Attend the Landscape University CEU Day on May 15th, presented by UF/IFAS Extension Lake County. UF/IFAS Extension Lake County is hosting Landscape University CEU Day. According to a UF/IFAS blog, it is “a fun morning of learning together in person” with Extension Agent hosts from UF/IFAS Extension Lake, Orange, and Seminole Counties presenting information. The recently written “Basics of Landscaping in Florida/ Conceptos Basicos de Paisajismo en Florida,” a bilingual landscaping training booklet will also be available. See the details of the event below. Landscape University CEU Day Details T ..read more

See tips to manage the eastern lubber grasshopper, a pest that will eat many plants, including citrus and vegetables. A recent UF/IFAS blog shared information on the eastern lubber grasshopper, including tips on managing the pest. According to the blog, the grasshoppers “are out in force throughout the Southeast, including some parts of Florida. They’re munching away on landscape plants, citrus and vegetable crops…” It is described as varying degrees of yellow and black, a bit slow and clumsy, and also notable for being so big. They damage crops and ornamentals by feeding on leaves; they can e ..read more

Florida’s Ag Commissioner issued a Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Emergency Rule to protect Florida cattle and other livestock. Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) has been detected in domestic livestock in eight states, according to a Southeast AgNet article. HPAI is commonly known as Bovine Associated Influenza A Syndrome (H5N1) in livestock, and Florida Ag Commissioner, Wilton Simpson, issued Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Emergency Rule, or Emergency Rule 5CER24-4, to protect Florida’s cattle and other livestock. While the article maintains that the disease has not been detected ..read more

The 2025 Farm Bureau Ag Innovation Challenge with a prize of $100,000 is accepting applications by June 15th. Are you an entrepreneur with a product or invention that could solve a challenge in agriculture? Submit your idea to win a slice of $145,000 in startup funds from the 2025 Farm Bureau Ag Innovation Challenge by June 15th. See the details of this competition, now in its 11th year, below. Details of the 2025 Farm Bureau Ag Innovation Challenge The 2025 Farm Bureau Ag Innovation Challenge is “a national business competition that showcases U.S. startups developing innovative solutions that ..read more

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