Save the Date: 2025 Tri-State Fruit & Vegetable Conference- January 28

Fruit and vegetable growers from across the Florida Panhandle, as well as Southern Alabama and Georgia are invited to attend the 2025 Tri-State Fruit & Vegetable Conference. The 2025 conference will be held on Tuesday, January 28, 2025, at the Jackson County Extension Peanut Hall Auditorium (2741 Penn Ave, Marianna, FL). The meeting will begin with registration at 7:15 am (CST) , with the conference to begin at 8:00 am.

This conference is an opportunity for Tri-State area fruit and vegetable farmers to gain new information and knowledge on research presented not only by UF/IFAS Extension, but also UGA Cooperative Extension and Alabama Cooperative Extension. New information will continue to be provided on cucurbit crops and pesticide applicator CEUs will be available. UF/IFAS Extension takes pride in putting on events for our stakeholders to ensure they are provided with the necessary information and research to have a successful growing season. This year’s conference will focus on cucurbit disease and insect management, new data on growing media alternatives, and more.

Admission is $10 per person. Lunch will be provided with the purchase of admission. Pre-registration is preferred. Please visit https://JaCoHorticulture.eventbrite.com to register today. For questions or concerns, please contact Abbey Payne at 850-482-9620 or payne.abigail@ufl.edu.

Agenda-At-A-Glance

7:15 am: Registration

8:00 am: Welcome/Introductions

8:05 am: Jackson County Extension Updates: Petiole Sap Testing & Pesticide Education Changes- Abbey Payne, UF/IFAS Extension Jackson County

8:45 am: Redesigned Polymer-Coated Paper Mulch: Higher Yields than Plastic Mulch in Watermelon Crop- Raymond Balaguer, UF/IFAS Extension Suwanee County

9:25 am: South Georgia Vegetable Update: Variety Trials, Soil Amendments, and Plant Spacing- Dr. Ted McAvoy, Assistant Professor & Vegetable Production Extension Specialist, UGA Cooperative Extension

10:05 am: Break & Visit with Trade Show Vendors

10:45 am: Whitefly Control in Cucurbits: Previous & Future Studies- Dr. Paulo Gimenez Cremonez, Assistant Professor & Extension Specialist: Vegetable & Fruit Entomology, Alabama Cooperative Extension System

11:25 am: Innovative Strategies for Sustainable Anthracnose Management in Watermelon and Cucumber: A Collaborative Approach- Dr. Pamela Roberts, Dr. Gary Vallad, Dr. Geoffrey Meru, UF/IFAS and Dr. Bhabesh Dutta, UGA

11:55 am: Lunch/Meeting Adjourned

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The University of Florida is committed to providing universal access to all of our events. For disability accommodations such as sign language interpreters and listening devices, please contact payne.abigail@ufl.edu at least 2 weeks in advance. Advance notice is necessary to arrange for some accessibility needs.