(USDA/RD) — U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Deputy Under Secretary for Rural Development Donald “DJ” LaVoy announced USDA has invested $62.3 million in high-speed broadband infrastructure that will create or improve e-Connectivity for more than 8,000 rural households, 57 farms, 44 businesses, 17 educational facilities, 14 critical community facilities and three health care facilities in rural Alabama. This is one …
Irrigation Tax Credit for Alabama Farmers
(ACES) — Some Alabama farmers could see a break on their taxes thanks to a new tax credit. This credit allows farmers to count certain costs associated with irrigation — including fuel conversions, equipment and reservoirs — on their income taxes. Qualification Only qualified irrigations systems or reservoirs are eligible for the tax credit. Producers must have filled out an …
Alabama Growers Given Green Light on Hemp
Growers in Alabama are now able to plant hemp seeds and be among the first in the Southeast to be a part of this budding industry. AgNet Media’s Randall Weiseman recently spoke with Hassey Brooks, the Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries’ deputy commissioner, about the new Alabama hemp pilot program. According to Brooks, the department allowed growers to begin …
Alabama Extension Puts All Hands on Deck After Michael
Hurricane Michael blew through the Southeastern region in early October. Vegetable growers in Georgia are still suffering from sunburnt peppers, and Florida growers are facing up to 100 percent crop loss. In Alabama, cotton seemed to take the worst hit in the southeastern corner of the state. Hurricane Michael also devastated greenhouses, cucumbers, tomatoes and several Alabama Extension research plots. …
Alabama’s Produce Industry on a Growth Path
The Alabama fruit and vegetable industry has seen some tremendous increases over the past decade. Ayanava Majumdar, Extension entomologist with Auburn University, chalks this increase up to a growing population in Alabama. Currently, fruit and vegetable production takes up about 7,000 acres of Alabama’s landscape. The industry is valued at about $161 million with a value-added production of about $103 …
New Herbicide Application Technology Available in Georgia and Alabama – But Not Yet in Florida
With spring and the rainy season just around the corner, many cattle producers look toward fertilization and weed control applications in the weeks and months ahead. As part of our coverage of this week’s National Cattlemen’s Beef Association convention in Phoenix, we learned from Dow AgroSciences range and pasture experts that a new herbicide application technology is available in Georgia …
Combating Fire Blight in Alabama Pears
Auburn University researchers are studying the most resistant varieties of pears for combating fire blight in Alabama. A publication by Alabama A&M University and Auburn University describes fire blight as a common and destructive pome fruit disease in the Southeast. “The fire blight pathogen … is a rod-shaped bacterium that overwinters in tissues around the edge of cankers on large …
Citrus Red Mite Threatens Cold-Hardy Production
The threat of Asian citrus psyllids to cold-hardy citrus does not mean growers should ignore other insects and their potential impacts in North Florida, South Georgia and South Alabama. The citrus red mite should be a concern for growers, especially in the spring and if certain weather conditions persist, explains Apurba Barman, University of Georgia (UGA) assistant professor of entomology …
Fungicide Sprays for Scab Disease Winding Down
By Clint Thompson Pecan harvests will begin soon across the Southeast. With harvest season on the horizon in Georgia and Alabama, growers are also winding down their fungicide sprays for scab disease. Lenny Wells, University of Georgia Extension pecan specialist, talked about what fungicide sprays remain for growers, which largely depends on the variety. “Pawnee, which is of course is …
Specialty Crop Grower Magazine: Webinar Series Features Cucurbit Viruses and Management
By Frank Giles Whiteflies, aphids and other pests continue to be significant problems in Southeastern vegetable production. Recently, the Emerging Viruses in Cucurbits Working Group hosted a series of webinars addressing several important viruses pests may carry. The group’s mission is to improve communication and knowledge about viruses across the cucurbit industry and develop strategies to successfully identify and mitigate …