Monday, January 25, 2010

8:45 a.m.         Pick-up conference attendees at Doubletree Hotel

                        Drive to University of Florida Gulf Coast Research & Education Center (GCREC)

9:45 a.m.         Welcome presentation – EMCO CAL

10:00 a.m.       Dr. Craig Chandler

                     “UF strawberry breeding program: past, present, and future”

 10:30 a.m.      Dr. Vance Whitaker  

                         "New Advances in Strawberry Breeding at the University of Florida"

11:00-11:25     Coffee Break

11:30 a.m.       Dr. Bielinski Santos

                     "Crop Management Practices to improve performance and reduce production costs of strawberries in Florida"

12:00 noon      Dr. James Price

                     "Current Traditional and Biological Methods to Control Insects and Mites"                                 

12:30 p.m.       Lunch

            Speaker: Marvin Brown, BBI Produce

1:30 p.m.         Visit to GCREC research plots – Dr. Chandler, Dr. Whitaker & Dr. Santos

3:30 p.m.         Depart GCREC for hotel

6:00 p.m.         Starship Dinner Cruise (by advance reservation)   

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

8:00 a.m.         Depart hotel for Field Visits

View harvest, packing,  and coldstorage facilities

Production of Festival, Winter Dawn and Fortuna (Radiance)

11:30 a.m.       BBQ Lunch

1:30 p.m.         Field Visit

Return to CGREC for Presentations

3:00 p.m.         Dr. Kevin Folta

                     "The Strawberry Genome- Holding the Secret to Better Berries"

3:30 p.m.         Roy Ekland

                     “Adaptation of UF strawberry varieties throughout the world”

4:00 p.m.         Dr. Natalia Peres 

                     “Botrytis Fruit Rot and Anthracnose Fruit Rot”

4:30 p.m.         Return to Doubletree Hotel

                        Free evening

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

9:00 a.m.         Depart Doubletree Hotel for morning Field Visit

11:30 a.m.       Visit to Florida Strawberry Growers Association

Presentation by Ted Campbell, Director, Florida Strawberry Growers Association (FSGA)

12:00 p.m.       BBQ lunch, hosted by FSGA

1:30 p.m.         Dr. Joseph Noling 

                     “Alternatives to Methyl Bromide/Sting Nematode Management”

3:00 p.m.         Return to Doubletree Hotel

5:00 p.m.         Farewell Reception at Doubletree Hotel

7:00 p.m.         Dinner on your own

Thursday, January 28, 2010 – Optional Tourism

7:30 a.m.         Travel to Disney World

8:00 p.m.         Depart Disney World, return to Doubletree