Growing Your Own Persimmons

Dan Fruits, Specialty Crops, This Land of Ours

It’s time to think about planting some trees. Cathy Isom lets you know about growing your own Persimmons. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. When it comes to growing your very own Persimmons, here are some varieties to consider:  Japanese Persimmons and American Persimmons.  Persimmons do well in southern climates, but there are varieties out there that are …

USDA Provides Funding to Florida to Support Projects that Protect Agriculture and Natural Resources

Dan Aquaculture, Cattle, Citrus, Environment, Field Crops, Florida, Fruits, Industry News Release, Livestock, Nursery Crops, Podcast, Research, Specialty Crops, Vegetables, Water

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is allocating $7.2 million to Florida as part of its effort to strengthen the nation’s infrastructure for pest detection and surveillance, identification, and threat mitigation, and to safeguard the U.S. nursery production system. Overall, USDA is providing $66 million in funding this year to support 407 projects in 49 states, Guam, Puerto Rico, and …

It Could Be Lights Out for Some Diseases and Pests in Strawberries

Dan Fruits, Industry News Release, Research, Specialty Crops

Natalia Peres envisions a day when light from a machine that resembles a spacecraft helps prevent powdery mildew from causing much damage to strawberries. Peres, a professor of plant pathology at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, works with a global group of scientists studying how to use ultraviolet light to suppress plant pathogens. Powdery mildew …

National Nutrition Month Advice: Eat More Fresh, Fewer Processed Foods

Dan Florida, Fruits, Industry News Release, Vegetables

Nutrients from fresh foods give you “more bang for your nutritional buck,” says a registered dietitian with the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences. “For every calorie, there’s also going to be a lot of vitamins, minerals and other nutrients in that food that contribute to our health,” said Laura Acosta, also a lecturer in the UF/IFAS …