Futhi njengoba abathengi ezweni lonke bejabulela ucezu ngemva kocezu lwekhabe elipholile kuleli hlobo, bangabonga inethiwekhi ezinikele yabalimi baseFlorida kanye nososayensi beNyuvesi yaseFlorida ngalesi sidlo sezulu esifudumele.
IFlorida ingumkhiqizi ophezulu wekhabe ezweni, ngokutshala ngoMashi futhi ivunwe ngoMeyi noJuni. Kuma-ejenti amaningi e-UF/IFAS Extension ezolimo, lesi sikhathi sonyaka sisho ukuvakasha kwamasonto onke emasimini asendaweni yamakhabe, lapho bethola khona izimpawu zesifo, bahlonze izinambuzane futhi bahlole ubisi lwezitshalo ukuze baqiniseke ukuthi amazinga omsoco alungile.
“Ngamunye wethu unendawo yakhe yobungcweti futhi sincika komunye nomunye nabacwaningi bethu ukuze babone izinkinga ngaphambi kokuba zibe yinkinga engathinta yonke imboni,” kusho u-Bob Hochmuth, i-ejenti yesifunda ekhethekile Yokwandiswa kwemifino.
I-Watermelon itshalwa kulo lonke elaseFlorida, kodwa ngaphezu kwengxenye eyodwa kwezintathu ivela eSuwannee Valley, lapho uHochmuth engumsizi womqondisi wekhempasi yesifunda ye-UF/IFAS North Florida Research and Education Center.
Lapho inkinga iqala ukuvela, i-Hochmuth kanye namanye ama-Extension agents angu-11 esifundeni bavula isistimu yokuxwayisa eyazisa abalimi nabaphathi bamapulazi amakhabe acishe abe ngu-50 - kanye nezimboni eziningi ezihlangene - mayelana nosongo olungaba khona kanye nendlela yokulwa nalo.
"Sikhipha i-Watermelon Update njalo ngoMsombuluko, kodwa ngezinye izikhathi sizothumela imilayezo eminingi ngesonto lapho sesihlonze inkinga abalimi okudingeka bayilungise ngokushesha," kusho uHochmuth.
Ngesonto lika-May 10, enye inkinga enjalo yaphakamisa ikhanda layo: I-Gummy stem blight, isifo sokukhunta esithinta iziqu namaqabunga ezitshalo zamakhabe, satholakala emasimini amaningana endaweni.
"Lapho sinokuqubuka kwesifo esingase sibe khona, njenge-gummy stem blight, sithatha isinyathelo ngokushesha ukuze sinikeze abalimi ulwazi olungachemile, olusekelwe kwisayensi ngalesi sifo kanye nezindlela ezingcono kakhulu zokusilawula," kusho uHochmuth.
Uhlelo lokuxwayisa luyinhlanganisela yomgomo Wokunweba owumongo wokuxhumana nabantu ubuso nobuso, kanye namathuluzi okuxhumana asheshayo, esimanje, kusho abalimi.
"Abalimi bendawo yaseSuwannee River Valley Tri-County banenhlanhla enkulu yokuba nama-ejenti azimisele futhi akhuthele, okuthi, ngemizamo yabo yokubambisana, asebenze ngokuzikhandla ukuze asisize sithuthukise izindlela zethu zokulima," kusho uLaura Land, "kusho uLaura Land. yamapulazi eJody Land. ULand ungumongameli owedlule weFlorida Watermelon Association.
“Okwamanje bamatasatasa ngesibuyekezo samasonto onke sekhabe sesifunda sase-Tri-County esithunyelwa masonto onke ngendlela yombhalo kanye ne-imeyili kubo bonke abalimi baseSuwanee River Valley echaza futhi ixilonga izinambuzane nezifo ezitholakala isonto lonke, okusiza abalimi ukuthi uhlelo lokufutha olusebenzayo lokulwa nalesi sifo kanye nokufundisa ngamasampula encindi yeqabunga nokuqapha amanzi ukuze sisebenzise izincomo zikamanyolo ngokwamandla ethu,” kusho uLand.
Ngaphezu kolwazi lwezifo kanye nezinambuzane, ukubuyekezwa kwamasonto onke kuhlanganisa izindaba zakamuva mayelana nokhula, impova, isimo sezulu, ukuchelela, ukuphepha kokudla, izinsuku zensimu kanye namaphrojekthi ocwaningo aqhubekayo.
"Kulo nyaka odlule sikwazile nokwabelana ngezindlela ezingcono kakhulu zokugcina abasebenzi bezolimo bephephile ngesikhathi sodlame lwe-COVID-19," kusho uHochmuth.
Ngenkathi isibuyekezo samasonto onke sifika njenge-imeyili, ama-ejenti abuye alandele abalimi ngohlelo lwemiyalezo yombhalo, olubavumela ukuthi bafinyelele abalimi ngenkathi bephumile futhi behamba epulazini. Abalimi bangabuza imibuzo futhi bathumele izithombe, konke ngesikhathi sangempela. Ama-ejenti aphinde axhumanise abalimi nezinsizakalo zokuxilonga ngokushesha nge-UF/IFAS' Soil Testing Laboratory kanye neSikhungo Sokuxilonga Izimila.
Yonke le mizamo isiza abalimi bamakhabe ukuthi baqhube amabhizinisi abo kangcono, kusho uDoyle Williams, umongameli weDouble-W Farms eWorthington Springs.
“Ithimba le-UF/IFAS lisinikeza ulwazi olubalulekile ukuze sikwazi ukulima ngempumelelo isilimo sethu. Ukubuyekezwa kwamasonto onke nokuvakasha kwepulazi kokubili kubalulekile kithina ukuthi siphumelele ngangokunokwenzeka. Kubiza kakhulu ukusebenzisa isibhamu sokudubula, kodwa siyethemba futhi sincike ezimpendulweni ezifika ngesikhathi nezisheshayo zemibuzo yethu evela ku-IFAS,” kusho uWilliams.
Ku-Courtney Davis we-Gowan Seed Company, isibuyekezo samasonto onke sinikeza imininingwane ngezimboni zezolimo ezihlangene.
“Ngithola ukuthi isibuyekezo siwusizo ngoba singinika umbono kanye nesifinyezo salokho okwenzeka ngeNorth Florida lapho ngingakwazi ukuya khona masonto onke mina,” kusho uDavis. “Izibuyekezo azinikezi nje kuphela uhlaka lwezimo zaseNorth Florida kodwa nezincomo zezinkinga ohlangabezana nazo. Ngiyathanda ukuzwa ngenqubekelaphambili yezitshalo, noma yini okudingeka siyazi kanye nezixazululo zezinkinga zethu eziyizixazululo zomhlaba wangempela. ”
Eminyakeni embalwa edlule, ukusekelwa okuvela ku-Florida Watermelon Association kuye kwaba okubalulekile ekuqiniseni inethiwekhi yabachwepheshe be-Extension kanye nezimboni, kusho u-Hochmuth. Ngokwesibonelo, inhlangano isanda kuxhasa ukushicilelwa kwegayidi entsha yenkundla ye-pocket-size engasetshenziswa epulazini ukuhlonza izifo, izinambuzane nezinye izinkinga.
“Kuyo yonke iminyaka yami ne-Extension - iminyaka engu-40 - angikaze ngingene shí kunethiwekhi efana nalena. Kube mnandi kakhulu ukuba yingxenye,” kusho uHochmuth.