By Clint Thompson The emergence of the Asian bean thrip (ABT) is an added concern for specialty crop producers in the South Florida. While there are effective insecticides available, snap bean growers should still be wary of ABT, says Hugh Smith, an associate professor of entomology and nematology at the UF/IFAS Gulf Coast Research and Education Center. “Asian bean thrips …
Clemson Beginning Farmer Program Assisting Next Generation of Growers
By Clint Thompson South Carolina producers interested in enrolling in the Clemson Extension South Carolina New and Beginning Farmer Program (SCNBFP) have until Feb. 20 to apply. The program is designed to help growers with zero to 10 years of experience, who are just starting their business or need help accelerating their farming operation, says Ben Boyles, SCNBFP director and …
Sanitation, Documentation Key Management Strategies for Food Safety
By Clint Thompson Sometimes one bad apple can spoil a bunch. For a specialty crop producer, it can mean their livelihood. Proper sanitation and documentation are essential management practices to the long-term sustainability of a farming operation. Growers need to regularly clean their packinghouse equipment while maintaining adequate records. This can prevent the recall of a large amount of produce, …
Supply-Chain Woes Continue for Specialty Crop Growers
By Frank Giles One of the many ripple effects of the COVID-19 pandemic has been significant supply-chain disruptions that have impacted the global economy. Agriculture has not been immune to these delays in shipping and availability of key tools growers need to produce crops. At the same time, prices are going up nearly across the board on products and inputs …
‘Smart’ Greenhouses Could Cut Power Expenses
An internet-connected lighting system for greenhouses could reduce a farmer’s power bill, according to University of Georgia research. The study showed that a predictive lighting control system could optimize lighting for plants by predicting sunlight and only utilizing lights when necessary. Farmers could reduce their greenhouse electrical costs by as much as 33% by optimizing their lights. Plants are given …
South Carolina Introduces Card for Agricultural Sales Tax Exemptions
COLUMBIA – The South Carolina Department of Agriculture and the South Carolina Department of Revenue announced the South Carolina Agricultural Tax Exemption (SCATE) card. It is a handy way for farmers to show they are eligible for certain state Sales Tax exemptions. For many years, farmers have had to fill out a paper form, the ST-8F, to receive Sales Tax …
Florida Blueberry Leader: We Were Lucky
By Clint Thompson Florida’s blueberry growers survived the worst freeze in recent memory. According to Brittany Lee, executive director of the Florida Blueberry Growers Association, producers were “lucky” following the sub-freezing temperatures on the morning of Jan. 30. “I think in Florida the damage was minimal, luckily. We had a lot of ice. But at least from my operation and …
Alabama Extension to Host Online Vegetable Production Meetings
Alabama Extension has scheduled vegetable production meetings via zoom, starting on Feb. 23 through March 30. Every Wednesday, from noon to 1:30 p.m., a different vegetable topic will be discussed with specialists at Alabama Extension. Andre da Silva, assistant professor in horticulture, and Ayanava Majumdar, Extension professor in entomology and plant pathology, will discuss tomato varieties and tomato insect management …
Pecan Nutrient Management: Cut Costs, Not Corners
By Clint Thompson Nutrient management is a way pecan producers can decrease their input costs heading into the 2022 harvest season, says Lenny Wells, University of Georgia Extension pecan specialist. It starts with soil samples, which can be done any time of the year. But Wells stresses that growers do it at the same time every year. “If you take …
Botrytis Problem for a Florida Strawberry Grower
By Clint Thompson One Florida strawberry grower emerged relatively unscathed from last weekend’s freeze event. But now Dustin Grooms is coping with a new problem for his strawberry crop. “We did okay. We definitely did lose a little bit of bloom, not too bad. Some of the berries got bit a little bit on the ends, but not real bad,” …