Georgia strawberry producers need to be wary of Neopestalotiopsis; a disease that has already devastated Florida production and could have wide-ranging impact on Georgia’s crop if farmers are not proactive. Phil Brannen, University of Georgia Cooperative Extension Fruit Disease Specialist, cautions farmers that while the disease has been found in just one Georgia location and only as leaf spotting, there …
Alabama Pecan Producer Following Hurricane Sally: That’s Just Life
Hurricane Sally’s impact on Alabama pecan producers is still being felt more than two months later. Unfortunately, it will last much longer as growers like Gary Underwood ponder the future of the industry in the state. Underwood, who is based between Mobile, Ala. and Pensacola, Fla., was hammered by the Category 2 storm on Sept. 16. He lost a substantial …
New H-2A Wage Rule a Win for Farmers
Vegetable and specialty crop producers who utilize the H-2A program will not have to stress over wage increases for the 2021 and 2022 growing seasons. This is incredibly helpful for farmers in Georgia and Florida – avid users of the program – who will navigate a growing season amid rising expense costs, another potential COVID-19 shutdown and trade that is …
Uncertainties for 2021 Growing Season
While 2020 is nearly in the books, farmers are looking ahead to 2021 with the same outlook of uncertainty they had this year following the coronavirus outbreak in March. There’s uncertainty regarding COVID-19 and a risk of not knowing if there will be another nationwide shutdown that could lead to more market disruptions like the ones that impacted Florida farmer …
CDC Guidelines, Precautions Should Guide Holiday Celebrations
By Maria M. Lameiras for CAES News As the holiday season arrives, the traditional images of loved ones crowded around a dinner table groaning under the weight of the holiday feast may look a little different this year: The recent surge in COVID-19 cases has prompted rising fears that holiday gatherings may accelerate the spread of the virus. The Centers for Disease Control …
Pecan Research to Help Georgia Producers Meet Demand
By Allison Fortner for CAES News The international popularity of pecans is trending upward, but more reliable measures for guaranteeing quality during storage are needed to meet demand in Georgia, the top state for pecan production. A review conducted by University of Georgia researchers identified scientific principles behind postharvest storage and handling techniques for pecans and revealed the need for a mathematical model …
Plan Ahead Before Planting This Fall
Planting fruit trees can be rewarding but only if you plan ahead. If growers don’t research their crops extensively and determine what varieties will grow best in their region, the potential rewarding experience can lead to a letdown. Edgar Vinson, assistant research professor and Extension specialist in the Department of Horticulture at Auburn University, reminds commercial growers and homeowners the …
Sneak Peek: December 2020 VSCNews Magazine
By Ashley Robinson Georgia growers may recognize the man on the cover of the December issue of VSCNews Magazine. Stanley Culpepper, University of Georgia (UGA) Cooperative Extension Weed Agronomist, has more than two decades of experience working with vegetable crops. Learn more about Culpepper’s expertise and his impact on the vegetable industry in the magazine. Also discussed in the magazine are …
UGA Vegetable Entomologist: Potential Explosion of Whiteflies This Fall Never Occurred
Whiteflies were projected to have a widespread, devastating impact on fall vegetable crops in Georgia. But according to University of Georgia vegetable entomologist Stormy Sparks, that never happened. “We were setting up for an explosion of whiteflies in the fall and it never really occurred,” Sparks said. “I’m pleasantly surprised it wasn’t a lot worse than it was. In the …
University of Florida Citrus Faculty Highly Sought After As Research Partners in Fight Against Greening
(UF/IFAS) — University of Florida citrus researchers continue to be sought out as partners in ground-breaking research projects to fight Huanglongbing, also known as citrus greening disease. The National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), recently awarded nearly $4.5 million in grants to UF Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences faculty to find novel ways to fight the disease. But UF/IFAS researchers are serving leadership roles in four other multi-million-dollar grants awarded to colleague institutions from …