Increased food consumption at home amid COVID-19 means potentially more sales of fresh fruits and vegetables for Alabama producers, says Wendiam Sawadgo, Alabama Extension economist. “There was about a 50% increase in consumption at home in (last) March compared to before the pandemic. That sort of tapered off a little bit. But it’s still much higher than it was before,” …
Ant Control: Alabama Extension Encourages Farmers to Protect Crop
Vegetable crops are vulnerable to ant pressure this time of year. Alabama Extension encourages vegetable producers to implement management tactics as they begin planting this year’s crops. According to Alabama Extension, fire ants can protect aphids and other honeydew producers on vegetables, which makes their effects worse on the plants. Fire ants can also interfere with natural enemies. Ultimately, though, …
Protecting Your Investment: Trap Cropping a Unique Insect Management Strategy
Trap cropping is an insect management strategy that saves farmers time and money and protects the ecosystem, specifically beneficial insects, from overuse of pesticides. For example, using sorghum in a field alongside tomatoes protects the tomato crop from leaf-footed bugs. It’s a unique tactic of sacrificing one crop for the safety and protection of the money-making crop, says Ayanava Majumdar, …
Good Read: Vegetable Crop Handbook Important for Alabama Producers
Alabama Extension encourages its producers to utilize the 2021 Southeastern U.S. Vegetable Crop Handbook during this year’s production season. Not only does it provide expertise from specialists from 12 land-grant universities, including Auburn University, it provides information pertaining to various disciplines. These include entomology, agricultural engineering, vegetable production, soil science, plant pathology, postharvest physiology and weed science. Four Alabama Extension …
H.E.M.P. Webinars: Alabama Extension Offering Hemp Production Education
Alabama Extension is ensuring hemp producers have all the relevant data throughout the season in hopes they’ll experience a more profitable season in 2021. The Alabama Extension H.E.M.P. (Hemp Education and Management Program) webinar series is a one-hour webinar held twice monthly. It provides information on various topics pertaining to hemp production. The next meeting will be held Wednesday at …
QLA Deadline: Pecan Producers Reminded of April 9 Date
Pecan producers still recovering from Hurricane Michael have three weeks to apply for the Quality Loss Adjustment (QLA) Program. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s decision to extend the deadline from March 5 to April 9 allows farmers extra time to apply for a program that is assisting producers who suffered crop quality losses due to qualifying natural disasters in the …
Record Keeping: Producers Encouraged to Keep Track of Crops’ Productivity
Proper record keeping is a management practice that all farmers need to be utilizing. It can save producers time and money when deciding what to grow for the upcoming season. Jessie Boswell, Alabama Regional Extension agent, believes producers will benefit financially if they keep annual records of how productive their crops are. This is especially true for growers who produce …
What to Grow? Tomato Variety Selection Important Decision for Producers
The most important decision farmers can make when growing tomatoes in Alabama is variety selection. Joe Kemble, Alabama Extension vegetable specialist, insists that growers understand what varieties grow well in Alabama before they plant this spring. “Easily the most important decision you can make is picking which varieties to grow. You can buy local transplants. It’s always great when you …
Chilling Out: Early Alabama Peach Varieties Look Good Following Freeze Event
Chilling hours is not a concern for Alabama peach producers for the upcoming season. Potential damage from freezing temperatures is, however, something that may impact this year’s crop, according to Elina Coneva, Extension specialist in the Horticulture Department at Auburn University. “Feb. 15 was an important day for all fruit growers in the state. There were two things that were …
Flash Drought: Potentially Devastating to Crops
Parts of the Southeast have experienced excessive rainfall this year. But periods of prolonged dry spells could be just around the corner and be detrimental to the growth of vegetables and specialty crops. What is really concerning to Pam Knox, University of Georgia Extension Agricultural Climatologist, are those flash droughts. She spoke about the impact flash droughts can have on …