing insufficiencies in chilling accumulation.

    “Good news comes with a caveat (however). On the night of the 15th of February and throughout the 16th, the same county, Chilton County, experienced temperatures of 15 degrees Fahrenheit. There are consequences, especially for our peaches, but for fruit crops to some extent.”

    Freeze Impact

    Extreme low temperatures have the potential to impact fruit tree production, especially if those trees have already started blooming. However, Alabama producers may have dodged the proverbial bullet with respect to susceptibility of those early varieties.

    Coneva said Edgar Vinson, an assistant research professor and Extension specialist in the Department of Horticulture at Auburn University, conducted a survey on 85 cultivars and their status following the freeze event.

    Results indicated that the early ripening cultivars that are more advanced and expected to be damaged higher seemed to fare better than cultivars that were completely dormant.

    “Our theory is that probably the humidity in those buds that were more advanced at this point of time helped overcome the wind effect that came with that cold. Flower buds on more advanced cultivars were faring better as well as the buds that were distributed on the lower part of the canopy. They did better than the middle and upper part of the trees, which was kind of unusual,” Coneva said.

    Peaches need chill hours to mature. The required chill hours depend on the peach variety, but most growers hope to get around 1,000 chill hours before spring.

  • H-2A Reform: Is Farm Workforce Modernization Act the Answer?

    If it’s not at the top of the list of concerns for vegetable and specialty crop producers, it’s near the top – immigration reform, specifically H-2A reform.

    One potential remedy could be on the way. The Farm Workforce Modernization Act, introduced last week by two members of the House of Representatives, is the latest attempt to help farmers who are utilizing the H-2A guestworker program.

    Allison Crittenden, director of Congressional Relations at the American Farm Bureau Federation, commented on this potential solution.

    “Our organization acknowledges that there are severe shortcomings in the Farm Work Modernization Act. While this is a bill introduced in the House, we recognize that in the Senate, there’s a real opportunity for an Ag Labor Bill to come forward that better meets agriculture’s needs,” said Crittenden. “With that being said the main points of the Farm Work Modernization Act are that it does provide legal status to undocumented farm workers; it seeks to make some changes to the H-2A program; and then it also requires farmers in the agriculture industry to adhere to mandatory E-Verify after a certain time period.”

    State of Crisis

    Farm labor is in a state of crisis. Farmers in states like Florida and Georgia are largely dependent on foreign workers to meet the demands on the farm, especially since the supply of U.S. workers is low.

    Reforms to the current H-2A program are mainly needed because wage rates have increased dramatically.

    “What we hear from our membership about is the Adverse Effect Wage Rate (AEWR). AEWR is calculated by regions, but if you create a national average, that national average has increased by 20% in the last five years. But we know that the prices that farmers are receiving for their crops has not kept up at that same rate,” Crittenden said. “Your labor costs have increased so drastically but what you’re getting paid for your product has not kept up. It’s getting to a point where a farmer’s ability to stay in business is becoming harder.”

    Wage Impact

    The Farm Workforce Modernization Act would reform H-2A wages to better reflect real-world wages, while protecting against sudden wage increases. It would disaggregate wages for agricultural occupations and freeze wages for one year and cap wage fluctuations for most of the country at 3.25% for the next nine years.

    That may be too little too late, though, with respect to the recent AEWR.

    “We see there’s a financial benefit to freezing the AEWR and capping those increases, but we’re already starting at a rate that has increased so drastically over the past five years. Farmers are already struggling with the 2021 AEWR,” Crittenden said.

    Click here for a full text of the bill. U.S. Representatives Zoe Lofgren, D-CA, and Dan Newhouse, R-WA, reintroduced the Farm Workforce Modernization Act, H.R. 1537 on Wednesday, March 3.

  • Uphill Battle: Florida Strawberry Producers Challenged This Year

    UF/IFAS photo: Shows strawberries produced.

    One of Florida’s most challenging strawberry seasons is nearing the homestretch of its 2020-21 season. Between insects, Neopestalotiopsis disease and rising imports from Mexico, strawberry farmers have faced an uphill battle all season, says Dustin Grooms, strawberry producer with Fancy Farms in Plant City, Florida.

    “Things have been challenging this year. It’s been a tough year. The volume was off for pretty much, and it’s still off, all year. We’ve been dealing with chili thrips that seem to be giving us a fit. They’ll actually bronze the berry and take away from that red look. It becomes unmarketable,” Grooms said. “They’ll eat the plant down to nothing. We’ve been fighting them all year. We’ve got spider mites that this year have been relentless and have thrown everything and the book at them. They just keep on coming.”

    Neopestalotiopsis Disease

    The main problem has been Neopestalotiopsis. The disease was first discovered during the 2018-19 season and has increased in instances and intensity ever since. It develops quickly, produces spores on the leaves and causes leaf spots on strawberry plants. It can cause severe leaf spotting and fruit rot under favorable weather conditions.

    “This year we’ve seen it right away. It’s been a thorn in our side all season. I think everybody has tried everything they can think of and other people’s thought of, nothing seems to combat it very well,” Grooms said. “It appears that it can actually live in the crown of the plant and if we transplant next year, it may pick it up. That’s where we’re at right now, thinking about next year of what we can do to mitigate that problem.”

    Grooms said the disease flares up with rain and hot weather, a consistent combination in Florida. One weather event of rain and extreme heat contributed to the disease exploding overnight.

    “It’s just been one problem after another. It seems that we can’t get out of one problem before we’re in another one. We’ve just been dealing with all this off and on all year. None of it has ever went away,” said Grooms, who estimates that about 40% of his 125 acres have been impacted by the disease.

    End of Season

    Florida strawberry producers are nearing an end to this season. Grooms added that how long it lasts will depend on how long the chain stores continue buying.

    “We always like to say we’d like to go to Easter. On my personal farm, I couldn’t tell you the last time we went to Easter was. It’s been probably a decade ago,” Grooms said. “We would love to get to the end of the month. The fruit’s here. It’s just, what’s going to happen? We don’t know.”

    Easter is April 4 this year.

  • Lights Out: UV System Helpful Against Strawberry Pathogen

    When the light goes on, it’s lights out for a ruinous strawberry pathogen.

    Just imagine this: Pulling an ultraviolet lamp behind a tractor out into your farm in the middle of the night, pointing the UV light at the strawberries and zapping powdery mildew right out of the leaves and fruit.

    Natalia Peres

    That’s the idea behind new research led by UF/IFAS plant pathology Professor Natalia Peres. A new study she led shows that UV light kills powdery mildew, a disease that can significantly damage strawberries. “UV treatments applied once or twice weekly were as effective as the best available fungicides applied on similar schedules for control of strawberry powdery mildew,” Peres said. “It’s not a one-time fluke.”

    The UV equipment has to be custom-built, but the cost is much lower than that of sprayer equipment, and there is no additional cost other than labor after the unit is built, she said. Since UV applications have to be done at night, Peres and her team have been collaborating with Saga Robotics from Norway on a UV robot-like system that could reduce the labor cost.

    Benefits of the UV light system come as good news to strawberry farmers. UF/IFAS economic research shows strawberries are about a $300 million-per-year industry in Florida.

    Click here for more information.

  • QLA Deadline Extended: Applications Now Due April

    WASHINGTON, March 5, 2021 – Vegetable and specialty crop producers in the Southeast that want to apply for the Quality Loss Adjustment (QLA) Program now have an extra month to submit an application.

    The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) extended the deadline from March 5 to April 9 for producers to apply, due to recent winter storms and some clarifications to program rules. This program assists producers who suffered crop quality losses due to qualifying 2018 and 2019 natural disasters.

    “Because of recent winter storms and some program updates, we want to provide five additional weeks for producers to apply for the program,” said Zach Ducheneaux, Administrator of the Farm Service Agency (FSA). “I want to make sure eligible producers have the opportunity to apply and to work with our team members to help with any questions. We recently clarified policy to ensure producers who sold grain to the feed market due to quality issues are adequately compensated.”

    About the Program

    The QLA program assists producers whose eligible crops suffered quality losses due to qualifying drought, excessive moisture, flooding, hurricanes, snowstorms, tornadoes, typhoons, volcanic activity, or wildfires.

    Eligible crops include those for which federal crop insurance or Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP) coverage is available, except for grazed crops and value loss crops, such as honey, maple sap, aquaculture, floriculture, mushrooms, ginseng root, ornamental nursery, Christmas trees, and turfgrass sod.

    Additionally, crops that were sold or fed to livestock or that are in storage may be eligible.

    More Information

    FSA began accepting applications on Jan. 6 and has received more than 8,100 applications so far.

    To apply, contact your local USDA Service Center. Additional information is also available at farmers.gov/quality-loss. Producers can also obtain one-on-one support with applications by calling 877-508-8364.

  • Disease Management: Onions Vulnerable Amid Rainfall, High Temperatures

    UGA Extension photo/Shows botrytis disease in onion plants.

    Field conditions are conducive for disease pressure to increase in Vidalia onion fields in Southeast Georgia. That’s why Chris Tyson, University of Georgia Extension Area Onion Agent at the Vidalia Onion & Vegetable Research Center in Lyons, Georgia, is imploring farmers to stay on top of their fungicide sprays.

    “Looking around the fields last week, we definitely saw more disease showing up. Some of the fungal diseases like botrytis and stemphylium, we saw them showing up. That is expected this time of year,” Tyson said. “But they’re definitely showing up now that we’ve had warmer weather. We just want everybody to stay on track to manage that and all the other diseases, too.”

    Excessive Rainfall

    Like most of South Georgia, the Vidalia onion region received its fair amount of rainfall during February. According to the University of Georgia Weather Network, Vidalia, Georgia received 6.35 inches between Feb. 1 and Feb. 22. Then temperatures increased a week later. But this week, there was more rain, especially on Tuesday and Wednesday where 2.51 inches were recorded.

    Despite the weather challenges, the onion crop looks good, overall, says Tyson. But as harvest nears, now is not the time to let up.

    “We’re at a period of time in the crop where harvest for some of the early maturing onions is probably just about a month away. It seems like it’s right here, but we still have a long way to go even for those onions that will be ready soon; and then for some of the longer season ones that will be ready in six weeks or seven weeks. We still have a long way to go,” Tyson said. “We’re not out of the woods yet. We know from past experience that a lot can happen in the final few weeks before harvest. We’re keeping our fingers crossed right now because everything does look good at this point.”

  • Flash Drought: Potentially Devastating to Crops

    Latest US Drought Monitor shows dry conditions in Alabama.

    Parts of the Southeast have experienced excessive rainfall this year. But periods of prolonged dry spells could be just around the corner and be detrimental to the growth of vegetables and specialty crops.

    What is really concerning to Pam Knox, University of Georgia Extension Agricultural Climatologist, are those flash droughts. She spoke about the impact flash droughts can have on farmers’ crops during a discussion with the U.S. House Agriculture Committee.

    “Flash drought, if you don’t know, is a drought that comes on very rapidly. Because it’s coming on rapidly, often with high temperatures or complete lack of rainfall or maybe some of both, it really accelerates stress on a plant,” Knox said.

    “Plants need to have regular amounts of rainfall or irrigation water to survive. When we have flash droughts, the plants can go from healthy and thriving to very stressed and sick plants in a very short time, sometime even in as much as week. Our ability to identify those flash droughts is important because it will tell the farmers they need to do something about it.”

    According to the US Drought Monitor, much of the central to southwestern part of Alabama is either abnormally dry or in a moderate drought. A few areas in central and southern Florida are abnormally dry as well.

    Research Needed

    Farmers can utilize irrigation and cover crops to protect against flash droughts. But Knox insists more research is needed to help farmers.

    “All of those are things that need to be looked at. One of the projects we’re working on right now looks at soil moisture. That’s an important piece of information that farmers need to have. There’s not a lot of inexpensive pieces of equipment that people can use to do that,” Knox said.

    “Some of the projects I’m working on right now are to identify some of these less expensive ways to monitor soil moisture and provide that information to the farmers in a way that they can use it to put on just the right amount of water. They don’t need to over-water, but they need to put on enough water to keep the plants alive.”