By Clint Thompson Scouting remains the best management strategy that specialty crop producers can implement during the growing season. It provides protection against pests and diseases and can also prevent growers from applying unnecessary sprays, an important benefit for farmers in an era marred by high input costs. Mathews Paret, associate professor of plant pathology at the University of Florida …
Freeze Effect: Alabama’s Early Peach Varieties Impacted With Uniformity Issues
By Clint Thompson Alabama’s peach producers are about a month away from harvesting this year’s crop. A lack of uniformity is being observed in early peach varieties. It is a result of freeze damage, says Edgar Vinson, assistant research professor and Extension specialist in the Department of Horticulture at Auburn University. “(The crop is) looking promising. They did have some …
Registration Alert: Deadline Today for UF/IFAS Stone Fruit Field Day
University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) reminds peach producers about the upcoming Stone Fruit Field Day, scheduled for Tuesday, April 26 from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the UF/IFAS Plant Science Research and Education Unit in Citra, Florida. Current and interested peach growers, home gardeners, farm advisors and all those interested in stone fruit are …
Georgia Peach Producers Stay Diligent with Fungicide Sprays Amid Dry Conditions
By Clint Thompson Dry conditions that are prevalent in much of Georgia should not be mistaken as an opportunity for the state’s peach producers to let up on their fungicide spray program. Even as the crop nears harvest, farmers should stay diligent with their fungicide applications, says Phil Brannen, University of Georgia Extension fruit disease specialist. “The spray program, cover …
Potato Production: Demand is Greater Than Supply
By Clint Thompson Demand for potatoes is high, while supply remains low. That could be good news for Florida producers hoping to take advantage this spring, said John Toaspern, chief marketing officer for Potatoes USA. “(Florida’s) just coming into the market right now. They’re coming into a strong market for table-stock potatoes. Reds and other potatoes coming out of there …
Phytoplasma Disease Confirmed in Florida
Scientists at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) have recorded the first North American case of a harmful phytoplasma disease known for its threat to fruit, vegetable and ornamental crops in South America and the Middle East. The phytoplasma species called Candidatus Phytoplasma brasiliense is documented in regions of Brazil and Peru to harm hibiscus, …
Disease Alert: New Phytoplasma Disease Confirmed in Florida
Scientists at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) have recorded the first North American case of a harmful phytoplasma disease known for its threat to fruit, vegetable and ornamental crops in South America and the Middle East. The phytoplasma species called Candidatus Phytoplasma brasiliense is documented in regions of Brazil and Peru to harm hibiscus, …
Pecan Scab Spray Management Tips
By Clint Thompson Fungicide spray programs to protect pecan trees from scab disease vary from variety to variety. Growers in Alabama and Georgia should never consider a blanket program, says Lenny Wells, University of Georgia Extension pecan specialist. “We grow so many different varieties in Georgia that it’s really counter-productive that we come out with a blanket program. It really …
Clemson Extension Agents Provide Weekly Updates
Clemson Extension agents provide updates in The South Carolina Grower this week about the status of various crops being produced throughout the state. Weekly Field Update – 4/18/22 Coastal Region Zack Snipes reports, “It has been a very windy spring. The winds are drying out our soils and beating up plants. I have looked at some tomatoes, and the ones that aren’t …
AFVGA Conference Returns to Gulf Shores in 2023
By Marlee Moore The Alabama Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association’s (AFVGA) annual Conference and Trade Show will have a new date next year. Normally held each fall, the association will meet next year on Feb. 9-10, 2023, in Gulf Shores, Alabama. AFVGA Executive Director Blake Thaxton is excited to welcome growers to the Lodge at Gulf State Park for a …