Category: Crops

What is a Water Footprint?: An Overview and Applications in Agriculture (AE484)

Figure 1. Green, blue, and grey water flows in an agricultural system.Agriculture is by far the largest global consumer of freshwater. Comparing water footprints of different management practices in agriculture can help evaluate drought tolerance, water use efficiency, the effective use of rainfall, and the significance of irrigation. Scientists are thinking about ways to adapt agricultural systems to a changing climate, especially precipitation changes, so the water footprint is a useful measure to compare resilience of agricultural systems to droughts and dry spells. This 11-page fact sheet was written by Daniel R. Dourte and Clyde W. Fraisse, and published by the UF Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, January 2012.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ae484

Economic Potential of Switchgrass as a Biofuel Crop in Florida (FE900)

Elite bioenergy switchgrass growing in eastern Nebraska. Switchgrass has been recognized by the United States Department of Energy as a potentially important source of ethanol. This publication evaluates the economic potential of producing switchgrass as a perennial bioenergy crop in Florida. In South Florida, two cuts of “hay” for biofuel are possible, whereas in North Florida, one cut would normally be taken after frost in late fall. These two harvest systems are evaluated and compared, and cost estimates are provided. This 7-page fact sheet was written by Zane R. Helsel and José Álvarez, and published by the UF Department of Food and Resource Economics, December 2011.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/fe900

Passionvine Mealybug, Planococcus minor (Maskell) (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae) (ENY920/IN920)

Figure 2. Adult female passionvine mealybug, Planococcus minor (Maskell) on potato sprout.The passionvine mealybug was discovered in the continental U.S. for the first time in southern Florida a little over a year ago. USDA, APHIS lists it as a high priority threat. Given its polyphagous nature, this pest should be given careful attention in a new area such as Florida, which has an important agricultural sector and amenable climate. This 6-page fact sheet was written by Antonio W. Francis, Moses T. K. Kairo and Amy L. Roda, and published by the UF Department of Entomology and Nematology, February 2012.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/in920

Florida Wax Scale, Ceroplastes floridensis Comstock (EENY510/IN913)

Figure 2. Adults and early instar nymphs of the Florida wax scale, Ceroplastes floridensis
 Comstock.The Florida wax scale, Ceroplastes floridensis Comstock, is one of the most commonly encountered soft scales throughout the the southern United States, where it is a serious pest of citrus and several ornamental and landscape plants, like holly.This 4-page fact sheet was written by Shweta Sharma and Eileen Buss, and published by the UF Department of Entomology and Nematology, December 2011.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/in913

Protecting Blueberries from Freezes in Florida (HS968/HS216)

ure 2a. Blueberry flower buds protected by overhead irrigation during a severe freeze. Clear ice, as seen here, is usually an indication of adequate freeze protection.Blueberry growers: know when the conditions are right in commercial blueberry fields, during and after bloom, for freeze damage, as well as practices you can use to minimize it. This 7-page fact sheet was written by J.G. Williamson, P.M. Lyrene, and J.W. Olmstead, and published by the UF Department of Horticultural Sciences, January 2012.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/hs216

Weed Management in Pear (HS94/WG021)

green pearWeeds compete with pear trees for light, nutrients, and water. Weed interference can be minimized with proper cultural practices and herbicides. General maintenance, such as controlling weeds in adjacent areas, preventing weeds from producing seeds, and cleaning mowing equipment of weed seed, will prevent weeds from becoming a serious problem. This 6-page fact sheet includes recommendations for herbicides labeled for pear in Florida. Written by Peter J. Dittmar and Jeffrey G. Williamson, and published by the UF Department of Horticultural Sciences, December 2011.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/wg021

Calcium Silicate Recommendations for Sugarcane on Florida Organic Soils (SSAGR350/SC092)

SugarcaneAlthough silicon isn’t an essential plant nutrient, adding calcium silicate to soils low in soluble silicon increases yield an average of 20%. This 5-page fact sheet describes calcium silicate recommendations for sugarcane on organic soils, developed using field studies at several locations. Written by J. Mabry McCray, Ronald W. Rice, and Leslie E. Baucum, and published by the UF Department of Agronomy, August 2011. (UF/IFAS Photo: Josh Wickham)
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/sc092

A Wireworm Conoderus scissus Schaeffer (EENY509/IN911)

Figure 1. Adult Conoderus scissus Schaeffer, a wireworm. Conoderus scissus is the most abundant wireworm species found in sweet potato fields. Its preference for other crops is followed by peanut, cowpea, and corn. Learn more in this 4-page fact sheet written by Dakshina R. Seal, and published by the UF Department of Entomology and Nematology, December 2011.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/in911

Big-Eyed Bugs, Geocoris spp. (Insecta: Hemiptera: Lygaeidae) (EENY252/IN517)

Figure 2. Adult Geocoris uliginosus (Say), a big-eyed bug.Big-eyed bugs are among those insects receiving research attention in Florida (and elsewhere) for their value as predators. To aid in identification of big-eyed bugs in Florida, a key to adults and late instar nymphs is provided in this publication. This 6-page fact sheet was written by F. W. Mead, and published by the UF Department of Entomology and Nematology, November 2011.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/in517

Florida Predatory Stink Bug (unofficial common name), Euthyrhynchus floridanus (Linnaeus) (Insecta: Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) (EENY157/IN314)

Figure 2. Adult predatory stink bug Euthyrhynchus floridanus (Linnaeus).The predatory stink bug is considered a beneficial insect because most of its prey consists of plant-damaging bugs, beetles, and caterpillars. It seldom plays more than a minor role in the natural control of insects in Florida, but its prey includes a number of economically important species. Learn more in this 5-page fact sheet written by Frank W. Mead and David B. Richman, and published by the UF Department of Entomology and Nematology, November 2011.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/in314

Production of Biofuel Crops in Florida: Sweet Sorghum (SSAGR293/AG298)

Figure 2. Sweet sorghum planted in FloridaVarieties of sorghum with a high concentration of soluble sugars are attractive as a potential energy crop because of the easy accessibility of readily fermentable sugars combined with very high yields of green biomass. Similar to sugarcane, the sap of sweet sorghum is extracted by milling, and can be easily fermented to produce ethanol. Other products from sweet sorghum include syrup, molasses, and crystal sugar. This 3-page fact sheet was written by Wilfred Vermerris, John Erickson, David Wright, Yoana Newman, and Curtis Rainbolt, and published by the UF Department of Agronomy, December 2011.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ag298

Sugarcane Ripeners in Florida (SSAGR215/SC015)

Sugar cane (Saccharum) harvested for processing.Ripeners can be incorporated as an important component of sugarcane production management strategy. This 2-page fact sheet was written by D. C. Odero, C. R. Rainbolt, R. A. Gilbert, and J. A. Dusky, and published by the UF Department of Agronomy, October 2011. Photo by ruumo/CC BY-SA 2.0
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/sc015

Jatropha: An Alternative Substitute to Fossil Fuel (HS1193)

Jatropha seedsJatropha is a tropical plant and can be grown in low to high rainfall and diverse soil types, but the plant is susceptible to freezes. The plant produces seeds containing inedible oil that can be converted to biodiesel. The cake by-product from oil extraction can be used for fish and animal feed, biogas, or as an organic fertilizer. This 10-page fact sheet describes the plant morphology, species adaptability, cultural practices, and crop uses. Written by Kamrun Nahar and Monica Ozores-Hampton, and published by the UF Department of Horticultural Sciences, December 2011. (UF/IFAS Photo by Tyler Jones)
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/hs1193

Production of Giant Reed for Biofuel (SSAGR318/AG327)

Figure 2. Giant reed with flower headsGiant reed is currently being evaluated as a potential biomass energy crop in Florida, even though some scientists and those in other states consider it to be a noxious or invasive weed. This 4-page fact sheet discusses the adaptation and production of giant reed as a potential energy crop and presents measures for controlling giant reed as an escaped weed. It does not give specific recommendations on whether it is better to control giant reed or produce it for biofuel. Written by Dennis Odero, Robert Gilbert, Jason Ferrell, and Zane Helsel, and published by the UF Department of Agronomy, November 2011.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ag327

“Earlyploid”: Tetraploid Annual Ryegrass (SSAGR355/AG364)

"Earlyploid" - Tetraploid Annual RyegrassEarlyploid, developed at the UF/IFAS North Florida Research and Education Center, is a large-seeded, upright, early forage-producing and early maturing annual ryegrass. Regional variety trials show it is the earliest tetraploid ryegrass cultivar available commercially. It offers excellent disease resistance and sufficient cold tolerance to be grown successfully in the southern annual ryegrass region of the U.S. This 1-page fact sheet was written by A.R. Blount, G.M. Prine, C.L. Mackowiak, K.E. Kenworthy, J.C. Jones, and P.E. Reith, and published by the UF Department of Agronomy, October 2011.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ag364

“Ocala”: A New Diploid Annual Ryegrass for the Southern U.S. (SSAGR356/AG365)

"Ocala" - A New Diploid Annual Ryegrass for the Southern U.S.Ocala, a new UF annual ryegrass, has excellent disease resistance and sufficient cold tolerance to be grown successfully in the southern annual ryegrass region of the U.S. It is a well-adapted, diploid annual ryegrass population. Parentage includes several advanced experimental annual ryegrass populations for Florida and Nebraska. This 1-page fact sheet was written by A.R. Blount, G.M. Prine, K.E. Kenworthy, P. Mislevy, J.C. Jones, and P.E. Reith, and published by the UF Department of Agronomy, October 2011.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ag365

Fertilizer Experimentation, Data Analyses, and Interpretation for Developing Fertilization Recommendations: Examples with Vegetable Crop Research (SL345/SS548)

theoretical data showing crop response to nitrogen fertilizationFertilizer recommendations contain several important factors, including fertilizer form, source, application timing, placement, and irrigation management. Another important part of a fertilizer recommendation is the amount of a particular nutrient to apply. The optimum fertilizer amount is determined from extensive field experimentation conducted for several years, at multiple locations, with several varieties, etc. This 10-page fact sheet focuses on the research principles behind determining the optimum rate of fertilizer, including experimentation and interpreting research results for optimum crop production and quality in conjunction with minimal environmental consequences. Authors George Hochmuth, Ed Hanlon, and Allen Overman use examples from research with vegetable crops in Florida and emphasize that how one interprets the results is as important as how one conducts the research. Published by the UF Department of Soil and Water Science, October 2011.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ss548

Leafminer Parasitoid Opius dissitus Muesebeck (Insecta: Hymenoptera: Braconidae) (EENY501/IN902)

Early stage pupa of Opius dissitus Muesebeck, an endoparasite of Liriomyza leafminers.Leafminers are usually the larvae of insects that feed or mine inside plant leaves, and Opius dissitus is a wasp endoparasite that keeps the population of Liriomyza leafminers in check. This 2-page fact sheet was written by Jian Li, Dakshina Seal, and Gary Leibee, and published by the UF Department of Entomology and Nematology, October 2011.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/in902

Life Cycle of the Lesser Cornstalk Borer in Sugarcane (ENY913/SC093)

Adult female of the lesser cornstalk borer.The lesser cornstalk borer attacks a large number of crops, but is a potentially serious pest of sugarcane. But since the populations of this pest vary greatly depending on temperature, UF/IFAS scientists are developing predictive models to predict lesser cornstalk borer population in field. This 4-page fact sheet was written by H.S. Sandhu, L.E. Baucum, and G.S. Nuessly and published by the UF Department of Entomology and Nematology, September 2011.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/sc093