By Clint Thompson
Fruit and vegetable producers like weather conditions to be dry, so they can be the ones applying water.
The current conditions impacting Southeast Alabama are preferred by growers who want to avoid disease buildup.
“Honestly, in the fruit and vegetable world, we supply 90% of the crop’s need through irrigation, probably; if not close to 100%. We don’t rely on the rain as heavily as everybody else. The hot, dry times of the year help us with diseases and things like that. Disease pressure is not as high during drier times,” said Neil Kelly, Alabama regional Extension agent in Southeast Alabama.
According to the latest release of the U.S. Drought Monitor, the southeastern corner of Alabama is abnormally dry, including Houston, Geneva, Covington, Coffee, Dale and Henry counties.
Specialty crops are being harvested and planted this time of year.
“As far as harvests, we’re in the middle of strawberry season. Fresh strawberries are ready to be harvested,” Kelly said. “Outside of that, as far as crops planted, most everything we have are being planted in the ground now. Our tomatoes are in the ground. Our melons are going in the ground; cantaloupes, cucurbits are in the ground. Squash is in the ground.
“Everything is pretty much in the ground and going now. All of our summer produce is in the ground. We’re actually off to a pretty good start. Everything looks promising right now.”