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By Clint Thompson High wind speeds were prevalent when Hurricane Debby passed through the North Florida region last week. Perry, Florida, received the brunt of those winds. According to Lisa Strange, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Extension agent in Taylor County, wind speeds were recorded at 80 miles per hour. It led to some citrus trees …
By Clint Thompson There’s already a substantial amount of Christmas tree production in Alabama. But considering how many homes are filled with artificial trees every year, there’s substantial room for growth, believes Jeremy Pickens, Alabama assistant Extension professor in horticulture at Auburn University. Pickens continues to advocate for new plantings for producers who are looking to add to their specialty …
By Clint Thompson The environmental conditions are ripe for whitefly buildup in the Southeast. They’ll continue to be if excessive rainfall remains absent for prolonged periods of time, believes Stormy Sparks, University of Georgia (UGA) Extension vegetable entomologist. “It depends on what happens with the weather, if we go hot and dry. We started building considerably recently. If it goes …
By Clint Thompson Last week it was Hurricane Debby. Ernesto has developed in the Atlantic Ocean, though it’s forecast to move northward and avoid the Southeast. What’s next? According to Pam Knox, University of Georgia Extension agricultural climatologist, she would not be surprised if additional storms start developing in the Atlantic Ocean, especially considering how warm the ocean water is. …
By Frank Giles One of the missions of land grant universities is helping farmers to learn better ways to produce their crops. But another is seeking alternative crops, which might help growers to diversify their business operations. Some alternative crops work; others don’t. Research efforts might pay off when a crop catches on. A recent of example of this is …
By Clint Thompson Hurricane Debby’s impact on Georgia’s pecan crop was not as severe as Idalia was the prior year. But it still affected trees with its high wind speeds and excessive rainfall, says Lenny Wells, University of Georgia (UGA) Extension pecan specialist. “That southern tier, starting around Lowndes County, Brooks, in there was hit pretty bad. Some of the …
By Clint Thompson Florida blueberry producers will soon have a couple of new cultivar options to consider for future seasons. University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) blueberry breeder Patricio Munoz confirmed that two new cultivars will soon be available. These include “Falcon” or FL17-141 and FL19-006. He highlighted Falcon first. “It’s very high yield and highly …
By Frank Giles Technology applications in agriculture have blossomed in recent years. In irrigation, moisture sensors, weather stations and system control software are making applications much more efficient and well timed. From Citrus to Sweet Corn Several smartphone applications have been developed that can allow specialty crop growers to up their irrigation game. The University of Florida Institute of Food …
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced changes last week to the Farm Service Agency’s (FSA) Farm Loan Programs, effective Sept. 25, 2024 — changes that are intended to increase opportunities for farmers and ranchers to be financially viable. These improvements, part of the Enhancing Program Access and Delivery for Farm Loans rule, demonstrate USDA’s commitment to improving …
Maitland, Fla. –The trade associations that support Florida’s tomato growers, packers, and shippers have hired Robert Guenther to be their next leader. These associations include the Florida Tomato Exchange, the Florida Tomato Growers Exchange and the Florida Tomato Committee. Guenther will serve as the executive vice president of the Florida Tomato Exchange and Florida Tomato Growers Exchange, in addition to being …
