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
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 …
Training for Farmers and Growers on Produce Safety Rule
This one-day workshop is being offered to produce growers. The training will cover the standardized curriculum designed by the Produce Safety Alliance, which meets the regulatory requirements of the Produce Safety Rule under FSMA (Food Safety Modernization Act). The course will provide a foundation of Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) and co-management information, FSMA Produce Safety Rule requirements, and details on …
Perdue Calls on Agriculture to Fight Back against Movement
Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue is calling on agriculture to fight back against the “Fear Your Food” movement. During last week’s Ag Outlook Forum, Perdue said the “Fear Your Food” movement could harm efforts to feed the world’s soaring population and shouldn’t go unanswered. “This growing fear has the potential to sideline, deter, critical technologies that we already use, and derail …
UF/IFAS Researchers Find Aromatic Strawberry Variety Grows in South Florida
As National Strawberry Day approaches on Feb. 27, University of Florida scientists have found another variety that can grow in South Florida. It’s largely unknown to American consumers, it’s temptingly tasty and it’s good for local markets, UF researchers say. Alan Chambers, an assistant professor of horticultural sciences with the UF Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, led a team …
Exploring Varieties of Tomatoes
Cathy Isom has us exploring the many varieties of the most popular vegetable in the world. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. Tomatoes are the most popular vegetable in the world. According to botanists, this South American native is actually a fruit. Despite this, most people prepare and eat it like a vegetable. One of the reasons why …
Super Bowl Avocados Consumption
Continuing her series on foods consumed during game day, Cathy isom lets us know about the super food that Americans will consume by the millions of pounds on Super Bowl Sunday. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. Super Bowl Sunday is the number one avocado consumption day of the year. While rumors of a shortage earlier this month …
UAV-based Remote Sensing Can Help Avocado Growers by Detecting Asymptomatic Pathogen
Remote imaging can effectively detect a pathogen that endangers the $100 million-a-year Florida avocado industry – even before the trees show symptoms — University of Florida scientists say. Yiannis Ampatzidis, an assistant professor of agricultural and biological engineering at the UF Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, led recently published research that shows that multispectral cameras can detect laurel wilt …
Celebrating National Apricot Day
Cathy Isom has us celebrating a popular summer fruit that is recognized in the winter. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. Apricots ripen in the early summer, but they’re quite commonly dried so that way we can enjoy them year round. Apricot lovers recognize today as National Apricot Day. The apricot’s velvety flesh is similar to that of their …
Commodity Classic Early Registration Discount Ends January 10
Thursday, January 10th is the deadline for the early registration discount for Commodity Classic—America’s largest farmer-led, farmer-focused agricultural and educational experience. The 2019 Commodity Classic will be held Thursday, February 28 through Saturday, March 2 in Orlando, Fla. To register, reserve hotel rooms and sign up for email updates, visit Commodity Classic.com. A complete schedule of events is also available on the …