Stone Fruit
Stone fruits, including peach, nectarine, and plum, have gained interest from prospective growers in Florida as a potential alternative crop, especially on small farms. The University of Florida, thus increasing the viability of these crops in Florida, has recently released many new stone fruit varieties.
These crops are susceptible to several pests in the Sunshine State and need to be properly controlled with integrated pest management techniques.
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Introduction
What is a Stonefruit? Bob Hochmuth and Pete Andersen discuss what defines a fruit as a stonefruit, the history of stonefruit in Florida, and the University of Florida's stonefruit breeding program including the development of the non-melting flesh cultivars best suited for Florida.
Presenter
Pete Andersen is a Professor Emeritus of Horticultural Sciences and conducts research and extension services. Pete's research and extension focus is on agricultural sustainability, food chemistry, and influence of plant chemistry on plant-insect, plant disease and plant-disease interactions, deciduous fruit variety development, culture and management.
Bob Hochmuth is a multi-county Extension agent at the NFREC - Suwannee Valley working in the areas of small farms, commercial vegetables, and protected culture. His specialties include alternative crops, hydroponics, plastic mulch, and drip irrigation technology. Bob was raised on a commercial vegetable farm and has been an Extension agent since 1982.
Publications
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Dormant Season Insects
Peaches are one of the most nutritious foods available and once were an important crop in Florida. They still have much potential as a crop but are attacked by many arthropod and disease pests. Currently, projects are looking at several aspects of the biology, behavior and management of peach insects including plum curculio and stink bugs. With colleagues in Georgia and the USDA, ARS, the use of nematodes as biological control agents of plum curculio and the peachtree borers is being investigated.
Presenter
Bob Hochmuth is a multi-county Extension agent at the NFREC - Suwannee Valley working in the areas of small farms, commercial vegetables, and protected culture. His specialties include alternative crops, hydroponics, plastic mulch, and drip irrigation technology. Bob was raised on a commercial vegetable farm and has been an Extension agent since 1982.
Russ Mizell is a Professor Emeritus of Entomology with the University of Florida's Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences and is located at NFREC-Quincy. Dr. Mizell had research and extension responsibilities for deciduous fruits, pecan, and woody landscape plants with a focus on the development of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) systems. He has authored or coauthored around 300 publications concerned with IPM programs, including pest biology, biological and chemical control, host plant resistance, population dynamics, and insect-plant-disease interactions.
Publications
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Insect Traps
Russ Mizell was the first to introduce the pyramid trap for plum curculio and citrus root weevils and he invented the Florida stink bug trap and the trolling deer fly trap. With colleagues, he developed the CD-ROM and web-based program "Woodybug", a computer knowledge-base system covering IPM for woody landscape plants.
Presenter
Bob Hochmuth is a multi-county Extension agent at the NFREC - Suwannee Valley working in the areas of small farms, commercial vegetables, and protected culture. His specialties include alternative crops, hydroponics, plastic mulch, and drip irrigation technology. Bob was raised on a commercial vegetable farm and has been an Extension agent since 1982.
Russ Mizell is a Professor Emeritus of Entomology with the University of Florida's Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences and is located at NFREC-Quincy. Dr. Mizell had research and extension responsibilities for deciduous fruits, pecan, and woody landscape plants with a focus on the development of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) systems. He has authored or coauthored around 300 publications concerned with IPM programs, including pest biology, biological and chemical control, host plant resistance, population dynamics, and insect-plant-disease interactions.
Publications
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Insects At Harvest
Harvest time is the payoff for a job well done so far. However, after harvest peach trees are still attacked by the peachtree and lesser peachtree borers as well as white peach and San Jose scale.
Presenter
Bob Hochmuth is a multi-county Extension agent at the NFREC - Suwannee Valley working in the areas of small farms, commercial vegetables, and protected culture. His specialties include alternative crops, hydroponics, plastic mulch, and drip irrigation technology. Bob was raised on a commercial vegetable farm and has been an Extension agent since 1982.
Russ Mizell is a Professor Emeritus of Entomology with the University of Florida's Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences and is located at NFREC-Quincy. Dr. Mizell had research and extension responsibilities for deciduous fruits, pecan, and woody landscape plants with a focus on the development of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) systems. He has authored or coauthored around 300 publications concerned with IPM programs, including pest biology, biological and chemical control, host plant resistance, population dynamics, and insect-plant-disease interactions.
Publications
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Stonefruit Harvest
It's the early harvest season of May in our stonefruit orchard. Pete Andersen shares best management practices for a successful harvest season including overhead freeze protection, fruit thinning techniques, and what causes the sugar speckle splits in nectarines which make them unmarketable in grocery stores.
Presenter
Pete Andersen is a Professor Emeritus of Horticultural Sciences and conducts research and extension services. Pete's research and extension focus is on agricultural sustainability, food chemistry, and influence of plant chemistry on plant-insect, plant disease and plant-disease interactions, deciduous fruit variety development, culture and management.
Bob Hochmuth is a multi-county Extension agent at the NFREC - Suwannee Valley working in the areas of small farms, commercial vegetables, and protected culture. His specialties include alternative crops, hydroponics, plastic mulch, and drip irrigation technology. Bob was raised on a commercial vegetable farm and has been an Extension agent since 1982.
Publications
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Stonefruit Pruning
Trees must be pruned annually to enhance tree growth, reduce fruit thinning costs and adjust crop load for the following season. Although each tree will grow differently with few trees being perfectly symmetrical, the overall goal for peaches and nectarines is to develop an open center or vase-shaped tree with a spreading but upright growth habit.
Presenter
Pete Andersen is a Professor Emeritus of Horticultural Sciences and conducts research and extension services. Pete's research and extension focus is on agricultural sustainability, food chemistry, and influence of plant chemistry on plant-insect, plant disease and plant-disease interactions, deciduous fruit variety development, culture and management.
Bob Hochmuth is a multi-county Extension agent at the NFREC - Suwannee Valley working in the areas of small farms, commercial vegetables, and protected culture. His specialties include alternative crops, hydroponics, plastic mulch, and drip irrigation technology. Bob was raised on a commercial vegetable farm and has been an Extension agent since 1982.
Publications
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Stonefruit Disease
Stonefruit production in Florida is very challenging because of diseases which effect stonefruit crops. Managing stonefruit disease involve site selection, rootstock choice, and crop management.
Presenter
Pete Andersen is a Professor Emeritus of Horticultural Sciences and conducts research and extension services. Pete's research and extension focus is on agricultural sustainability, food chemistry, and influence of plant chemistry on plant-insect, plant disease and plant-disease interactions, deciduous fruit variety development, culture and management.
Bob Hochmuth is a multi-county Extension agent at the NFREC - Suwannee Valley working in the areas of small farms, commercial vegetables, and protected culture. His specialties include alternative crops, hydroponics, plastic mulch, and drip irrigation technology. Bob was raised on a commercial vegetable farm and has been an Extension agent since 1982.
Publications