Vidalia onion producers and industry leaders should mark their calendars for next month’s Vidalia Onion Update, scheduled for Thursday, Aug. 20, at the Vidalia Onion and Vegetable Research Center in Lyons, Georgia. The event will start at 10 a.m. and conclude at noon. The agenda for the event will include talks on variety evaluation, disease management, a precision agriculture update …
Specialty Crop Grower Magazine: Technology Conference Takes Glimpse Into the Future
By Clint Thompson Artificial intelligence (AI) continues to enhance the agricultural landscape. How specialty crop producers farm today may look different from how they farm five years from now. The potential future of specialty crop production in the Southeast was on display during the Southeastern Specialty Crop Technology Conference & Show in Tifton, Georgia, in early May. Ag companies and …
North Georgia Farmer Discusses Pumpkin Production in Southeast
By Clint Thompson Pumpkin production season is officially under way in North Georgia. Producer Drew Echols, owner of Jaemor Farms in Alto, Georgia, has about 130 acres this year. He talked about his pumpkin crop in an interview with AgNet Media. “Most everything’s been in the ground about two weeks, and they’re up about 10 inches tall already,” Echols said. …
Whiteflies Showing Up Sooner Than Expected
By Clint Thompson One familiar insect pest is starting to rear its ugly head this summer. Unfortunately, its arrival is earlier than expected. But that’s the grim scenario facing vegetable farmers preparing for their fall crops. Stormy Sparks, University of Georgia (UGA) Extension vegetable entomologist, said whiteflies have started showing up in cotton, according to conversations he has had with …
Drought Monitor Update
The July 16 release of the U.S. Drought Monitor shows lingering drought conditions in the southern and northern areas of Georgia, sufficient moisture throughout most of Alabama and extreme conditions in North Florida and down the state’s west coast. Alabama The driest areas in Alabama are located in the northern parts of the state. Moderate drought is observed in Northwest …
Bumper Satsuma Crop Expected in Cold-Hardy Citrus Region in 2026
By Clint Thompson This year’s satsuma mandarin crop in the cold-hardy citrus region is expected to be an abundant one; bumper even, according to Lindy Savelle, citrus producer and executive director of the Georgia Citrus Association. “We’re going to have another 2024. Bumper. It’s going to be a lot,” Savelle said. “But I’m excited. You know, we’re trying to do …
Anthracnose Development a Concern for Southeast Pecan Producers
By Clint Thompson Scab is not the only disease impacting pecan orchards in the Southeast this summer. According to Lenny Wells, University of Georgia Extension pecan specialist, anthracnose has been observed on some pecan leaves this year. “We’ve had a few calls on that this year and did get confirmed in the diagnostic lab that it was anthracnose because there’s …
Cost-Saving Tactic: Pecan Producers May Delay Fertilizer Applications
By Clint Thompson Lenny Wells, University of Georgia Extension pecan specialist, reminds pecan producers that fertilizer applications are necessary but can be delayed. Wells noted in the UGA Extension Pecan Blog that growers who consider making a second nitrogen application, that process can be done anytime from now through August. The second application will be mostly helping the tree for …
Weather Forecast: El Niño Development Leads to Reduction in Expected Tropical Systems
By Clint Thompson What was already projected to be a quiet tropical season may be a little quieter based on the latest projections from Colorado State University. CSU is predicting nine named storms, four hurricanes and one major hurricane with winds topping 111 miles per hour. The 1991-2020 average is 14 named storms, seven hurricanes and three major hurricanes. CSU’s …
Corteva’s Transform Insecticide an Effective Option Against Jassid
By Clint Thompson The cotton jassid’s impact on certain vegetable crops means Southeast growers need a management plan. Corteva’s Transform® WG Insecticide is that tool growers can count on, says Jared Walls, Corteva Technical Field Agronomist in Georgia, who also covers Alabama and Florida. “The good news is Transform is currently labeled on many of those specialty crops. When you …



















