Polk Small Farms: New and Revised Agriculture Publications, August 2016

New and revised #EDISpubs in the Agriculture program area include

· Crops: managing cob flies in corn, rice in the EAA

· Organic vegetable disease management

· Nursery & Greenhouse: dieffenbachia, lady palm, scale insects, viburnum downy mildew

· Small farm: opinion leadership and local food

· Livestock: 2014/2015 Florida Bull Test, Florida Feed Directive, Round vs. square bales

· Pesticide information: Worker Protection Standard: application exclusion zones

Agriculture

Crops

Cob Flies, Megaselia spp. (Diptera: Phoridae), in Sweet Corn

Phorid flies (Diptera), also known as humpback flies or scuttle flies for their appearance and behavior, are an extremely diverse group of flies that are saprophagous (feed on decaying organic matter), parasitic, or phytophagous (feed on plants). Within the Phoridae family, the genus Megaselia is also extremely diverse, with more than 1400 described species, many very similar in appearance. The name “cob fly” was given to a Megaselia spp. that attacked corn in Texas. This 5-page fact sheet written by David Owens, Gregg S. Nuessly, Robert Beiriger, and Nicholas Larsen and published by the Department of Entomology and Nematology describes the distribution of this pest, ways to distinguish it from other similar corn ear pests, its life cycle, the damage it causes, and some strategies for management.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/in1144

Organic Management of Vegetable Diseases, Part II: Foliar Pathogens

The successful management of both soilborne and foliar diseases requires a multifaceted program, taking into consideration variety selection, cultural methods, biologicals, and chemical applications approved by the Organic Materials Review Institute (OMRI) and certified organic under the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Organic Program (NOP). This review emphasizes the management of foliar disease and serves as a guide to assist growers in selecting strategies to manage disease in a sustainable system. Written by Gary Vallad and published by the Department of Plant Pathology.
http://edis.ifsa.ufl.edu/pp170

Posted on September 1, 2016September 1, 2016Author Allison NickCategories Crops, Minor RevisionTags Gary Vallad, Organic Crop Pest Management, Plant Pathology, Vegetable Diseases

Pest Identification Guides, August 2016

Created to help growers and crop consultants, private homeowners, Master Gardeners, and the general public identify common arthropod pests and the damage they inflict, each field guide provides photos of the important life stages and crop damage associated with arthropod pests. The text highlights key general morphology and biology, distribution, and natural enemies. Written by Jeffrey Cluever and Hugh Smith, and published by the UF Department of Entomology and Nematology.
The following have been added to the existing series, http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/topic_series_pest_identification_guides

Trends in Rice Production and Varieties in the Everglades Agricultural Area

Rice production in the Everglades Agriculture Area (EAA) of Florida dates back nearly seven decades. For a brief period in the 1950s about 2,000 acres of rice was grown in the EAA. Rice was reintroduced in the EAA in 1977 after it was demonstrated that rice could be successfully incorporated into the sugarcane production cycle during the fallow period. This three-page fact sheet provides a history of rice production in Florida and information about rice varieties grown in Florida. Written by Jehangir H. Bhadha, Luigi Trotta, and Matthew VanWeelden and published by the Soil and Water Sciences Department.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ss653

Nursery & Greenhouse

Chilling Injury in Tropical Foliage Plants: III. Dieffenbachia

A chilling temperature is any temperature that is cold enough to cause plant injury but not cold enough to freeze the plant. Chilling injury can occur to tropical foliage plants if greenhouses become too cold or if plants are exposed to chilling temperatures outside of the greenhouse during packing and shipping. Dieffenbachia, commonly known as dumb cane, ranks among the top five most popular foliage plant genera produced and sold in the United States. This four-page fact sheet describes the chilling temperatures of Dieffenbachia cultivars in order to assist growers to better manage greenhouse temperatures. Written by Jianjun Chen and published by the Environmental Horticulture Department.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ep530

Rhapis excelsa: Lady Palm

Rhapsis excelsa, the lady palm, is an outstanding, small clustering palm for shady landscape or interiorscape use. This two page fact sheet gives a brief overview of the Lady Palm. Written by Timothy K. Broschat and published by the Environmental Horticulture Department.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/fp501

Managing Scale Insects on Ornamental Plants

Scale insects are a diverse group of piercing-sucking pests (Hemiptera) commonly found on ornamental plants in landscapes and nurseries. There are over 180 species of scale insects in Florida, but only a small percentage are important pests of ornamental plants. They damage plants and secrete a waxy covering that makes them difficult to control using most chemical control measures. This 7-page fact sheet written by Eileen A. Buss and Adam Dale and published by the Department of Entomology and Nematology differentiates between armored and soft-scale insect pests and lists common types of each, provides information about the biology of scale insects and how to identify them and the damage they cause, describes how to scout and monitor for scale insects, and lists several methods for prevention and control of scale insect invasions.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/mg005

Viburnum Downy Mildew

Downy mildew on viburnum is currently a serious concern throughout Florida. Winters in south Florida combine high humidity with cool nights, creating ideal conditions for disease development. Downy mildews are caused by several different species that tend to be host specific. Plasmopara vibruni is the pathogen that affects viburnum. This five-page fact sheet describes the hosts, symptoms, and management practices for Viburnum Downy Mildew.
Written by A. J. Palmateer and published by the Plant Pathology Department.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pp329

Small Farms

Opinion Leadership and Local Food

Three new articles have been published as part of a new series on Opinion Leadership and Local Food. These articles look at the role opinion leaders, or individuals who have a large amount of influence within their respective social circles, can have on motivating their peers to join in purchasing local food. The articles are as follows:

1. Opinion Leadership and the Perceived Health Benefits of Local Food (http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/wc266)
2. Opinion Leadership and the Perceived Effects of Local Food on the Local Community (http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/wc267)
3. Opinion Leadership and the Perceived Economic Benefits of Local Food (http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/wc268)

Livestock

The Florida Bull Test 2014/2015

The 2014-2015 Florida Bull Test concluded with the evaluation of 103 bulls. The test assessed the performance potential and breeding soundness of bulls consigned to the program at the UF/IFAS North Florida Research and Education Center (NFREC). This 9-page fact sheet covers the test procedures, feed efficiency assessment, test rules and regulations, health requirements, test results, and sale summary. Written by Carla D. Sanford, G. Cliff Lamb, and Nicolas DiLorenzo, and published by the UF Department of Animal Sciences, June 2016.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/an325

How the Veterinary Feed Directive Affects Cattle Owners

The Veterinary Feed Directive is a federal regulation from the Food and Drug Administration that will change the additives that can be included in animal feed, the ways in which cattle producers manage their animals and veterinarians interact with cattle owners, and the products available for use on the ranch. This 3-page fact sheet provides an overview of the new regulation’s nature, functions, requirements, and implications for cattle owners. Written by Matt Hersom, Todd Thrift, and Joel Yelich, and published by the UF Department of Animal Sciences, July 2016.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/an327

Implications of Round Bale Dimensions on Hay Use

The dimensions of large round bales make a difference in many cases. Bale size determines the amount of hay in a purchased bale, the amount of nutrients in pounds, and the extent of spoilage during storage and feeding. Large round bales, the predominant form of hay made and fed to cattle, are under discussion. This 3-page fact sheet is a new document that examines the significance of bale dimensions, volume, density, and weight as well as the relationship of these factors to hay prices. Written by Matt Hersom, Todd Thrift, and Joel Yelich, and published by the UF Department of Animal Sciences, June 2016.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/an326

Pesticide Information

Worker Protection Standard: Application Exclusion Zone (AEZ)

The Worker Protection Standard (WPS) is a Federal regulation designed to protect agricultural workers (people involved in the production of agricultural plants) and pesticide handlers (people mixing, loading, or applying pesticides or doing other tasks involving direct contact with pesticides).The “Application Exclusion Zone” or AEZ is a new term used in the WPS rule; it refers to the area surrounding the pesticide application equipment. This three-page fact sheet explains this new rule. Written by Fred M. Fishel and Tatiana Sanchez and published by the Agronomy Department.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pi263