Agriculture – Page 4

Sampling Guidelines and Recommendations for Submitting Samples for Diagnosing Laurel Wilt in Avocado Trees (Persea americana L.)

Laurel wilt (LW) is a vascular disease caused by a fungal pathogen transmitted to avocado trees by several ambrosia beetle species and through root grafts among adjacent avocado trees. A critical part of preventing and controlling plant diseases is determining the causal agent so that the appropriate management practices can be implemented to eradicate or contain the outbreak. Proper sampling is a critical step in disease diagnosis and in the determination of the causal agent of disease. This new 3-page publication of the UF/IFAS Horticultural Sciences Department was written by Jonathan Crane, Romina Gazis, Jeff Wasielewski, Daniel Carrillo, Bruce Schaffer, Fredy Ballen, and Edward Evans.
https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/hs1394

Programacion de Riego Basado en el Metodo de Evapotranspiracion Para Papaya (Carica papaya) en Florida

La papaya es un importante cultivo frutícola que se cultiva en el sur de Florida con un área estimada de 356 acres. Este documento se centra en las técnicas de programación de riego basadas en ET para la papaya en las condiciones de Florida. Written by Haimanote K. Bayabil, Jonathan H. Crane, Kati W. Migliaccio, Yuncong Li, Fredy Ballen, and Sandra Guzmán, and published by the UF/IFAS Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, November 2020.
https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ae547

Tomato Brown Rugose Fruit Virus (ToBRFV): A Potential Threat for Tomato Production in Florida

Tobamoviruses are mechanically transmitted plant viruses that cause severe economic damage to vegetable and ornamental crops in Florida and worldwide. While certain tomato cultivars have genetic resistance to the most common tobamoviruses, no commercial tomato cultivars are resistant to tomato brown rugose fruit virus (ToBRFV), a recently described tobamovirus that also infects pepper and eggplant. It is currently unknown how ToBRFV may affect tomato production in Florida. This new 5-page publication of the UF/IFAS Plant Pathology Department describes symptoms of the virus, how it is different from other tobamoviruses, and how it is transmitted, as well as what to do if you think you have ToBRFV in your field. Written by Ozgur Batuman, Salih Yilmaz, Pamela Roberts, Eugene McAvoy, Samuel Hutton, Kishore Dey, and Scott Adkins.
https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pp360

Herbicide Resistance Management in Florida Tomato Production

Herbicide resistance was historically not a significant issue in most horticultural crops because few herbicides were applied. Close proximity of agronomic crops and the loss of methyl bromide has led to a gradual increase in herbicide inputs and the increased occurrence of herbicide-resistant weeds in tomato fields. Very few herbicides are registered for tomato, and resistance is a major concern. This new 11-page publication of the UF/IFAS Horticultural Sciences Department provides a definition of herbicide resistance, explains how it develops, and provides management recommendations for tomato growers. It was written for growers and Extension agents, but the information may be of interest to anyone concerned about herbicide resistance in vegetable and small fruit crops. Written by Shaun M. Sharpe, Nathan S. Boyd, Ramdas G. Kanissery, and Peter J. Dittmar.
https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/hs1398

Smutgrass Control in Perennial Grass Pastures

This 4-page document provides an overview of smutgrass biology, control, and general recommendations. Written by Brent Sellers, Neha Rana, José Luiz C. S. Dias, and Pratap Devkota, and published by the UF/IFAS Agronomy Department, revised October 2020.
https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/aa261

Chilli Thrips on Blueberries in Florida

Extreme close-up photo of a lemon-yellow adult female chilli thrips on a green leaf.

Chilli thrips, (Scirtothrips dorsalis Hood; Thysanoptera: Thripidae), is an economically important pest of vegetable, fruit, and ornamental crops throughout Asia, Africa, Oceania, the Caribbean, and some parts of South America and is an invasive pest in several US states. Chilli thrips were first observed in Florida in 1991. It was first recorded in blueberries in Hernando, Pasco and Sumter counties in July of 2008. This 4-page fact sheet written by Oscar E. Liburd, Babu R. Panthi, and Douglas A. Phillips and published by the UF/IFAS Entomology and Nematology Department discusses the life cycle of the chilli thrips, plant damage it causes, and management recommendations for chilli thrips in blueberries in Florida.
https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/in1298

How Are Our Future Agriculture and Natural Resources Projected under Varying Climate?

This 8-page article explains how agriculture and natural resources may respond to projected future climate and how climate projections can be useful in developing management plans for the improved sustainability of Florida's agriculture and natural resources. It also aims to help increase the public awareness of climate change impacts on Florida and improve understanding of the connections among climate, agriculture, and natural resources. Written by Young Gu Her, Ashley Smyth, Zachary Brym, and Elias Bassil, and published by the UF/IFAS Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, September 2020.
https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ae545

Anhidrosis in the Horse (Non-Sweaters)—What Do We Know?

This 3-page document provides an overview of anhidrosis in horses, including symptoms and management tips. Written by Laura Patterson-Rosa, Martha F. Mallicote, Robert J. MacKay, and Samantha A. Brooks, and published by the UF/IFAS Department of Animal Sciences, October 2020.
https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/an362

Do Millennials Have a Stronger Demand for Orange Juice?

Accounting for a quarter of the population in the United States, the millennial generation is believed to have stronger buying power than other generations. But does targeting orange juice marketing to millennials, and, in particular, millennial parents, reap rewards? This 4-page fact sheet written by Yan Heng, Ronald W. Ward, and Lisa A. House and published by the UF/IFAS Food and Resource Economics Department presents the results of a survey examining several generations and their impact on demand for orange juice to find out whether targeting this one is a wise marketing strategy.
https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/fe1089

Passion Fruit Problems in the Home Landscape

In Florida, purple and yellow passion fruit have been widely cultivated by homeowners for years, and south Florida’s subtropical climate allows for growing passion fruit year-round. Many factors affect longevity and productivity of passion fruit vine, including environmental stresses, pests, and disease. This new 5-page document is designed to help Master Gardeners and homeowners by answering commonly asked questions about passion fruit production problems. Written by Amir Rezazadeh, Mark Bailey, and Ali Sarkhosh, and published by the UF/IFAS Horticultural Sciences Department.
https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/hs1397

Leaf Spot Diseases of Strawberry

Several different fungi and one bacterium cause leaf spot diseases of Florida strawberry. Symptoms caused by these pathogens are often similar, leading to confusion and misdiagnosis of the disease. To facilitate diagnosis, the most common leaf spots diseases of strawberry in Florida are described in this new 6-page article, written by Juliana S. Baggio, James C. Mertely, and Natalia A. Peres, and published by the UF/IFAS Plant Pathology Department.
https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pp359

Constructing a Southwest Florida Bell Peppers Enterprise Budget

Enterprise budgets can assist with forecasting as well as help managers coordinate resources, make production decisions, examine expenditures, and anticipate outcomes from changes in production practices. They can help producers determine what to produce, how many acres to produce, the cost of production, and the necessary price to be profitable. This 6-page fact sheet written by Tara Wade, Barbara Hyman, and Eugene McAvoy and published by the UF/IFAS Food and Resource Economics Department describes the process used to create the 2018-19 enterprise budget for bell peppers in southwest Florida.
https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/fe1088

Applications of Unmanned Aerial Systems in Agricultural Operation Management: Part I: Overview

Unmanned aerial systems (UASs, UAVs, or drones) have emerged as one of the most promising technologies for agricultural operation management in recent decades. This 6-page publication provides an overview of the broad areas where UASs can be utilized for monitoring and managing farm operations. Written by James Fletcher and Aditya Singh, and published by the UF/IFAS Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, June 2020.
https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ae541

The Pear (Pyrus spp.) in Florida Home Gardens

Pears are a great tree to grow for an edible landscape or fruit garden. However, pears are not adapted to all areas in Florida, and only a few cultivated varieties will grow well here. An adaptation to warm winters (low chill hours) and disease resistance are the main factors for success. This new 6-page publication of the UF/IFAS Horticultural Sciences Department provides information to help homeowners select and grow pears successfully in Florida. Written by Juanita Popenoe, Ali Sarkhosh, and Dustin Huff.
https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/hs1393

Cooperative Unit Systems: 3. Swine Facilities

Facilities are one of the most important considerations for housing market swine projects in groups. This 5-page document discusses basic facilities requirements, weather protection, spacing requirements, penning arrangements, and fencing materials. Written by Alyssa Schortinghouse, and published by the UF/IFAS 4-H Youth Development Department, September 2020.
https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/4h410

A Simple, Inexpensive, and Portable Image-Based Technique for Nondestructive Leaf Area Measurements

This new 6-page article, part of a series introducing various image-based measurements for horticultural research, introduces a simple, inexpensive, and portable image-based technique for nondestructive leaf area measurements. It uses an imaging apparatus made with ordinary office supplies to obtain leaf images in greenhouse or field environments. Leaf images are then processed and analyzed to measure leaf area using ImageJ, an open-source image processing program. Because both image capture and analysis are performed nondestructively, leaf area can be measured on the same leaf repeatedly, enabling the monitoring of leaf growth over time, as well as photosynthesis and transpiration. This technique is particularly useful to researchers and students studying leaf growth and physiology in greenhouse or field environments. Written by Shinsuke Agehara, Lillian Pride, Mariel Gallardo, and Jose Hernandez-Monterroza, and published by the UF/IFAS Horticultural Sciences Department.
https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/hs1395

Planning for a Successful Commercial Subtropical/Tropical Fruit Grove

Planning is the key to successful grove establishment, maintenance, and production. Developing a detailed infrastructure description and plan, cultural program, and financial and marketing plan for a new or existing grove with a new fruit crop will save you time and money and help minimize mistakes. Prospective growers should compile and analyze information needed to select a grove site, establish the needed infrastructure, and develop maintenance plans for the plants and how the production will be marketed. This new 15-page publication of the UF/IFAS Horticultural Sciences Department presents an outline of the type of information growers need when establishing a tropical fruit grove or contemplating management or modification of an existing grove. Written by Jonathan Crane, Yuncong Li, Edward Evans, Fredy Ballen, and Jeff Wasielewski.
https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/hs1387

Métodos para el establecimiento de trasplantes de fresa en Florida

Florida es el segundo productor de fresa más grade de los Estados Unidos, con un valor estimado de $337 millones. La siembra inicia entre finales de septiembre y mediados de octubre, en momentos donde las altas temperaturas representan un reto significativo para la sobrevivencia de los trasplantes, y por tanto también para el rendimiento y la calidad. El propósito principal de esta publicación es proporcionar recomendaciones basadas en resultados de investigación sobre métodos de establecimientos de trasplantes para productores de fresas en la Florida.
This new 5-page publication of the UF/IFAS Horticultural Sciences Department is the Spanish translation of HS1376, Methods for Strawberry Transplant Establishment in Florida. Written by Emmanuel Torres-Quezada, Lincoln Zotarelli, Vance M. Whitaker, and Shinsuke Agehara.
https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/hs1378

Methods for Strawberry Transplant Establishment in Florida

Florida is the second largest strawberry producer in the United States, with an annual farm gate value of about $300 million. Planting occurs from late September through late October, and high air temperatures pose significant challenges for transplant establishment and thus yield and fruit quality. The primary purpose of this new 4-page publication of the UF/IFAS Horticultural Sciences Department is to provide research-based recommendations on transplant establishment methods for strawberry growers in Florida. The techniques presented are overhead irrigation application methods and practices, strawberry plugs and bare-root transplants, crop protectants, and reflective mulching. Written by Emmanuel Torres-Quezada, Lincoln Zotarelli, Vance M. Whitaker, and Shinsuke Agehara.
https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/hs1376

Movement of Plant Nutrients

This new two-page document discusses soil-applied and foliar fertilization for citrus trees as well as mobile and immobile nutrients and how they affect the choice of fertilization. Written by Tripti Vashisth and Chris Oswalt, and published by the UF/IFAS Horticultural Sciences Department.
https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/hs1373