by John Doyle Atkins | Jun 22, 2018
Peanut farmers will have a new leaf spot fungicide option available soon from Syngenta called Miravis.
Syngenta has successfully completed the registration process with the Florida Department of Agriculture for a new fungicide for Florida peanut farmers called Miravis. Miravis is the brand name for Syngenta’s fungicide with the active ingredient Pydiflumetofen, which is a group seven fungicide product.
The following key information is provided on the Miravis label for use in peanut production:
Miravis is a broad-spectrum, preventative fungicide for use in the control of many important plant diseases. In peanuts these diseases include: Early leaf spot (Cercospora arachidicola), Late leaf spot (Cercosporidium personatum), Pepper spot (Leptosphaerulina crassiasca), and Web blotch (Phoma arachidicola) with supression of Sclerotina Blight (Sclerotina spp.) when applied prior to disease development at the recommended rate of 3.4 oz/acre. Miravis may be applied by ground, air, or chemigation, with a pre-harvest interval (PHI) of 14 days.
Dr. Bob Kemerait, University of Georgia Extension Plant Pathologist provided some highlights from his research of Miravis use in peanut:
By all accounts, Syngenta is ready to launch Miravis fungicide for peanut growers this season. There will be a very limited supply for the tri-state area (Georgia-Florida-Alabama) in 2018, perhaps enough to treat between 100 – 200 thousand acres.
Here are a few key points:
- Miravis is in the “SDHI” (succinate dehyrdogenase) class of chemistry, which also includes fungicides like Convoy (flutolanil), solatenol (a component of Elatus), fluopyram (Velum) and fluxapyroxad (a component of Priaxor). The SDHI class is quite variable and diverse.
- The mode of action of SDHI fungicides is to disrupt electron transport in the mitochondria of the fungus, thus depriving the pathogen of ATP and energy.
- The SDHI class is diverse, but not all things all the time. For example, flutolanil (Convoy) is excellent on white mold but does not touch peanut leaf spot diseases. MIRAVIS is excellent for control of leaf spot diseases, but does NOT control soilborne diseases like white mold or Rhizoctonia limb rot, or peanut rust.
- Because MIRAVIS is excellent on leaf spot diseases, but not used for soilborne disease control, Syngenta will promote use as a tank-mix with Elatus; thus providing strong, broad-spectrum disease control.
- Syngenta has collaborated with researchers and Extension from UGA, UF/IFAS, Auburn, Clemson, and other land-grant institutions to develop Miravis for use on peanuts. Because of this, we have significant experience with the product.
- Currently, a MIRAVIS/Elatus program from Syngenta is a 5-spray program. The MIRAVIS (3.4 fl oz/A) is mixed with ELATUS (9.5 fl oz if applied twice or 7.3 fl oz if applied three times in the season) at approximately 50 and 80 days after planting.
- The other two (3-Elatus program) or three (2-Elatus program) fungicide applications are something like chlorothalonil or Alto/chlorothalonil applied at 28, 104 and 120 days after planting.
- Fungicide resistance management is especially important for Miravis because of mode of action and reduced sprays (5 versus 7 in a “typical” program
- As of June 21st, there has been no word on cost yet.
- See the Miravis Label for more information.
Photo By: John D. Atkins
by John Doyle Atkins | Oct 27, 2017
Christian Rodriguez of Live Oak, with his Brahman Heifer, Welu. Credit: Tyler Jones
Audrey Bodiford, of Jay, FL, winner of the 2017 SRC Fair & Youth Livestock Show Spirit Award.
Santa Rosa County Extension Agents have worked closely with the Santa Rosa County Fair over the last five years to grow the livestock show. The Santa Rosa County Fair (SRC Fair) is held in April each year, but requires considerable planning throughout the year. The board has many sub-committees that focus on the various events of the fair. These committees meet numerous times throughout the year planning their specific activities. Their efforts come together on opening day to make the SRC Fair and Youth Livestock Show an enjoyable time for our area residents. With the support and efforts of the Gulf Coast Agriculture & Natural Resource Youth Organization (GCANRYO) and the Santa Rosa County Fair Board, the livestock show has grown from a handful to over 300 youth participants this year.
Jenny is just one example of how these type programs can nurture the development of life skills and passion for the livestock industry. Jenny was a very shy youth who had a passion for raising livestock. However, she struggled with communicating with adults outside her family who were prospective buyers and sponsors. She attended a buyer communication workshop that was presented at the local Extension Office. After attending the workshop, she was more comfortable pursuing financial support for her steer project. At the livestock show and sale, she informed the extension agents that she had secured a buyer for $3.00 a pound and had received over $2,500 in sponsorship’s for her project in 2016. This year, her steer project was even more successful building on what she had learned the previous year. At a nutrition workshop held at the beginning stages of the project year, Jenny shared that she had already secured $3,150 in sponsorship and had a buyer for her steer! While securing auction buyers, and project sponsors is not a true commercial business model, the communication skills and self-confidence gained from this experience will aid these youth for the rest of their lives.
Livestock committees are tasked with ensuring all the infrastructure is in place for our 4-H and FFA youth to show and exhibit their livestock projects consisting of: beef cattle, swine, goats, poultry, rabbits and horses. The 2018 SRC Fair and Youth Livestock show is just around the corner. It is open to youth across the Panhandle. If your kids, grandkids or neighbors have in interest in livestock, please share this information with them and their parents. Offer them facilities and equipment to use for livestock projects, or just assistance getting started in the livestock industry. Give generously of your time, talent and experience to volunteer and support your local livestock show. Through organized shows, farmers and ranchers can make a difference in the lives of youth that will impact them for the rest of their lives. These are the future leaders of our communities, and in some cases of the agricultural industry in this region. Find a way to get involved, even if only through financial contributions.
Key Upcoming Dates for the Santa Rosa County Fair:
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Saturday, November 4, 2017 – Market Steer Weigh-in and registration – 3 pm- 5 pm
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Saturday, January 6, 2018 – Market Hog Weigh-in and registration – , 10 am – 12 noon
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Livestock Show dates are:
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March 29th – Youth Rabbit Show
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April 1st – Youth Poultry Showmanship
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April 6th – Youth Goat Shows
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April 7th – Youth Beef Cattle and Hog Shows
For rules and further information please visit the SRC Fair website.
by John Doyle Atkins | Jun 2, 2017
You have worked hard raising quality beef and demand for locally grown food is increasing. Perhaps you have considered selling meat from your livestock operation, but have found the regulations to be somewhat daunting. This article highlights two UF/IFAS Publications which focus on this topic and provide answers to the many questions related to this process in Florida.
In general, the easiest way to sell meat from a beef operation is by selling a few animals as “freezer meat.” This is accomplished by selling the live animal to a buyer. The buyer is then responsible for having the beef processed for his own household use. This can be accomplished by processing the beef themselves or transporting the live animal to a custom slaughter facility.
If a producer wishes to sell processed beef, be it primal cuts or individual servings, these products must be made entirely under the US Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety Inspection Service (USDA/FSIS) guidelines. All of the products will need to have a label approved by FSIS. Additionally, all fresh or frozen whole muscle or ground products must include a country of origin label. This process may seem overwhelming, but it can be achieved by having your beef slaughtered/processed at a USDA inspected facility that is willing to work with you.
There are five USDA approved slaughter facilities in panhandle Florida (Table 1). For the complete list of Florida’s approved facilities, please see the following UF/IFAS Publication: USDA-Inspected Livestock Slaughter Facilities in Florida. 
For additional information on this topic, please see this UF/IFAS Publication: How Do I Legally Sell Meat from My Own Livestock and Poultry in Florida? This publication answers the following, as well as other related questions:
- What is the easiest way to sell meat from my few livestock?
- What if someone wants to slaughter livestock I have sold to them on my farm?
- What is a custom processor?
- I don’t want livestock slaughtered on my farm, but my customer can’t transport the livestock. What should I do?
- Demand for my livestock is really growing, and I am considering establishing my own custom exempt livestock processing facility. What do I need to do?
- OK, what if I wanted to start my own USDA-FSIS–inspected red meat or poultry processing facility?
- I just want to sell meat from my livestock at my retail store and/or at a farmers’ market. How can I do that?
For more information please contact your local UF/IFAS County Extension office, as well as the following publications referenced above.
by John Doyle Atkins | Dec 16, 2016
Photo: Tyler Jones.
Santa Rosa County is not a major corn producer, as compared to the Midwest, but farmers there do grow 600-800 acres of field corn each year. These producers plant corn as a summer rotational crop, some for cattle feed, and a significant acreage is planted and sold to our wildlife enthusiasts.
The University of Florida/IFAS, West Florida Research and Education Center (WFREC) in Jay conducted a corn variety trial in 2016, consisting of 27 field corn entries. These data represent only one year, so results should be considered over several locations and years, before conclusions are valid. 
In addition there is a multi-year summary of varieties that have been evaluated for two and three years, that demonstrate variety performance over multiple years.
For the complete report, use the following link:
by John Doyle Atkins | Jul 22, 2016
Most of the peanuts are close to lapping in Santa Rosa County. Photo Credit John Atkins
Mid July is the time of year where, for most of us, we are at the mid-point in our peanut production season. The peanut plants, if not already lapped, are at a point where the canopy traps humidity and extends leaf wetness periods near the crown of the plant. Barriers are formed blocking movement of fungicide to the crown.
Our high humidity, extended leaf wetness and barriers to fungicide deposition all add to conditions that favor the development and spread of important diseases.
Producers are well into the execution of their planned fungicide management programs.
Several new fungicide products have become available in the last couple of years that are valuable tools in the fight against fungicide diseases.
Retired peanut specialist, Jay Chapin, developed a fact sheet a few years ago to allow producers a quick overview of the characteristics of the peanut products available for use. The following table is an updated version of this fact sheet based on discussions with Dr. Bob Kemerait, UGA Extension Plant Pathologist. The objective of this fact sheet is to provide growers a quick reference of fungicides for the management of peanut diseases. Use only as a guide and, as always, follow label instructions.
A Guide to Peanut Fungicides
John Atkins UF/IFAS Extension Agent
Source: Retired Peanut Specialist, Jay Chapin (A Guide to Peanut Fungicides) – updated based on discussions with Dr. Bob Kemerait, UGA Extension Plant Pathologist
