By Oscar Liburd and Doug Phillips Blueberry gall midge is a small fly that feeds on the floral and vegetative buds of blueberries. Reports of gall midge damage on blueberries grown in Florida have become more common in recent years. In cases where there was severe feeding injury to floral buds, the midge can significantly affect yield. DESCRIPTION AND LIFE …
Senator David Perdue on USMCA and Phase One China Trade Deal
By Clint Thompson Georgia Senator David Perdue is optimistic about Wednesday’s phase one trade deal that the United States will sign with China that includes the foreign country increasing its purchasing of US agricultural products by $32 billion over the next two years. “My suggestion all along was to go to an incremental phase approach with China. They wanted to …
Conference Highlighted Key Crops and Grower Concerns
By Clint Thompson The Southeast Regional Fruit and Vegetable Conference (SERFVC) in Savannah, Georgia, educated growers and industry leaders about production practices for 13 different commodities during the four-day event, held Jan. 9-12. The educational programs and trade show attracted more than 3,300 participants and vendors. Sessions were aimed at introducing growers to citrus production in Georgia, teaching interested producers …
Why Sharing is Caring on the Citrus Learning Curve
In the quest for HLB-tolerant cultivars, there is no such thing as too much information.
New Wine Grape Varieties Resistant to Pierce’s Disease
By Ashley Robinson Researchers at the University of California, Davis (UC Davis) have released five new varieties of wine grapes that are highly resistant to Pierce’s disease. Pierce’s disease, the greatest threat to the growth and sustainability of wine grape industries in the southeastern United States, is caused by a bacterium spread by a group of insects called sharpshooters. Sharpshooters …
Alabama Extension, Auburn University Partner With UC Davis in European Grape Studies
(ACES) — Alabama wine grape growers will soon have access to disease-resistant bunch grape varieties as new grape varieties send ripples through the entire wine-making community. For many years, Alabama’s commercial grape producers have been limited to native muscadine, American and French-American hybrid bunch grape cultivars. The limited access is due to heavy bacterial disease pressure that suffocates most European …
What to Watch for in 2020 Crop Genetics
By Kevin Folta Two decades ago, we were waking up and celebrating that our computers didn’t melt down on New Year’s Day. We could still tote a bottle of iced tea through an airport security line, and we were on the front side of a stock market bubble bloated with tech stocks and ready to burst. At the same time, …
Georgia Submits Revised Industrial Hemp Plan and Rules
In response to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) promulgation of the interim final rule governing the production of hemp under the 2018 farm bill on Oct. 31, 2019, the Georgia Department of Agriculture (GDA) has submitted an updated “Georgia Hemp Plan” to comply with USDA’s requirements. View the plan here. Pursuant to the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, O.C.G.A. …
Light Bulb Moments in the Improvement of Greenhouse Growing
By Aaron Hale (UGA/CAES) — The illuminated light bulb. It’s the symbol of a great idea come to life. Erico Mattos’ big idea doesn’t reinvent that iconic bulb exactly but reimagines how it can be used. Around the globe, greenhouses grow fruits and vegetables to provide a healthy food supply year-round. But as reliable as the sun is for providing light …
Managing Fusarium Wilt and Whiteflies in Watermelon
By Ashley Robinson Fusarium wilt is one of the most serious and difficult diseases to manage in watermelons and occurs in most production regions worldwide. The fungal disease can be seedborne and has great longevity in the soil, allowing the infested soil to also serve as a source of infection. FUSARIUM WILT Fusarium wilt has been a recurring issue for …