UGA Releases Parasitic Wasp to Control Invasive Fruit Fly In a quiet field of abandoned blueberries and shrubby brush in south Georgia, Cera Jones released hundreds of tiny parasitic wasps into the thicket. They followed their natural instinct to search for a host to incubate their predatory progeny. Jones manages the University of Georgia (UGA) Small Fruit Entomology Lab under …
Building a More Heat Tolerant Plant Starts with Genes
Scientists at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) are looking for ways to help specialty crops beat the heat. A new study has identified genes that may help plants cope with stress from high temperatures. It could set the stage for developing crops bred for enhanced heat tolerance, said Bala Rathinasabapathi, senior author of the …
Expo Pre-Registration Deadline Set for Aug. 12
By Clint Thompson Those farmers and industry leaders interested in attending this year’s Citrus and Specialty Crop Expo are reminded that pre-registration closes Friday, August 12, 2022, at 11:59 a.m. The event, slated for Aug. 17-18 at the Lee Civic Center in Fort Myers, Florida, has already attracted strong response from vendors and farmers planning to attend. “We’re having a great response,” …
Clemson Extension Provides Weekly Crop Updates
Clemson Extension agents provide crop updates in The South Carolina Grower this week about the status of various crops being produced throughout the state. Weekly Field Update – 7/25/22 Coastal Region Rob Last reports, “In a wide range of crops, insect and disease pressure is high, with gummy stem blight across all cucurbit crops. Downy mildew is also very active. Fruit …
Gas, Diesel Prices Continue to Tumble
Average gas diesel prices continue to drop across the U.S., which is good news for Southeast specialty crop producers hoping to see a decline in input expenses. According to AAA, Monday’s average for regular non-leaded was $4.35 per gallon, a decrease from last week’s $4.52 and last month’s $4.90. It is still much higher, though, than the $3.15 cost from …
Tropicana to Cease Processing at Fort Pierce Plant
Tropicana Products Inc. advised the state of Florida in a July 15 letter that it will shut down its Fort Pierce processing plant on or about Sept. 13. The notification came in a letter from Tropicana human resources representative Jennifer Kane to the State Rapid Response Program. The program works to prevent or minimize the impacts of layoffs on workers, …
Ag Sector Likely to Support Economy Through Possible Recession
Though concern exists about impending recession in the U.S., the traditional economic indicators of recession aren’t yet apparent. This is especially true in the agricultural sector, says Georgia’s State Fiscal Economist Jeffrey Dorfman, a professor of agricultural and applied economics in the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. “The interesting question is, if I run a business …
Pre-Registration for Citrus and Specialty Crop Expo Closes Aug. 12
By Clint Thompson Those farmers and industry leaders interested in attending this year’s Citrus and Specialty Crop Expo are reminded that pre-registration closes Friday, August 12, 2022, at 11:59 a.m. The event, slated for Aug. 17-18 at the Lee Civic Center in Fort Myers, Florida, has already attracted strong response from vendors and farmers planning to attend. “We’re having a …
UGA Griffin Campus to Host Turfgrass Field Day
The University of Georgia (UGA) Griffin Campus will host its Turfgrass Field Day on Wednesday, Aug. 3, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. at UGA’s Griffin campus. The field day will appeal to golf course superintendents and homeowners looking to produce the perfect lawn. “After four long years we are excited to bring back the UGA Turfgrass Research Field Day,” …
Lack of Mangoes Impacts UF/IFAS Research
By Clint Thompson As predicted, Florida’s mango supply was severely impacted by the chilling temperatures experienced in January. Producers did not have the usual crop this season. University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) researcher Alan Chambers was not able to conduct part of his research. The plant geneticist at the UF/IFAS Tropical Research and Education Center …