2026 Tri-State Fruit & Vegetable Conference Highlights and Presentation Links

The 2026 Tri-State Fruit & Vegetable Conference was held on Thursday, January 29. There were 6 educational presentations, 8 tradeshow booths, and 11 event sponsors. Speakers included UF/IFAS Extension faculty and industry representatives discussing topics on Florida Food Safety procedures, niche crop alternatives, disease management, and farm marketing benefits. The event also offered Continuing Education Units (CEUs) for pesticide applicators in Florida and Georgia, as well as Certified Crop Advisors (CCAs). This article provides links to the speaker presentations for viewing or printing from the conference.

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Abbey Smith, UF/IFAS Jackson County Extension Horticulture Agent opened the event by giving a warm welcome to the program attendees and reviewing some housekeeping items. Abbey is also a graduate thesis student with the UF/IFAS Entomology Department. As part of her research, she is attempting to identify a host range and damage threshold in horticultural crops of the two-spot cotton leaf hopper (a.k.a. cotton jassid) that is a newly-established pest in the southeast. If you believe you have identified the pest on your farming operation or would like to see more information from University of Florida on this pest, please take the time to complete Abbey’s study by visiting: Identification of Two-spot Cotton Leafhopper in Southeast

The first presentation was given by Dr. Muhammad Shahid. Dr. Shahid is a Fruit Physiology Extension Specialist based at the UF/IFAS North Florida Research & Education Center (NFREC) in Quincy, Florida. Dr. Shahid spoke on the topic of adding blackberries to grower productions looking for a niche crop alternative. He gave a breakdown on planting site selection and best planting practices, as well as weed, nutrient, and disease management recommendations. He also included pruning demonstrations and best pruning techniques for first-time growers. Dr. Shahid ended his talk with an insight into the blackberry nutrient research he has been conducting at the NFREC. He will be hosting a Blackberry Field Day in June 2026 for growers interested in more information. To access his presentation, please visit:

1 Shahid Blackberry

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The second talk was given by Dr. Sanju Kunwar. Dr. Kunwar is the new Plant Pathologist located at the NFREC in Quincy. Her research and extension program focuses on tomato and citrus pathology. Dr. Kunwar’s presentation focused on management of the bacterial wilt disease that is often found in commercial tomato crops. She gave insight into what the disease is specifically, how it is spread, and what research methods they have been conducting at the NFREC on control/management. Dr. Kunwar offered management recommendations in cultural, biological, and chemical controls. She also presented on her research in grafting tomato rootstocks that are proven effective against bacterial wilt and the cost breakdown of what it would look like for growers. For more information on Dr. Kunwar’s presentation, please visit:

2 Kunwar Bacterial Wilt

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Our third presentation was presented by Dr. Zhengfei Guan. Dr. Guan is a Food and Resource Economic specialist located at the UF/IFAS Citrus Research & Education Center in Lake Alfred, Florida. Dr. Guan began his presentation by giving a brief overview of the current state of the United States agriculture trading policy, including the top 5 import and export origins based off 2024 data. He then led this to specific overviews of markets of certain fruit & vegetable crops. Dr. Guan gave a summary of ag labor trends and shortages in the U.S. and what is at risk in the agriculture industry due to this. To view more of Dr. Guan’s presentation, use the following link:

3 Guan F&V Update

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The next presentation was given by Gabi Ius, Division of Marketing and Development Specialist with Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS). Gabi is a representative of the “Fresh from Florida” program and gave a breakdown of the membership program and the benefits that are offered to growers for joining.  Growers that join the “Fresh from Florida” program to have access to many marketing benefits, such as the “Fresh from Florida” stamp on their product packaging, direct social media advertising, and access to a marketing specialist that can assist with creating a business logo and a marketing plan. There are retail partners that work with the program to place “Fresh from Florida” products in their stores such as Publix, Aldi, and Winn Dixie to name a few. To look more closely at what specific benefits growers have access to, please visit:

4 Gabi Fresh From Florida

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The fifth presentation of the morning was given by Dr. Pamela Roberts. Dr. Roberts is a Plant Pathologist based at the Southwest Florida Research & Education Center (SWFREC) in Immokalee, Florida. Anthracnose is one of the most sever diseases in vegetable production, specifically in watermelons, cucumbers and cantaloupes. Dr. Robert’s was returning from 2025 conference, bringing updated research on the collaborative $4.8 million research grant she is apart with University of Georgia, University of Florida, and USDA. This is a 4-year project titled “Sustainable Anthracnose Management for Watermelon and Cucumber Growers in the Eastern U.S.” Unfortunately, at the time of publishing, Dr. Roberts did not have authorization for her presentation to be shared in this article. Once permission is received, this article will be updated with the presentation link.

 

The last presentation at the event was given by Billy Mitchell. Billy is an Education and Training Specialist with the University of Florida’s Food Science & Human Nutrition Department. He is also a key member in the UF/IFAS Food Safety Extension Team, which includes specialists and agents who conduct various trainings for grower’s needing to satisfy FDA’s Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Produce Safety Rule (PSR). Billy gave an update on the most recent changes to the PSR and what is now going to be in effect going forward. There are new amendments regarding agriculture water and specific dates that growers must comply by. To review more information for the Produce Safety Rule updates, you can access Billy’s presentation link at:

6 Mitchell Food Safety

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Thank you to our sponsors who contributed to this event. Without them, the Tri-State Fruit & Vegetable Conference or our luncheon would not have been possible.

Mark your calendar for the 2027 Tri-State Fruit & Vegetable Conference on Thursday, January 21, 2027.