Georgia Department of Agriculture Issues Stop Sale Order on Midash Forte Insecticide

Clint ThompsonGeorgia

Atlanta, Ga – Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Tyler Harper announced on Tuesday that the Georgia Department of Agriculture Agricultural Inputs Division has issued a “Stop Sale” Order on Midash Forte Insecticide (EPA Reg. No.83529-6) manufactured for Sharda USA, LLC. Lab test results indicate Batch TX433 is contaminated with herbicides and could potentially cause crop damage. Midash Forte is a commonly used …

Attacking Anthracnose: UGA’s Dutta Highlights Research in Watermelon Disease

Clint ThompsonGeorgia, Watermelon

By Clint Thompson University of Georgia (UGA) research aimed at managing anthracnose disease in watermelons continues on the Tifton Campus. Project director Bhabesh Dutta, University of Georgia Extension vegetable plant pathologist, outlined various aspects of the grant during a recent Extension agent training. Dutta emphasized the importance of trying to reduce the disease’s impact from all angles. “We’re trying to …

‘Real Excitement’ Surrounds Potential Pecan Relationship with India

Clint ThompsonGeorgia, Pecan

By Clint Thompson A trade mission to India in April highlighting pecans was successful. But more education is needed to make exporting pecans to India a reality and not just a dream. Justin Jones, Georgia pecan grower, chairman of industry relations for the American Pecan Council and co-owner of brand Zorro Pecans, attended the trip and talked about the educational …

Mini Melon Harvests Underway in Georgia

Clint ThompsonGeorgia, Watermelon

By Clint Thompson Watermelon harvests are underway in Georgia. It’s not the big, seedless melons, which are still a few days away. Mini melons were being harvested last week. Jaime Patrick, Patrick Family Farms in Omega, Georgia, said his mini melons were being harvested, starting on Thursday, June 6. “We’ll do 15 buses a day, something like that. It isn’t …

GFVGA Joins Lawsuit Against DOL

Clint ThompsonGeorgia

The Georgia Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association (GFVGA) has joined a coalition of producers and state attorneys general to file a lawsuit against the Department of Labor (DOL), challenging new rules proposed for the H-2A program. These new “Worker Protection Rules” are slated to go into effect in late June and will continue to make the H-2A process prohibitively expensive …

Hot and Dry: Weather Conditions Favorable for Buildup of Whiteflies, Spider Mites

Clint ThompsonGeorgia, Pests

By Clint Thompson The current hot and dry weather conditions have one University of Georgia (UGA) entomologist concerned that whitefly and spider mite pressure will soon intensify in vegetable crops. Stormy Sparks, UGA Cooperative Extension vegetable entomologist, talked about both insects during a vegetable training with Extension agents last week. “Right now, we’re worried about whiteflies building up. They’re very, …

Georgia Citrus Growers Pass Commodity Commission Market Order

Clint ThompsonCitrus, Georgia

Atlanta, Ga – Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Tyler Harper announced on Friday that Georgia citrus growers voted overwhelmingly in favor of the marketing order proposed by the Georgia Citrus Commodity Commission. Established in 2023 to support Georgia’s burgeoning citrus industry, the Citrus Commodity Commission will collect a two-tenths-of-cent-per-pound assessment on marketed Georgia citrus. It will be used to fund research, education …

USTR, USDA Announce Appointments to Advisory Committee

Clint ThompsonFlorida, Georgia, USDA

WASHINGTON – The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) have announced appointments to the newly established Seasonal and Perishable Agricultural Products Advisory Committee.  Members from Georgia and Florida were selected to the committee, including Chris Butts, executive director of the Georgia Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association and Mike Joyner, president of …

Couple of Weeks Away: Georgia Melon Producers Eyeing Mid-June Harvests

Clint ThompsonGeorgia, Watermelon

By Clint Thompson Georgia’s watermelon harvests are still a couple of weeks away, according to one industry expert. The fact that this year’s crop is not slated to be picked until mid-to-late June is on par with what growers have experienced in recent years, says Ty Torrance, University of Georgia Cooperative Extension vegetable agent for Colquitt, Tift and Worth counties. …

Thrips Pressure: Insect Pest a Problem for Peach Producers in Southeast

Clint ThompsonGeorgia, Peaches

By Clint Thompson A tiny pest is wreaking havoc in some Southeast peach orchards this year. Thrips’ impact is unsettling since management options are limited, explains Brett Blaauw, assistant professor at the University of Georgia (UGA) College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. “We do not have a lot of options for thrips. There is a couple of relatively good materials, …