With hemp harvest beginning across the Southeast, predictions are already being made about what next year’s crop might look like. One Extension economist believes there will not be an acreage increase in 2021. Auburn University Assistant Professor and Extension economist Adam Rabinowitz does not expect acres in the Southeast to increase until the market shows significant recovery. “I don’t think …
Cold Outbreak at End of October Could End Growing Season in Northern Alabama, Georgia
According to Pam Knox, University of Georgia agricultural climatologist, in her UGA Extension blog, the forecasts are starting to show a strong cold front passing through the Southeast at the end of October. This will usher in a period of much colder air which could include frost across northern Alabama and Georgia as well as western parts of the Carolinas …
Supergene in Fire Ants May Lead to Understanding of Developmental Behaviors
By Sean Montgomery for UGA CAES News A unique study conducted by University of Georgia entomologists led to the discovery of a distinctive supergene in fire ant colonies that determines whether young queen ants will leave their birth colony to start their own new colony or if they will join one with multiple queens. Researchers also found that ants were …
Spray Program Top Factor When Considering What Pecan Varieties to Plant
Pecan producers will soon be planting trees throughout the Southeast. But first, growers must decide what variety they’re going to plant. Scab susceptibility is the No. 1 factor that should influence what variety producers plant this year, according to Shane Curry, University of Georgia Appling County Extension Agriculture and Natural Resources agent. If growers are going to plant a variety …
NASS: Georgia Pecan Producers Forecast Big Production Gain in 2020
According to Georgia Farm Bureau, Georgia pecan corn, hay, peanut, oat and wheat producers are set to harvest significantly larger crops in 2020 than they did in 2019, according to the October Crop Production Report from the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service. NASS forecast Georgia pecan production in 2020 at 125 million pounds, an increase of 71% from 2019. If …
Vidalia Onion Producers Wary of Center Rot
It’s never too early for Vidalia onion growers to start thinking about bacterial diseases that are problematic this time of year; especially Center Rot. While Southeast Georgia is the perfect environment for onion production, it also presents different challenges for onion producers. There are many plant diseases that can impact production. According to a UGA Extension publication, during this time …
Weather Could be Decisive Factor in South Georgia Farmer’s Fall Vegetable Crop
Weather has wreaked havoc on one South Georgia farmer’s fall vegetable production. Sam Watson, managing partner of Chill C Farms in Colquitt County, Georgia, said his crop has not progressed as far along as it should have by this point in the growing season. He’s concerned a potential frost could derail his plans for a productive fall season. “We’re Oct. …
GFVGA Members Participate in Virtual March on Washington
By Chris Butts, GFVGA Legislative Affairs Georgia Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association (GFVGA) board members and staff recently participated in United Fresh’s Virtual Washington Conference. With travel still limited and much of Washington remaining shut down because of COVID-19, produce industry representatives from across the country gathered virtually on Sept. 21-25 to advocate for fruit and vegetable growers on issues …
Pecan Prices Better Than Originally Expected?
Southeast pecan farmers should be encouraged by market prices as harvest season gets under way across the region. According to Lenny Wells, University of Georgia Cooperative Extension pecan specialist, prices for Pawnee varieties are up from what was originally projected, as are Stuarts. Plus, there is renewed buying interest from China, which has traditionally been the biggest buyer of U.S. …
Oak Root Rot Biggest Threat to Peach Industry
The most dangerous threat to the peach industry in the Southeast is Oak Root Rot, a soil-borne fungus that can wipe out peach trees, according to Edgar Vinson, Alabama Extension Professor of Horticulture. Oak Root Rot or Armillaria Root Rot, causes stunted leaves, yellow defoliation, chlorotic leaves, death of branches and, ultimately, death of the tree. Unfortunately for peach producers, …