IFAS - Central Florida Ag News

Dinner of Distinction award recipient, Rep. Jake Raburn

Supporting UF/IFAS innovation and research through legislative leadership HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY Representative Jake Raburn has now earned what I call the “grand slam” of legislator-of-the-year awards from the agriculture community. Last year, the Florida Farm Bureau and Florida Fruit & Vegetable Association named him their top lawmaker. The Florida Forestry Association did so this year.

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Growers grapple with unique encounters amidst a good harvest

In the business realm of blueberries, experiences vary THIS WAS A PRETTY GOOD YEAR to be in the Florida blueberry business, industry insiders say, with fairly cooperative weather, a long season, and fair pricing. Dudley Calfee, a grower and president of the Florida Blueberry Growers Association, reports that the latest numbers show the state harvest

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Cultivation, NOT construction, at Bok Tower Gardens

| New partnership between attraction and UF/IFAS expands horticulture horizons for the public | A PARTNERSHIP between the historic, Lake Wales-based Bok Tower Gardens and the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) aims to help make the gardens a more integral part of learning. “We don’t go to an elementary and

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Observing a major pest for cattle producers — the gallinipper

In the photo: Entomologist Phil Kaufman shows the size difference between the invasive Asian tiger mosquito, right, and the native species Psorophora ciliata, sometimes called the gallinipper. It hasn’t really been a particularly rainy winter, Phil Kaufman notes, but there’s been enough to leave standing water in the fields out in rural areas to be

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The right thing to do

The weeds infesting the field made for slow walking. The torn plastic on the raised soil beds that once bore a bumper crop now hosted decaying leaves and rotted remains of fruit. [emember_protected custom_msg=”Click here and register now to read the rest of the article!”] “What do we do?” She said. “We did everything IFAS

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HLB Report: Attacking the Problem on Three Fronts

Scientists Get Creative to Come up with Manageable Solutions to Citrus Disease There’s no cure yet for citrus greening, or Huanglongbing (HLB), but researchers are learning a lot more about managing the disease spread by the Asian psyllid. “We really don’t have a solution as of yet. We have some great management tools,” says Dr.

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2013 Legislature Concerns for Agricluture

From Labor Issues to HLB Research: A Look at Ongoing Challenges for the Year Florida’s citrus industry is seeking $9 million from the state Legislature this year as it battles citrus greening, or Huanglongbing (HLB), a potentially devastating disease spread by the Asian psyllid.

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Winter Grass: Resist the Urge to Water More

Brown grass can be deceiving during wintertime in Florida. After that first frost, your lawn will turn brown, but it doesn’t mean you need to water it more. Your grass is in dormancy, meaning it needs less water instead of more.

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Peeling back to the good stuff

| Citrus annual conference has become industry staple | More than 650 people attended the eighth Florida Citrus Industry Annual Conference in June at the Coconut Point Hyatt in Bonita Springs, making it a smashing success.

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@griTech: In search of a formula that will put Florida tangerines on the map

If there is one fruit that is synonymous with Florida’s agriculture community and it’s history, the orange would be first on the list for many people. However, there are scientists at the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences who are attempting to bring the Florida tangerine into more of the spotlight. With

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