By Clint Thompson The impact from a pair of devastating hurricanes that wiped out pecan production in two Alabama counties last year is still being felt today. Bryan Wilkins, Alabama Extension Research Associate, discusses what percentage of this year’s pecan crop should be expected in Baldwin and Mobile counties. “Baldwin and Mobile counties are pretty slack. Sally hit a year …
Moisture Available for Alabama Strawberry Growers Preparing to Plant Upcoming Crop
By Clint Thompson Excessive rainfall this summer has provided much-needed moisture for North Alabama strawberry producers preparing to plant this year’s crop, says Eric Schavey, Regional Extension agent in Northeast Alabama. “We’ve got some good moisture now for working ground up and getting ready to lay plastic for strawberries. We’re kind of liking that,” said Schavey, who’s responsible for Blount …
Wet Weather: Central Alabama Having Increased Plant Disease Pressure
By Clint Thompson Like other areas in the Southeast, central Alabama was not immune to the impact felt from a saturated summer. According to David Lawrence, regional Extension agent for commercial horticulture in middle Alabama, the wet weather led to disease issues in multiple crops. “We saw a lot of bacterial spot on peaches this year, a lot more than …
Southeast Regional Fruit and Vegetable Conference Returning to In-Person Format
By Clint Thompson It is never too early to start thinking about the upcoming Southeast Regional Fruit and Vegetable Conference, scheduled for Jan. 6-9, 2022, in Savannah, Georgia; especially since it will be an in-person event next year. The annual meeting was held virtually this past January due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. However, Charles Hall, executive director of the …
Flooding Impact Contaminated Produce Should be Discarded
By Clint Thompson Hurricane Ida’s recent devastation in parts of Louisiana and the Southeast should remind vegetable and specialty crop producers about the danger of flood waters. Especially as growers produce their fall crops, the produce is in danger of becoming contaminated during a major storm or even hurricane, like Ida, says Kristin Woods, Alabama Regional Extension agent, who specializes …
Downy Mildew Alert: Alabama Pumpkin Growers Be Wary of Disease
By Clint Thompson Increased rainfall this summer has one Alabama plant pathologist concerned about downy mildew disease on the state’s pumpkin crop. Ed Sikora, professor and Extension plant pathologist in the Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology at Auburn University, says growers need to be wary of the disease since the weather is conducive to its development. “I would say …
Pecan Producers Optimistic with Potential for Price Increase
By Clint Thompson Pecan harvest season is upon us here in the Southeast. While projections are that this year’s crop will be substantially less than last year’s, growers are optimistic, especially with the potential for increased prices, said Lenny Wells, University of Georgia Extension pecan specialist. “Those that have a crop, which is mostly growers with young trees, and we’ve …
Chlopyrifos Ban to Impact Onion, Sweet Potato Farmers
By Clint Thompson The Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) recent decision to ban the use of the pesticide chlorpyrifos on all food means onion and sweet potato producers will need to find alternatives in six months. While those options exist, they are not nearly as effective. “There’s a reason all the growers use chlorpyrifos,” said Stormy Sparks, University of Georgia Cooperative …
Alabama Trying to Contain Citrus Canker
By Clint Thompson How citrus canker arrived in Alabama is still in question. What is certain is it is an issue the Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries is determined to contain before it becomes a major problem, says Kassie Conner, director of the Auburn University Plant Diagnostic Lab during a recent webinar on the Alabama Extension Commercial Horticulture Facebook …
Labor Crisis: Farmers Continue to Struggle to Find Workforce
By Clint Thompson The top two issues that vegetable and specialty crop workers encounter are trade and labor. The impact of imports on domestic farmers doesn’t seem to be going away anytime soon. Neither do concerns over having an adequate number of workers on the farm every year, according to Florida Fruit and Vegetable Association (FFVA) President Mike Joyner. “During …