(FDACS) — The U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) ruled that blueberries were not being imported into the United States in such quantities as to harm the domestic blueberry industry nationwide. Earlier this month, Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried testified before the ITC that Mexico’s market share for blueberries had skyrocketed 2,100 percent since 2009, while Florida’s market share decreased 38 percent since 2015, indicating …
Exotic, Peculiar Looking Melon with a Unique Flavor
An exotic and peculiar looking melon with a unique flavor that you can grow in your garden. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. The Kiwano Melon has a yellowish-orange horned skin and looks more like a cucumber on the inside than a melon. They have a wonderfully unique flavor, something like banana mixed with lime. These horned melons …
Researchers Help Expand Indoor Gardening Trend Triggered by Pandemic
(UF/IFAS) — COVID-19 led many people to start gardening, and it’s no passing fancy. Recent research shows that about 80% of those who took up gardening since the beginning of COVID-19 will continue the pastime in 2021. Growing in the outdoor garden is one thing. Tending to plants indoors at home presents other challenges and opportunities. As they recognized the …
Treating the Plant Pathogen Verticillium Wilt Naturally
Common plant pathogens and how to treat them naturally. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. If you’re familiar with verticillium wilt and various leaf blights, then you’ve already met a couple of the worst bacterial plant pathogens. Although these are soil-borne, they’re generally distributed by insects. Bugs bite through stems or roots, and the bacteria in their filthy …
Treating the Plant Pathogen Powdery Mildew Naturally
Common plant pathogens and how to treat them naturally. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. Powdery Mildew is a fungal infection caused by a range of fungi known to attack all manner of different plant families. It has been known to annihilate entire crops and can be difficult to get rid of. You’ll recognize it by its description, …
Treating More Common Plant Pathogens Naturally
Common plant pathogens and how to treat them naturally. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. Rust blight is easy to identify because of the hue that gives it its name. Basically, it causes rust-colored pustules on the plants it infects. It also thrives in wet weather but prefers cool temperatures rather than hot. You’ll recognize it by the …
How to Treat Common Plant Pathogens Naturally
Common plant pathogens and how to treat them naturally. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. Fungi, bacteria, viruses, and nematodes will undoubtedly show up in your garden eventually. Fortunately, there are ways to identify them and treat them with natural means. We will cover this in the next week of programs. Potato Blight was caused by one of …
Global Group Recognizes UF/IFAS Engineer for Strawberry Spray App
(UF/IFAS) — Now that we’re knee-deep in strawberry season, many growers owe Clyde Fraisse and Natalia Peres a debt of gratitude. About a decade ago, Peres saw a need for a fungicide decision-support tool. Farmers sprayed about every week to control strawberry diseases known as anthracnose and botrytis during the growing season, which goes from November through March in Florida. …
New Peach Rootstocks for Florida’s Sweet Peach Season
Can UF scientists help farmers perfect the Florida-grown peach for consumers? Here’s what they are up to. (UF/IFAS) — Ricardo Lesmes-Vesga aims to help farmers grow peaches in Florida’s various production regions. To that end, he aims to develop peach rootstocks specific to those areas and he believes his research findings will help growers who harvest the fruit when the …
Global Gardeners Help UF Tomato Breeding Program
(UF/IFAS) — Normally, University of Florida scientists such as Harry Klee gauge the taste and aroma of their new tomatoes by letting volunteers test them at the UF Sensory Lab in Gainesville. But now, people from across the globe who grow tomatoes in their gardens can serve as citizen scientists and send flavor and growing data to Klee. In this …