South Carolina Small Fruit Growers Meeting Scheduled for Feb. 13

Clint ThompsonSouth Carolina

South Carolina producers should be mindful that a small fruit growers meeting will be held on Thursday, Feb. 13 at the Sandhills Research and Education Center in Columbia, South Carolina. The meeting will start at 10 a.m. and conclude at 2 p.m. It will cost $20 at the door online through the link below. Clemson Extension Commercial Horticulture Extension Agent Andy …

Blueberry Advisory System Helps Growers Be More Efficient in Managing Anthracnose

Clint ThompsonGeorgia

By Clint Thompson Blueberry growers need a more sustainable way of managing diseases. A calendar-based method requires fungicide applications that may not be necessary. The Blueberry Advisory System allows producers to be more efficient in how they manage anthracnose, a key disease growers have to manage every year. Jonathan Oliver, University of Georgia (UGA) assistant professor and small fruits pathologist, …

How Low Will It Go? Florida Blueberry Growers Eyeing Temperatures Next Week

Clint ThompsonFlorida

By Clint Thompson Blueberry growers in northern Florida are eyeing freezing temperatures next week and could be implementing freeze protection strategies as a result. According to weather.com, low temperatures in Gainesville, Florida, are expected to drop in the low 30s on Sunday through Wednesday, with 31-degree (Fahrenheit) temperatures expected Tuesday night and Wednesday night. That is a potential concern for …

Row Covers Important Tactic for Alabama Strawberry Growers Next Week

Clint ThompsonAlabama

By Clint Thompson Next week’s potential stretch of prolonged cold temperatures means Alabama strawberry growers need to protect this year’s crop. That means the use of row covers to protect against temperatures that are expected to drop well below freezing for multiple days, says Edgar Vinson, assistant research professor and Extension specialist in the Department of Horticulture at Auburn University. …

Specialty Crop Grower Magazine: Familiar Foes Continue to Pester Sweet Corn Growers

Clint ThompsonGeorgia

By Clint Thompson Pyrethroid resistance in corn earworm is a threat to the sweet corn industry in South Georgia. Among all the other insect pests that impact sweet corn production in Georgia, none compares to the impact of corn earworm. Corn Earworm The usual chemical applications that growers have depended on to control corn earworm have become less reliable. This …

‘Disappointing’ Season for Georgia Pecan Growers

Clint ThompsonGeorgia

By Clint Thompson Georgia’s pecan season has come to a close. Between devastation from Hurricane Helene and market prices that did not reflect diminished supply this year, morale is low for growers, says Lenny Wells, University of Georgia Extension pecan specialist. “It was just disappointing all the way around,” Wells said. “It wasn’t the worst year we’ve had, by far. …

Worth the Investment: Paper Mulch a Huge Benefit to Florida Watermelon Growers

Clint ThompsonFlorida

By Clint Thompson Paper mulch research continues to yield results that would benefit North Florida watermelon growers, says Bob Hochmuth, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Regional Specialized Extension agent in Live Oak, Florida. He spoke with AgNet Media about the ongoing research during the recent Suwanee Valley Watermelon Institute meeting. “The paper mulch project has …

Specialty Crop Grower Magazine: Florida Blueberry Growers Gather for Annual Meeting

Clint ThompsonFlorida

By Frank Giles In October, the Florida Blueberry Growers Association hosted its annual meeting in Lakeland. Educational sessions focused on a variety of topics that are top-of-mind for growers. Grower Survey Results Doug Phillips, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) blueberry Extension coordinator, shared results of his annual grower survey. There were 61 growers responding, covering …

Field Day Impact: UF/IFAS Empowers Growers with Valuable Insights

Clint ThompsonFlorida

Billie Rooney and her husband, Scott, operate a 40-acre farm near Live Oak, Florida, where they grow blueberries, blackberries and sunflowers and raise livestock. Farming is a second career for the Rooneys. So, they had a lot to learn. She and hundreds of other farmers and ranchers across Florida can attest to the importance of lessons learned from any of …

UGA Advice: Georgia Strawberry Growers Should Maintain Good Fungicide Program

Clint ThompsonGeorgia

By Clint Thompson Disease buildup is starting to concern Georgia’s strawberry growers; one disease in particular. Phil Brannen, University of Georgia (UGA) Cooperative Extension fruit disease specialist, discussed Neopestalotiopsis and its impact already amid the current growing season. “We are starting to see some (diseases) here and there. The one that’s coming up again is this Neopestalotiopsis, but so far …