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By Clint Thompson An economic slowdown is expected for Georgia, but not a recession. Gopinath (Gopi) Munisamy, Distinguished Professor of Agricultural Marketing at the University of Georgia (UGA) College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, talked about Georgia’s economic outlook during the UGA Ag Forecast meeting on Jan. 26. UGA estimated the probability of a recession for Georgia at 33% and …
Georgia’s vegetable growers are voting this month on whether to continue the Georgia Vegetable Commission marketing order which allows assessment of one cent per marketing unit of vegetables as described in the current marketing order. The marketing order applies to producers with at least 50 acres of the total annual production of vegetable crops. These include beans, bell pepper, specialty …
By Clint Thompson Water requirements for blueberries was highlighted during the Southeast (SE) Regional Fruit and Vegetable Conference. Wes Porter, University of Georgia Extension Precision Ag and Irrigation Specialist, focused his presentation on water needs for one of the Southeast’s most important fruit crops. “In the springtime when we start getting ready to put on buds and flowers, our water …
By Clint Thompson Foreign ownership of agricultural land is a controversial topic that some states have already tackled. Expect Georgia to be the next. A discussion was held during the University of Georgia Ag Forecast meeting on Jan. 26 in Tifton, Georgia. Attendees addressed panelists, including Will Bentley, president of the Georgia Agribusiness Council, about the concern of an adversarial …
By Frank Giles Brassica crops have become an important crop in the Southeast. When it comes to disease management, black rot (Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris) is one of the biggest problems that growers fight. Black rot can affect all major brassica crops, including cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, collards and kale. The disease causes the most damage in the leafy …
By Clint Thompson A costly but effective option for watermelon producers hoping to overcome fusarium wilt disease is the use of Carolina Strongback rootstock. Bhabesh Dutta, University of Georgia Extension vegetable pathologist, spoke about the rootstock during the Southeast Regional Fruit and Vegetable Conference. He talked about its success in research trials on the UGA Tifton Campus. “This is our …
By Clint Thompson It is time for an important management practice for grape producers in the Southeast. Sarah Lowder, University of Georgia viticulture Extension specialist, discussed the importance of pruning and what strategies growers should consider when managing their vines. “It’s one of the most important practices that you’ll do. It will set your crop potential for the following year,” …
Drought-like conditions still persist in areas across the Southeast. But they are mostly concentrated to the northern counties of Alabama and Georgia, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. Alabama’s dry conditions range from abnormally dry to severely dry. The driest area is located in the northeastern part of the state, in counties like Blount, Saint Clair, Marshall, Etowah and Dekalb. …
Pecan production was down this past season, especially in the Southeast, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture National Agricultural Statistics Service. Utilized production decreased by 6%, compared to 2022, totaling 271 million pounds. Bearing acreage was estimated at 441,000, also a decrease from the prior season. The average yield was 616 pounds per acre, down 36 pounds from the …
You ask most Southwest Florida farmers who they turn to for science-based agricultural information, and they’ll say, “Gene McAvoy.” It’s no accident the growers know him. “When I first started to work in Southwest Florida, I would just ride around and cold-call visit farmers,” said McAvoy, now a University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Extension agent …
