Weekly Field Update Clemson Extension agents provide updates in The South Carolina Grower this week about the status of various crops being produced throughout the state. Coastal Region Rob Last reports, “After a warm week in the Lowcountry, we received some welcomed showers. The rainfall will aid in cultivating and bed formation for spring crops. Beds should be firm, level …
FBGA Spring Field Day and Meeting 2023
The Florida Blueberry Growers Association welcomes all Growers and Industry Suppliers to the 2023 Spring Field Day and Meeting, Thursday March 9th at the UF-IFAS Plant Science Research and Education Unit in Citra, Florida. Get the latest updates from University of Florida IFAS Researchers. Featured sessions will include: Dr. Rachel Mallinger – Assessing honeybee hive strength, pollinator activity and pollination …
New Miss Florida Citrus Crowned
Casana Fink of Ocala was crowned the 2023 Miss Florida Citrus Feb. 25 in Winter Haven. She will help promote the Florida citrus industry over the next year. Fink was chosen during the Miss Florida Citrus and Miss Winter Haven Program held at Polk State College. Fink, 24, is a graduate of the University of Florida, where she was a …
USDA Predicts: Exports Decreasing, Imports Increasing in 2023
By Clint Thompson Fruit and vegetable producers in the Southeast will be disappointed to learn that the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) revised Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 trade forecast projects lower exports and a record imports, according to Seth Meyer, chief economist with the USDA. He provided the update during the USDA Agricultural Outlook Forum held last week. Exports are …
USDA Seeks Nominees for National Watermelon Promotion Board
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) seeks nominations of qualified watermelon producers, handlers, importers and one public member for nine seats on the National Watermelon Promotion Board. The Secretary of Agriculture will appoint individuals to succeed members whose terms of office expire on Dec. 31, 2023. All appointed members will serve three-year terms. Nominees are needed …
Blueberry Producers: Manage Leaf Spot Diseases to Protect Next Year’s Crop
By Clint Thompson It is never too early to start thinking about next year if you are a blueberry producer. In fact, growers need to manage for leaf spot diseases if they expect to make a crop the following season. Jonathan Oliver, University of Georgia (UGA) assistant professor and small fruits pathologist, discussed the situation during the Alabama Fruit and …
USDA Projections: Exports Decreasing, Imports Increasing in 2023
By Clint Thompson Fruit and vegetable producers in the Southeast will be disappointed to learn that the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) revised Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 trade forecast projects lower exports and a record imports, according to Seth Meyer, chief economist with the USDA. He provided the update during the USDA Agricultural Outlook Forum held last week. Exports are …
Florida Blueberry Harvests Should Begin Soon
By Clint Thompson Blueberry harvests are only days away for some growers in Florida. Location will determine when producers will start harvesting fruit, believes Doug Phillips, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) blueberry Extension coordinator. “Some places will start picking early March, depending on the location. Some of the South Florida farms that didn’t have a …
Whitefly Pressure Mostly High in South Florida
South Florida vegetable producers should be wary of increased whitefly pressure, according to the South Florida Pest and Disease Hotline. Whitefly infestations are high and increasing on multiple crops in southwest Florida. Levels of tomato yellow leaf curl virus are high as well. Whitefly populations are low to moderate on cucumber on the east coast. Pressure is also high in …
CAES Research Keeps Georgia Agriculture on Leading Edge of Innovation
By Jordan Powers The University of Georgia Office of Research recently announced a record-breaking fiscal year 2022 with more than a half billion dollars spent on research and development. The College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (CAES) was responsible for $112.8 million, an increase of $13.8 million from fiscal year 2021 in overall money spent on research. These expenditures contribute …