UGA Extension to Host Vidalia Onion Meeting

Clint ThompsonGeorgia, Vidalia Onions

University of Georgia Extension reminds growers and industry experts that the Vidalia Onion Crop and Disease Update meeting will be held on Tuesday, Jan. 23, from noon to 2 p.m. at the Vidalia Onion and Vegetable Research Center in Lyons, Georgia. Some of the featured topics include an update on this year’s crop; a walk-through in the variety trials being …

Chill Hours Increasing for Peach Producers

Clint ThompsonGeorgia, Peaches

By Clint Thompson Chill hours are looking strong for peach trees in the Southeast. That optimistic outlook should continue over the next month, according to Jeff Cook, University of Georgia Cooperative Extension agriculture and natural resources agent for Peach and Taylor counties. “I looked at chill hours (early December) and especially what’s projected through February, it looks good,” Cook said. …

New USDA Investment in Specialty Crop Research, Trade Missions

Clint ThompsonSpecialty Crop Grower Magazine

By Sabrina Halverson The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is upping its investment in specialty crops for 2024 with key announcements in the areas of research and trade. USDA is investing $70.2 million in the Specialty Crop Research Initiative to support 21 research and Extension projects. Deputy Secretary of Agriculture Xochitl Torres Small announced the funding and described the kinds …

planning

New Hardiness Zones Favor Citrus Production

Clint ThompsonCitrus, Florida

By Clint Thompson Citrus production in the Southeast has spiked due to increased warmer temperatures in recent years. This is reflected in the new U.S. Department of Agriculture Plant Hardiness Zone Map. The updated hardiness zones show a region that is more conducive to growing crops than it has been in prior years. The concern over colder temperatures has dissipated …

Winter Rain Events Helping Pecan Production

Clint ThompsonGeorgia

By Clint Thompson Rainfall is important this time of year for pecan production in the Southeast. On the heels of another harvest season, trees can use the rain during the winter months – just like what occurred across the region on Tuesday – to sustain high production during the following season. Lenny Wells, University of Georgia Extension pecan specialist, speaks …

Drought Remains Across Parts of Southeast

Clint ThompsonDrought

Drought-like conditions still persist across areas in the Southeast, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. Alabama has the most drought, including extreme conditions in the northwest corner of the state in Colbert and Lauderdale counties; and parts of Franklin, Lawrence and Limestone counties. Extreme drought is also reported in Northeast Alabama in Shelby, Talladega, Saint Clair, Blount, Calhoun, Etowah and …

Sneak Peek: January 2024 Specialty Crop Grower Magazine

Clint ThompsonSpecialty Crop Grower Magazine

Specialty Crop Grower Magazine is a new publication for AgNet Media. It is a product of the merger of Florida Grower and Specialty Crop Industry magazines. The inaugural January issue features the specialty crop tracker, a record of the crop progress based on observations from producers, Extension agents and industry stakeholders throughout the Southeast. The crops highlighted include watermelons, strawberries, …

Active Tropical Season This Summer?

Clint ThompsonWeather

By Clint Thompson Predictions of neutral or La Niña weather conditions from July through September could transition into an active Atlantic tropical season. According to the University of Georgia (UGA) Extension Climate and Agriculture Blog, Pam Knox, UGA Extension agricultural climatologist, said the likelihood of increased storm activity this summer is stronger if the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico …

Sustainability Starts with People

Clint ThompsonSpecialty Crop Industry Magazine

By Frank Giles Paul Allen developed an appreciation for hard work and farming at an early age. After school, he’d head to the South Bay Growers packing facility in South Bay, Florida, to work for a few hours cleaning celery boxes. There he observed the lifeblood of the Everglades Agriculture Area in action. Farming drives the economy of the region …

Drought Monitor Update: Dry Conditions Decreasing Across Southeast Region

Clint ThompsonDrought

By Clint Thompson Much-needed rainfall during December helped alleviate much of the drought present across the Southeast, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. It is seen especially in Georgia and Florida and part of Alabama. Florida is mostly drought free, though abnormally dry conditions are still present in Escambia and Santa Rose counties in the Panhandle. Some areas along the …