Cathy Isom gives you some great uses for herbs and while you’ll want to start an herb garden. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. Some of the reasons to grow your very own herb garden include all of the amazing ways you can use them in your kitchen in your favorite recipes or for medicinal uses. But there …
UF/IFAS Researchers Honored for Avocado Integrated Pest Management
(UF/IFAS) — University of Florida officials recognized a team of research scientists with a High Impact Research Publication award for an article published in the May 2018 edition of Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology, an international scholarly science journal. The publication, “Identification of the Achilles heels of the laurel wilt pathogen and its beetle vector,” introduces new pest management tactics for …
Easy to Grow Exotic and Flavorful Cabbage
Cathy Isom tells you about the different varieties of an easy to grow exotic and flavorful cabbage. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. Chinese cabbage—also called Napa cabbage—offers a sweeter flavor than traditional cabbage varieties. And, this Asian variety is just as easy to grow in a home garden: it’s just more exotic and flavorful. Napa cabbage plants …
DOC Announces Preliminary Dumping Margin on Mexican Tomato Imports
Department of Commerce Refutes Mexican Claims of No Dumping:Announces Preliminary Dumping Margin of 25% on Mexican Tomato Imports On July 24, the U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC) announced that Mexican tomatoes are being dumped in the United States. The preliminary average dumping margin is 25.28 percent. This announcement refutes the recent Mexican claims that the data submitted to the DOC …
New Hemp Industry Buoyed by CBD Demand
TALLAHASSEE (NSF) — Hemp has been hyped as a lifesaver for Florida farmers, touted as a versatile crop that can be used to build houses, feed livestock and create clothing. But it’s the plant’s healing qualities that have sparked a second cannabis “green rush,” as the state’s hemp program gets off the ground. The nationwide craze for products containing CBD …
Commissioner Nikki Fried Announces Members of New Hemp Advisory Committee
Tallahassee, Fla. (FDACS) — Commissioner Nicole “Nikki” Fried announced the members of her new Hemp Advisory Committee, which will help guide the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services’ hemp rulemaking process and the state’s emerging hemp industry development. Commissioner Fried is committed to Florida becoming a national leader on industrial hemp production. The appointment of committee members comes after the …
Pheromones Give Nematodes a Boost in Controlling Pests
(USDA/ARS) — Beneficial nematodes are used as biological control agents to fight a variety of insect pests that severely damage crops. However, in many cases the nematodes don’t measure up to other control methods such as certain chemical pesticides. A recent Agricultural Research Service (ARS) study, published in The Journal of Invertebrate Pathology, shows that beneficial nematodes (also called entomopathogenic nematodes) …
Southeastern Hay Contest 2019
In the weeks leading up to the Sunbelt Ag Expo, hay and baleage producers across the Southeast are being encouraged to submit entries to the 2019 Southeastern Hay Contest. The premiere forage quality contest is open to producers across 13 states. University of Georgia Professor and State Forage Extension Specialist, Dennis Hancock, says it’s good to send entries after each individual cutting. The …
UF/IFAS Researchers Use AI to Take the Guesswork out of Fruit Pricing
GAINESVILLE, FL (UF/IFAS) — Pricing fruit comes down to a bit of art and some science for farmers. But new technology from the University of Florida may remove some of that guesswork. “Growers often rely on their gut to estimate a price for their crop,” said Daniel Lee, a professor of agricultural and biological engineering at the UF Institute of …
State Ag Departments Want FDA Help for Hemp Industry
Federal agencies are continuing to work on filing a new regulatory process for hemp products. In the meantime, state departments of agriculture officials are asking the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to create a clear regulatory framework for hemp products as quickly as possible. The ag departments sent a series of comments to the FDA, saying that they have an …