Alternative Crops On The Menu At 10th Annual Florida Ag Expo
October 1, 2015 Facing devastating diseases and fierce international competition, Florida growers are searching for alternative specialty crops to keep business viable and profitable. Among the potential crops growers are evaluating are pomegranates, blackberries, and hops. These alternatives will be explored by Zhanao Deng, a plant breeder with UF/IFAS, during the 2015 Florida Ag Expo.
Photo by Paul Rusnak
Domestic and international demand of pomegranates and blackberries by consumers has been increasing due to their high nutritional value. A considerable market expansion still exists for new supplies of pomegranates and blackberries. Hops produce resinous compounds and essential oils that have been used for flavoring craft beers. The demand for craft beer and hops has soared in Florida. In pomegranate field trials, growers have encountered unprecedented cases of fungal diseases. Many varieties that perform wonderfully in California do poorly in Florida. Many commercial blackberry varieties have relatively high chilling requirements, and orchards in Central and South Florida can hardly meet these chilling requirements.
Loading ...Don’t miss the Florida Ag Expo to see a summary of the recent findings from these research projects and to learn about future research activities to make production of these specialty crops feasible and profitable in Florida.
For the eighth consecutive year, DuPont Crop Protection is sponsoring special coverage of the Florida Ag Expo with pre- and post-event content. Stay tuned for more in the coming months.