Category: Agriculture

Sustainable Silage Production: Nitrogen Reduction through Modern Ag Practices in the Suwannee Valley

by Sydney Williams
November 7, 2025

Silage Corn in North Florida In North Florida, silage corn is an essential crop for supporting the region’s dairy and livestock farms. It provides a high-energy, nutrient-dense feed that’s especially important for maintaining healthy, ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture,
Tags: Agriculture, Best Management Practices, NFREC-SV, Nitrogen Management, Nutrient Management Program, Shenandoah Dairy, Silage Corn, Suwannee Valley, SV Ag Update, Sydney Williams

Riverbend Farms: A Family Tradition Embracing Modern Agriculture

by Sydney Williams
September 29, 2025

A Family Rooted in Agriculture Nestled alongside the Suwannee River in Branford, Florida, Riverbend Farms spans nearly 200 acres that have been passed down through four generations, since 1865. Today, Kyle and Tera Kelley lead the operation, ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture,
Tags: Best Management Practices, Controlled Release Fertilizer, NFREC-SV, Nutrient Management Program, Suwannee Valley, SV Ag Update, Sydney Williams, Watermelon

Controlled-Release Fertilizer Enhances Nutrient-Use Efficiency in Suwannee Valley Snapbeans

by Sydney Williams
August 14, 2025

Snapbean Production in the Suwannee Valley  Snapbean is a key vegetable crop in the Suwannee Valley, with an estimated 3,000 acres grown in the spring season, and another 2,000 acres grown in the fall each year. This is a short-season legume ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture
Tags: Best Management Practices, Controlled Release Fertilizer, NFREC-SV, Nutrient Management Program, Snap Bean, Suwannee Valley, Sydney Williams

Nitrogen Reduction in Sweet Corn: On-Farm Successes with One of the Suwannee Valley Region’s Leading Producers

by Sydney Williams
August 4, 2025

In recent years, sweet corn production has gained momentum in the Suwannee Valley and Gilchrist County, as rising costs in South Florida have pushed growers north and local producers look to diversify beyond traditional staple crops such as ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture,
Tags: Agriculture, Best Management Practices, Controlled Release Fertilizer, Corn, NFREC-SV, Nutrient Management Program, Sydney Williams
UF/IFAS Photo: Thomas Wright.

Whitehurst Cattle Company: A Model for BMP Success in Florida Agriculture

by Sydney Williams
July 23, 2025

Whitehurst Cattle Company is a legacy in Florida agriculture. Established in the 1920s, this fourth-generation family farm stretches across more than 16,000 acres in Levy, Alachua, and Marion counties. With Adam Whitehurst actively involved ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture,
Tags: Agriculture, Best Management Practices, Controlled Release Fertilizer, Irrigation Automation, NFREC-SV, Nutrient Efficiency, Nutrient Management Program, SV Ag Update, Sydney Williams, Watermelon

Rooted in Efficiency: 2025 Controlled-Release Fertilizer Trial Shows Promise in Suwannee Valley Carrot Production

by Sydney Williams
July 17, 2025

In recent years, carrots have taken root in the Suwannee Valley as a promising winter crop, with acreage steadily rising as the nation’s growers look for alternatives to traditional production regions, like California. With roughly 5,500 acres ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture
Tags: Best Management Practices, Carrots, Controlled Release Fertilizer, NFREC-SV, Nutrient Management Program, Suwannee Valley, SV Ag Update, Sydney Williams
fertilizer

Enhanced efficiency fertilizers: Boosting crop production, mitigating environmental impact

by Megan Winslow
May 29, 2025

Applying fertilizer requires a careful balancing act between using too little -- which can be insufficient to support plant growth -- and applying too much, which wastes money and can hurt the environment. (more…) READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Research
Tags: Acidification, Agricultural, Agriculture, Controlled Release Fertilizer, Conventional Fertilizer, CRF, Crop Yields, Cropping Systems, Crops, Data, EEF, Enhanced Efficiency Fertilizers, Environment, Environmental, Environmental Impact, Environmental Risk, Fertilization, Fertilizer, Grower, Guide, Hardeep Singh, IFAS, Institute Of Food And Agricultural Sciences, Journal Of Plant Nutrition And Soil Science, Labor Costs, Megan Winslow, Nitrous Oxide, NMP, Nutrient Efficiency, Nutrient Leaching, Nutrient Management Program, Nutrient-use Efficiency, Nutrients, Plant, Rate, Research, Researchers, Review, Slow-release Fertilizer, Soil, SRF, Tool, UF, UF/IFAS, University Of Florida, Yield
Garrett Beach and Tyler Pittman

Automating irrigation of Suwannee Valley crop saved more than 164 million gallons of water in 2024

by Megan Winslow
May 19, 2025

May is peak watermelon season in North Florida, and farmers are busy tending to their crops as they anticipate harvesting around Memorial Day. Rather than painstakingly twisting water valves, however, an ever-growing number are relying on automated ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Conservation, Crops, Farm Management, UF/IFAS Extension, Water
Tags: FDACS, Florida Department Of Agriculture And Consumer Services, Gilchrist County, IFAS, Institute Of Food And Agricultural Sciences, Irrigation, Office Of Agricultural Water Policy, Suwannee County, Suwannee River Water Management District, SV Ag Update, Tyler Pittman, UF, UF/IFAS, University Of Florida, Watermelon

On-Farm Application of Best Management Practices: 4Rs Principle of Nitrogen Management in Corn and Cover Cropping

by Sydney Williams
April 11, 2025

In North-Central Florida, a collaborative five-year project (2021-2025) between local farms and a University of Florida Extension team is investigating the impacts of Best Management Practices (BMPs) on corn production. Sponsored by the Florida ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Crops, UF/IFAS Extension
Tags: 4R, Best Management Practices, Corn, Fertigation, Fertilizer, NFREC-SV, North Florida REC, Nutrient Management Program, Shivendra Kumar, Suwannee Valley, SV Ag Update, Sydney Williams

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