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The give and take of Florida weather

bp florida 10-19

Volatile weather, including hurricane hits and glancing blows over the last few years, have certainly taken their toll, but most Florida growers have recovered.

Mary Ostund, director of marketing for Brooks Tropicals, LLC BB #:110555 in Homestead, says Florida’s tropical producers have rebounded well. “Avocado trees are often stressed because of a hurricane, but we’re seeing SlimCado trees coming back strong,” she says.

Berry growers experienced their share of challenges as well, considering they’re far less hardy than other fruits or vegetables.

“Berries are a very delicate and perishable fruit,” said Amber Maloney, director of marketing for Wish Farms BB #:111764 in Plant City. “Growing strawberries and blueberries in Florida is especially challenging due to our hot, humid climate.”

Therein lies the rub for producers—the right temperature and humidity levels at the right time during the growing cycle.

Brooks Tropicals sometimes has the opposite problem: not enough warmth and humidity. Florida’s subtropical climate is a boon for most growers and, of course, the tourism industry, but many tropical fruits and vegetables still need “the heat and the humidity of the tropics,” explains Ostlund.

To fill gaps when the climate doesn’t quite measure up, Brooks Tropicals imports from its own growing regions, including Caribbean Red papayas in Guatemala, some SlimCados in the Dominican Republic, Solo papayas and ginger in Brazil, and limes in Mexico, Guatemala, and Colombia.

For Wish Farms, there’s a viable solution for less than optimal fruit.

“If weather does affect the quality of our berries, we’re able to fall back on processing puree or juice,” says Maloney. The grower-shipper operates the only fruit processing facility in the state. “This helps keep our second-grade fruit out of the marketplace and allows our growers to market their full crop and make a small return.”

Another related topic is a lack of water, which can be both weather-related and manmade. In recent years, some growers have struggled with water supply due to drilling restrictions, hampering a few crops and keeping farmers from expanding.

Pests and disease
Going hand in hand with wet conditions and high humidity are pests and disease. “We’ve had a tremendous amount of pest and disease issues,” acknowledges Charles LaPradd, agricultural manager for Miami-Dade County.

“Without a cold period here, they continue to flourish. At the south end of Florida, the U.S. government interdicts 17 new pests or diseases every year; that’s more than one a month.”

Strawberry growers battle botrytis (grey mold) and powdery mildew, affecting both yields and the quality of fruit.

Maloney also cites cedar waxwing birds that “come in flocks and can really damage a crop. It’s essential to have a robust pest management program to get ahead of these potential issues.”

Blueberry growers deal with phytophthora root rot as well as mites, thrips, and worms.

“A wide range of white flies are affecting vegetable and fruit crops,” confirms LaPradd. “We’ve had thrips and things we’ve never seen coming in.” He also reports “wilt in avocados has taken out several thousand acres and citrus north of us; Miami-Dade County has lost over a half million acres to citrus greening.”

There is, however, a glimmer of good news when it comes to the state’s ferocious battle with citrus greening: the disease seems to be thwarted when trees are grown under protective screening.

Unfortunately, there’s another pest knocking at the door—the lebbeck mealybug—recently found in a citrus grove in Highlands County. Researchers at the University of Florida are already on the case, determining next steps to prevent the insect’s spread.

This is a multi-part spotlight feature on Florida produce adapted from the October 2019 issue of Produce Blueprints.

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