Alabama Pumpkin Growers Need Dry Weather to Plant This Year’s Crop

Clint ThompsonAlabama

By Clint Thompson North Alabama is one of the few areas in the Southeast not suffering through drought conditions anymore. But the increased rainfall in recent weeks has caused concern for the region’s pumpkin growers looking to plant this year’s crop. Eric Schavey, regional Extension agent in Northeast Alabama, talked about the challenge facing his area’s pumpkin farmers. “We could …

Disease Management Highlighted During New Grape Growers Symposium

Clint ThompsonGeorgia

By Clint Thompson The University of Georgia’s New Grape Growers Symposium educated potential producers about all facets of growing grapes in the Southeast. Topics ranged from variety selection, establishing a vineyard, managing pests and diseases and developing sustainable vineyard practices. Disease management remains one of the most limiting factors of grape production in Georgia and Alabama, says Sarah Lowder, University …

Sen. Ossoff Pushing to Help Georgia Pecan Growers Expand Access to World Markets

Clint ThompsonGeorgia

Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Jon Ossoff continues pushing to help Georgia pecan growers gain access to world markets. Ossoff is urging U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Brooke Rollins to request market access for U.S. in-shell pecans during trade negotiations between the U.S. and India. Exporting pecans in-shell allows them to travel in a more shelf-stable state, which would …

Pecan Growers Be On Alert: Increased Rains Could Lead to Spike in Scab Pressure

Clint ThompsonAlabama, Georgia

By Clint Thompson The prolonged drought impacting the Southeast region has quickly become a weather event of the past. “Looks like we’re getting back into that regular summertime pattern where it’s like it’s been the last couple of years. June gets here and it starts raining so much that it gets hard to keep (pecans) sprayed,” said Lenny Wells, University …

Rain Impact: Blueberry Splits a Concern for Georgia Growers

Clint ThompsonBlueberries, Georgia

By Clint Thompson The weather’s transition from prolonged drought to occasional rains has negatively impacted Georgia’s blueberry crop. Blueberry producer Johnny Allen, located in Alma, Georgia, said his crop encountered fruit splits with this year’s crop. “We went from dry to rains there a little bit, so that hurt us,” Allen said. “When you get in drought and then you …

Specialty Crop Grower Magazine: Peach Growers Aim to Avoid Bacterial Spot Disease

Clint ThompsonGeorgia

By Clint Thompson A prolonged dry period in recent months across the Southeast meant unfavorable weather conditions for bacterial spot disease to flourish in peach orchards. But that doesn’t mean growers should let their guard down with trying to keep the disease from impacting the crop like it did in 2025. “Yes, drier is much better,” said Phil Brannen, University …

Increased Costs for Watermelon Growers As Limited Volume Expected Out of Florida

Clint ThompsonFlorida

By Clint Thompson Production costs are up for Southeast watermelon growers. That’s created concern for producers with harvest season just around the corner for much of the region. “I think what’s on the forefront of everybody’s minds is the challenges with costs we’re seeing already,” said George Szczepanski, executive director of the National Watermelon Association. “As a result from the …

CRISPR

Growers Putting CRISPR Trees Into the Ground

Dan CooperCRAFT, Planting

More than 300,000 CRISPR-edited citrus trees are being planted this year that have shown great potential against citrus greening disease in test groves. CRISPR, which stands for clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats, is a gene-editing technology to help citrus growers produce a crop amid the disease. The Florida citrus industry is eager to see how these trees will respond …

Attention Growers: Specialty Crops Acreage Reporting Deadline for 2025 is April 24

Clint ThompsonUSDA

The U.S. Department of Agriculture Farm Service Agency (FSA) announced the agency is reopening the 2025 crop acreage reporting period required for specialty crop producers who want to apply for the Assistance for Specialty Crop Farmers (ASCF) program. Specialty crop producers now have until April 24, 2026, to report 2025 acres to FSA. The ASCF program is designed to help address market disruptions, elevated input costs, persistent inflation, and market losses from foreign competitors engaging …