We’re hosting a Lunch and Learn meeting for local row crop growers here in Santa Rosa County on Tuesday, July 7, 2026, at the Jay Community Center. The meeting runs from 11:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and focuses on two timely problems, the cotton jassid in cotton and mid-season peanut disease.

We’re bringing in two University of Florida specialists to address specific, timely issues growers are facing in their fields right now:

Cotton Jassid Management: Dr. Isaac Esquivel, a UF/IFAS crop entomologist, will cover the cotton jassid, a leafhopper that recently arrived in cotton crops and is new to most area growers. He will detail how to identify the pest, assess the damage it causes, and implement effective management strategies.

Peanut Disease Updates: Dr. Nick Dufault, a UF/IFAS peanut pathologist, will discuss mid-season peanut disease management, focusing on leaf spot and white mold. He will also provide practical guidance on keeping spray programs on track following this year’s dry April and wet May.

Folks are busy this time of year, so I wanted to keep this one short and useful. These are the things hitting cotton and peanut fields right now, and growers will hear it straight from the specialists.

Two pesticide Continuing Education Units (CEUs) have been applied for and are currently pending approval.

Event Details:

Date: Tuesday, July 7, 2026

Time: 11:00 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.

Location: Jay Community Center, Jay, Florida

RSVP: Lunch will be provided, so I need an accurate head count. Please RSVP to Bethany at (850) 857-2313 by Tuesday, June 30.

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