Alabama peach producers should mark their calendars for an upcoming peach production meeting scheduled for Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2023, at 11 a.m. (Est.) in Jemison, Ala. Alabama Cooperative Extension will host the meeting which will feature topics like brown rot management, peachtree borer control, bacterial spot management, chill accumulation update and fungal gummosis management. Scientists at Auburn University will also …
Neopestalotopsis Back in Florida Strawberry Fields
By Clint Thompson A familiar disease has already made its presence known in South Florida strawberries this season. Growers in Alabama and Georgia should be aware about neopesatlotiopsis being an issue. A familiar disease has made its presence known in South Florida strawberry fields this season. A rainy start to the growing season contributed to neopestalotiopsis being a problem already. …
HLB Resistance Is Citrus Breeding Program’s Primary Focus
Citrus breeding is conducted at different research facilities across Florida. But the objective remains the same for University of the Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) breeders: Develop HLB-resistant citrus. That is the goal for Jose Chaparro, UF/IFAS associate professor in Gainesville. His research will impact citrus produced in the North Florida and South Georgia regions. “If you look at …
Neopestalotiopsis Present Again in Florida Strawberry Fields
By Clint Thompson A familiar disease has already made its presence known in South Florida strawberries this season. Growers in Alabama and Georgia should be aware about neopesatlotiopsis being an issue. A familiar disease has made its presence known in South Florida strawberry fields this season. A rainy start to the growing season contributed to neopestalotiopsis being a problem already. …
Buyers, Shellers Increase Interests in Purchasing Pecans
Pecan harvests continue to wind down across Georgia. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Marketing Service, commercial buyers and shellers have increased their interest in purchasing pecans to fill orders. However, some farmers are keeping their crop stored until after the new year. They are waiting for prices to adjust amid a harvest season where total pounds available …
Pros and Cons of Controlled Environment Agriculture
By Kristin Woods and Camila Rodrigues Controlled environment agriculture (CEA) is a system in which plants are grown intensively within a temperature, water, light and carbon dioxide-controlled environment that can be used to optimize plant production and use of resources. The CEA growing method is sometimes promoted as more environmentally friendly, due to the more efficient use of nutrients and …
Caterpillar Pressure Varies in Florida
Caterpillar pressure is at low to moderate levels in vegetable crops across central and southern Florida, according to the South Florida Pest and Disease Hotline. Infestations remain at low to moderate levels in cucumbers, squash, peppers and tomatoes in central Florida. Reports from southwest Florida are mostly moderate to low. Fall armyworms were observed in low to moderate numbers. They …
Mexico Minimum Wage to Increase in 2023
One of the main points of contention regarding unfair trade with Mexico for Southeast specialty crop producers is the microscopic minimum wage Mexican employers pay their employees. That compensation will increase, according to Mexican president Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador (AMLO). He has announced a plan to raise the minimum wage by 20% in 2023, according to Mexico News Daily. The …
Agribusiness Has $51.8 Billion Annual Economic Impact in South Carolina
COLUMBIA, S.C. – The agribusiness industry has a $51.8 billion economic impact on South Carolina each year, according to a new analysis. Agribusiness is responsible for 259,215 jobs and $12.3 billion in annual labor income in the state as of 2020. These numbers represent a major milestone achieved for South Carolina’s agribusiness community. In 2009, the state’s industry and government …
Labor Challenges Increase Farm Economy Pressures
Labor demands continue to stretch thin the farming operations of specialty crop producers across the U.S., with rising wage rates and record usage of the H-2A visa program. Meaningful reforms to the federal government’s guest worker program must be a priority for Congress by the end of the year. The American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF), along with more than 350 …