In an email, Gary England, UF/IFAS Extension Agent IV Emeritus, cautions Floridians about potential frost that could linger in some areas throughout the week. Lows in South Georgia and along the I-10 Corridor are expected to bottom out in the low-to-mid 30s tonight and mid-to-upper 30s in the Hastings area and further south. “NWS/JAX is including patchy frost as Tuesday …
December 2020 Final Outlook Shows No Strong Trend
According to the UGA Extension Climate and Agriculture blog, the NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center released the latest 30-day climate outlook on Monday. It shows that there is no strong trend towards warmer or colder conditions in December except in southern Florida. Early December will be colder than normal. It is still expected to be warmer than normal in late December. …
Freeze Warning Tonight for Parts of Florida
University of Florida/IFAS is warning its vegetable and specialty crop growers of low temperatures expected tonight in some parts of the state. In an email sent by Gary England, UF/IFAS Extension Agent IV Emeritus, he reminds growers that the National Weather Service has issued free warnings for all north Florida locations west of the St. Johns River tonight. The warning …
UF Still Calculating Damages Following Eta
The University of Florida Food and Resource Economics Department estimates between $85 million and $320 million in agricultural losses and damages stemming from Tropical Storm Eta. Christa Court, assistant professor of regional economics, said the storm’s timing was significant since it impacted Florida’s vegetable crops two weeks before Thanksgiving. “I know that we grow a lot of the vegetables and …
La Nina a Concern for Fruit, Vegetable Producers
A La Nina weather pattern is expected to last through early spring and bring warm and dry conditions to the Southeast. According to the Climate and Agriculture in the Southeast blog, Pam Knox, University of Georgia Extension Agricultural Climatologist, said that the NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center predicts a 100% chance of a La Nina through the winter and better than …
Eta Impacts Florida’s Sugar Industry
The sugarcane industry in Florida was impacted by Hurricane-turned-Tropical Storm Eta last week. Farmers like Keith Wedgworth in Belle Glade, Florida continue to feel the effects of the rain-driven storm. As of earlier this week, Wedgworth still couldn’t get into fields to harvest his crop following Eta, which made landfall on the heels of an already wet fall. “We were …
Plethora of Plant Diseases Following Rainy Season for Alabama Producers
A wet 2020 has had Alabama vegetable and specialty crop producers fending off plant diseases. Even before the state encountered a couple of hurricanes, including Sally in mid-September and Zeta in late October, it had already received its share of rainfall. Not surprisingly, the excess moisture led to numerous plant diseases, according to Ed Sikora, professor and Extension plant pathologist …
Hurricane Eta Soaks Already Saturated South Florida
An already saturated South Florida was inundated with rainfall from Hurricane Eta this week. The result were fruit that were either lost or will suffer from expected disease pressure, according to Gene McAvoy, University of Florida Regional Vegetable Extension Agent IV Emeritus. “We did have quite a lot of rain. We didn’t really need it. I’m sure we’ll see more …
Alabama Pecan Producer Still Picking up Pieces Following Hurricane Sally
Hurricanes wreaked havoc on agricultural production this summer and fall. Unfortunately, pecan producers were not immune to nature’s fury. Just ask Alabama farmer Adam Bertolla. He lost ¾ of this year’s crop as a result of Hurricane Sally in mid-September. He also lost 250 trees or a third of his pecan operation. “It killed me, because I lost over a …
Following Eta, Florida Farmer: Squash is Melting on the Plant
An already challenging year for Florida vegetable farmer Sam Accursio was made worse this week following the impact of Hurricane Eta on his squash crop; hundreds of acres but no production following heavy rainfall and strong winds. “The heaviest impact is going to be to our squash crop. The beans, they were hanging on the plant and they’re up off …