Watch for Flower Thrips in Blueberries

Web Admin Fruits, Specialty Crops

Flower thrips (Frankliniella bispinosa) are insects that attack Florida blueberries and cause harm to the fruit. According to the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) research, larvae and adults feed on every part of the flowers including ovaries, styles, petals and developing fruit. The effects of this invasive species include damage to the fruit by reducing …

Florida Ag Expo Explores Fresh Produce Trends

Web Admin Fruits, Specialty Crops, Vegetables

By Frank Giles The 14th annual Florida Ag Expo was held on Nov. 2 at the Gulf Coast Research and Education Center in Wimauma, Florida. The event was well attended by specialty crop growers, industry representatives and commercial suppliers. The event hosted a wide-ranging educational program touching on trends in produce marketing, the economy and the supply chain outlook for …

The Florida Ag Expo Program Now Available

Web Admin Fruits, Vegetables

By Frank Giles The Florida Ag Expo is scheduled for Nov. 2 at the Gulf Coast Research and Education Center (GCREC). The educational program is now published. It will provide attendees with a wide range of topics from the supply chain to pest management. The morning general session will host industry leaders speaking on key issues facing the specialty crop …

Citrus Growers Stymied by Snails

Web Admin Citrus

By Clint Thompson Florida citrus growers can add bulimulus snails to their growing list of pest problems. The snails are challenging some citrus groves across the state, says Lauren Diepenbrock, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences assistant professor and entomologist. The Damage They Do While the bulimulus snails do not do much in terms of physical damage …

Resistance Concerns in Insecticide Management of DBM

Web Admin Pests

By Clint Thompson Brassica growers rely almost entirely on insecticides to manage diamondback moth (DBM) infestations. However, the moths have shown the ability to develop resistance to a broad range of insecticides, says Hugh Smith, an associate professor of entomology and nematology at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Gulf Coast Research and Education Center. …

It’s Back: The Giant African Land Snail

Web Admin Florida Grower

By Frank Giles On June 23, 2022, the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) confirmed the detection of a giant African land snail (GALS) in the New Port Richey area of Pasco County. FDACS’s Division of Plant Industry started surveying the area, enacted a quarantine and began treatment to eliminate the pest. GALS are illegal to import or possess in the …

Beware of Squash Bugs in Cucurbits

Web Admin Florida Grower

By Gene McAvoy The squash bug (Anasa tristis) attacks squash and other cucurbits throughout Central and North America. Several related species in the same genus coexist with squash bug over most of its range, feeding on the same plants but causing much less injury. IDENTIFICATION The adult is dark grayish brown in color, and the abdomen may be marked with …