Cogongrass in Hillsborough County

I received a call last week from a landowner who is concerned about the spreading of cogongrass in Hillsborough County.  His concerns are justified considering this invasive grass chokes out natural habitat, creates a fire threat along roadsides, and is costly to control if it becomes established in border areas or pastures.  I also see areas where this grass is taking over the right-of-ways and starting in pastures or home sites with little effort to stop it.  This could create a long and costly battle down the road.

For controlling this invasive weed, only active ingredients glyphosate and imazapyr are suitable as control agents but their use can effect wanted vegetation nearby.  Control will also take a while if only sprays are used, as the rihizomes can resprout and produce new plants in a ring around the edges of where the spraying was done.  Usually multiple sprays over a few years are needed for control.  Think about three years for proper control.  When possible discing or tilling to break the rhizome chains to induce sprouting will help form new sprouts that can be sprayed. 

Here is an article on cogongrass control from the Journal of Invasive Plant Science Management on a study using glyphosate, imazapyr, or the combination at different timings and how control can be achieved in three years. https://www.srs.fs.usda.gov/pubs/47330    Here is a factsheet on controlling cogongrass in the nursery.  http://hillsborough.ifas.ufl.edu/documents/pdf/agriculture/ornamental_production/CogongrassPlantNurseries.pdf

Labor and Profit Margins

Labor is the most expensive cost of producing ornamental plants and these costs have gone up 30% in the last ten years.  If you aren't focused on how to reduce labor costs while growing plants then profits will continue to be elusive. 

Here is another video (Part 2 in a series on profit margins) from AmeriHort and Dr. Charlie Hall from Texas A&M.  This one is about labor costs, the outlook on labor and how this affects profit margins.  Here is the link to watch it. https://youtu.be/MVd95lJyIdg

FDACS OAWP Rule 5M-1 January 2018

Here is an important regulatory update that you should be aware of...

Attention farmers and ranchers.   We want to give you a heads-up about a recent rule associated with the Florida Agricultural Best Management Practices Program (BMPs) that was written by the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) Office of Water Policy (OAWP), and was passed by the legislature.   Implementation Verification Rule 5M-1 provides regulatory assurance to FDACS and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) that BMPs designed to meet watershed restoration goals are being implemented by Florida farmers and ranchers.
DEP has tested waterbodies throughout the state and has designated many of them to be impaired below state standards.  To improve water quality in these systems, DEP, along with many stakeholders, has established Basin Management Action Plans (BMAPS) statewide. 
To address these impairments DEP and stakeholders are implementing strategies to reach BMAP nutrient or bacteria reduction goals.  As part of these strategies, regulatory agencies are utilizing environmental permitting to meet their goals while other entities, including counties and local governments that contribute non-point sources of pollution to waterbodies, use other methods to accomplish BMAP objectives.   Agriculture is using FDACS-Adopted BMPs to meet water quality goals.
Florida Agriculture BMPs have been extensively used statewide for about two decades.  Farmers and ranchers throughout the state have signed Notices of Intent (NOIs) to Implement BMP’s with FDACS OAWP and are presumed to be in compliance with state water quality regulations.   However, best practices and technology change over time and DEP needs assurance that farmers are still implementing the applicable practices on their NOIs.  Because of this, FDACS OAWP developed the Implementation Verification Rule 5M-1.
 This rule states that FDACS will verify the BMP Implementation status of agriculture by using self-verification and site visits by staff along with information gathered from other agencies and property appraisers.  The information gathered by FDACS is confidential and exempt from public records disclosure.
FDACS OAWP will begin sending self-verification e-mails and letters to producers beginning in January 2018.  It is important that you fill out and return the questionnaire.  If you have any questions or issues with filling out the forms, please do not hesitate to call your Extension Agent for help with any production questions.  You may also call a UF/IFAS BMP Implementation Team member or FDACS OAWP staff for any other questions.

-Jemy West Hinton, UF/IFAS BMP Program

Shrinking Profit Margins

One of the biggest problems we are faced with in the environmental horticulture industry is shrinking profit margins.  Our input costs have been rising and our sales prices have remained relatively flat.  Ever wonder by just how much your costs have gone up?

I highly recommend you watching this video from AmeriHort with Dr. Charlie Hall form Texas A&M.  He is a great horticultural economist and speaks our language when it comes to dollars and cents/sense.  Here is a link to the video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MVoR_8qnemA&feature=youtu.be