By Clint Thompson The Citrus and Specialty Crop Expo, slated for Aug. 21-22 at the Florida State Fairgrounds in Tampa, appeals to fruit and vegetable growers from across the Southeast, including those from Georgia, Alabama and North Florida. It will offer seminar sessions that highlight specialty crop production while also offering opportunities to discuss business with the many vendors that …
Costly Year for Gummy Stem Blight Control
By Clint Thompson Gummy stem blight’s presence in North Florida watermelons this year was expensive to manage. It could be even costlier to growers’ sustainability in the future. “Are we going to start losing effectiveness of chemistry?” pondered Bob Hochmuth, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Regional Specialized Extension agent in Live Oak, Florida. “That’s the …
Typical June: Huge Nut Drop in Desirable Pecan Variety
By Clint Thompson An increased nut drop of one of Georgia’s older and more established pecan varieties will impact volume this year. But growers should know this is a common occurrence with Desirable varieties, says Lenny Wells, University of Georgia Extension pecan specialist. “There was a big drop of Desirables this year. Desirables always have a drop in June. This …
Sprayer Management Important for Southeast Grape Producers
By Clint Thompson Sprayer management is an essential part of disease management for grape producers in the Southeast. As costly as fungicides can be, growers must be as efficient as possible with their spray applications, says Sarah Lowder, University of Georgia viticulture Extension specialist. “You can’t get good disease management if you don’t have good spray coverage,” Lowder said. “Where …
GFVGA Executive Director Discusses Farm Bill Proposals
By Clint Thompson The farm bill is far from a finished product, but at least the process to finalize an important piece of legislation is underway. The House Agriculture Committee and Senate Agriculture Committee have passed frameworks of the bill. Chris Butts, executive director of the Georgia Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association (GFVGA), discussed the current proposals in both frameworks …
Registration Open for Florida Ag Labor Relations Forum
Registration is currently under way for the 50th annual Agricultural Labor Relations Forum, scheduled for Aug. 28-30 at the Wyndham Grand Orlando Resor Bonnet Creek in Orlando, Florida. The Florida Specialty Crop Foundation will present the forum, designed to educate agricultural employers, including growers, shippers, farm labor contractors, and other employers, on compliance with agricultural labor laws and sound relations …
Nematode Management in Hops
By Clint Thompson Choosing the right hops variety means growers won’t have to be as concerned with root-knot nematode management. Johan Desaeger, assistant professor of entomology and nematology at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Gulf Coast Research and Education Center, discussed that benefit of hops production which continues to gain traction in Florida. “The hop …
You’ve Got Mail: FFVA Chair Provides Comments to Governor on Farmworker Housing Situation
David Hill, chairman of the Florida Fruit and Vegetable Association (FFVA), sent a letter to Governor Ron DeSantis in mid-June in support of Senate Bill 1082. Senate Bill 1082 According to the Florida Senate: “Senate Bill 1082 preempts a local government from inhibiting the construction or installation of housing for legally verified agricultural workers on land classified as agricultural if …
Drought’s Impact on Southeast Pecans
By Clint Thompson It is never an ideal time for a drought but the current prolonged dry period came at an especially bad time of the season for pecan orchards in Georgia and Alabama. The pecan development is at a time when water consumption is vital to harvests which are a couple of months away. Lenny Wells, University of Georgia …
What’s Happening? Clemson Extension Agents Provide Specialty Crop Updates
Weekly Field Update Clemson Extension agents provide updates in South Carolina Grower this week about the status of various crops being produced throughout the state. Coastal Region Anna Sara Hill Zack Snipes Midlands Rob Last Sarah Scott Upstate Briana Naumuk Andy Rollins Sponsored ContentNew Syngenta Varieties Offer Grower SolutionsFebruary 1, 2026Attribute® II Technology Adds More Flexibility and Strength to Sweet …



















