EDIS Update – Page 11 – New and revised publications from the University of Florida Insitute of Food and Agricultural Sciences

Railroad Vine (Ipomoea pes-caprae): Identification and Uses

Railroad vine is one of the most widely distributed beach plants in the world. The moving sand and salt spray make the beach environment a harsh one, and the plants that live there are specialized to colonize this environment. This new 7-page document, published by the UF/IFAS Environmental Horticulture Department, describes railroad vine’s leaves, flowers, fruit, planting and maintenance, and insect and disease problems. Written by Stephen H. Brown and Marc S. Frank.
https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ep587

Summer Pruning in Low-Chill Peaches Grown in Florida

Low-chill peach trees growing under Florida conditions can become vigorous and large. Summer pruning is a management strategy that can be applied to help restructure the canopy, direct the tree’s resources into fruit production, and improve the efficiency of fieldwork. Without summer pruning, peach orchards in subtropical regions will continue to grow vigorously and, if left unmanaged, will reach a point at which ladders will be required to harvest and maintain the trees. Summer pruning can be a means of reducing overall tree size, redistributing fruiting wood for easier harvesting, reducing disease pressure, and increasing fruit quality. This new 5-page publication of the UF/IFAS Horticultural Sciences Department, written by Ali Sarkhosh, Dustin Huff, Trequan McGee, and Juanita Popenoe, provides an illustrated step-by-step guide to summer pruning of peach trees.
https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/hs1377

Oportunidades alternativas para fincas pequeñas: Producción de durazno y nectarinas versión revisada

El suave clima invernal de Florida y el comienzo de la temprano de primavera ofrecen oportunidades únicas para la producción de duraznos y nectarinas de temporada temprana. Durante los últimos 12 años, la Universidad de Florida ha lanzado muchos cultivares nuevos de durazno y nectarina. Estos nuevos y mejorados cultivares han aumentado el potencial de expansión del aspecto comercial de melocotones y nectarinas en gran parte de la península de Florida y en las regiones de la Costa del Golfo del sureste de los Estados Unidos.
This new 5-page article is the Spanish translation of RFAC018, Alternative Opportunities for Small Farms: Peach and Nectarine Production Review. Written by Ali Sarkhosh, Mercy Olmstead, Jeff Williamson, Jose Chaparro, and Juanita Popenoe, translated by Eva Pabon, and published by the UF/IFAS Horticultural Sciences Department.
https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/hs1374

An Introduction to Shared-Use Commercial Kitchens

Shared-use commercial kitchens are commonly used by food entrepreneurs to launch new food products into market; however, there remain questions about how these facilities work. This new 4-page document defines basic terms used to describe shared-use commercial kitchens, such as incubator, accelerator, or food hub, and gives an overview of potential services or resources available at these facilities. Furthermore, basic information on state level food regulations and an extensive list of shared-use commercial kitchens in Florida is included. Written by Matthew Krug and Sarah Ellis and published by the UF/IFAS Food Science and Human Nutrition Department.
https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/fs400

Pestalotia Leaf Spot and Fruit Rot of Strawberry

Pestalotiopsis-like fungi cause diseases on many different species of plants worldwide, including strawberry. The pathogen is not necessarily new to strawberry and was first reported causing fruit rot in Florida and Israel in the 1970s. However, during the 2018–19 and 2019–20 strawberry seasons, severe and unprecedented outbreaks were reported in Florida, characterized by symptoms on nearly all plant parts including roots, crowns, petioles, fruit, and leaves. This new 4-page publication of the UF/IFAS Plant Pathology Department describes the disease and its causal agent and briefly covers what is known about disease development and control practices. This document will provide valuable information to strawberry nursery and fruit production growers. Written by Juliana S. Baggio and Natalia A. Peres.
https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pp357

Computer Tools for Diagnosing Citrus Leaf Symptoms (Part 2): Smartphone Apps for Expert Diagnosis of Citrus Leaf Symptoms

Visual identification of nutrient deficiencies in foliage is an important diagnostic tool for fine-tuning nutrient management of citrus. This new 2-page article describes a new smartphone app that uses a trained neural network to identify disease and pest symptoms on citrus leaves through your phone’s camera. Written by Arnold Schumann, Laura Waldo, Perseveranca Mungofa, and Chris Oswalt, and published by the UF/IFAS Department of Soil and Water Sciences.
https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ss691

Cooperative Unit Systems: 2. Organizational Strategies

This 8-page document introduces the core requirements and organizational considerations for replicating a cooperative animal unit. Written by Alyssa Schortinghouse, and published by the UF/IFAS 4-H Youth Development Department, August 2020.
https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/4h409

Questions and Answers for Using Sunn Hemp (Crotalaria juncea L.) as a Green Manure Cover Crop

This 4-page document synthesizes information about the warm-season cover crop, sunn hemp. It addresses frequently asked questions for growers and summarizes the expanding body of sunn hemp research. The information is provided so growers in Florida can learn about up-to-date cultivation and management options as well as better understand sunn hemp’s practical uses. Written by Thioro Fall, Ariel Freidenreich, Stacy Swartz, Christopher Vincent, Yuncong Li, and Zachary Brym, and published by the UF/IFAS Agronomy Department, July 2020.
https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ag443

Fusarium Wilt: A New Threat to Florida Lettuce Production

Fusarium wilt of lettuce is a disease caused by the fungus Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. lactucae. The disease is present in all lettuce production areas worldwide. Recently this disease has been identified in Florida in localized fields. This new 4-page publication of the UF/IFAS Horticultural Sciences Department presents information about the disease, symptoms, and control measures useful to lettuce growers in Florida. Following these recommendations may help to avoid the spread of this fungus in muck soils at the Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA), where 90% of the lettuce in Florida is planted. Written by Germán V. Sandoya, Jesse J. Murray, Richard N. Raid, and Christian F. Miller.
https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/hs1385

Recomendaciones para la Detección y Mitigación de la Marchitez del Laurel en Árboles de Aguacates y Especies Relacionadas en Jardines y Patios Hogareños

This is the Spanish translation of HS1358, Recommendations for the Detection and Mitigation of Laurel Wilt Disease in Avocado and Related Tree Species in the Home Landscape. Avocado trees are a popular choice for homeowners in Florida, with over 600,000 growing in Florida home landscapes. However, avocado trees as well as others in the Lauraceae family are susceptible to laurel wilt disease, which can kill a tree in as few as three weeks. This new 8-page publication of the UF/IFAS Horticultural Sciences Department provides home owners recommendations for identifying and mitigating laurel wilt disease in the home landscape. Written by Jonathan H. Crane, Jeff Wasielewski, Daniel Carrillo, Romina Gazis, Bruce Schaffer, Fredy Ballen, and Edwards Evans.
https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/hs1384

Popular Diets: Intermittent Fasting

Weight loss can be challenging. Starting a restrictive diet can be emotionally draining and difficult to adhere to. Is there a more effective way to lose weight? Does the timing and frequency of meals help to lose weight? This new 4-page publication of the UF/IFAS Food Science and Human Nutrition Department describes the benefits and risks of intermittent fasting for weight loss. Written by Michelle Yavelow, Daniela Rivero Mendoza, and Wendy Dahl.
https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/fs409

Dieta e inflamación crónica

La inflamación es la respuesta de su cuerpo a las lesiones e infecciones—así es como su sistema inmunológico ayuda a protegerlo de cualquier daño. Por el contrario, la inflamación crónica contribuye a muchas enfermedades, como enfermedades cardíacas, diabetes y enfermedades renales y hepáticas. Esta publicación discute la inflamación y las opciones alimentarias que pueden ayudar a reducir la inflamación crónica.
This is the Spanish translation of FSHN20-43, Diet and Chronic Inflammation. Written by Daniela Rivero-Mendoza and Wendy Dahl, translated by Daniela Rivero-Mendoza, and published by the UF/IFAS Food Science and Human Nutrition Department.
https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/fs405

Are consumers knowledgeable about neonicotinoid insecticides and pollinator-friendly plants?

What does the general public know about neonicotinoids used in ornamental horticulture and their effects on pollinators? The question is an important one given that home landscapes serve as pollinator habitat and can impact pollinator health. This 5-page fact sheet written by Hayk Khachatryan, Xuan Wei, and Alicia Rihn and published by the UF/IFAS Food and Resource Economics Department summarizes a survey addressing consumer knowledge about neonicotinoids and pollinator plants, as well as their interest in enhancing pollinator health. The survey is part of a larger research project aimed at incorporating pollinator conservation into the ornamental horticulture industry's sustainability initiatives.
https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/fe1081

How to Measure Leaf Disease Damage Using Image Analysis in ImageJ

This new 13-page article introduces simple image processing and analysis techniques to quantify leaf disease damage using ImageJ, an open-source image processing program. These techniques are not meant to replace crop scouting or disease diagnosis by a plant diagnostic laboratory, but rather to provide a supplemental tool for making quantitative measurements of leaf disease damage. Similar techniques are also available for plant growth assessment, including plant height, plant width, and canopy cover area. The image processing and analysis techniques introduced in this article are fairly simple to use and thus can be adopted not only by researchers, but also by producers, crop consultants, Extension agents, and students. Written by Lillian Pride, Gary Vallad, and Shinsuke Agehara, and published by the UF/IFAS Horticultural Sciences Department.
https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/hs1382

Implementing the Five Rs of Nutrient Stewardship for Fertigation in Florida’s Vegetable Production

The five Rs of nutrient stewardship is a mnemonic device used to emphasize accuracy and precision for nutrient management so as to apply the (1) right source of fertilizer at the (2) right rate at the (3) right time in the (4) right place with the (5) right irrigation. Because the majority of Florida’s soils are sandy, this fifth R is imperative for sustainable nutrient management for commercial crop production. These main points of nutrient management (source, rate, time, place, irrigation) may help enhance sustainability by reducing pollution by eutrophication, nitrogen loss through ammonia volatilization, and climate change from soil greenhouse gas emission. This new 8-page publication of the UF/IFAS Horticultural Sciences Department was written by Mary Dixon and Guodong Liu.
https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/hs1386

Ocean Acidification: pH Variability across Space and Time

The absorption of atmospheric carbon dioxide by the oceans has changed the chemical properties of seawater and made it more acidic all over the world. Florida, with an extensive coastline and deep cultural and economic ties to marine resources, will be directly affected. This 4-page fact sheet written by Lisa Krimsky, Joseph Henry, and Joshua Patterson and published by the UF/IFAS Program in Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, School of Forest Resources and Conservation focuses on the spatial and temporal variability in oceanic pH and provide an overview of pH variability in Florida's coastal waters.
https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/fa227

Consumer and Producer Perceptions and Preferences for Pollinator Friendly Labeling Practices in the US Green Industry

Increasing consumer interest in sustainable products and in protecting bees and other pollinator insects may be reducing demand for plants grown using neonicotinoids. This 5-page fact sheet written by Hayk Khachatryan, Xuan Wei, and Alicia Rihn and published by the UF/IFAS Food and Resource Economics Department summarizes consumer and producer perceptions about neonicotinoid-related regulations and labeling practices and identifies discrepancies between consumer and producer preferences for different pollinator friendly labeling phrases.
https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/fe1083

Homeowners’ Preferences for Smart Irrigation Systems and Features

Drought conditions make landscape irrigation and reducing water use top-of-mind for many Floridians. Encouraging wise water use is of particular importance to the smart irrigation industry and water policy makers. This 5-page fact sheet written by Hayk Khachatryan, Alicia Rihn, Dong Hee Suh, and Michael Dukes and published by the UF/IFAS Food and Resource Economics Department pinpoints key attributes and barriers affecting consumers' irrigation purchases and their adoption of smart irrigation technologies.
https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/fe1080

Biology and Management of Garden Spurge (Euphorbia hirta) in Ornamental Crop Production

Garden spurge is a prostrate, herbaceous, short-lived, warm-season annual weed commonly found in Florida landscapes, container nurseries, and other agricultural production areas. This 5-page article is written to aid green industry professionals and others in the identification and management of garden spurge in and around ornamental plants. Written by Thomas Smith, Chris Marble, Shawn Steed, and Nathan Boyd, and published by the UF/IFAS Environmental Horticulture Department, July 2020.
https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ep586

Advantages and Disadvantages of Various Dry-off Methods for Dairy Cows

This 6-page document reviews advantages, disadvantages, and cost of four dry-off methods and gives recommendations for practical dry-off management. Written by Pornpamol Pattamanont, Marcos Marcondes, and Albert De Vries, and published by the UF/IFAS Department of Animal Sciences, June 2020.
https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/an360