Members from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) will interview almost 300 vegetable producers in Georgia and Florida to compile data for the 2022 Vegetable Chemical Use Survey this fall. The survey will gather information on bearing acreage, pest management practices, treated acres, application rates and fertilizer and pesticide applications for 22 different vegetable crops. Growers …
Alabama Hemp Permits Available Oct. 11-Nov. 30
Alabama producers interested in growing hemp in 2023 should be aware that permits are only available between Oct. 11 and Nov. 30. Any production or cultivation of hemp without a grower’s permit acquired from the Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries (ADAI) is deemed illegal. Hemp is a large herbaceous plant that is grown industrially for seed, fiber and flower. …
Getting the Most Mileage out of Marathon Mandarin
By Peter Chaires Based on the performance of a single mother tree, the University of Florida’s Marathon mandarin was released and licensed into a revised version of the FAST TRACK model in 2019. Having learned from the growing pains of earlier FAST TRACK variety launches, the Marathon model (Suite IV) was designed to be more user friendly and flexible. Rather …
Whitefly Populations on Rise in Alabama Crops
By Clint Thompson Alabama cucurbit growers are already seeing increased whitefly populations in their fall crops. Whitefly-transmitted viruses are not far behind, says Ed Sikora, professor and Extension plant pathologist in the department of entomology and plant pathology at Auburn University. “My guess is with the number of whiteflies and with these crops we’ll start seeing symptoms with some of …
Clemson Extension Agents Provide Crop Updates
Clemson Extension agents provide updates in The South Carolina Grower this week about the status of various crops being produced throughout the state. Coastal Region Zack Snipes reports, “What a wild week we had with the hurricane, rain and storm prep. Overall, the Lowcountry dodged most of the wind and water. While we still had wind gusts exceeding 45 miles per …
Transitioning Tips for Summer to Fall Vegetable Crops
By Ayanava Majumdar, Chip East and Eric Schavey The southeastern United States is the hotbed of insect and disease issues in vegetable crops. Growers constantly have to deal with not only established pest and weed issues, but also the invasive ones. Organic farming of vegetables is a challenge for producers everywhere in the United States, and the battle against insect …
Hurricane Ian Hits Florida Citrus HardÂ
Although early assessment attempts were limited by cell phone and internet outages, Hurricane Ian likely caused extensive citrus fruit loss as it tore through Florida Sept. 28–29. The catastrophic hurricane churned through the Gulf and Peace River Valley citrus regions, then headed northeast to impact Highlands and southern Polk counties and the Indian River citrus region. REGIONAL REPORTS Ray Royce …
Alabama Extension to Host Upcoming Field Days
Alabama Extension is set to host a couple of upcoming field days that will appeal to the state’s specialty crop producers. A specialty crop field day will be held on Friday, Oct. 7 at the Wiregrass Research and Extension Center at 167 State Highway 134 East in Headland, Ala. The event will start at 10:30 a.m. (EST). Those interested in …
GFVGA Executive Vice President: Georgia Producers Dodged a Bullet
By Clint Thompson Georgia’s specialty crop producers dodged disaster when Hurricane Ian shifted eastward and headed mostly around the state this week. Chris Butts, executive vice president of the Georgia Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association (GFVGA), said his organization is thankful that its growers avoided the worst impact of the hurricane. But their thoughts and prayers are with their Florida …
5 Tips for Hurricane Reporting and Documentation
As growers begin to assess the damage left by Hurricane Ian, there’s some important considerations to keep in mind. Kimberly Lott, with Crop Disaster Recovery, provides five tips. She noted that many growers didn’t receive the full amount of money they could have been eligible for after Hurricane Irma — reporting and documentation are key. 1. REPORT LOSSES, GET INSPECTIONGrowers …