By Clint Thompson Christmas tree sales started early and ended earlier for one South Georgia farmer. “The sales were unreal,” said Jerry Hubbard, owner of Hubbard Christmas Tree Farm in Thomasville, Georgia. Hubbard’s ‘unreal’ year of Christmas tree sales started in mid-November and ended in mid-December. People visited from all over the Southeast to cut a tree. Hubbard even had …
ABT Population Update in South Florida
The University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) reports that higher Asian bean thrips (ABT) populations were reported across South Florida. However, these were observed only in more mature plantings with few blooms. Insecticide applications are not recommended unless scouting indicates populations are greater than 1.0 ABT per bud or bloom. Populations reached 0.6 per bloom in …
Looming Deadline: EPA Ban of Chlorpyrifos Will Impact Peach Production
By Clint Thompson The looming deadline for revocation of tolerances for the use of chlorpyrifos (lorsban) means peach tree producers have a little more than two months to find alternatives in managing two pests. According to Brett Blaauw, assistant professor at the University of Georgia (UGA) College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, the ban of chlorpyrifos will impact growers differently …
Fertigation Systems Efficient and Accurate – If Used Properly
By Clint Thompson Multiple factors impact the efficiency of a fertigation system in watermelons. Mark Warren, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Extension agent in Levy County, stresses the importance of being more efficient with your resources, especially when nutrients are expensive and in limited supply. “I think it’s tough to put an accurate economic dollar on …
Low to High: Whitefly Populations Vary in South Florida
Whitefly populations remain a problem in some vegetable crops in the Manatee Ruskin area, according to the South Florida Pest and Disease Hotline. Growers and scouts report that whitefly adult and immature numbers are high in tomatoes and squash. They have also reached moderate levels in cucumber and eggplant. Whitefly pressure is also increasing around the southwest Florida area. The …
Alabama Extension Entomologist: Residual Insecticides Key Against Armyworms
By Clint Thompson Last year’s persistent rains contributed to armyworms being more of a nuisance in Alabama’s specialty crop fields. “If you can control weather, you can control armyworms,” joked Ayanava Majumdar, Extension professor of Entomology and Plant Pathology at Auburn University. “We had an extremely wet summer. The weather was just perfect for those insects.” Majumdar believes growers can …
Farmer Testimonial: Georgia Producer Laments High Input Costs
By Clint Thompson Ricky Powe’s fall vegetable production generated positive yields. Combine that with an advantageous market for farmers and it should have produced a content farmer. So why wasn’t this South Georgia farmer more pleased with his cropping situation? It is the exorbitant amount of spending he and other specialty crop farmers are paying for input costs. “That’s going …
South Carolina Hemp Farming Permit Applications to Open Jan. 1
COLUMBIA – The new year means open applications for hemp applications in South Carolina. The South Carolina Department of Agriculture (SCDA) announced hemp farming permit applications for the 2022 growing season will be available Jan. 1. The South Carolina General Assembly and SCDA’s work over the past four years helped create the Hemp Farming Program. It led to permit fees …
Fundamentals of Plant Production: pH, Irrigation and Nutrient Management
By Craig Frey Sustainability of agricultural operations involves good stewardship of resources. Since at least the 1980s, sustainable nutrient management has been closely associated with the 4Rs — right source, right rate, right placement and right timing of nutrient applications. Over the last several decades, the grower, industry and research communities have continued to identify ways to reduce inputs while …
Lingering Drought? U.S. Drought Monitor to Show How Recent Rains Have Helped
By Clint Thompson Regions across the Southeast have received much-needed rainfall in recent days. But will it be enough to alleviate some of the drought conditions being felt in Florida, Georgia, Alabama and other Southeastern states? Growers will know more when the next U.S. Drought Monitor is released on Thursday. Pam Knox, University of Georgia Extension Agricultural Climatologist, believes the …