Category: Agriculture

Parana Pine, Araucaria angustifolia: An Ancient-Looking Conifer for Modern Landscapes

Figure 1. Paraná pine has a narrow, pyramidal form when young.Paraná pine is a primitive-looking conifer valued for its unusual horizontal branching, interesting triangular-shaped needles, and neat, symmetrical form. The primitive appearance of this evergreen tree results from its resemblance to and relationship with an ancient group of Araucaria-related conifers that dominated forests more than 145 million years ago. This tree once covered vast areas in southern Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay. Native Americans harvest the seeds for food. It was an important timber tree for European settlers, and it was logged extensively through the 20th century. Now one of the rarest trees in Brazil, Paraná pine is considered critically endangered due to habitat loss and exploitation. This evergreen conifer grows too large for most residential situations, but is best used as an accent or conversation piece in large-scale landscapes. This 3-page fact sheet was written by Gary W. Knox, and published by the UF Department of Environmental Horticulture, November 2014.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ep509

Outbreaks of Foodborne Illness Associated with Melons

food worker cutting watermelonDespite the manner in which they are prepared, melons are commonly consumed raw without a processing step which would eliminate pathogenic bacteria. For those concerned about the safety of melons, including cantaloupe, honeydew, and watermelon, this 6-page fact sheet lists outbreaks associated with melons in the United States, Canada, and Europe, along with information about the location, pathogen, and incidence of illness. Written by Michelle D. Danyluk, Rachel McEgan, Ashley N. Turner, and Keith R. Schneider, and published by the UF Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, November 2014. (UF/IFAS Photo by Thomas Wright)
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/fs258

Estimating Willingness to Pay for New Mandarin Cultivars: A Revealed Preference Approach

Credit: Sugar Belle citrus cultivar. Mix of sweet Clementine and Minneola varieties. UF cultivars, oranges, citrus. UF/IFAS File Photo. 07595SCalifornia has overtaken Florida to become the major US domestic mandarin producer. Despite a shift in consumer preferences toward the ‘Clementine’ mandarin that is widely grown in California, this cultivar is not well adapted to the subtropical climate of Florida. But in 2009, the University of Florida introduced the ‘Sugar Belle’, a cross between the ‘Clementine’ mandarin and the ‘Minneola’ tangelo. Survey test results showed that subjects preferred this new cultivar in terms of overall flavor, sweetness, acidity, and juiciness. survey test results showed that the Florida ‘Sugar Belle’ was preferred over the California ‘Clementine’ mandarin and the Florida ‘Murcott’ mandarin (aka Honey mandarin) in terms of overall flavor, sweetness, acidity, and juiciness. To determine consumer willingness to pay for specific attributes, UF/IFAS economists combined sensory evaluation and experimental auctions in a unique way, by comparing two different types of ‘Sugar Belle’ (SB1 and SB2) with the main competing product to identify the most desirable characteristics and to determine the best marketing and pricing strategy. This 6-page fact sheet was written by Xiang Bi, Lisa House, Frederick Gmitter, and Zhifeng Gao, and published by the UF Department of Food and Resource Economics, September 2014.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/fe955

Hand Pollination of Tomato for Breeding and Seed Production

Figure 2. Emasculation of the flower leaving the stigma exposed for pollination.Hand pollination is a technique that is used for breeding new tomato varieties with desirable characteristics such as plant vigor, disease resistance, and uniform fruit quality and plant growth; since tomatoes have complete flowers and are self-pollinated, it usually is unnecessary to hand pollinate the flowers for fruit production. This 4-page guide illustrates selection and emasculation of flowers from the plant receiving pollen, pollen collection and drying, and pollination of the stigma. Written by Monica Ozores-Hampton, and published by the UF Department of Horticultural Sciences, August 2014. (Photo credit: Monica Ozores-Hampton)
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/hs1248

Saddle and Tack Care in Hot and Humid Environments

Figure 2. Particularly dirty saddles may be “scrubbed” using saddle soap and water. A good rule of thumb for selecting a brush is to select one with plastic bristles that would be appropriate for cleaning your fingernails.The South’s climate is appealing for equestrian activities. While riders enjoy the weather, it creates some challenges in caring for saddles and other tack. When the weather becomes hot and the humidity climbs and the rains are frequent, a tack room can become a breeding ground for mold and mildew. There are several things a rider can do, however, to lower the incidence of mildew on saddles and tack. This 3-page fact sheet was written by Joel McQuagge, Todd Thrift, and Ed Johnson, and published by the UF Department of Animal Sciences, November 2014. (Photo credit: Joel McQuagge, UF/IFAS)
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/an303

Screening Methods for Southern Chinch Bug Resistance in St. Augustinegrass

Figure 1. Bag test.Relying on insecticides for southern chinch bug control raises turfgrass maintenance costs, increases the risk that insects will develop resistance to insecticides, and may damage the environment. Host-plant resistance is a relatively sustainable and environmentally sound option for management of this damaging insect pest.To develop new resistant varieties, plant materials must be screened for new sources of southern chinch bug resistance. Screening methods to measure host plant resistance of St. Augustinegrass to southern chinch bugs have measured nymphal and/or adult survival in so-called no-choice tests in which only the experimental plant materials were provided. There are four types of screening methods described in this 4-page fact sheet was written by Huangjun Lu and Ronald Cherry, and published by the UF Department of Entomology and Nematology, October 2014. (Photo credit: Long Ma, UF/IFAS Extension)
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/in1050

Mosaic Disease of St. Augustinegrass caused by Sugarcane Mosaic Virus

Figure 1. Mosaic symptoms on leaf blades of St. Augustinegrass infected with Sugarcane Mosaic Virus Mosaic disease of St. Augustinegrass was first reported in the 1960s in sugarcane producing areas of Palm Beach County, Florida. In the 10 years prior to 2013, less than 5 samples with mild symptoms were brought to the attention of the extension turfgrass pathologist. But in September 2013, an outbreak of the disease occurred in Pinellas County. Leaf symptoms included mosaic, but turned necrotic and the severe dieback that completely killed some infected lawns. In September 2014, lawns infected in 2013 and new lawns started dying in both Pinellas and Palm Beach Counties. Despite the similarity of symptoms to another St. Augustinegrass decline (SAD), as of November 2014, all samples have tested negative for SAD, and positive for presence of Sugarcane Mosaic Virus. This 3-page fact sheet was written by Phil Harmon, and published by the UF Department of Plant Pathology, November 2014.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pp313

Talking Local series

Figure 1. Fruit and vegetable stand on Krome Avenue in Homestead.Extension agents can assist Florida farmers and ranchers in the labeling, sale, and promotion of locally-produced products. This six part series of 3- to 5-page fact sheets provides information about Florida consumers’ perceptions of local food to Extension faculty who are interested in local food programming or who work with local food clientele. Written by Joy N. Rumble and Caroline G. Roper, and published by the UF Department of Agricultural Education and Communication, September 2014.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/topic_series_talking_local

In this series:

Tropilaelaps mite Tropilaelaps spp. Delfinado & Baker (Arachnida: Mesostigmata: Laelapidae)

Figure 1. Adult female Tropilaelaps.Honey bees throughout the world are exposed to numerous pests, parasites, and pathogens. One such parasite is Tropilaelaps spp. Delfinado & Baker, an ectoparasitic mite that feeds on the hemolymph of developing honey bees. Four species of Tropilaelaps have been identified and characterized. This 4-page fact sheet was written by Ashley N. Mortensen, Sarah Burleson, Gunasegaran Chelliah, Ken Johnson, Daniel R. Schmehl, and Jamie D. Ellis, and published by the UF Department of Entomology and Nematology, October 2014. (Photo credit: Pest and Diseases Image Library, Bugwood.org)
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/in1061

Floridians' Perceptions of GMOs: GMOs and Florida Citrus

bagged Florida orangesWorldwide and in Florida, food-related issues such as food safety, food security, and use of new food technologies continue to be top concerns. Among the food-related issues are concerns about consuming the products from transgenic plants, often referred to as “GMOs.” This 4-page fact sheet is intended to help Extension faculty understand public perceptions regarding the use of genetic engineering to combat citrus greening. Extension faculty can use this understanding of public perceptions as they develop and deliver programming for clientele. Written by Nicole M. W. Dodds, Laura M. Gorham, and Joy N. Rumble, and published by the UF Department of Agricultural Education and Communication, October 2014.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/wc182

Weed Management in Rice

Figure 2. Flooded rice field in the EAA.Successful weed control is essential for economical rice production in the Everglades Agricultural Area. Weeds reduce rice yields by competing for moisture, nutrients, and light during the growing season. Weed infestations can also interfere with combine operation at harvest and can significantly increase harvesting and drying costs. Weed seed contamination of rice grain lowers grain quality and may lower the cash value of the crop. As with any biological system, an effective weed management program must consider many factors that vary from crop to crop and year to year. The most important of these factors include planting date, climatic conditions, seedbed preparation, seed quality, stand establishment, and water management. This 5-page fact sheet was written by D.C. Odero and C. Rainbolt, and published by the UF Department of Agronomy, October 2014. (Photo: C. Odero, UF/IFAS)
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/wg001

Sugarcane Ratoon Stunting

Figure 1. Reddish discoloration of vascular bundles at the sugarcane node due to the causal agent of ratoon stunting.Ratoon stunting, also known as ratoon stunting disease (RSD), is considered by many sugarcane pathologists to be the most important disease affecting sugarcane production worldwide, because it can cause 5% to 15% crop yield losses without growers even realizing their fields are infected. This 3-page fact sheet describes the symptoms, causal agent, and prevention and control. Written by P. Rott, S. Sood, J. C. Comstock, R. A. Gilbert, and H. S. Sandhu, and published by the UF Department of Agronomy, August 2014. (Photo credit: Sushma Sood, USDA)
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/sc002

Controlled-Release and Slow-Release Fertilizers as Nutrient Management Tools

UF/IFAS recommends nutrient management practices that will reduce harmful nitrate levels in the river, springs and groundwaterThere are many fertilizer sources available for commercial crop production. The characteristics of each fertilizer type determine whether its use poses an advantage or a disadvantage to a farmer. This 6-page fact sheet focuses on how to select the right fertilizer to enhance profitability and satisfy best management practices (BMPs). Written by Guodong Liu, Lincoln Zotarelli, Yuncong Li, David Dinkins, Qingren Wang, and Monica Ozores-Hampton, and published by the UF Department of Horticultural Sciences, October 2014. (UF/IFAS Photo by Thomas Wright)
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/hs1255

Sensation™ Brand 'Florida127' Strawberry

Figure 2. Fruit of ‘Florida127’ have bright red color and do not darken significantly during hot weather or after storage.‘Florida127’ is a new strawberry cultivar released from the University of Florida in 2013, the fruit of which are eligible for marketing under the Sensation™ brand. It is a short-day plant adapted to annual, winter plasticulture growing systems. The plant is moderately compact, robust, and upright with long pedicels, making the fruit easy to harvest. This 4-page fact sheet provides information and recommendations based on several years of testing in field plots in west-central Florida. Comparisons are made to ‘Florida Radiance’ and ‘Strawberry Festival’ for disease resistance. Written by Vance M. Whitaker, Craig K. Chandler, and Natalia A. Peres, and published by the UF Department of Horticultural Sciences, October 2014. (Photo by Vance M. Whitaker)
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/hs1256

New Sources of Southern Chinch Bug Resistance in St. Augustinegrass

Figure 1. Southern chinch bug, Blissus insularis Barber. From left to right: nymph, short-wing, and long-wing adultsCurrently, Captiva is the only chinch bug-resistant variety of St. Augustinegrass grown on sod farms in Florida. But since these pests have previously overcome their resistance to Floratam, it is highly probable that they will do the same with Captiva in the future. It is also desirable to have resistant varieties available with different agronomic qualities such as shade tolerance or drought tolerance. This 4-page fact sheet reports the results of a preliminary screening to detect resistance to chinch bugs, conducted at the UF/IFAS Everglades research station on 36 untested St. Augustinegrass lines. Written by Huangjun Lu and Ronald Cherry, and published by the UF Department of Horticultural Sciences, July 2014.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/hs1239

Plagas y Hongos Identificados en Olivos (Olea europea) en Florida

Figure 1. Leaffooted bug, Leptoglossus phyllopus, on an olive tree in Marion County, Florida.La producción de olivo o aceitunas (Olea europea) en Florida ha aumentado en los últimos años. La disponibilidad de árboles en los viveros de plantas ha aumentado y muchos residentes los compran para plantarlos en su patio. Afortunadamente, los olivos son una especie relativamente resistente a muchas plagas, pero en ocasiones surgen invasores que pueden causar daños significativos. Algunos patógenos también pueden infectar los olivos y causar enfermedades, reducir los rendimientos o arruinar la apariencia estética de los árboles. Siguiendo las prácticas de cultivo apropiadas para olivos podemos reducir las probabilidades de perder árboles por plagas y enfermedades. Una encuesta realizada con productores de aceitunas en Florida durante el año 2014 identificó las plagas y enfermedades descritas en este documento.

This 6-page fact sheet was written by Jennifer L. Gillett-Kaufman, Sandra A. Allan, Jonael H. Bosques-Méndez, and Lyle J. Buss; translated into Spanish by Jonael H. Bosques Méndez, and published by the UF Department of Entomology and Nematology, September 2014.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/in1052

Factors Affecting the Choice of Irrigation Systems for Florida Tomato Production

four red tomatoesSeveral economic factors should be considered in selecting an agricultural irrigation system. This 7-page fact sheet compares two widely used irrigation systems for tomato production: seepage and sub-surface drip irrigation. Written by Jenna Rogers, Tatiana Borisova, Jeffrey Ullman, Kelly Morgan, Lincoln Zotarelli, and Kelly Grogan, and published by the UF Department of Food and Resource Economics, October 2014. (UF/IFAS Photo: Tyler Jones)
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/fe960

Florida Strawberry Producers' Experiences with Anthracose and Botrytis Fruit Rot, and Producers' Use of the Strawberry Advisory System

Figure 1. Anthracnose lesions on a ripe fruit (Mertely and Peres 2012)Florida’s producers use fungicides to manage anthracnose and botrytis fruit rot diseases, which find favorable growth conditions in Florida’s climate and can reduce strawberry yields and profits. The Strawberry Advisory System (SAS) uses information about weather conditions and user-entered information about past fungicide applications to evaluate the potential spread of these diseases in strawberry fields. If the risk of disease spread is low, no fungicide application is recommended, allowing producers to save on fungicide application costs. In this study, we summarize the results of a 2012/2013 survey of strawberry producers, and focus on the questions, How significant is the impact of anthracnose and botrytis on Florida strawberry producers’ yields? What are the typical fungicide application frequencies used by the producers? What percent of strawberry producers use SAS? and Are there any effects of SAS subscription on producers’ fungicide application? This 4-page fact sheet was written by Tatiana Borisova, Zhengfei Guan, Ekaterina Vorotnikova, Natalia Peres, and John VanSickle, and published by the UF Department of Food and Resource Economics, October 2014.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/fe957

Establishment Cost of Avocados in South Florida

avocado orchardA major concern for the future of the Florida avocado industry is laurel wilt disease (LW), which is caused by fungus transmitted by the ambrosia beetle. Cost-effective management of LW relies heavily on the early detection and destruction of affected trees (sanitation). While not an official recommendation, some suggest that since the beetles are less attracted to younger trees, growers might consider leaving the young orchards in production while replanting only older and less productive orchards. Since the long-term survival of the Florida avocado industry may ultimately depend on a combination of eradication, prophylactic treatment, and replanting the trees, the purpose of this article is to provide an updated guidance on the costs of establishing an avocado orchard. Information presented in this study is based on interviews with growers, orchard service companies, extension agents, and other industry personnel. It is intended as a guide only to make production decisions, prepare budgets, and investigate insurance options. A follow-up document to this one will focus on the cost and return of maintaining an orchard after it has been established. This 9-page fact sheet was written by Braulia De Oleo, Edward A. Evans, and Jonathan H. Crane, and published by the UF Department of Food and Resource Economics, October 2014.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/fe956

Managing Against the Development of Herbicide-Resistant Weeds: Sugarcane

Figure 1. Sugarcane rows in the Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA) following herbicide application and cultivation.Profitable sugarcane production in Florida requires effective weed management. Herbicides provide an efficient and cost-effective means of weed control, but excessive use of a single herbicide or group of herbicides with the same mechanism of action has resulted in the development of herbicide-resistant weeds. In crops such as sugarcane where a limited number of herbicides are registered, the loss of a single effective herbicide can be very costly. Thus, it is critical to manage herbicides in order to prevent or delay the development of herbicide-resistant weed populations. This 4-page fact sheet lists herbicides by group number, mechanism of action, chemical family, common name, and trade name. Written by D.C. Odero, B.A. Sellers, J.A. Ferrell, and G.E. MacDonald, and published by the UF Department of Agronomy, October 2014.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/sc077