Federal Grant: UF Scientist to Investigate Strategies to Control Tomato Disease

Jim Rogers Research

Diseases like bacterial spot can threaten tomatoes, a $1.9 billion-a-year crop planted on 330,000 acres across 18 states. Gary Vallad, a University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) professor of plant pathology, has been awarded a $5.8 million federal grant to study how to mitigate this disease. “Bacterial spot of tomato is a major challenge to commercial …

itc

Tomato Industry Expert Voices Frustration Over TSA

Jim Rogers Tomatoes

By Clint Thompson One tomato industry expert remains frustrated at the lack of enforcement over the Tomato Suspension Agreement (TSA). Michael Schadler, manager of the Florida Tomato Committee and executivevice president of the Florida Tomato Exchange, voiced his frustrations at the Florida Tomato Conference in Labelle, Florida, over the Agreement. It is an agreement between the Department of Commerce (DOC) …

Register for Upcoming Tomato Conference

Jim Rogers Florida

Registration is ongoing for the upcoming Florida Tomato Conference, scheduled for Wednesday, Sept. 7, at the LaBelle Civic Center in LaBelle, Florida. The one-day event will feature insight from industry leaders and university specialists. They will discuss trends affecting the industry’s future, how diseases and insects are impacting production and how genetic research is impacting the crop’s future. Multiple businesses …

enza

Enza Zaden Field Day Features Watermelons and More

Dan Cooper Florida, Fruit, Produce, Seeds, Tomatoes, Top Posts, Vegetables, Watermelon

Growers and seed distributors had a field day Tuesday at the Enza Zaden seed breeding and field trials facility near Myakka City, Florida. The main attraction was the watermelon trials that include new varieties being tested and introduced into the market. Other trials added great flavor to the day’s tour and discussions, with multiple plots for bell peppers, mature green …