Georgia’s Vidalia onion producers should mark their calendars for the annual production meeting, scheduled for Wednesday, Sept. 6. The meeting will take place from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and be held at the University of Georgia (UGA) Vidalia Onion and Vegetable Research Center. Attendees will receive updates on disease management, storage trials, flavor research and fertility trials. Anyone with …
Georgia’s Summer Weather: Mostly Wetter and Hotter
By Clint Thompson Summer is winding down across the Southeast. Georgia’s specialty crop producers will remember this year to be a mostly wet and hot summer, though, those conditions vary throughout the state. The increased rainfall caused tremendous scab pressure in some pecan orchards. The heat also reduced potential harvests for some of the watermelons produced. Pam Knox, University of …
Georgia Pecan Referendum Passes
By Clint Thompson The approved referendum for the Georgia Pecan Commission will help further the state’s status as a leader in pecan production. Lenny Wells, University of Georgia Extension pecan specialist, explains why the referendum passing at 82.7% is a win for Georgia’s industry. “The pecan industry, compared to most other crops, we are still in the dark ages as …
Fungal Pathogen Impacting Primarily Stuart Pecan Variety
By Clint Thompson University of Georgia (UGA) Extension pecan specialist Lenny Wells cautions growers about a fungal pathogen that primarily affects Stuart varieties. Wells noted in the UGA Extension Pecan Blog about leaf drop that is associated with a dying or browning of the terminal leaflets of compound leaves which progresses backward toward the base of the leaf. It eventually …
Senators Warnock, Tillis Introduce Legislation to Support Georgia Specialty Crop Farmers by Strengthening the Federal Safety Net
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senators Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA) and Thom Tillis (R-NC) introduced the Protecting America’s Orchardists and Nursery Tree Growers Act, which would reform the Tree Assistance Program (TAP), a critical farm safety net program. The legislation would expand eligibility for TAP by lowering the mortality threshold and allowing farmers to use TAP funding to replant alternative breeds of trees or bushes. In a June Agriculture committee hearing, …
Whitefly Populations Remain Low
By Clint Thompson Whitefly populations remain low across the Southeast. Fall vegetable growers have the Christmas freeze event last December to thank for that, believes Stormy Sparks, University of Georgia (UGA) Extension vegetable entomologist. “I think that’s a lot of it. We’ve had some wet weather, too, but I think that’s a lot of it. It knocked them way back. …
Biggest Need for Georgia Citrus is Research
The Georgia Citrus Commission members have been selected to serve the state’s up-and-coming industry. Now it is time for those five individuals to determine the pathway for the industry to be successful for the foreseeable future. Commission member Lindy Savelle believes research is the key component in advancing the state’s citrus industry. She said that is why the Georgia Citrus …
Chlorpyrifos Clarification: Insecticide Can Be Applied to Non-Bearing Peach Trees
By Clint Thompson Chlorpyrifos can legally be used to manage peachtree borers in late variety orchards that are not being harvested or were harvested early. Brett Blaauw, assistant professor at the University of Georgia (UGA) College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, confirmed the news in the UGA Extension Peach Blog. “As long as they don’t expect to harvest fruits within …
Members Appointed to Georgia Citrus Commission
By Clint Thompson Georgia’s newly established Agricultural Commodity Commission for Citrus Fruits, known as the Georgia Citrus Commission, has its five members that are tasked with steering the course of the state’s citrus industry. The Commodity Commission Ex Officio Committee appointed the following members to the Georgia Citrus Commission: Each commission member has a minimum of 5 acres of citrus …
Fungicide Resistance Testing Available for Georgia Grape Producers
By Clint Thompson Georgia grape producers should be aware that the University of Georgia has resources to test for fungicide resistance of multiple pathogens in wine grapes. These pathogens include powdery mildew, downy mildew, ripe rot and Botrytis. But only in certain instances should growers send samples to the Plant Molecular Diagnostic Lab in Tifton, Georgia. Phil Brannen, University of …