Water
Florida strawberry operation expanding acreage
In 1997, Jay Sizemore and Marvin Brown founded JayMar Produce, one of the largest strawberry operations in Florida.JayMar is based in Wimauma, a little south of Florida's traditional strawberry-growing region around Plant City. Sizemore, 62,... more »
Usage, population, sprawl push advancements in irrigation
Plants need water to grow, but as global demand for quality produce has increased in the last 50 years, the need to have the proper amount of water for successful plant growth has increased, too.Waste... more »
Too much water can be bad for strawberries
Water is usually a relatively inexpensive input in fruit production, and many producers have the luxury of supplying more water than is really necessary to obtain a full crop. This is particularly true in the... more »
Nematode, soil health challenges can’t wait
My work with Michigan soils and nematodes started 21 years ago with a three-year sweet cherry tree decline project with plant pathologist Alan Jones and nematologist George Bird. We established that soil pH was the... more »
How do you replace methyl bromide?
Methyl bromide has worked wonders for Florida strawberry growers over the years, eliminating a broad spectrum of pests in a fairly straightforward manner. Stricter environmental controls and an international agreement have slowly phased out use... more »
Late planting, wet conditions and early-season onion weeds
Many acres of Michigan onions were seeded after May 1. May 1 is the normal “plant-by” date for northern pungent onions in Michigan. Onions can be planted up to May 15, but usually bulbs are... more »
Proper transplant hardening off may be a deal breaker for your season
The use of transplants in vegetable production provides multiple benefits including earliness, disease-free planting materials and uniform crop stand. Transplants are generally produced in the greenhouse using special growing media and trays. Growing conditions in... more »
Molasses a replacement for methyl bromide?
As they search for soil treatments to replace methyl bromide, Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists in Fort Pierce, Fla., are using one technique that sounds as if it were borrowed from a family recipe: Taking... more »
Florida strawberry experiments conserve water
Several strawberry experiments at the University of Florida's Gulf Coast Research & Education Center in Wimauma, Fla., are finding ways to preserve water.Bielinski Santos, a vegetable and small fruit horticulturist, described some of the experiments... more »
Irrigating asparagus has its advantages
Why consider irrigation in asparagus? Asparagus is not traditionally irrigated in rain-fed production areas of the Midwest and Northeast. However, drought stress during fern growth limits production of the root carbohydrates necessary for high yields... more »
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