Specialty/Tropical Fruit
Maprang (Bouea macrophylla Griff.) Fruit Trees: Botany and Commercial Cultivation in South Florida
By Federico W. Sanchez, Jonathan H. Crane, and Bruce Schaffer
Maprang (Bouea macrophylla Griff.), also known as gandaria, marian plum, or plum mango, is a tropical fruit tree in the family Anacardiaceae. It is cultivated throughout Southeast Asia and increasingly recognized as a specialty fruit with potential in south Florida. The species produces aromatic yellow-to-orange fruit with a thin edible peel and sweet to sweet–tart flavor. Commercial production is well established in Thailand and neighboring countries. However, cultivation in Florida is currently limited to small private plantings. This publication provides a comprehensive overview of maprang. This includes its botany, phenology, fruit characteristics, environmental requirements, propagation methods, pest and disease pressures, and recommended horticultural practices. The publication supports growers, Extension personnel, homeowners, and students interested in establishing maprang for home landscapes and potential commercial production under south Florida conditions.
Passion Fruit: Postharvest Handling Practices and Physiological Disorders
By Fariborz Habibi, Ali Sarkhosh, Adrian D. Berry, and Steven A. Sargent
Passion fruit (Passiflora edulis Sims) is an economically valuable tropical fruit with increasing consumer demand due to its distinctive flavor, nutritional richness, and diverse industrial applications. In Florida, passion fruit cultivation holds strong potential because of the state’s favorable climate and the fruit’s high market value. However, as a climacteric fruit, its metabolic activity continues after harvest, making passion fruit highly perishable and prone to postharvest deterioration. This publication reviews the physiological characteristics, developmental stages, and maturity indices of passion fruit, emphasizing appropriate harvesting, handling, and storage techniques to maintain quality and extend shelf life. This publication provides comprehensive insights to help growers, researchers, and industry professionals reduce losses, improve marketability, and enhance the profitability of passion fruit production in Florida.
Established Fruit for Spring Markets
Establishing New Southern Highbush Blueberry Plantings in Florida
By Douglas A. Phillips, Jeffrey G. Williamson, Gerardo H. Nunez, Philip F. Harmon, Peter J. Dittmar, and Diego F. Cabezas
There are many steps to consider when establishing a new southern highbush blueberry field. The purpose of this publication is to assist Florida blueberry growers with critical management practices for establishing a new field. We assume that any irrigation wells, overhead irrigation, and farm equipment are already in place. Therefore, this publication does not address establishing those items.
By Ali Sarkhosh and Jonathan Clavijo-Herrera
Split pit is a physiological disorder observed in peach fruit that significantly reduces quality and postharvest shelf life, thereby causing substantial economic losses. Fruit affected by split pit are highly susceptible to pathogen infection and decay. Unusually large fruit can exhibit typical symptoms of split pit including accelerated peel coloration, making peaches appear ready for harvest several weeks prior to reaching maturity. In addition to early ripening, a small crack at the abscission point that can expand into a large internal cavity can indicate the disorder. Mold growth or gummy exudates may be present along the suture plane, and tissue rot may be ongoing. This publication addresses split pit disorder in peaches, describes its main symptoms, and highlights key factors to consider for reducing its occurrence in the orchard. This information is intended for county and state Extension faculty, growers, and homeowners interested in peach production in Florida.
Weeds
By Maria A. Rodriguez and Chris Marble
Euphorbia maculata is a summer annual weed characterized by its freely branched, prostate stems that do not root at the nodes. Spotted spurge reproduces by seed and has a rapid growth rate, allowing it to establish quickly in a wide range of environments including landscape planting beds, turfgrass, container and field nurseries, and many other agricultural settings. This publication is intended for use by nursery and landscape professionals, home gardeners, landowners, Master Gardener Volunteers, Extension agents, and others to aid in the identification and management of spotted spurge in ornamental crop production and in landscapes.
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