Quincy, Marianna,
Monticello, Live Oak
Research and Extension Updates
Vol. 3 No.
21 October 8, 2001
From the Director: Our goal is to provide the faculty with the
latest news from the Center research projects and extension activities, and
other timely information items. Please feel free to use the contents of the
newsletter in your county newsletters and education activities as you wish. If
you'd like additional details on newsletter items, contact the faculty member
author or our editor,
Regards, Dr.
Dates of Interest:
October 16-18: Sunbelt Expo, Moultrie, GA
October 18: West Florida Dairy Conference, Chipley
October 30-November 1: Green Industry Updates
November 1-11: North Florida Fair, Tallahassee
November 8-9:
Annual
Tomato Disease Workshop,
November 13: Cow-calf Seminar Tuesday, Agriculture Center,
Marianna 4:00 PM
November 13: Florida Drip Irrigation School, NFREC-Suwannee Valley
November 28-December 2: Farm Bureau Beef Cattle Marketing Tour of
Oklahoma
NFREC
History: The librarian for the Tobacco
Experiment Station, Ida Keeling Cresap, reported expenditures of $15.96 for the
library at the end of the fiscal year for 1925.
In addition, J.Y. Detwiler, pioneer beekeeper of Ohio and Florida,
donated 41 bound volumes on bees and a number of valuable bee journals to the
library, a “very notable collection”.
(1925 Annual
Report)
Request to all Faculty:
Do you have anything that you would
like to contribute to the NFREC display for The North Florida Fair? Plants,
educational materials? Hands-on
items are what makes our display an especially a big hit with attendees of the
fair.
See Ann Blount or
Personnel:
A reception was held recently
in Marianna for State Commissioner of Agriculture Charles Bronson. Special thanks to
Ronnie Hartzog for lining up some monetary donations to
sponsor a nice evening meal for guests and to
and
Welcome to Dr. Anna Osiecka, new Biological Scientist for Dr. Jarek Nowak, NFREC-Quincy. Anna has a
M.S.
degree and a Ph.D. in
Horticulture. Anna
is a native of Poland and has been in Florida for nearly 11 years. Before arriving at NFREC, she worked for
Oglesby Plants International, Inc. in Altha.
Anna lives in Marianna with her husband
Marian (a plant breeder) and her daughter Mary Ann, who is 9 years old.
Jim Rich recently returned from Guyana where he worked with Amerindians in the
interior of the country. This effort was
part of ongoing work to develop sustainable cropping systems, in particular, to
help reduce dependence upon slash and burn agriculture in the rainforest. Other NFREC faculty
that will be participating in a recently awarded USAID grant include David Wright, David Zimet, Tim Hewitt, Dan Gorbet, Dick
Sprenkel and
Melvin Barber, Biological Scientist, has return from a trip Honduras and Haiti where
he advised subsistence farmers on production of vegetables and peanuts. While
in Honduras, Melvin attended a region wide
meeting of Partners of the Americas (PA) Volunteers and Coordinators. PA
administers has a volunteer oriented farmer-to-farmer program that receives
funding from USAID. If anyone is interested in becoming a PA volunteer, please
contact Melvin.
FACAA Member Recognition and Awards at Regional and National Level in 2001
1. Jim Selph - Southern Region Director, NACAA Board of Directors
2. Dan Mullins, National Chair, Horticulture and Turfgrass Professional Improvement Committee
3. Bill Schall, David Holmes, Earnest Stephens, NACAA Distinguished Service Award Winners
4. Liz Felter, Doug Mayo, NACAA Achievement Award Winners
5. Doug Mayo, National Winner, Individual Newsletter, AT&T Communication Awards
6. Mark Shelby, National Winner, Web Page, AT&T Communication Awards
7. Pat Grace, National Winner, Search for Excellence, 2001 Environmental Protection Through Responsible Use of Pesticides, Urban Category
8. Liz Felter and Keith Mickler, National Finalist, Search for Excellence, 2001 Environmental Protection Through Responsible Use of Pesticides, Rural Category
9. Ken Rudisill, National Finalist, Feature Story, AT&T Communication Awards
10. Liz Felter, Southern Region Finalist, Direct Mail Piece, AT&T Communication Awards
11. Celeste White, Southern Region Finalist, Transparencies or Computer Generated Graphics, AT&T Communication Awards
12. Mark Shelby, Southern Region Finalist, Fact Sheet, AT&T Communication Awards
13. Dan Mullins, Southern Region Finalist, 4H and Youth Committee Award Program
Program Updates:
Horticulture
The University of Florida
Cooperative Extension Service
The North Florida Research
and Education Center – Suwannee Valley, and
The Horticultural Sciences Department announce
The Florida Drip
Irrigation School:
Managing Water and
Nutrients In Vegetable Production
November
13, 2001 l 8:15 am to 4:00 pm
North
Florida Research and Education Center – Suwannee Valley
Live
Oak, FL
With increased emphasis in
water and nutrient management in vegetable production and continuous need to
increase profitability, vegetable growers need to be aware of the latest tools
and technology available to optimize water and nutrient management with drip
irrigation.
Through
classroom teaching and field demonstrations, the goal of this daylong
educational program is to provide an update on the principles and practices of
efficient water and nutrient management in drip-irrigated vegetable crops. Topics will include trouble-shooting
irrigation system problems, irrigation scheduling, fertigation management, and
drip system maintenance. Participation
in this program will be sanctioned by a certificate of attendance.
This
program is offered at no charge, but requires pre-registration. A Sponsored lunch will be provided. If you plan to participate, please notify Bob
Hochmuth at the North Florida REC – Suwannee Valley at (386) 362-1725. (Attendance will be limited to 20
participants).
The
program will be informal so everyone can relax and learn. No coats and ties will be allowed in the
door. It will include a mix of hands-on
demonstrations in the field, hands-on classroom activities, and classroom
presentations and discussion. The
activities will include the following:
A. Hands-on
Activities
- Injection of blue dye to see wetting patterns at various lengths
of time.
- Determining soil water tension using various devices (Watermarks,
TDR, and tensiometers).
- Measuring free chlorine movement in the drip line for cleaning.
- Proper back flow prevention set-up.
- Experiences with various filtration methods for drip systems.
- Checking for fertilizer compatibility and mixing.
- Determination of system uniformity.
- Assembly of drip irrigation components.
- Results of using drip tape for fumigant delivery.
B. Presentations
and Discussion Topics
- Trouble shooting system design problems.
- Basics of drip irrigation scheduling.
- Maintenance of drip systems.
- Principles of nutrient management with drip irrigation.
- Role of drip irrigation in future nutrient BMP program.
- Microbial activity in irrigation water.
(BHochmuth, NFREC News, 3-21)
FORAGES
A Walk on the Wild Side: Cool-Season Forages for Wildlife Food Plots in North Florida A.R. Blount, S. M. Olson, C.G. Chambliss, K.H. Quesenberry, and R.D. Barnett, North Florida Research and Education Center and Agronomy Department-University of Florida (NFREC Extension Report 2001-04)
There
is tremendous interest in wildlife forages nationally, but Florida lends itself
to a different set of challenges for successful food plot plantings. Our light,
sandy soils, hot and humid summers, and distinct seasonal droughts make our selections
of forages for wildlife unique and challenging to suit our climate. It is
important to soil test your food plot site. We recommend using adapted
varieties developed for our particular growing conditions. We also suggest
the use of forage blends to increase the longevity and stability of the
plot, as well as forage variety for wildlife.
Cool
Season Legumes (clover, alfalfa, vetch, etc.): Winter legumes are more
dependable on the heavier clay soils of northwest Florida, or on sandy soils
that are underlain by a clay layer. Inoculation of any legumes used is very
important since it eliminates the need to supply nitrogen. Many clovers and
alfalfas come pre-inoculated. If the legumes that you intend to use are not
pre-inoculated, there are commercially available inoculants that are specific
to each legume variety. (See NFREC Extension Report 2001-03 for more details on
legume inoculation.)
Alfalfa – This high quality legume
is usually grown as a winter annual in Florida. New varieties have been selected
under grazing by cattle and are low-dormancy types that will sprout and grow in
our mild winter climate. Alfalfa requires a soil pH of 6.5-7.0, high soil
fertility and good management. Recommended varieties are Florida 99, Alfagraze
and Amerigraze 702.
Arrowleaf Clover – This is an annual clover that is similar to crimson clover in soil adaptation, management and fertility requirements. It is mainly grown on heavier soils in Northwest Florida. It makes more growth in late spring than crimson. The recommended variety is Yuchi.
Red
Clover –
This clover behaves as a winter annual under most north Florida conditions and
some reseeding may occur. Non-dormant (or low dormancy) varieties are
recommended. Red clover does not tolerate flooding, and the Florida variety
Cherokee appears to be very well adapted to north Florida. Recommended
varieties are Cherokee, Kenland, Redland III, and Kenstar. (Cherokee, developed
in Florida, is an earlier, non-dormant, and higher yielding cultivar.)
Crimson Clover – This is a well-adapted legume for north Florida. It is an annual clover that is adapted to fertile, well-drained soil. Of the clovers, it appears to be the least sensitive to soil pH. It has a short growing season, and may be grown in combination with ryegrass, clovers or a small grain crop to extend the period of forage availability. Recommended varieties are Flame, Dixie, Chief, Tibbee, and AU-Robin.
Vetch – Vetch grows best on
well-drained, fertile, loamy soils. It has a spreading, viney growth habit and
is an annual plant. The plant does reseed itself fairly well. Seed and foliage
are consumed by many wildlife species. Recommended varieties are Cahaba White,
Hairy, Common, and AU-Early Cover.
White Clover – White clover in Florida is usually a winter annual, but may act as a short-term perennial under optimum growing conditions. It is adapted to moist soils throughout Florida and is a good reseeder. Nematodes and other pests can limit production. Recommended varieties are Osceola (developed in Florida), Louisiana S-1, and Regal Ladino.
Berseem
and other miscellaneous clovers – There are many other small seeded clovers,
including Rose, Berseem, Hop, Bur, Subterranean and Ball clover, which will
work fairly well for wildlife food plots. Little local seed availability or
high seed costs may be limiting factors. Generally these clovers produce less
forage than crimson, white, arrowleaf and red clover and have a short duration
growing season. Ball and hop clovers do reseed well.
Winter
Peas - This
annual legume is best suited to well-drained soils with high clay content. They
typically are not very cold hardy. Austrian is the recommended variety
Cool
Season Grasses: Cool
season grasses generally include ryegrass and the small grains: wheat, oats,
rye, and triticale (a man-made cross of wheat and rye). These grasses provide
excellent winter forage and a spring seed crop which wildlife readily utilize.
Oats - May be planted and grazed by wildlife earlier than rye, but are not as cold hardy as rye or wheat, and may be susceptible to freeze injury. It is important to choose recommended oat varieties. Recommended varieties are Florida 502, Florida 501, and Coker 820 for early season grazing. Horizon 314, Chapman, Harrison, Terral Secretariat LA495, Coker 227, Ozark, AR-County Seeds 833, 811,and LA604 for winter and spring grazing. Horizon 314 is a relatively new, well adapted variety for north Florida.
Rye - Rye is widely used for
winter grazing for cattle, but may be grazed by deer as well. Rye is more cold
tolerant than oats, produces more forage than either oats or wheat, but should
not be planted as early as oats. Recommended varieties are Florida 401 and
Florida Black for late fall and early winter and Wrens 96, Wrens Abruzzi,
Bates, Elbon, Bonel, Oklon, Maton, Pennington Wintergraze 70, and Gurley Grazer
2000 for winter and spring grazing.
Wheat and Triticale –
Wheat and triticale makes excellent forage and seed production for wildlife.
Recommended wheat varieties for grazing are AGS 2000, Pioneer 26R61, Florida
304, Pioneer 2684, Coker 9835, Roberts, GA-Gore, GA-Dozier. AGS 2000 and
Pioneer 26R61 are two new varieties available for the first time in 2000, and
they have performed very well in cool-season variety testing. Triticale is a
very high quality, robust small grain.
It has good disease and insect resistance, and grows well even when late
planted in December and January. Seed availability may be limited because seed
production is scarce. Recommended varieties include Sunland and Florico.
Ryegrass - Ryegrass is a valuable and hardy forage crop for use on flatwoods soils or the heavier sandy loam soils in northwest Florida. Seeding ryegrass with small grains and clover lengthens the seasonal forage availability. Recommended varieties are Jumbo, Florlina, Surrey, Jackson, Magnolia, Rio, Gulf, Southern Star, Big Daddy, TAM 90, Passeral Plus, Rustmaster, Stampede, Fantastic, Graze-N-Gro, King, and Prine. (Other new varieties may be suitable but have not been adequately tested in Florida.)
Brassica
and Forage Chicory Crops: At this time not a lot is known about adaptability
of forage brassicas and chicory to Florida or the acceptability by wildlife as a food source. Brassicas are annual crops, which are highly productive
and digestible and can provide forage in as short as 40 days after seeding.
Forage brassica crops such as turnip, swede, rape, and kale can be both fall
and spring-seeded. Kale is very winter
hardy. Varieties include Premier, Vates and Siberian. Rape would also be
considered to be very winter hardy.
Varieties include Rangi, Rangiora, Barnapoli, Dwarf Essex, Emerald and
Winfred. Turnip or Turnip Hybrids grow very fast, reaching near maximum
production levels in 80 to 90 days. Varieties include Purple Top, White Globe
and Barkant. Swedes produce a large edible root. Swede yields are higher than
those of turnip, but they grow slower and require 150 to 180 days to reach
maximum production. Chicory is a perennial plant (forb) that is suited to well
or moderately drained soils with medium to high fertility levels and a pH of
5.5 or greater. Varieties available at this time are ‘Puna’ and ‘Forage Feast’.
Recommended
Cool Season Forage Blends: (use recommended varieties listed above and inoculate
clovers)
UF-Best Bang for
your Buck-#1 UF-Double
Threat (for upland sites)
64
lbs (2 bu) oats 10
lbs red clover
16
lbs ryegrass 15
lbs crimson clover
6
lbs red clover
14
lbs crimson clover
UF-Best Bang for
your Buck-#2 UF-Triple
Threat (for lowland sites)
64 lbs (2 bu) oats 4 lbs white clover
60
lbs (1 bu) wheat 12
lbs red clover
6
lbs red clover 4
lbs arrowleaf clover
14 lbs crimson clover
(Blount,
NFREC News, 3-21)
FORESTRY
Fern Threatens Pine Straw Industry
Dr. Jarek Nowak
Pine straw producers in North Florida are facing a
new threat from the non-native invasive plant species called Japanese climbing
fern (Lygodium japonicum). The
Japanese climbing fern is a perennial climbing and twining, vine-like plant,
native to tropical and subtropical areas of eastern Asia and Australia. The species was brought to the U.S. in 1930s
for ornamental purposes. The widely
creeping plants often form mats (Figure 1) and become shrub- and tree-covering
infestations. Stretching from slender
rhizomes, the vines can climb along tree trunks up to about 20 feet (Figure
2). Within Florida, Japanese climbing
fern is distributed throughout the panhandle and south to central Florida. The plant has been found to invade Florida’s
natural and managed forest areas alike.
While Japanese climbing fern threatens native
biodiversity in our forests, it also has been increasingly a nuisance for
private landowners and pine straw producers for the past 5 years. Dense infestations of the species covering
the ground between the rows of trees limit or deny access to fallen pine
needles, making collection of pine straw difficult or impossible. Whenever producers attempt to harvest pine
straw despite infestation, the mulch is likely to become contaminated with fern
fronds and/or spores, which can potentially contribute to the spread of the
species. Fronds of the species were
discovered earlier this year in pine straw shipped to clients in North Florida. Japanese climbing fern is on the list of prohibited
plants (Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services’ Rule
5B-57). This means that any sale,
transport or movement of any part of the plant is prohibited.
Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP)
and other state agencies including University of Florida’s IFAS initiated
research and demonstration trials to develop ways of coping with this new
threat to Florida’s biodiversity and pine straw industry. Early trials by the Florida DEP and Northwest
Florida Water Management District indicate that glyphosate containing herbicide
Rodeo at 1.5% concentration (0.8% of active ingredient) was the most effective
for long-term control of Japanese climbing fern (79% mortality at 315 days
after treatment). Garlon 3A at 5%
concentration showed the best short-term results (100% fern mortality at 42
days after treatment). Garlon 4 at 5 %
concentrations was the least effective of the three herbicides tried in this
study. Further DEP trials are underway
in Hamilton and Calhoun Counties with Accord, Garlon 4 and Vetran 720
herbicides. Research being initiated by
IFAS will address spore viability, pine straw contamination and other issues
related to potential spread of the fern, in addition to measures controlling
fern infestations in pine stands.
Figure 1. Japanese climbing fern on the forest floor.
Figure 2. Tree trunk covered with Japanese climbing fern.
(Nowak, NFREC News, 3-21)
News from Leon County:
Master Gardener, Ed Schroeder, has created a NEW Leon County
Website. The website is http://leon.ifas.ufl.edu/
Thought for the Day: The trick in
eating crow is to pretend it tastes good.
(William Safire)
E-Mail: cvergot@ifas.ufl.edu
Phone: (850)
875-7112
The
Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences is an Equal Employment Opportunity
Affirmative Action Employer authorized to provide research, educational
information and other services only to individuals and institutions that
function without regard to race, color, sex, age handicap or national origin.
COOPERATIVE
EXTENSION WORK IN AGRICULTURE, FAMILY & CONSUMER SERVICES, STATE OF
FLORIDA, IFAS, UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, AND
BOARDS OF COUNTY COMMISSIONER COOPERATING
An Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action
Institution