Weed Scientist Has Doubts Over Dicamba Restrictions Effectiveness

The Environmental Protection Agency last week declared dicamba under it’s “restricted use” category, but a weed scientist from Illinois has doubts the new restrictions will be beneficial. Aaron Hager, a weed scientist and professor at the University of Illinois, told Reuters: “Nothing in these new restrictions addresses volatility, and that’s still an issue.” The EPA said Friday it would classify …

NAFTA Talks Turn to Agriculture, Dairy

The U.S. wants to reverse Canada’s dairy supply management system as part of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) renegotiation. U.S. negotiators centered on the agriculture chapter of NAFTA over the weekend and proposed to reverse Canadian dairy pricing program that has undercut certain U.S. dairy exports to Canada. The text, which demands that Canada eliminates an industry pricing …

USDA Holds Disaster Assistance and Hurricane Recovery Workshops

USDA Service Centers in Florida are holding disaster assistance and hurricane recovery workshops in 48 counties for farmers and ranchers impacted by Hurricane Irma during the next few weeks. The event is free and open to the public.  To find meeting dates and locations, go to https://www.fsa.usda.gov/state-offices/Florida/state-events/index. Representatives from USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and Farm Service Agency (FSA) …

UF/IFAS-Led Team Wins National Award for Research on Heat-Tolerant Field Corn

Field corn is one of the world’s most important cereal grains, and efforts to develop new heat-tolerant varieties of this crop have earned national recognition for a scientific team led by University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences molecular geneticist Curt Hannah. On Thursday, Oct. 12, representatives of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and …

Strong RFS Critical to Farm Success

Changes being considered by the Environmental Protection Agency regarding the Renewable Fuel Standard would undermine the RFS, according to Growth Energy. Growth Energy CEO Emily Skor says the EPA considering last-minute changes to the proposed renewable volume obligations is contrary to the administration promise to support the RFS. Rolling back the volume targets would reduce the opportunity for farmers during …

Pork Checkoff Adjusts Digital Strategy

Announces Partnership with Yummly With a focus on upgrading its digital footprint and connecting with consumers, the Pork Checkoff has launched a unique recipe partnership with the website and mobile app called Yummly. Yummly connects the right cook, with the right food and recipes, at the right time. Founded in 2010, today Yummly is a leading innovator in personalized recipes …

Putnam Recognizes Florida’s 17 Million Acres of Forests During Working Forests Week

Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Adam H. Putnam and the Florida Forest Service are celebrating the benefits of Florida’s more than 17 million acres of forests during Florida’s third annual Working Forests Week, which is Oct. 15 through Oct. 21. A working forest includes publicly or privately owned lands where sustainable production of timber is balanced with promoting healthy populations of …

UF scientists act as plant detectives to identify disease

As a University of Florida plant pathologist, Gary Vallad likes to call himself and his colleagues “sleuths of the plant world.” These detectives find out what ails plants and crops, hopefully before the disease gets out of control. Most recently, scientists with the UF Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences discovered some novel pathogens that may damage Florida tomatoes. Their …