The 2009-2010 Vegetable Production Handbook for Florida is available online! Click here to see it now. The new handbook should be available in EDIS very soon.
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New EDIS Horticulture Publications
Our latest publications are now available on EDIS: "Cucumber Anthracnose in Florida" is available at:http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/PP266 - This 5-page fact sheet, by Jessica Palenchar, Dr. Danielle D. Treadwell, Dr. Lawrence E. Datnoff, and Dr. Amanda J. Gevens, describes the symptoms, causal organism, disease cycle, and management of cucumber anthracnose in Florida.
"Persistence of Plant-Available Phosphorus in Muck Soils after Fertilizer Application" is available on EDIS at:http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/SS503. This publication, by Dr. Alan L. Wright, Dr. Edward A. Hanlon, Dr. J. Mabry McCray, and Dr. David D. Sui, provides growers in the Everglades Agricultural Area with information about the organic soils in southern Florida and their management to improve crop production while also reducing adverse environmental effects, especially during times of land use change.
"Blossom-End Rot in Bell Pepper: Causes and Prevention" is available on EDIS at:http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/SS497. Revised! This publication, by Dr. George J. Hochmuth and Robert C. Hochmuth, is a 5-page fact sheet that describes the disorder of blossom-end rot (BER), including its symptoms, calcium physiology, calcium deficiency, factors predisposing fruits to BER, and prevention.
"Soil pH Effects on Nutrient Availability in the Everglades Agricultural Area" is available on EDIS at:http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/SS500. Revised! This publication, by Dr. Alan L. Wright, Dr. Edward A. Hanlong, Dr. David Sui, and Dr. Ronald Rice, is a 5-page fact sheet that identifies strategies that could be used to address the problem of increasing pH in muck soils in the Everglades area.
"Beit Alpha Cucumber: A New Greenhouse Crop for Florida" is available on EDIS at:http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/CV277. Revised! This publication, by Nicole L. Shaw and Dr. Daniel J. Cantliffe, is a 7-page illustrated fact sheet that describes this cucumber, which is similar in appearance and production to Dutch cucumbers, and discusses production methods, cultivar evaluation, powdery mildew resistance and snack-size cucumber cultivars.
"Weed Control in Pepper " is available on EDIS at:http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/WG034. Revised! This publication, by Dr. William M. Stall, is a 5-page fact sheet that describes effective weed management practices for pepper in Florida, includes a table of chemical controls.
"Review of Nutrient Management Systems for Florida Vegetable Producers: A White Paper from the UF/IFAS Vegetable Fertilizer Task Force" is available at:http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/HS1156 - This 17-page white paper from the UF/IFAS Vegetable Fertilizer Task Force, by Dr. D. Cantliffe, Dr. P. Gilreath, Dr. D. Haman, Dr. C. Hutchinson, Dr. Y. Li, Dr. G. McAvoy, Dr. K. Migliaccio, Dr. T. Olczyk, Dr. S. Olson, Dr. D. Parmenter, Dr. B. Santos, Dr. S. Shukla, Dr. E. Simonne, Dr. C. Stanley, and Dr. A. Whidden, identifies differences between actual fertilization practices and UF/IFAS fertilizer recommendations, especially for vegetables grown with subsurface (central and south Florida) and overhead (Miami-Dade County) irrigation. The recommendations of the VFTF aim at bridging the gaps between science-based results and the diversity in production systems found in the Florida vegetable industry.
Tomato Yellow Leaf Curl Resistant Variety
Trial, North Florida Research and
Education Center-Quincy
Fall 2008
By: Stephen Olson, Professor North Florida Research and Education
Center, Quincy, Florida
During the 2007-2008 production season 31,500 acres of tomatoes were harvested in Florida with a farm-gate value of over $619 million. Total production was 45.5 million 25-pound boxes. Tomatoes accounted for about 26% of the total value of vegetables grown in Florida during that production season making it the most valuable vegetable crop in Florida. In the panhandle area of Florida, tomatoes are by far the most valuable of the vegetable crops.
A tomato variety trial was conducted at NFREC, Quincy during the fall season of 2008 to evaluate fresh market (large rounds) tomato varieties and potential new hybrids. The replicated trial started out with 23 entries but due to a very high incidence of tomato yellow leaf curl virus (TYLC), only 5 entries are being reported on. Growing conditions were very poor. Plants received extensive damage from wind rain due to a tropical storm. Crop also matured much later than normal due to damage.
Entries were seeded on 26 June into planter flats containing a commercial media. Cell size of flats was 1.5 in by 1.5 in by 2.5 in. Seedlings were fertilized weekly with a dilute solution of 15-16-17 (N-P2O5-K2O) peat-lite special. Plants were hardened off before transplanting by reducing water and fertilizer. Production was on raised full bed mulched system. Beds were fumigated with methyl bromide/chloropicrin (67/33) at broadcast rate of 200 lbs/acre before mulch (white on black Blockade) application. Irrigation was with single drip tube placed 6 inches off center. Total fertilization was 195-60-195 lbs/acre of N-P2O5-K2O. Row spacing was 6 feet between rows with a finished bed width of 34 inches. Transplanting was done on 5 August. Plots consisted of 12 plants spaced 20 inches apart. Plots were tied 4 times and maintenance pesticides were used as needed to control pest problems. Design was a random complete block with 4 replications. Fruit were harvested at or beyond the mature-green stage on 4 and 11 November. At each harvest fruit were graded and sized into medium, large and extra-large fruit. Weights and fruit numbers were recorded for each size along with cull weight.
Incidence of TYLC in susceptible entries was nearing 100% by harvest time. Total yields ranged from 490 boxes/a for ‘Tygress’to 897 boxes/a for ‘Tycoon’ (Table 1). As comparison, ‘BHN 602’, a widely used variety in fall, only produced about 100 boxes/a total. Mean fruit size ranged from 5.7 oz for ‘Tycoon’ to 4.7 oz for ‘Tygress’.
Table 1. Yield and fruit size of TYLC resistant varieties trialed at North Florida Research and Education Center, Quincy, Florida, Fall, 2008.
Entry
Yield (25 lb boxes/a)
Mean fruit wt. (oz)
Extra-large size
Total
Tycoon
547 az
897 a
5.7 a
BHN 765
380 ab
810 ab
5.2 a
Inbar
396 ab
737 ab
5.5 a
Security 28
342 ab
645 ab
5.5 a
Tygress
189 b
490 b
4.7 b
z Mean separation using Duncan’s multiple range test, 5% level.
Anyone is free to use the information in this newsletter. Whenever possible, please give credit to the authors. The purpose of trade names in this publication is solely for the purpose of providing information and does not necessarily constitute a recommendation of the product.
