wotus-rule

Ranch Rim Ditches Debated at South Florida Water Management Meeting

Dan Environment, Florida, Industry News Release, Irrigation, Lake Okeechobee, Water

Thanks to south Florida ag news colleague Katrina Elskin at Lake Okeechobee News for this recap of this week’s South Florida Water Management District Governing Board meeting in West Palm Beach. WEST PALM BEACH — The South Florida Water Management District Governing Board once again turned their attention on the nutrient load from agricultural properties at their July 10 workshop …

nutrient

Industry Reaction EPA Approval of Sulfoxaflor Use

Dan Cotton, Environment, Industry News Release, Pollinators

Source: National Cotton Council? MEMPHIS, Tenn. (NCC) – The National Cotton Council (NCC) is grateful for EPA’s decision granting use on cotton of sulfoxaflor (commercially known as Transform©) – a uniquely designed insecticide that targets piercing/sucking insect pests such as aphids and plant bugs. “We appreciate EPA’s decision to make sulfoxaflor available for use on cotton,” said NCC Chairman Mike …

epa

EPA Registers Long-Term Uses of Sulfoxaflor While Ensuring Strong Pollinator Protection

Dan Environment, Industry News Release, Pollinators

Registration provides benefits to growers and is supported by strong science that shows minimal risks for pollinators. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is issuing a long-term approval for the insecticide sulfoxaflor— an effective tool to control challenging pests with fewer environmental impacts. After conducting an extensive risk analysis, including the review of one of the agency’s largest datasets on …

noaa

UF Researchers Link Increasing Seasonal Drought to Longer Fire Seasons

Dan Drought, Environment, Florida

GAINESVILLE, Fla. (UF/IFAS) — A new study from University of Florida (UF) researchers examines the relationship between wet and dry season length and the potential for lightning-ignited fires. The study, led by faculty from the UF Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences School of Forest Resources and Conservation (SFRC), highlights trends in dry season length in the southeastern region of …

soil

Beneath the Earth, the ‘Black Box’ of Soil Holds a Key to Crop Growth

Dan Citrus, Florida, Fruits, Industry News Release, Research, Soil, Specialty Crops, Vegetables

IMMOKALEE, Fla. (UF/IFAS) — Like much of what lies just beneath the earth’s surface, soil microbes present a mystery. University of Florida scientist Sarah Strauss seeks to help untangle the web of intrigue surrounding soil microbes to improve agricultural production in Florida and globally. “There are microbial activities going on that we don’t exactly understand. It’s known as the ‘black …

soilweb

NRCS Notes SoilWeb 2.0 App Update is Available

Dan Soil, USDA-NRCS

USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) wants landowners to know the iOS and Android SoilWeb app, version 2.0 has been released. The app now has a cleaner and more modern interface with GPS-location-based links to access detailed digital soil survey data (SSURGO) published by the NRCS for most of the U.S. The newly updated SoilWeb smartphone application is available as …

agriculture

Signup Continues for National Conservation Innovation Grants

Dan Economy, Environment, USDA-NRCS

USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service reminds landowners their signup period for National Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) continues. USDA is investing up to $12.5 million to help support the adoption of innovative conservation approaches on agricultural lands. CIG are competitive grants driving public and private sector innovation in resource conservation, with projects inspiring creative problem-solving that boosts production on farms, ranches, and private …

honey bees

Honeybee Losses Jumped Sharply Higher Last Winter

Dan Industry News Release, Pollinators

Bee colony death numbers are continuing to climb. The Bee Informed Partnership released its latest survey last week, saying U.S. beekeepers lost 40 percent of their colonies last winter. That’s the largest number of overwintering hive losses since the survey began more than a decade ago. The total annual loss in 2018 was estimated to be slightly above average. An …

georgia counties

USDA Offers Producers Options to Re-enroll or Extend Expiring CRP Contracts

Dan Environment, Industry News Release

WASHINGTON (USDA/FSA) – Farmers and ranchers with expiring Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) contracts may now re-enroll in certain CRP continuous signup practices or, if eligible, select a one-year contract extension. USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) also is accepting offers from those who want to enroll for the first time in one of the country’s largest conservation programs. FSA’s 52nd signup for …

honey bee parasite

Disrupting One Gene Could Be First Step Toward Treating Honey Bee Parasite Nosema Ceranae

Dan Industry News Release, Pollinators

BELTSVILLE, MARYLAND (USDA/ARS) —Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists have taken the first step towards a weapon against the major honey bee parasite Nosema ceranae. There is currently no treatment for this parasite. The scientists found that feeding honey bees a small amount of an interfering RNA compound (RNAi) could disrupt the reproduction of N. cerana by as much as 90 percent in the …