Registration is ongoing for the Southeast Regional Fruit and Vegetable Conference scheduled for Jan. 5-8, 2023, in Savannah, Georgia. The annual meeting brings together farmers and industry leaders from across the Southeast as well as provide educational sessions that cover commodities across the entire gamut of the specialty crop industry. These include blueberries, caneberries, citrus, muscadines, peaches, strawberries, vegetables, Vidalia …
Southeast Regional Fruit and Vegetable Conference to Highlight Issues Growers Are Facing
Registration is ongoing for the Southeast Regional Fruit and Vegetable Conference scheduled for Jan. 5-8, 2023, in Savannah, Georgia. The annual meeting brings together farmers and industry leaders from across the Southeast as well as provide educational sessions that cover commodities across the entire gamut of the specialty crop industry. These include blueberries, caneberries, citrus, muscadines, peaches, strawberries, vegetables, Vidalia …
Freeze Effect: Sub-Freezing Temperatures Impact Southeast Specialty Crops
By Clint Thompson Consecutive nights of sub-freezing temperatures has Southeast specialty crop producers concerned moving forward this year. Vegetable growers are worried about potential injury to their fruit that were vulnerable in the ground. Strawberry farmers are concerned about wind damage to their crop. Georgia’s Vidalia onion producers are concerned now about the long-term ramifications for their young plantings that …
Registration Open for Southeast Regional Fruit and Vegetable Conference
Registration is now open for the Southeast (SE) Regional Fruit and Vegetable Conference, the south’s premier fruit and vegetable educational conference and trade show for growers, packers, and shippers. Co-sponsored by the South Carolina Peach Council and Georgia Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association (GFVGA), the 2023 SE Regional Conference will return to the Savannah Convention Center in Savannah, Georgia, on …
Variety Testing Essential for Onion Producers
By Clint Thompson Variety selection is one of the first steps Georgia Vidalia onion producers take in producing a valuable crop every season. They depend on variety testing by University of Georgia Extension specialists to provide data supporting what varieties perform best under specific conditions. Chris Tyson, UGA Extension area onion agent, highlighted specific factors that he evaluates when studying …
Recent Rains Could Delay Fumigation Process
By Clint Thompson Persistent rainfall across the Southeast in recent weeks could delay fumigation progress from specialty crop farmers preparing to plant their fall crops. Tim Coolong, associate professor in the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, discusses how heavy rain events could keep producers from getting into their fields at a key point in the season. …
Sweet Onion Growth Responses Under Organic Fertilizers
By Juan Carlos DÃaz-Pérez Vidalia onions are sweet, short-day, low-pungency, yellow Granex-type bulbs popular in the United States because of their mild flavor. These onions are exclusively grown in southeastern Georgia, in a region with mild winters and low-sulfur soils. There is increasing interest in utilizing organic fertilizers because of the growing demand for organic vegetables, including organic sweet onions. …
Neglecting Weeds Can Lead to Late-Season Disease in Organic Onions
By Bhabesh Dutta, Timothy Grey and Jason Schmidt Georgia is known for many crops, and onion is one of the major vegetables produced. Organic onions are a developing commodity in the Vidalia region, but growers experience multiple pest and pathogen challenges. A multidisciplinary team of researchers at the University of Georgia (UGA) is working to improve sustainable, high-quality organic Vidalia …
Onion Growers Stay Vigilant Against Diseases
By Clint Thompson The management strategies for onion diseases remain the same for Georgia’s Vidalia onion growers heading into next season. Growers need to stay vigilant in their spray programs against fungal and bacteria diseases, says Bhabesh Dutta, University of Georgia Cooperative Extension vegetable disease specialist. “Onion is a six-month crop, and Vidalia onions are also stored for a few …
Calculating Calcium: Georgia Onions Could Benefit From Additional Application
By Clint Thompson Georgia’s onion crop can benefit from additional calcium applications. That’s the messaged relayed by Tim Coolong, associate professor in the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. Coolong presented information during a recent UGA Extension Vidalia Onion meeting. Since Georgia’s onion crop is grown on sandy soils, calcium can be at lower levels than they …