Agriculture in Florida
Agriculture plays a major role in the history and economy of the American state of Florida.
[6] The University of Florida operates[7] one of the most important strawberry demonstration breeding programs in North America.
[8] Molecular breeding is usually suitable for monogenic traits, while polygenics are handled by genome-wide analysis.
[8] These results lead the program to combine both genomic and locus-specific testing for their routine breeding.
'Camino Real' is unusually vulnerable to Botrytis Fruit Rot in the conditions around the University of Florida's Gulf Coast Research and Education Center in Dover.
[15] Although disease resistance is an economically important trait in this crop, there is insufficient study of growers' willingness to pay.
[16] By the late 1700s an export trade had developed with the mid-Atlantic states, with Baltimore the first hub to distribute Florida peaches into the surrounding region.
[16] Similar to the strawberry tool above, a cut-down SNP array for genomic selection has been adapted[10] by the University of Florida for peaches.
[17][18] Florida produces far less than the leading state, California, but has the advantage of an earlier season than any other in the country.
[19] This – combined with competitor states coming into season – means that late-bearing cultivars are commercially nonviable here.
[21] The festival features kumquat pie, a specialty of Pasco County where Dade City is located.
[22] As of 2019[update] oranges make up 93% of Florida's citrus production, followed by 6% for grapefruit, and 1% for tangerines and tangelos.
[25] The highest temperatures of the summer from July to September end profitable yield and even the heat of June and October limit productivity, such that April to May and November to January are the largest harvests of the year.
[28] In the 20th century Mango growing and breeding was a hobby of wealthy men in South Florida including Henry Ford and Thomas Edison.
[31] Florida's sugarcane production expanded significantly after the United States ceased importing sugar from Cuba in 1960.
[32] The largest farm category by sales in Florida is the $2.3 billion ornamental industry, which includes nursery, greenhouse, flower, and sod products.
[36] The Regional IPM Centers provide integrated pest management plans specifically for the southern part of the state.
The environmental impact of agriculture, especially water pollution, is a major issue in Florida today.
[44][30] Much of the agricultural labor from Florida's early colonial period through the Civil War was done by slaves.
[46] Exploitation of that labor was widespread with the town of Immokalee, Florida being "known as ground zero for modern day slavery.
[4] Prophylactic fungicide dips don't work for this pathogen and so many in-season sprays are the only option.
[16]: 377 Tomato, bell pepper, and strawberry were the largest users of methyl bromide and so the phase out has required hard choices for alternative soil fumigants.
[16] D. suzukii was introduced to much of North America from its initial introduction to California, including to Florida.
[53] Because this allele is very common in Puerto Rico, they fail to support any substantial immigration of FAW from PR to Florida, contrary to earlier studies including Huang above.
[54]: 79 [55] Due to its wide host range it was immediately an important priority for the states and for USDA APHIS.
[57] The Saltmarsh Caterpillar (Estigmene acrea) is a common pest of fruit and vegetable cultivation in Florida.
[58] After arrival in the 1930s in Alabama, the Red Imported Fire Ant (RIFA, Solenopsis invicta) quickly spread to Florida.
[59] It is a significant agricultural drag due to its soil disruption, its mound building interfering with field machines, feeding on the plants themselves, and attacks on livestock.
[59] In 2002 peppers and tomatoes were #1 and #2 in dollar value for the state and citrus fruit, especially oranges, were also a major part of the economy.
