The wet winter weather has Georgia Vidalia onion producers concerned about not getting into their fields to apply fungicide sprays or make fertilizer applications. Certain diseases could soon become problematic considering how much rain the Vidalia onion region has received this year. “They’re just not able to get caught up with their applications or get out there and do what …
Saturated Soils: Rainy Winter Provides Hope of No Drought This Summer
Excessive winter rains have kept some Georgia farmers out of the field because of saturated conditions. But they provides hope that a potential summer drought is less likely than originally feared. “We were expecting a more typical La Nina winter which is usually warm and dry in that part of the country. It has not been that way so far …
Slug Damage a Concern for Growers Amid Rain, Heavy Soil Moisture
Rainfall this week combined with soil moisture can bring some unwanted problems for vegetable farmers and gardeners in Alabama, including slugs, according to Alabama Extension. Ayanava Majumdar, Alabama Extension Professor in the Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology at Auburn University, said attacks from slugs can occur at various stages of vegetable crops with high intensity noticed in the late …
Building Better Soil
By Tiffany Bailey and Ida Vandamme It was about 18 months ago when we began planning our first crop to be planted on our newly certified organic field at Honeyside Farms in Parrish, Florida. The field was previously used for pastureland. It was easy to see that we would be starting from a soil structure that is common in our …
Soil Sample for Nematodes Now
The time is now to soil sample for nematodes, says Pablo Navia, Adama Technical Development Leader for East Region. “This is the best time since populations of nematodes are really high right now in the soil. There’s still some roots that they are feeding on. This is the best time to sample,” Navia said. “It’s a good way to know …
Supplemental Fumigation Strategies for Soilborne Pests, Diseases
By Ashley Robinson The phaseout of methyl bromide continues to stimulate research into the use of other soil fumigants for controlling soilborne pathogens, nematodes and weeds to an acceptable level for production. Researchers at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) are looking at ways to modify the current fumigation system to better reflect the distribution …
Soil Moisture Sensors Benefit Florida Farmers
By Ashley Robinson Florida’s sandy soils mean that water management is a key component of producing crops in the Sunshine State. According to Charles Barrett, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) regional specialized Extension agent for water resources, irrigation scheduling tools like soil moisture sensors can help producers maximize their water efficiency and crop yields. Technology …
Why Some Florida Growers Aren’t Breaking Soil
By Ashley Robinson When you think of Florida agriculture, hydroponic production in greenhouses or high tunnels probably isn’t the first thing that comes to mind. While the majority of the Sunshine State’s vegetable crops are produced outdoors, there is increasing interest in the use of protective structures for producing crops. Although the number of protected agriculture operations in Florida remain …
Soil Health Matters! A Tale of 2 Florida Citrus Groves
A look at different approaches that have brought orange plantings back from the brink.
Soil Moisture Sensors Benefit Vegetable Growers
By Clint Thompson Irrigation scheduling tools like soil moisture sensors can save vegetable growers valuable input costs by applying less irrigation while also increasing crop yields, according to University of Georgia (UGA) Cooperative Extension Vegetable Specialist Andre da Silva. He discussed irrigation management in vegetables during the Georgia Plant Food Educational Society meeting on Jan. 14–15 on the UGA Tifton …