Professional Disease Management Guide for Ornamental Plants (PP202/PP123)

Florida’s warm, humid environment is a gardener’s paradise and a great location for ornamental plant producers to grow numerous plant species — but these conditions also are suitable for the development of a wide variety of plant pathogens and insects that can spread them. Florida is also a major port of entry for the international trade of ornamental plants, which carries the risk of introducing exotic invasive pathogens, so growers are required to follow certain phytosanitory regulations. These challenges require growers to develop the most efficient production plans possible, incorporating as many tactics as they can to maximize plant health and minimize opportunities for pest and disease outbreaks?a concept known as integrated pest management (IPM). This 16-page fact sheet is intended to be used by growers, landscape professionals, and other pest control operators as a reference for managing ornamental plant diseases. Written by P. F. Harmon and S. D. Bledsoe, and published by the UF Department of Plant Pathology, June 2012.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pp123

Bean Plataspid: Megacopta cribraria (Fabricius) (Insecta: Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Plataspidae) (EENY527/IN939)

Also known as the kudzu bug, lablab bug, and globular stink bug, the bean plantaspid is native to Asia, where it is not an agricultural pest. But in the U. S., it is reported as a pest of soybean in Georgia and South Carolina. Adults from established populations overwinter on light colored structures, in leaf litter, and underneath the bark of trees. Also, like stink bugs, adults tend to excrete an odor as a defense mechanism when disturbed. The defense chemical these insects secrete may stain the surface of the house, building or vehicle where aggregation occurs. This 6-page fact sheet was written by Ashley Poplin and Amanda Hodges, and published by the UF Department of Entomology and Nematology, June 2012.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/in939

Ultrasound and Carcass Merit of Youth Market Cattle (AN279)

Market cattle shown at county and state fairs and other youth shows across the United States are food animals. The endpoint value of food animals is primarily based on their carcass merit. Ideally, carcass merit should be assessed from actual carcasses. However, when carcass data cannot be collected, ultrasound evaluation of market cattle is an excellent method to accurately assess differences in fat thickness, ribeye area, and percentage of intramuscular fat within the ribeye. This 7-page fact sheet was written by Chad Carr, Dwain Johnson, and Mark Shuffitt, and published by the UF Department of Animal Science, June 2012.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/an279

Field Symptoms of Boron Toxicity and Deficiency in Florida Peanuts (SL366/SS567)

Boron is an essential micronutrient needed by peanut to prevent “hollow heart” and to provide for sufficient plant growth, but it can be a challenge to manage for peanut production on sandy soils. There may be times when peanut growers, extension agents, and consultants find field symptoms when either boron toxicity or boron deficiency is the cause of peanut yield loss and low kernel quality. This 4-page fact sheet reviews the boron management strategy in Florida, presents information on boron sufficiency and toxicity levels from the literature, and provides photographs of field symptoms that can be used by growers and Extension agents. was written by J. W. Breman, W. D. Thomas, H. E. Jowers, and R. S. Mylavarapu, and published by the UF Department of Soil and Water Science, May 2012.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ss567

Agricultural Management Options for Climate Variability and Change: Conservation Tillage (AE486)

This 4-page fact sheet focuses on the use of conservation tillage in crop production systems as a strategy to minimize the risks associated with climate variability and change and to improve resource-use efficiency. Written by Kip Balkcom, Leah Duzy, Daniel Dourte, and Clyde Fraisse, and published by the UF Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, June 2012.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ae486

Video Editing (WC126)

Editing a video is a creative process where you put all the various parts together into one comprehensive program. Video editing software programs allow you to make changes easily. This 2-page fact sheet introduces the concept of video editing. Written by Ricky Telg, and published by the UF Department of Agricultural Education and Communication, June 2012.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/wc126

Video Equipment and Video Shot Composition (WC125)

You should become as familiar as possible with the video camera you plan to use and how best to use it in creating effective video shots. For a basic video shoot, the minimum equipment requirements are a video camera, a microphone, a light source, and a tripod. Composition refers to the types of video shots you will shoot. This 5-page fact sheet provides an overview of equipment and composition techniques. Written by Ricky Telg, and published by the UF Department of Agricultural Education and Communication, June 2012.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/wc125

Scriptwriting (WC124)

For video productions, not only does the script have to read well for the eye, but it also has to sound good for the ear. This 3-page fact sheet provides an overview of good scriptwriting techniques. Written by Ricky Telg, and published by the UF Department of Agricultural Education and Communication, June 2012.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/wc124

Video Production: Getting Started (WC123)

Today, just about anyone can post videos on the Web so that friends and family can see them, capture news events and distribute them online to television stations or networks that have websites, or shoot video “in the field” and bring the “field” back to the classroom. This 2-page fact sheet has information for novice video producers about developing video productions. Written by Ricky Telg, and published by the UF Department of Agricultural Education and Communication, June 2012.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/wc123

Florida's Seepage Slope Wetlands (WEC322/UW367)

Florida is home to one of North America’s most unique and diverse ecosystems, the seepage slope. Unusual hydrology and frequent fires combine to create an environment that supports a variety of carnivorous and other sun-loving herbaceous plants. This 5-page fact sheet discusses the natural history and conservation concerns associated with seepage slope wetlands. Written by Megan E. Brown and Debbie L. Miller, and published by the UF Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, June 2012.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/uw367

The Invasion of Exotic Reptiles and Amphibians in Florida (WEC320/UW365)

Florida has more introduced species of reptiles and amphibians living and breeding in the wild than anywhere else in the world. This 6-page fact sheet summarizes findings from three recent scientific papers describing who these invaders are, their potential ecological impacts, and recommendations for their management and control. Written by Frank J. Mazzotti and Rebecca G. Harvey, and published by the UF Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, May 2012.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/uw365

Keeping Fruit In Your Diet (FAR8036/FM241)

“Those of us who love fruit find it hard to imagine that so many Americans eat far less fruit than is recommended for good health. But national surveys show it to be true. Somehow they manage to resist the wonderful textures, aromas, and flavors of melons, berries, apples, bananas, mangoes, and all the other fruits available in this country!” This 2-page radio transcript was written by Linda Bobroff, and published by the UF Department of Family Youth and Community Sciences, March 2012.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/fm241

Get SMART: Improve Your Extension Objectives (FCS6018/FY1327)

“SMART Objectives” assist educators and program planners in developing strong objectives that are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-bound. This 3-page fact sheet was written by David C. Diehl and Sebastian Galindo-Gonzalez, and published by the UF Department of Family Youth and Community Sciences, June 2012.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/fy1327

Measuring the Irrigation Requirement of Container-Grown Nursery Plants (ENH1197/EP458)

Three factors determine the irrigation requirement for container-grown crops: evapotranspiration, capture factor, and distribution uniformity. This 4-page fact sheet describes how these factors can be measured so that irrigation requirements can be determined in the container nursery. Written by Jeff Million and Tom Yeager, and published by the UF Department of Environmental Horticulture, June 2012.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ep458

HACCP: An Overview (SHN0512/FS122)

The acronym HACCP (pronounced /’hæ-sip/) stands for “Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point”. It is a food safety management system that is increasingly used in all aspects of the food industry. This 3-page fact sheet introduces the topic and summarizes the key components of a HACCP program. Written by R. Goodrich-Schneider, K. R. Schneider, M. D. Danyluk, and R. H. Schmidt, and published by the UF Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, May 2012.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/fs122

Lesser Cornstalk Borer Damage to Sugarcane and the Effects of Tillage and Harvest Residue Management (ENY454/SC094)

This 6-page fact sheet provides an overview of this pest, its damage to sugarcane, and the plant’s response, and describes the results of a study of harvest residue and controlled tillage experiments. Written by Hardev S. Sandhu, Leslie E. Baucum, and Gregg S. Nuessly, and published by the UF Department of Entomology and Nematology, May 2012.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/sc094

Lessons Learned from Evaluations of Citizen Science Programs (FOR291/FR359)

Extension agents with an interest in increasing the scientific and environmental awareness of their constituents may find an answer through a form of participatory scientific research known as citizen science. Citizen science uses volunteers of all ages, professions, backgrounds, and skills — often across broad geographic areas — to engage non-scientists in a variety of tasks, but most commonly data collection. This 5-page fact sheet informs potential citizen science practitioners of recent evaluations of citizen science programs. Looking closely at identifying appropriate tasks for volunteers, assessing data validity, and evaluating changes in volunteers’ knowledge and attitudes can help organizers avoid common pitfalls and develop citizen science programs most likely to succeed. Written by Luke Gommerman and Martha C. Monroe, and published by the UF Department of School of Forest Resources and Conservation, May 2012.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/fr359

Starting and Maintaining 4-H Clubs (4HGCL00/4H281)

This 16-page guide, intended for 4-H staff and volunteers, provides an overview to the types of clubs, the criteria and forms for chartering a new club, and for maintaining club status annually. It also outlines the fiscal responsibilities of club management and the standards for recognition. Written by J. Jordan, B. Terry, D. Pracht, J. Butterfield, and A. Cletzer, and published by the UF Department of 4-H Youth Development, March 2012.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/4h281

Use of Ultrasonography to Age Pregnancy in Early Gestation in Dairy Cows (VM184)

Using ultrasonography for diagnosis and aging of pregnancy is becoming more widespread among bovine practitioners because it can be done earlier than by traditional methods, and because it can be used to monitor fetal development and determine fetal age and sex. This 3-page fact sheet presents a detailed measurement of the amniotic vesicle from 27 to 34 days after breeding so a more precise aging of early pregnancies can be performed. Written by Klibs N.A. Galvão, and published by the UF Department of Veterinary Medicine-Large Animal Clinical Sciences, May 2012.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/vm184

Outbreaks of Foodborne Diseases Associated with Tomatoes (FSHN1208/FS192)

Concerned about the safety of fresh-market tomatoes? This 5-page fact sheet highlights tomato-related outbreaks in the United States and Europe and reviews the locations and venues of tomato preparations as well as the severity of outbreaks. Written by Angela M. Valadez, Keith R. Schneider, and Michelle D. Danyluk, and published by the UF Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, May 2012.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/fs192