avocado News
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The problem expands for avocado growers: 9 beetle species carry deadly fungus
Many people love their avocados – not to mention guacamole dip. So it was bad enough when scientists said a beetle was ravaging avocado trees in South Florida. Then scientists found out that the redbay ambrosia beetle — originally determined to transmit laurel wilt — is rare in avocado groves but that six other beetle species could carry the laurel wilt pathogen. That’s ...
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New method may help detect avocado pathogen earlier
University of Florida researchers have found an algorithm to help them detect laurel wilt, the deadly pathogen that threatens Florida’s $100 million-a-year avocado industry. Reza Ehsani, an associate professor of agricultural and biological engineering, said the algorithm finds laurel wilt-infected avocado trees before symptoms are visible to the naked eye. About 500 growers produce ...
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New UF/IFAS-developed avocado app helps guide irrigation
University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences faculty have developed a new app for avocado growers that provides an irrigation schedule so users save an estimated 20 to 50 percent on the water they apply to their orchards. “Weather changes daily, and the app takes into account these changes in the irrigation schedule it provides,” said Kati Migliaccio, an ...
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Repellant could keep dangerous beetles away from avocado trees
Using some pleasant-smelling chemicals, avocado growers may soon be able to repel beetles that inject a potentially deadly fungus into their trees, saving fruit and money, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences researchers say. When they’re infected with the laurel wilt fungus, redbay trees – a close cousin to the avocado — emit methyl salicylate to ...
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New test could guarantee the perfect avocado
Lasers and vibrations reliably assess individual fruits’ ripeness Test could reduce waste by 10% and help meet consumer demands for ‘ready-to-eat’ avocados A technique for measuring the ripeness of avocados could reduce waste by up to 10% and help fulfil consumer demand for ready-to-eat fruit. Developed and tested by Cranfield University, the technology uses a laser and small ...
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UF/IFAS research may give new hope to expanding avocado production
Findings from new University of Florida research may lead growers to produce avocados in the Indian River region of Florida, an area where the citrus industry has fallen on hard times. The research comes from a dissertation by Cristina Pisani, who recently completed her doctorate in horticultural sciences at the University of Florida Indian River Research and Education Center near Fort Pierce. ...
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Drones and Dogs Deployed In Battle to Save the Guacamole
With the killers hiding in the trees, heat-sensing drones are launched into the air. When their whereabouts are narrowed, the dogs are sent in. When it comes to protecting the world's supply of guacamole, no weapon can be spared. On subtropical farmland in South Florida, researchers are doing battle with the deadly fungus, laurel wilt, which is spread by a tiny beetle and has the potential to ...
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UF/IFAS avocado irrigation app should save money, water
Avocado growers now know that a University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences mobile irrigation app works well to save money while maintaining crop yields. This data, reported in a new study, is critical for an industry that has a $100 million a year economic impact on Florida. It’s also important because agriculture uses about 70 percent of the world’s water, the ...
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Agdia Releases New Molecular Test for Avocado Sunblotch Viroid
Agdia, Inc. (Elkhart, IN) has commercialized a Nucleic Acid Hybridization Assay for Avocado sunblotch viroid (ASBVd). ASBVd is found in avocado growing regions worldwide. Trees that are infected with ASBVd can result in a loss of yield and / or production of unmarketable fruit. However, symptoms are not always present making pro-active testing a critical disease control measure. Agdia's ...
By Agdia, Inc.
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Soil Moisture Monitoring in Avocados
Wildeye reseller Rob Abbas Consulting has been working with avocado and citrus grower Neil’s Farms to help manage irrigation scheduling through the use of soil moisture probes and convenient, online access to data. Since installing the probes, Wayne from Neil’s Farms has revolutionised his irrigation scheduling. In fact, he credits the information provided by his wildeye monitoring ...
By Wildeye
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A tree for a child in Haiti - FAO asks public to buy fruit trees for school yards
FAO is asking people to lend a hand to children in Haiti by donating a fruit tree that they can plant in school yards across the country. The UN food agency's Director-General, Jacques Diouf, will launch the 'Fruit Trees for Haiti' initiative at a symbolic tree-planting at a school in the town of Croix des Bouquets, outside of Port-au-Prince, which while untouched by the earthquake is now ...
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Crop consultants from Chile visit BioAtlantis
A group of crop consultants from Chile who advise on fruit tree production for avocados, cherries, citrus, nut and stone fruits recently visited the BioAtlantis facility in Tralee, County Kerry. The visit began with a tour of the state-of-the-art facility which produces natural compounds. The Chilean consultants had the opportunity to view the in-house research and development facilities that ...
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Wageningen UR advises Mexico about improving agrologistics
The Mexican government has expressed an ambition to be among the top 10 export countries for agro-food products by 2030. In collaboration with the Mexican Ministry of Agriculture, Wageningen UR Food & Biobased Research has designed a National Agrologistics Programme to help Mexico realise this ambition. The programme comprises fifteen promising projects designed to bring about drastic ...
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Coffee pest spreading to other crops in East Africa
East Africa's horticulture could face a severe crisis due to 'species jump' — whereby a disease moves from a known host to new and unusual ones — affecting fruits, vegetables, and medicinal and ornamental plants. Researchers in Uganda have discovered that the Black Coffee Twig Borer, a devastating coffee pest, has crossed over from Robusta coffee to about 40 plant species including ...
By SciDev.Net
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Star fruit could be the new “star” of Florida agriculture
It’s not just oranges that grow in Florida. Carambola, or star fruit as most in the United States call it, is gaining popularity. One researcher from Florida International University is researching how cover crops can help the sustainability of star fruit farms.“Tropical fruit production has become a prominent practice in Miami-Dade County,” says Ariel Freidenreich. “For ...
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Senators Raise Questions about the Trump Administration’s Food Box Program
Today, a group of ten Senators led by U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow, Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, raised questions about the efficiency and effectiveness of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Farmers to Families Food Box Program. “As you know, COVID-19 has caused great hardship for farmers and families across the ...
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Sustainable brands `10 announces innovation open finalists and debuts associate membership for early and pre-startup sustainability companies
Sustainable Life Media announced the top 11 Sustainable Brands Innovation Open (SB’IO) finalists who will be given a VIP pass to the full week of Sustainable Brands 2010, along with the opportunity to pitch to the Innovation Open judges and attendees on Monday June 7, 2010 from 2:00-4:30 pm in the Steinbeck Theater. As a continuation of the judging process, finalists are required to present ...
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Heliae, Agricola Cerro Prieto Launch Partnership to Collaborate on Soil Health, Water Retention
The partnership follows a successful first phase of Heliae and ACP’s joint water retention trial, the largest ever undertaken Heliae Development, LLC and Agricola Cerro Prieto (ACP) today announced the launch of a new partnership to combat and reverse negative effects on crops and soil from climate change, water scarcity and distressed soil conditions. The collaboration partnership was ...
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UF/IFAS apps give irrigation, growing tips and more
Looking to save money and water when you irrigate? UF/IFAS scientists have developed an app for that. Want to know what plants to grow in your garden? You guessed it: UF/IFAS has an app for that as well. UF/IFAS’ so-called “smart irrigation apps” include an urban lawn app that estimates how long you’ll need to water your lawn to meet current plant water demand. It uses a ...
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USDA spending $3M to feed honeybees in Midwest
The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced Tuesday it will spend millions of dollars to help farmers and ranchers improve pastures in five Midwestern states to provide food for the nation's struggling honeybees. Commercial honeybees pollinate an estimated $15 billion worth of produce each year. Many beekeepers bring hives to the Upper Midwest in the summer for bees to gather nectar and ...
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