Polk Small Farms: New Agriculture Publications, August 2015

August new #EDISpubs in the Agriculture program area include:

· Agribusiness Management: developing a marketing plan, hosting farm tours

· Crops: peach diseases, sesame weeds

· Citrus: ID sheets for Phytophthora & postbloom fruit drop;

· Nursery & Greenhouse: manage graceful sandmat

· Aquaculture: airlifts for copepod nauplii

Agriculture

Eight Steps to Developing a Simple Marketing Plan
Marketing is an essential component of any business, including agriculture. Despite the important role of marketing, many smallholding operators/growers are reluctant to create a marketing plan. This 5-page fact sheet provides a rationale for developing a marketing plan, a step-by-step process for creating one, and a marketing plan worksheet. Written by Edward A. Evans and Fredy H. Ballen, and published by the UF Department of Food and Resource Economics, August 2015. (Photo credit: iStock/Thinkstock)
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/fe967

Planning for a Farm Tour: Keeping the Conversation Fresh
Hosting tours at your farm can be a great way to market your products and your farm’s brand. Tours let you tell potential customers how you grow your food, why they should buy it, and who you are as a farmer. This 3-page fact sheet discusses these topics and provides logistical advice for planning and executing a successful farm tour. Written by Claire Mitchell and Joy N. Rumble, and published by the UF Department of Agricultural Education and Communication, August 2015.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/wc219

Crops

Fungal Gummosis in Peach
Fungal gummosis in peach occurs when the fungus Botryosphaeria dothidea infects small openings or wounds in tree branches or trunks. The disease causes blisters on the tree that form lesions and eventually ooze gum (sap). This 3-page fact sheet covers the disease cycle and management of fungal gummosis in peach, which is often difficult to control. Written by Sara Sherman, Mercy Olmstead, Philip Harmon, and Thomas Beckman, and published by the UF Department of Horticultural Sciences, July 2015.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/hs1265

Peach Rust
Peach rust is a fungal disease that affect the leaves and, less commonly, twigs and fruit of peach trees. The fungus that causes peach rust thrives in Florida’s humid climate and may cause significant economic losses in severely affected orchards. This 5-page fact sheet details peach rust symptoms, disease cycle, and management, including fungicide treatments. Written by Courtney Ligon, Mercy Olmstead, and Phillip Harmon, and published by the UF Department of Horticultural Sciences, June 2015.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/hs1263

Weed Management in Sesame

Sesame is a promising new crop for Florida, but few herbicides have been registered for it as yet. This 2-page fact sheet provides weed-control strategies for sesame. Written by Jason Ferrell and Ramon Leon, and published by the UF Department of Agronomy, June 2015. (Photo credit: Doug Mayo)
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ag396

Citrus

Phytophthora Identification and Sampling in Citrus Nurseries
Phytophthora species are important soil-borne, fungus-like pathogens that attack the root systems, trunk, and fruit of citrus trees at any age. The front of this identification sheet includes images of healthy and infested roots and descriptions of leaf and root symptoms. The back lists sampling procedures: soil collection, soil testing, and diagnosing phytophthora. Written by Jamie D. Burrow, Diane B. Bright, Tim D. Riley, and James H. Graham, and published by the UF Department of Soil and Water Science, July 2015.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ss645

Plant Diagnostic Clinic and HLB Lab
The Plant Pathology program at the UF/IFAS Southwest Research and Education Center is the state and local resource for plant diagnostic services, including HLB (Huanglongbing, or citrus greening) detection, and for insect identification. This brochure covers the center’s history, instructions for sending samples to the HLB lab, answers to frequently asked questions, and center hours and contact information. Written by Pamela Roberts, Shea Teems, Joubert Fayette, and Jamie Burrow, and published by the UF Department of Plant Pathology, July 2015.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pp319

Postbloom Fruit Drop (PFD) Identification and Management
This two-sided ID card is idea for growers working in the field trying to identify or manage postbloom fruit drop (PFD) in citrus. The ID card includes photos of blooms affected by PFD and photos of healthy blooms for comparison. The card also includes facts and tips for managing PFD. Written by Megan M. Dewdney, Natalia A. Peres, and Jamie D. Burrow, and published by the UF Department of Plant Pathology, July 2015.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pp318

Nursery & Greenhouse

Biology and Management of Graceful Sandmat (Chamaesyce hypericifolia) in Ornamental Crop Production
Graceful sandmat (Chamaesyce hypericifolia) is a problematic weed that often grows in container media in ornamental plant nurseries. This 4-page facts sheet profiles the biology of graceful sandmat and recommends physical, cultural, and chemicals methods for managing the weed in the nursery environment. Written by Theresa Chormanski, Chris Marble, and Lyn Gettys, and published by the UF Department of Environmental Horticulture, June 2015.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ep522

Aquaculture

Using Airlifts to Collect and Concentrate Copepod Nauplii
Airlifts are simple and inexpensive and not new to aquaculture. The buoyancy of rising bubbles within a pipe or tube generates an upward flow of water that are often used as part of water treatment design in recirculating aquaculture systems, but can also be used to collect and concentrate live food organisms fed to marine fish larvae. Airlifts are more gentle and efficient than sieving. This 3-page fact sheet provides protocols and designs for harvesting and feeding copepod nauplii to marine fish larvae, but these methods can be adapted for use with many live feed organisms. Written by Eric Cassiano, Matthew DiMaggio, Cortney Ohs, and John Marcellus, and published by the UF Department of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, May 2015. (Photo credit: Jason S. Broach)
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/fa188