Enhanced-efficiency fertilizers are a group of fertilizers that reduce the risk of nutrient loss to the environment and subsequently increase fertilizer use efficiency. This increase may be accomplished through maintaining nutrients in the root zone by physical barriers, reduced solubility, or retaining nutrients in a less leachable form. This 7-page fact sheet examines laboratory, growth chamber, greenhouse, and field methods for measuring nitrogen release in controlled-release fertilizers. Written by Monica Ozores-Hampton and Luther C. Carson, and published by the UF Department of Horticultural Sciences, August 2013.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/hs1227
Tag: Horticultural Sciences Department
Healing Chamber for Grafted Vegetable Seedlings in Florida
Grafting is a horticultural technology that combines two plants, the scion and the rootsock, to create a plant with desirable features from both parts. In the United States the use of vegetable grafting in field production remains limited, although 70% of the total hydroponic greenhouse tomato area uses grafted seedlings. Large, commercial grafting operations use controlled-environment growth chambers, but the high cost limits their use in most small-scale grafting operations. Healing chambers are an alternative solution that provides proper healing at a lower cost for growers and researchers. This 5-page fact sheet was written by Monica Ozores-Hampton and Aline Coelho Frasca, and published by the UF Department of Horticultural Sciences, October 2013.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/hs1232
Veggies and Herbs: Made in the Shade A Growing Season Calendar for North Florida
The importance of using an open shade structure for hydroponic crop culture in Florida has recently increased. Prior to the turn of the century, hydroponic culture in Florida was done inside a greenhouse structure, but it has now expanded to several other types of structures. In addition to greenhouses, production now exists in high tunnels, insect screens or net houses, and open shade-covered structures. In southern parts of Florida, outdoor hydroponic systems without any structure are becoming more common. In those cases, many operations use a polypropylene cover for freeze protection. Diversifying structures stems from growers’ desires to extend the season to meet consumer demand for a longer time period. The purpose of this publication is to indicate what crops have been successfully grown under shade in northern Florida at various times of the year. This 4-page fact sheet was written by Daniel K. Fenneman, Robert C. Hochmuth, Wanda L. Laughlin, and Sean R. McCoy, and published by the UF Department of Horticultural Sciences, November 2014.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/hs1228
Compact Growth Habit Tomatoes
Alternatives to the traditional production system that reduce production cost would be economically beneficial to the Florida tomato industry. Compact growth habit tomatoes are determinate varieties with a unique architecture that may provide the basis for a viable alternative production system for Florida. These tomatoes have low growth and spreading characteristics, forming compact plants that hold fruit above the ground on short branches. They do not require staking, tying, or pruning, so they may be used by the Florida mature-green fresh-market tomato growers to reduce labor costs. This 5-page fact sheet was written by Monica Ozores-Hampton, Aline Coelho Frasca, John Scott, and Samuel Hutton, and published by the UF Department of Horticultural Sciences, September 2014.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/hs1231
Application of Surfactants in Commercial Crop Production for Water and Nutrient Management in Sandy Soil
Water-repellent soils are unable to effectively adsorb or retain water. On these soils, water may simply pool on the surface or may move down preferred pathways, leaving large amounts of soil dry even when a large volume of water is applied. Thus, managing water and nutrients in sandy soils is often challenging. This 6-page fact sheet provides an overview of surfactants and how they may be used to better manage water and nutrients in sandy soils for vegetable and fruit production. Written by Guodong Liu, Monica Ozores-Hampton, Gene McAvoy, Ben Hogue, and Crystal A. Snodgrass, and published by the UF Department of Horticultural Sciences, October 2013.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/hs1230
What is urea-triazone nitrogen?
Foliar application of nitrogen and other nutrients essential for plant growth and development is an important practice for crop production. Most foliar nutrient N products contained the traditional N sources such as ammonium, nitrate and/or urea before urea-triazone N was available on the market. The traditional N sources have a greater salt index and leaf-burn potential than urea-triazone N. To avoid or minimize leaf burning, urea-triazone N fertilizers can be used instead of the traditional N sources. But growers have concerns about the safety of using triazone N fertilizers for commercial crop production because the fertilizers are still new to them. This 2-page fact sheet provides basic information on urea-triazone-based fertilizer for county faculty, crop consultants and advisors, growers, and students interested in commercial crop production. Written by Guodong Liu and Jeffrey Williamson, and published by the UF Department of Horticultural Sciences, October 2013.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/hs1233
Protected Culture for Vegetable and Small Fruit Crops: Southern Highbush Blueberry Cultivars under High Tunnels
High tunnels have been proposed as an alternative for freeze protection and to increase fruit earliness of southern highbush blueberry. But there is no information about the effect of this type of structure on southern highbush blueberry fruit earliness under subtropical Florida conditions. This 3-page fact sheet summarizes the results of 2-year study in a commercial southern highbush blueberry farm in North Central Florida to compare early fruit weight in high tunnels to that of open fields. This 3-page fact sheet was written by Bielinski M. Santos and Teresa P. Salame-Donoso, and published by the UF Department of Horticultural Sciences, July 2013.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/hs1226
Lettuce Cultivars Suitable for Use in Southern Florida
Lettuce is an economically important winter vegetable crop in Florida, with approximately 11,000 acres in production and a farm gate value of $40–$50 million annually. Florida lettuce production occurs mainly in the Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA). In recent years, research scientists at the University of Florida conducted variety trials that included the major cultivars of romaine and iceberg types. These trials were conducted on organic soil in the Everglades Agricultural Area and the IFAS-recommended practice was followed. This 3-page fact sheet describes lettuce cultivars suitable for production on organic soils in the EAA of southern Florida. Written by Huangjun Lu, and published by the UF Department of Horticultural Sciences, October 2013.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/hs1225
Conversions of parts per million on soil test reports to pounds per acre
Soil testing and the resulting fertilization recommendations are critical for appropriate nutrient management in commercial vegetable production, but growers and soil experts sometimes speak different languages. This 8-page fact sheet provides a simple conversion method for crop consultants, crop advisors, growers, students, and researchers who are interested in nutrient and water management of crop production. Written by Guodong Liu, Yuncong Li, and Aparna Gazula, and published by the UF Department of Horticultural Sciences, August 2013.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/hs1229
University of Florida Potato Variety Spot Light: Red LaSoda
Red LaSoda is the red-skinned fresh-market potato standard for Florida. It was observed in 1949 as a deep red mutant of LaSoda in the Louisiana potato breeding program. It has been in trials over many seasons and at many locations in Florida including university and grower sites. Production and quality results provided in this 4-page fact sheet are summarized from the red-skinned fresh-market trials conducted by the University of Florida over the past 14 seasons. Written by Lincoln Zotarelli, Doug Gergela, Chad M. Hutchinson, David Dinkins, and Edsel Redden, and published by the UF Department of Horticultural Sciences, August 2013.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/hs323
Florida Subtropical Peaches: Production Practices
Subtropical peach production includes many practices, such as site selection, orchard design, and disease, weed, and insect management through to harvest. Florida’s subtropical climate allows growers to harvest their crops early, but it creates challenges for the long postharvest growing season. This 14-page fact sheet covers the breadth of topics related to subtropical peach production, including a monthly timeline of recommended practices. Written by M. Olmstead, J. Chaparro, J. G. Williamson, R. Rouse, R. Mizell, P. Harmon, and J. Ferguson, and published by the UF Department of Horticultural Sciences, August 2013.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/hs348
Protected Culture for Vegetable and Small Fruit Crops: Types of Structures
A protective structure is defined as any structure designed to modify the environment in which plants are grown. Protective structures, such as greenhouses, screen houses, and tunnels, are known worldwide as production systems for high-quality vegetable and fruit crops. This 4-page fact sheet was written by Bielinski M. Santos, Gary Vallad, and Emmanuel A. Torres-Quezada, and published by the UF Department of Horticultural Sciences, July 2013.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/hs1224
Orchard Establishment Budget for Peaches and Nectarines in Florida
Stone fruit production in Florida, specifically peaches (Prunus persica L.), has increased in acreage since the mid-2000s, predominantly driven by the desire to diversify agricultural operations. Although the National Agriculture Statistics Service does not keep annual production and acreage statistics for peaches because of the industry’s small size, a recent poll revealed just over 670 acres in Florida, with about 700 unreported acres (Table 1) (Morgan and Olmstead 2013). Statewide, current estimates of harvested peaches are approximately 4.5 million pounds, with a value of more than $6 million. Florida growers can take advantage of an early market window in which they produce the first domestic peach of the calendar year, commanding a high price per pound. The future of peach production in the state is very positive, and many growers continue to plant new orchards. This 12-page fact sheet was written by Mercy Olmstead and Kim Morgan, and published by the UF Department of Horticultural Sciences, July 2013.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/hs1223
Minimum Number of Soil Moisture Sensors for Monitoring and Irrigation Purposes
Managing soil moisture properly through irrigation is key to increasing crop yield and conserving water. By understanding soil moisture variability, growers can better manage their irrigation systems to apply the right amount of water at the right time. This 4-page fact sheet proposes guidelines for soil moisture sampling that account for spatial variability, which helps to determine the minimum number of soil moisture sensors required to survey and monitor a specific area for irrigation. Written by Lincoln Zotarelli, Michael D. Dukes, and Marcelo Paranhos, and published by the UF Department of Horticultural Sciences, July 2013.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/hs1222
'Florida Radiance' Strawberry
‘Florida Radiance’ is a strawberry cultivar released from UF/IFAS in 2008. As of 2012, it has become a major cultivar in Florida and other winter and early spring production regions worldwide. In all markets outside the United States and Canada, it is marketed as ‘Florida Fortuna’. In addition to commercial production, it has been tested for many years in field plots at the UF/IFAS Gulf Coast Research and Education Center in Wimauma and the Florida Strawberry Growers Association headquarters in Dover for disease, fruit, and plant traits. This 4-page fact sheet was written by Vance M. Whitaker, Craig K. Chandler, Bielinski M. Santos, and Natalia A. Peres, and published by the UF Department of Horticultural Sciences, June 2013.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/hs400
Soil Preparation And Liming for Vegetable Gardens
Probably the most physical part of vegetable gardening is preparing the soil for planting. In large gardens, mechanical equipment, such as rototillers or tractor-drawn plows, often is necessary, and it may be practical to rent such equipment or hire someone. However, in smaller gardens, the task can be accomplished with a spade, spading fork, or shovel. Much depends on the type of roots and vegetation that must be removed.This 2-page fact sheet was written by James M. Stephens and Guodong Liu, and published by the UF Department of Horticultural Sciences, June 2013.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/vh024
Organic Vegetable Gardening in Florida
This 16-page fact sheet is meant to be a companion to the Florida Vegetable Gardening Guide. It is intended for the home gardener who prefers to use natural and organic materials as well as methods that are compatible with the philosophy of organic gardening. was written by Danielle D. Treadwell, Sydney Park Brown, James Stephens, and Susan Webb, and published by the UF Department of Horticultural Sciences, June 2013.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/hs1215
Florida Peach and Nectarine Varieties
The University of Florida has developed high-quality, low-chilling, early-maturing peach and nectarine cultivars that can be grown from the panhandle of Florida to as far south as Immokalee. Low-chilling cultivars can grow and produce fruit under Florida conditions that are much warmer in winter than in northern states. Furthermore, ripening of these cultivars during April and May ensures an early spring market window for tree-ripe fresh fruit in Florida before peaches and nectarines from other southeastern states and California come to market. Both commercial and dooryard recommended varieties span the growing season. This 8-page fact sheet was written by Mercy Olmstead, Jose Chaparro, Pete Andersen, Jeff Williamson, and James Ferguson, and published by the UF Department of Horticultural Sciences, May 2013.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/mg374
Trastornos fisiologicos de la papa: Necrosis por calor interno
La necrosis por calor interno (NCI) es un trastorno fisiológico que causa un pardeamiento inaceptable del tejido del tubrculo y puede causar pérdidas económicas para el productor. Las tres principales causas de la NCI en los tubérculos es la alta temperatura en el suelo, la humedad inadecuada del suelo y la nutrición sub-óptima de la planta, o la combinación de estos factores. This 4-page fact sheet, the Spanish language version of HS1145, Potato Physiological Disorders: Internal Heat Necrosis was written by L. Zotarelli, J. E. Reyes-Cabrera, C. M. Worthington, C. Hutchinson, S. Byrd, D. Gergela, y D. L. Rowland, and published by the UF Department of Horticultural Sciences, May 2013.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/hs1221
Calibration of Chemical Applicators Used in Vegetables (HS1220)
Calibration is the process used to determine the amount of chemical material applied per unit area. Equipment for applying liquid and dry materials must be accurately calibrated for pesticides to work efficiently and to avoid crop injury or death. The pesticide label is a legal document and must be followed. Properly calibrating equipment ensures the product is being applied as specified on the label and that environmental contamination will be minimized. This 6-page fact sheet discusses some methods for calibration of sprayers and dry material spreaders and includes information about calibration to help growers properly apply pesticides. written by M. R. Miller and P. J. Dittmar, and published by the UF Department of Horticultural Sciences, May 2013.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/hs1220