Category: Agriculture

Weed Management in Pecan (HS95/WG022)

Pecan tree grove in North Florida. UF/IFAS Photo: Thomas Wright.Weeds compete with pecan trees for light, nutrients, and water. Weed interference can be minimized with proper cultural practices and herbicides. This 5-page fact sheet was written by Peter J. Dittmar and Jeffrey G. Williamson, and published by the UF Department of Horticultural Sciences, March 2012.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/wg022

Secuestro y Distribución de Carbono Orgánico del Suelo Bajo Diferentes Sistemas de Manejo de Pasturas (SL363/SS564)

Ciclo global carbónico. Los mantos (en negro) son gigatoneladas de carbono. Los flujos (en morado) son Gt de carbono por año. El secuestro de carbono en el suelo es el proceso de transformación del carbono del aire al carbono orgánico, almacenado en el suelo. A través del secuestro de carbono, los niveles de CO2 atmosférico pueden reducirse en la medida que los niveles de carbono orgánico del suelo aumentan. This 3-page fact sheet was written by Alejandra María Jimenez Madrid, José Trinidad Reyes Sandoval, and Maria L. Silveira, and published by the UF Department of Soil and Water Science, January 2012.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ss564

Papaya Fruit Fly, Toxotrypana curvicauda Gerstaecker (Insecta: Diptera: Tephritidae) (EENY21/IN148)

Adult female papaya fruit fly, Toxotrypana curvicauda Gerstaecker.The papaya fruit fly is the principal insect pest of papaya throughout the tropical and subtropical areas of the New World. The insect was introduced into Florida in 1905, most likely from the West Indies on papaya shipments. It first became established in the Florida Keys and Miami, then spread throughout the state wherever papayas are grown. Papaya fruit fly larvae and adults have been found in Florida in every month of the year. This 6-page fact sheet was written by H. L. Selman, J. B. Heppner and T. R. Fasulo, and published by the UF Department of Entomology and Nematology, January 2012.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/in148

Cherry Fruit Fly, Rhagoletis cingulata (Loew) (Insecta: Diptera: Tephritidae) (EENY203/IN360)

Adult female eastern cherry fruit fly, Rhagoletis cingulata (Loew).The cherry fruit fly (adult) or cherry maggot (larva) attacks cherry and causes wormy fruits. In Florida it attacks wild cherries and is of little economic importance. Across its range, it breeds in all varieties of cherries including the sweet cherry. This 3-page fact sheet was written by H. V. Weems Jr., and published by the UF Department of Entomology and Nematology, January 2012.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/in360

Intercropping, Crop Diversity and Pest Management (ENY862/IN922)

Squash with living mulch of buckwheat.Growing different crops in the same field and/or planting different crops on the same plot during different times of the year can reduce insect pest populations, increasing beneficial insects, and suppress weeds. In addition, non-crop plants such as weeds, cover crops, and habitat plantings can be combined in space and time to influence numbers of pest and beneficial arthropods on the main crop. This 7-page fact sheet was written by Hugh A. Smith and Oscar E. Liburd, and published by the UF Department of Entomology and Nematology, February 2012.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/in922

Food Safety on the Farm series

Universty of Florida Extension Agent, Andy Andreasen, Chipley, Florida, farm, harvest, farmer, October, Washington County, watermelon. UF/IFAS Photo: Josh Wickham.These brief fact sheets are part of a collection that reviews the generally recognized principles of GAPs as they relate to produce, primarily at the farm level and with particular focus on fresh Florida crops and practices. Written by Keith R. Schneider, Renée M. Goodrich-Schneider, and Alexandra Chang, and published by the UF Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, March 2012.

Estimating Amount of Forage in Hay Fields and Pastures (SSAGR360/AG369)

Figure 1AForage serves as the primary source of nutrients for livestock in Florida, and efficient use of forage is critical to the livelihood of Florida farmers and ranchers. Estimating the amount of forage in a pasture can provide useful information when making management decisions. There must be enough material in the field to justify the cost of using harvesting equipment; otherwise, the area should be grazed. This 2-page fact sheet contains instructions for a simple method to determine the approximate amount of forage in hay fields and pastures. Written by T. Wilson, C. Sanders, J. Breman, and L. Sollenberger, and published by the UF Department of Agronomy, March 2012.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ag369

Lettuce Cultivars for Insect Resistance in Southern Florida (HS1196/HS1196)

Russell Nagata, associate professor at the University of Florida's Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences at Belle Glade, Florida , examines leafminer colonies on romaine lettuce. He is using genetic engineering to make lettuce resistant to the tiny leafminer insect that tunnels through leaves and makes lettuce unmarketable. The improved lettuce will lower pesticide cost for growers and produce higher quility lettuce for consumers. Photography by Milt PutnamFlorida’s subtropical climate facilitates lettuce production from fall through spring, but the warm, moist conditions are also favorable for insect proliferation and damage. Information about current cultivar response to common insect pests in Florida is limited, so UF/IFAS researchers conducted a study to evaluate cultivar response to insect infestation under field conditions and to identify resistance useful for integrated pest management. This 4-page fact sheet was written by Huangjun Lu, Alan L. Wright, and David Sui, and published by the UF Department of Horticultural Sciences, February 2012.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/hs1196

European Food Safety Certification: The GlobalG.A.P® Standard and Its Accredited Certification Scheme (FSHN0801/FS145)

GlobalG.A.P.Many European importers and retailers will only buy produce, meat, and grain-based products that come from GlobalG.A.P-certified farms. Despite its environmental origins, the main concern is food safety, followed by worker welfare, and then ecological matters. There are slightly different versions for fresh fruit and vegetables, meat products, flowers and ornamentals, and combinable crops (grains and pulses). There is also an Integrated Farm Assurance version for farms with several types of operations taking place at once. This 4-page fact sheet was written by Richard C. Yudin and Keith R. Schneider, and published by the UF Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, February 2012.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/fs145

Overview of US Agricultural Trade with China (FE902/FE902)

US agricultural exports to China, 2000–2010 (US billion dollars) [Source: USDA, Foreign Agricultural Service, 2011]One bright spot in the US–China trade deficit is the trade of agricultural products, which continues to reflect a trade surplus that has grown considerably within the last decade. This 11-page fact sheet provides an overview of US–China trade of agricultural products, with special focus on produce, specifically over the period 2000 to 2010, and to highlight the main factors driving the widening of the agricultural trade surplus. The implications of modernizing the Chinese agricultural sector for the US fruit and vegetable industry are also discussed. Written by Xiuzhi Wang, Edward A. Evans, and Fredy H. Ballen, and published by the UF Department of Food and Resource Economics, February 2012.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/fe902

Banana Market (FE901)

US imports of organic bananas, 2000–2010 (tonnes) [Source: Liu, exporting agencies in Peru and Dominican Republic, and authors' calculations for Ecuador and Colombia]The United States is the largest single-country importer of fresh bananas. With a per capita consumption of about 25 pounds, the banana market appears to be saturated, but consumption of organic bananas in the United States is increasing. Any expansion of the banana production in the United States should focus on the niche market for organic bananas and specialty varieties as Florida growers do. This 10-page fact sheet provides an overview of the world and US markets for fresh bananas, with special reference to the US market for organic bananas. Written by Edward Evans and Fredy Ballen, and published by the UF Department of Food and Resource Economics, February 2012.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/fe901

Environmental and Economic Benefits of Selecting Beef Cattle for Feed Efficiency (AN276/AN276)

Effect of feed efficiency measured as Residual Feed Intake (RFI) on nutrient excretion by suckled Angus beef cows. A positive RFI indicates a less efficient cow, while a negative RFI indicates a more efficient cow. Both cows are evaluated under the same diet and environmental conditions. (ADG = Average Daily Gain; DMI = Dry Matter Intake).Selecting for feed efficiency based on residual food intake can significantly impact the amount of nutrients consumed and excreted per cow without compromising animal performance. Fresh manure output and excretions of phosphorous and nitrogen could be reduced by 29%, while methane emissions can be reduced by as much as 28% when selecting more feed-efficient animals. This 4-page fact sheet was written by Nicolas DiLorenzo and G. Cliff Lamb, and published by the UF Department of Animal Science, February 2012.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/an276

Lesser Pumpkin Fly, Ethiopian Fruit Fly, Cucurbit Fly, Dacus ciliatus (Loew) (Insecta: Diptera: Tephritidae) (EENY258/IN539)

Adult female.The lesser pumpkin fly is one of several fruit flies found in Africa and Asia, which could become serious pests of Florida agricultural crops if introduced into this state.This 2-page fact sheet was written by H. V. Weems, Jr., and published by the UF Department of Entomology and Nematology, March 2012. http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/in539

Outbreaks of Foodborne Disease Associated with Fruit and Vegetable Juices, 1922 to 2010 (FSHN1204/FS188)

Salmonella species on X.L.D. agarThe FDA has recently mandated that all 100% fruit/vegetable juices sold wholesale be produced under a Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) plan. As part of their HACCP plan, juice processors must identify and meet a target for reduction of the most resistant microorganism of public health significance that is likely to occur in the juice. This 7-page fact sheet aids juice processors in the identification of these “pertinent microorganisms,” and reviews the locations of juice preparations and severity of juice-associated outbreaks. Written by M. D. Danyluk, R. M. Goodrich-Schneider, K. R. Schneider, L. J. Harris, and R. W. Worobo, and published by the UF Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, January 2012.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/fs188

Carbon Sequestration and Storage by Gainesville’s Urban Forest (FOR210/FR272)

live oak Darien GA (CC BY-NC 3.0) Karan A. Rawlins, University of Georgia, Bugwood.orgCities are a major source of carbon dioxide emissions. This fact sheet demonstrates that urban and natural trees can help mitigate the effects of climate change somewhat by sequestering CO2 but can only sequester a small portion of all carbon dioxide emitted from cities. In addition, decomposing trees and mulch, tree maintenance activities, and improperly placed trees that cause shading in winter can also result in emissions of CO2, so it is important for communities to reduce fossil fuel emissions and manage for and preserve large, healthy trees to maximize the amount of CO2 sequestered by an urban forest. This 3-page fact sheet was written by Francisco Escobedo, Jennifer A. Seitz, and Wayne Zipperer, and published by the UF Department of School of Forest Resources and Conservation, February 2012.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/fr272

The Effect of Gainesville’s Urban Trees on Energy Use of Residential Buildings (FOR211/FR273)

Trees provide shade and help with utility costs. Andrew Koeser, International Society of Arboriculture, Bugwood.org (CC BY-NC 3.0)Based on a 2007 average retail price of electricity in Florida, trees in Gainesville are estimated to provide about $1.9 million in savings each year due to reduced air conditioning and heating use. However, trees also increase energy costs in winter by approximately $367 thousand annually because their shade cools buildings and thus raises building heating costs. This 3-page fact sheet was written by Francisco Escobedo, Jennifer A. Seitz, and Wayne Zipperer, and published by the UF Department of School of Forest Resources and Conservation, February 2012.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/fr273

Erythrina moths Terastia meticulosalis Guenée and Agathodes designalis Guenée (Insecta: Lepidoptera: Crambidae: Spilomelinae) (EENY516/IN921)

Figure 15. An adult Erythrina leaf-roller, Agathodes designalis Guenée. Photographed in Gainesville, Florida.The little known Erythrina moths represent a remarkable case of niche partitioning. In Florida these two species feed on plants of the genus Erythrina (Fabaceae), including the coral bean, Erythrina herbacea, which is native to North Central Florida and is frequently used as an ornamental. This 10-page fact sheet was written by Andrei Sourakov, and published by the UF Department of Entomology and Nematology, February 2012.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/in921

Growing Heirloom Tomato Varieties in Southwest Florida (HS921/HS174)

Figure 1. Common heirloom varieties growing in South FloridaHeirloom tomatoes have seen a rebirth in popularity because of increasing demand for fresh, fully ripe, tasty tomatoes. A tomato must meet three criteria to be considered an heirloom variety: The variety must be reproduced by seed, must have been cultivated for more than 50 years, and must have a history. Heirloom tomatoes are known for their singular taste, shape, and color, which include purple, orange, and yellow, in addition to the common red tomatoes. This 9-page fact sheet was written by Monica Ozores-Hampton, Charles S. Vavrina, and Aline Coelho Frasca, and published by the UF Department of Horticultural Sciences, February 2012.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/hs174

Diagnosing Herbicide Injury in Cotton (SSAGR358/AG367)

3) Figure 4. Dicamba injury from a post-emergence application.This 10-page fact sheet aids in the diagnosis of herbicide injury by providing pictures and descriptions of behavior in plants and symptoms associated with different herbicides organized by mode of action. Written by Sarah Berger and Jason Ferrell, and published by the UF Department of Agronomy, February 2012.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ag367

Mexican Fruit Fly, Anastrepha ludens (Loew) (Insecta: Diptera: Tephritidae) (EENY201/IN358)

Figure 12. Mexican fruit flies, Anastrepha ludens (Loew), laying eggs in grapefruit during a laboratory test. The Mexican fruit fly is a very serious pest of various fruits, particularly citrus and mango, in Mexico and Central America. Its natural distribution includes the Rio Grande Valley of Texas, where populations routinely attain pest status if control measures are not practiced. It is a frequent invader in southern California and Arizona. Mexican fruit fly represents a particular threat to Florida because of its special affinity for grapefruit, of which Florida is one of the world’s leading producers. Mexican fruit fly larvae are transported widely in infested fruits. This 6-page fact sheet was written by H. V. Weems, Jr, J. B. Heppner, G. J. Steck, T. R. Fasulo and J. L. Nation, and published by the UF Department of Entomology and Nematology, January 2012.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/in358