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By Clint Thompson Strawberry growers need to stay proactive to remain viable and sustainable amid growing challenges throughout the industry. Consider the obstacles that Florida producers like Dustin Grooms must deal with: Imports from other countries continue to flood the U.S. market, driving down prices. The rise of the new Neopestalotiopsis Fruit Rot disease in the last three years has …
It comes as no surprise to anyone in the Southeast this summer that July is cooler and wetter than normal in most areas. This is according to Pam Knox, University of Georgia Extension Agricultural Climatologist. Knox reported in her University of Georgia Extension Climate and Agriculture blog that even with the warmer temperatures being experienced this week, cooler temperatures and …
The 2021 Florida legislative session will be described in the history books as unique. COVID-19 protocols resulted in empty and eerily quiet hallways in the Capitol. Masks and regular COVID-19 tests were required, and citizens and lobbyists made public comments virtually from a building blocks away from the Capitol. The beginning and end of the session were polar opposites. Based …
In a study on genomic and chemical diversity in industrial hemp published in Frontiers in Plant Genetics, University of Georgia (UGA) 2020 doctoral graduate Matthew Johnson and UGA Associate Professor Jason Wallace found “significant naming and quality-control issues” among industrial hemp varieties available to producers. Hemp is the same species as marijuana (Cannabis sativa). The difference is that plants with less …
By Clint Thompson The August issue of VSCNews Magazine provides an in-depth preview of the upcoming Citrus, Vegetable and Specialty Crop Expo, scheduled for Aug. 18-19 in North Fort Myers, Florida. The magazine provides a schedule of events for the citrus and vegetable and specialty crop sessions. It also provides an exhibitor directory and map so attendees will know which …
By Clint Thompson Good news may be on the horizon for pecan producers in Georgia and Alabama. Market prices may be improving in the near future. According to Lenny Wells, University of Georgia Cooperative Extension pecan specialist, various factors are pointing to an increase in prices for farmers. “It’s looking like all the nuts we held in cold storage, that …
Source: The South Carolina Grower From Clemson Plant Pathologist Tony Keinath. Gummy stem blight is more common and more severe on fall cucurbit crops than crops grown in the spring. The cooler weather and longer dew periods in the fall provide an ideal environment for the fungal pathogen to grow and spread. Gummy stem blight is most common on watermelon …
By Clint Thompson Water is one of the most valuable resources Florida vegetable and specialty crop producers utilize every season. But that doesn’t mean there’s an endless supply. “I think it is easy for us to forget it is a finite resource and there are limits. It’s easy for us to forget because we just got five inches of rain …
LAKE ALFRED, Fla. — University of Florida scientists aiming to find a solution to citrus greening disease are looking to the past to hopefully find the answer. In a new study, published in Nature Communications, UF’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences collaborated with an international team of scientists and analyzed 69 genomes from the East Asian mandarin family, alongside their …
Clemson Extension agents provide updates in the The South Carolina Grower this week about the status of various crops being produced throughout the state. Statewide The SC Specialty Crop Association is offering a new grant opportunity, the Enhancing Crop Packaging Cost Share Program. With this new cost share program, growers can receive reimbursement up to $1,800 per grower for packaging …
