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By Clint Thompson Chilli thrips were as challenging as they have ever been in Florida strawberries. According to Sriyanka Lahiri, assistant professor of entomology and nematology at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Gulf Coast Research and Education Center, the insect pests were especially tough on strawberries planted in early fall. “This season was particularly tough …
Georgia’s Vidalia onion producers and industry experts should mark their calendars for an upcoming University of Georgia (UGA) Extension production meeting, scheduled for Thursday, Aug. 22, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Vidalia Onion and Vegetable Research Center in Lyons, Georgia. UGA Extension agents and specialists will provide updates on disease management, flavor research, storage trials, fertility trials, …
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) conducted an agricultural chemical use survey of fruit growers in 12 states, pertaining to 21 multiple fruit crops. Those surveyed included multiple states in the Southeast, including Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina. Data is for the 2023 crop year, the one-year period starting after the 2022 harvest …
By Clint Thompson Sweet Grown Alabama has accomplished a lot of its marketing goals during its short five-year history of promoting the state’s agricultural industry. There is still plenty of room for growth, however, believes Aisling Walding, assistant director for Sweet Grown Alabama. “We are going on year five, which is so crazy to me. We started back in 2019, …
By Clint Thompson Georgia’s peach producers rebounded this year with a bumper crop. A big reason for their success was the lack of disease pressure prevalent in peach orchards this year. The prolonged drought during the early summer led to a reduction in diseases that are normally problematic for growers, says Phil Brannen, University of Georgia Cooperative Extension fruit disease …
By Clint Thompson A key component in the ongoing farm bill discussions is the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Some democrats want a substantial funding increase in the program. U.S. Rep. Frank Lucas (R-Okla.), the longest-serving Member on the House Committee on Agriculture, believes the necessary funds are not available. It would diminish crop protections for production agriculture. Lucas spoke …
By Clint Thompson Registration remains open for the Georgia Ag Labor Relations Forum, slated for Aug. 20-21 at the University of Georgia Tifton Campus Conference Center in Tifton, Georgia. Topics ranging from the H-2A program, labor trafficking, housing, heat policies and compliance issues are scheduled for attendees. Chris Butts, executive director of the Georgia Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association, which …
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, 90% of Florida’s agricultural operations are small farms with gross sales under $250,000. In South Florida, small farmers benefit from an ideal subtropical climate but need more options for high-value fruit and vegetable crops to grow profitably and meet demands. “Farmland acreage has decreased due to increased urbanization in South Florida,” said Xiaoying …
The cover story of the August issue of Specialty Crop Grower Magazine highlights the ongoing concerns over foreign investments being made into farmland across the U.S. As of 2021, about 3.1% or 40.83 million acres of U.S. ag land is foreign owned. Southeastern states like Florida, Alabama and Georgia have implemented action to address the issue. The Florida Legislature passed …
Georgia pecan producers should be wary that black aphids have increased in numbers in recent weeks, according to the University of Georgia (UGA) Extension Pecan Blog. Lenny Wells, UGA Extension specialist, said growers with black aphid-susceptible varieties have already been spraying, though they need to rotate the aphicide chemistries. “We have a number of good aphid products out there, including …
