Home and property owners often enhance their landscapes with the beautiful lantana, but some of the plant’s varieties may escape yards, spread to areas where they shouldn’t go and cross-pollinate Florida’s native lantana. That’s why, in 2004, the head of the Tampa Bay Wholesale Growers Association asked University of Florida plant scientist Zhanao Deng if he could breed sterile, non-invasive …
Georgia Cotton Commission Approves 2019 Research
At its April 11th Board Meeting, the Georgia Cotton Commission Board of Directors approved $697,802 in research for the 2019 crop year, an increase from the $665,196 approved for 2018. This money will go to fund 21 research projects that will be conducted by researchers from the University of Georgia and the University of West Georgia. These projects range from …
Deadline to Renew Expiring CSP Contracts is Friday
Agricultural producers with existing Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) contracts that expire on December 31, 2018 are being reminded that this Friday, April 13 is the deadline to renew those contracts. Deadline to Renew Expiring CSP Contracts is Friday Sponsored ContentFCEB Recurring Funding Provides Opportunity for Longer Term Research ProjectsOctober 10, 2025Florida Cattle Enhancement Board Advances Forage ResearchOctober 3, 2025Florida Cattle …
Farm Bill Text Expected Thursday
Democrats and Republicans on the House Agriculture committee remain at odds with each other over the nutrition title of the farm bill. As the committee scheduled the draft release today (Thursday, 12:30 p.m. ET), the bill is “in trouble,” as ranking member Collin Peterson puts it, according to the Hagstrom Report. Peterson and committee Democrats previously vowed not to support …
Peterson Introduces MPP Replacement Program
House Agriculture Committee Ranking Member Collin Peterson this week introduced the Dairy Risk Management Act. Peterson says the legislation would provide dairy farmers with a strong safety net to address volatile market conditions outside of their control. The act would replace the Margin Protection Program with the Dairy Risk Management Program. Peterson says dairy farmers from his congressional district and …
AEM: First-Quarter Ag Tractor & Combine Sales Data Released
Total U.S. two-wheel drive tractor sales gained four percent for March compared to last year, while four-wheel-drive tractor sales dropped five percent and self-propelled combine sales declined 20 percent, according to the latest sales data from the Association of Equipment Manufacturers. First-quarter 2018 U.S. sales were essentially flat for the smaller-size tractors, and 100-plus horsepower two-wheel drive tractors declined about …
USDA Proposes to Update Branding Requirements for Cattle from Mexico
The United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is proposing to update its branding requirements for cattle entering the United States from Mexico. The changes would simplify the branding requirements, making the brands easier to apply and read, reducing errors. They would ensure Mexican cattle are easily identifiable and traceable for the remainder of …
Trump’s EO on Reducing Poverty Promotes Economic Independence
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue applauded President Donald J. Trump’s Executive Order (EO), titled “Reducing Poverty in America by Promoting Opportunity and Economic Mobility,” which calls for lifting American citizens from welfare to work, from dependence to independence, and from poverty to prosperity. Perdue issued the following statement: “I commend President Trump for his leadership on moving Americans back …
Acclaimed Cattle Nutrition Expert Named Director of UF/IFAS NFREC
When Glen Aiken wasn’t helping his grandfather wrangle cattle in the smothering Texas heat, he was traveling with his father to meat packing houses across the region. “I swear I visited every meat packing plant between Oklahoma City and El Paso before I was 12 years old,” Aiken joked. So, when it came time to choose a college major, animal …
China Files WTO Complaint, Pledges to Lower Some Tariffs
China has filed a dispute with the World Trade Organization alleging the U.S. tariffs on steel and aluminum violate world trade rules. However, the nation also re-confirmed it will open its economy by lowering tariffs on cars, paving the way for negotiations. “Actions speak louder than words” when it comes to China, one U.S. economist told Reuters. But, China’s President …