The most recent release of the U.S. Drought Monitor shows abnormally dry conditions in North Alabama and North Georgia and along the west coast of Florida. Florida’s driest conditions start as far north as Dixie, Gilchrist and Alachua counties and stretch southward to Lee and Collier counties. Georgia’s dry conditions are concentrated mostly to the northwest part of the state. …
Bret’s Impact on Southeast Could Mean Additional Rain
By Clint Thompson What potentially could have been the development of a rare June hurricane is no longer in the forecast with Tropical Storm Bret. But it could still impact the Southeast by bringing added rain to a region already saturated by storms the past two weeks. Pam Knox, University of Georgia Extension agricultural climatologist, discusses the impact specialty crop …
Rainy Impact: Pecan Producers Protect Your Crop Against Scab Disease
By Clint Thompson First and foremost on the minds of pecan producers in Georgia and Alabama should be prevention of any potential scab disease development following recent storms. Lenny Wells, University of Georgia (UGA) Extension pecan specialist, discusses why this time of the production season is so important for growers to apply fungicides and protect their pecans from the disease. …
UGA Entomologist: Insect Pressure is Light
By Clint Thompson Insect pests are currently not a problem for specialty crop producers. That’s good news for growers trying to navigate vegetable production in South Georgia, North Florida and South Alabama. And that was before last week’s heavy rain events that flooded parts of the Southeast region. Stormy Sparks, University of Georgia (UGA) Extension vegetable entomologist, discussed what producers …
Watermelons Needed: Contest To Be Held in Conjunction with Panhandle Watermelon Festival
Attention commercial watermelon growers and gardeners in Florida, Alabama and Georgia:It is almost time to enter your finest melons in the Big Melon Contest at the Panhandle Watermelon Festival. The festival and the contest have been summer-time staples in the Central Panhandle for decades. Growers should not miss their opportunity to showcase the delicious product of their hard work with …
Reps. Cammack, Moore, Others Introduce Bill to Include Phosphate & Potash as Critical Minerals
Congresswoman Kat Cammack (R-FL-03), Congressman Barry Moore (R-AL-02), Congresswoman Elissa Slotkin (D-MI-07), and Congressman Jimmy Panetta (D-CA-19) introduced a bill to include phosphate and potash on the final list of critical minerals of the Department of the Interior. “A nation that cannot feed itself is not secure. Without the necessary inputs to feed, clothe and fuel our nation, we’re leaving …
Beneficial Insect: Green Lacewing Key Management for Aphid Control
Clint Thompson Sometimes the best management strategy for a producer hoping to control an insect is to release its predator. That is a tactic commercially available to specialty crop growers, according to Ayanava Majumdar, an Alabama Extension entomologist. Majumdar spoke about beneficial insects and how farmers can release them to control certain insect pests during a recent webinar. One of …
Abnormally Dry Conditions Observed in Some Areas Across Southeast
The most recent release of the U.S. Drought Monitor shows abnormally dry conditions in Georgia and Alabama and some moderate and severe drought conditions in Florida. The driest conditions in Georgia remain concentrated to the southwest part of the state, in Crisp, Wilcox, Ben Hill, Turner, Irwin, Tift, Worth, Lee and parts of Dougherty, Colquitt, Cook and Berrien counties. Other …
Drought Monitor: Minimal Drought Conditions Observed in Southeast
Drought-like conditions that were widespread across the Southeast have dissipated in recent weeks, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. The only remaining dry conditions in Florida are located along the west coast. Severe dry conditions start as far north as Levy County and stretch southward to Manatee, Sarasota and De Soto counties. Abnormally dry conditions are also observed as far …
Management Tips for Reusing Plastic Mulch in Fall
By Clint Thompson Alabama Extension recommends that vegetable growers re-use their plastic mulch in the fall. But there are management strategies that producers need to utilize to make it a worthwhile strategy. Andre da Silva, Alabama Extension vegetable specialist, focused on plastic mulches during a recent webinar. “Using plastic mulch for a second crop is a good approach for the …