The American Farm Bureau is calling on USDA to take steps to make sure American farmers continue to have access to crucial fertilizer supplies. The organization submitted comments on USDA’s “Request for Information on Access to Fertilizer.” AFBF says many factors are combining to create shortages and drive up fertilizer costs. AFBF President Zippy Duvall says America’s farmers are getting called on …
Resistance Concerns in Insecticide Management of DBM
By Clint Thompson Brassica growers rely almost entirely on insecticides to manage diamondback moth (DBM) infestations. However, the moths have shown the ability to develop resistance to a broad range of insecticides, says Hugh Smith, an associate professor of entomology and nematology at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Gulf Coast Research and Education Center. …
Clemson Extension Provides Weekly Crop Updates
Clemson Extension agents provide crop updates in The South Carolina Grower this week about the status of various specialty crops being produced throughout the state. Statewide Plant Pathologist Tony Keinath reports, “With the wet weather the past two weeks, gummy stem blight is spreading rapidly on watermelon. Because of widespread resistance to tebuconazole and the need for systemic fungicides, growers …
Florida Citrus Crop Decline Continues
By Frank Giles The final U.S. citrus forecast of the 2021–22 season, released July 12, bumped up the estimate a bit from June forecast. Florida’s all-orange forecast rose 1%, to 40.95 million boxes, due to a slight increase in non-Valencia orange production and a 1% increase in expected Valencia orange production. However, the crop was the smallest since the 1942-43 …
Growers Encouraged to take Farm Bill Survey
Florida specialty crop growers are encouraged to provide feedback via the House Agriculture Committee 2023 Farm Bill online feedback survey. Providing input is essential to inform federal representatives of the needs and interests of Florida’s agricultural community as Congress looks to enact major policies that will drive the food and nutrition systems for years to come. “Agriculture is the backbone …
Water and Soil pH Critical to Citrus Nutrition
There 17 essential elements that plants need to grow. Three of those elements come to plants via water and the atmosphere. The 14 other elements come from fertilizer applications. Almost all of those are dependent on soil pH to determine how well they are picked up by plants’ root systems. Getting the soil pH just right was discussed in the …
More Flexibility for Crop Insurance Reporting
Southeast specialty crop growers now have more flexibility to use their own records to adhere to crop insurance reporting requirements. This will aid farmers who sell through direct marketing channels to collect insurance, report annual production or file a claim, says Marcia Bunger, administrator of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Risk Management Agency (RMA). “This particular change is going …
N.C. State to Host Turfgrass Field Day
Registration is ongoing for the Lake Wheeler Turfgrass Field Day, scheduled for Wednesday, Aug. 10, at the Lake Wheeler Turfgrass Research Lab in Raleigh, North Carolina. The annual field day offers attendees an opportunity to view the N.C. State University Turfgrass Program’s research trials while interacting with faculty and staff. The topics for this year’s field day include cultural practices, …
Tomato Season: Prepare for Bacterial Spot
By Clint Thompson Tomato season may have just ended in North Florida, but the fall crop will soon be planted. Josh Freeman, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) associate professor in horticultural science, estimates planting will begin around July 20-23. But growers should be mindful of one disease that could threaten the fall crop, especially amid …
Critical Time to Protect Against Scab Disease
By Clint Thompson It is a critical part of the production season for Southeast pecan growers. Producers should be diligent in their fungicide sprays against scab disease. Lenny Wells, University of Georgia Extension pecan specialist, stresses why this is an important time for farmers in protecting this year’s crop. “It’s a super critical time because those nuts are growing so …