Bees Required to Create an Excellent Blueberry Crop

Dan Fruits, Industry News Release, Pollinators, Specialty Crops

BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA, (USDA/ARS)—Getting an excellent rabbiteye blueberry harvest requires helpful pollinators—particularly native southeastern blueberry bees—although growers can bring in managed honey bees to do the job, according to Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists. This is especially true for commercial rabbiteye blueberry producers in Mississippi and Louisiana. With sufficient pollinators, they have been able to increase the percentage of flowers …

Crossing Two of Summer’s Favorite Berries

Dan Fruits, Specialty Crops, This Land of Ours

Cathy Isom explains what you get when you cross two of summer’s favorite berries. She also tells you how to plant and care for this wonderful fruit. That’s coming up on This La nd of Ours. If you’re a fan of midsummer raspberries and late summer blackberries, then you’re going to love hybrid offspring of these two berry favorites… loganberries. …

Enza Zaden Field Day Features Watermelons and More

Dan Florida, Fruits, Research, Seeds, Vegetables

Growers and seed distributors had a field day Tuesday at the Enza Zaden seed breeding and field trials facility near Myakka City, Florida. The main attraction was the watermelon trials that include new varieties being tested and introduced into the market. Other trials added great flavor to the day’s tour and discussions, with multiple plots for bell peppers, mature green …

Identify and Get Rid of Pesky Garden Critters

Dan Fruits, Nursery Crops, Organic, Specialty Crops, This Land of Ours, Vegetables

Cathy Isom has a few interesting ways to help you identify and get rid of a pesky garden critter. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. Aphids are interesting creatures which can wreak havoc on your garden. They are usually small green bugs with a soft body. Different species of aphids can be a variety of colors such as …