See the ins and outs of using particle film on citrus from the UF/IFAS Tip of the Week article for Florida citrus growers. Many Florida citrus growers are turning to using particle film on citrus to help mitigate the effects of citrus greening and improve the health of their citrus trees. The latest UF/IFAS Tip of the Week article shared the conclusions of research on particle film. See a breakdown of the specific information from the article below. What is Particle Film? According to the article, “Particle films are simply a suspension of microscopic solid inert particles that can be sprayed ..read more

The 2022 Census of Agriculture was released by the USDA in March; see statistics from it about Florida agriculture. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) has released the 2022 Census of Agriculture. It included “more than 6 million data points about America’s farms and ranches and the people who operate them down to the county level,” according to a Florida Farm Bureau article. While the article maintains the census shows “a continued decline in the total number of Florida farms,” it also shows “a rise in the number of new and beginning (op ..read more

See how a researcher with Texas A&M is looking to use AI to make livestock operations more efficient. Texas A&M AgriLife animal nutritionist, Luis Tedeschi, Ph.D., is looking to use AI to make livestock operations more efficient, according to a recent Beef Magazine article. Dr. Luis, who is also a Texas A&M AgriLife Research Fellow and Chancellor EDGES Fellow in the Texas A&M College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Department of Animal Science, is “looking for cost-effective and noninvasive methods of monitoring feeding behaviors in livestock operations that producers can adap ..read more

See guidance from the experts at UF/IFAS on what to do with old pesticides that you may find during Spring cleaning. If you decide to do a little Spring cleaning, it’s possible that you’ll come across some old pesticides. What should you do with them? The experts at UF/IFAS shared information on dealing with unused pesticides in a recent blog. See the highlights below. Guide for Old Pesticides The blog article shared the following on old pesticides, including a playlist to help make cleaning easier: “Can you still use it? Let’s start with the stuff you have, but you don’t think you will use. C ..read more

The latest Florida Citrus Statistics show that The Sunshine State is still the leader in citrus acreage in the United States. The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) recently released its publication on Florida citrus statistics, titled “Florida Citrus Statistics 2022–23.” See the highlights from the publication, from a Citrus Industry article, below. Highlights from the Latest Florida Citrus Statistics The article shared these highlights from Florida Citrus Statistics 2022-23: “Florida’s citrus acreage at 332,256 acres, down 11% from the prior season. The net loss ..read more

See tips for lebbeck mealybug management to protect developing fruit, from the UF/IFAS Tip of the Week. The UF/IFAS Tip of the Week article maintains that “As the March bloom tapers off and fruit begin to set, it is time to think about lebbeck mealybug management.” Damage from lebbeck mealybugs can lead to aborted fruit or fruit that cannot be sold. The article also maintains that “Early-season management is critical to both reducing early fruit damage and to maintaining reduced pest populations throughout the growing season.” See tips from the article for managing lebbeck mealybugs. Lebbeck M ..read more

The Growing Better 2024, the event for those in the sod industry, is coming up April 18th and 19th, in Brandon, Florida. Growing Better 2024, an “industry-wide networking and learning event for sod growers, installers, and those who support the industry with products and services,” is coming up in April. This event is put on by the Turfgrass Producers of Florida for those in the sod industry in Florida. See the details of this event below. Details of Growing Better 2024 When: April 18th and 19th Where: TopGolf, Tampa-Brandon and Bayside Sod, Duette, Florida Who: “Sod growers, installers, and t ..read more

The 2024 Florida Citrus Show is April 3rd, and it’s a “Don’t Miss” event hosted by UF/IFAS for Florida citrus growers. Florida citrus growers and others should not miss the 2024 Florida Citrus Show, which is fast approaching on April 3rd. The event maintains that “The Florida Citrus Show offers complimentary attendee registration for commercial growers, commercial farm owners, commercial farm managers, certified crop advisers, grower association executives, government, legislative, and universities.” See the details of this important event. Details of the 2024 Florida Citrus Show The following ..read more

Florida growers can benefit from using the new Climate Indicators Tool on the UF-run AgroClimate site. The new Climate Indicators Tool is a “web-based tool will help growers reduce risks that come with climate variability,” according to a UF/IFAS blog. The new tool has been added to the AgroClimate site, which is a “a web-based platform designed 15 years ago by Clyde Fraisse, a UF/IFAS professor of agricultural and biological engineering,” according to the blog article. See the details of the new tool below. Details of the Climate Indicators Tool According to the article, “Growers can use the ..read more

UF/IFAS citrus event recordings are available for you to watch and learn from online for free! UF/IFAS is committed to Florida’s citrus growers, and they host many different events that share valuable information about Florida citrus. However, your busy schedule may mean that you miss an event or two. Luckily, UF/IFAS posts their citrus event recordings online so that anyone who missed the event can still benefit, according to a Citrus Industry article! See the details below. UF/IFAS Citrus Event Recordings The article shares that the citrus event recordings can be found on the UF/IFAS Ci ..read more