Clemson Extension agents provided updates in The South Carolina Grower this week about the status of various crops being produced throughout the state. Coastal Zack Snipes reports, “It was a warm week with some sprinkled in showers along the coast. All crops are coming in right now with heavy watermelon volume. What’s left of the tomato crop is ripening fast. …
Ant Swarms Continue to be Problematic for Hemp Producers
By Clint Thompson Ant damage on young hemp plants remains a problem for growers in the Southeast. Katelyn Kesheimer, Auburn University Assistant Professor and Extension Specialist, fears ants will continue to be a nuisance since hemp plantings will continue through July. “I think it’s going to be a struggle all season long because there’s so many different plantings going in. …
Clemson Extension Agents Provide Crop Updates
According to The South Carolina Grower, Clemson Extension agents provided updates on the status of fruits and vegetables throughout the state. In the Coastal area, Zack Snipes reports: “A week of unseasonably mild temperatures and damp conditions slowed things down a bit. The warmer weather this past weekend and this week should put things in gear again. Tomato spotted wilt …
Watermelon Shortage by Memorial Day?
By Clint Thompson Watermelons are already in short supply. There soon could be a watermelon shortage, said Carr Hussey, a watermelon farmer in Florida and Alabama and chairman of the board of the Florida Watermelon Association. “It’s drying up by the minute. There’s going to be shortage for Memorial Day, I do believe,” Hussey said. “The kicker is, how fast …
Watermelon Supply Down; Prices Stay High for Farmers
By Clint Thompson The watermelon supply chain is currently down. As a result, prices are up. It’s a pleasant surprise for Florida growers who are currently harvesting this year’s crop, according to Gene McAvoy, University of Florida/Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Extension agent emeritus. “(The farmers) were a little bit apprehensive that with all of this COVID-related decline in …
The Day South Florida Agriculture Changed
Submitted by Gene McAvoy, Regional Vegetable Extension Agent IV Emeritus with UF/IFAS “Up to the end of Feb our growers were having a banner year and it looked like this season would be one of those homeruns that come around every 5-6 years.” Here is a report that I prepared on the state of S Florida ag and shared with …
Late Blight Disease Discovered at UF Research Farm
By Clint Thompson Potato and tomato producers in Florida need to be wary of the discovery of Phytophthroa infestans, the causual agent for potato and tomato late blight. Gary England, RSA/Director for the Hastings Ag Extension Center in Hastings, Florida, confirmed that samples collected from the Extension Center site tested positive. He scouted the rest of the affected portion of …
Ask the Expert: A Hemp Crop Insurance Q & A
(USDA) — Ask the Expert is a new series launching on farmers.gov. In this Ask the Expert, Andrew Kowalski answers a few questions about how farmers can use the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Multi-Peril Crop Insurance (MPCI) hemp pilot program to insure their hemp crop. Kowalski is a risk management specialist with the Risk Management Agency (RMA) based in …
Protect Against Whiteflies by Destroying Plants After Harvest
By Clint Thompson University of Georgia Cooperative Extension vegetable entomologist Stormy Sparks says cole crop growers need to destroy their plants once they’re done harvesting this winter. Cole crops, such as cabbage, serve as hosts for whiteflies. Therefore, the crops must to be destroyed once harvest season concludes in order to prevent the risk of a whitefly infestation. “If you’ve …
How to Deal with Blueberries in Summer
By Karla Arboleda Summer weather is in full swing in affecting Florida crops, and blueberries are no exception. During the summer, algal stem blotch can dominate blueberry fields if not handled quickly and properly. Doug Phillips, blueberry Extension coordinator for the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, explains the important steps to take. “In the summer when …