By Cint Thompson Interest in organic blueberry production in Florida has waned in recent years. The late freeze event in January was not helpful in convincing growers to convert production. Phil Harmon, professor and Extension plant pathologist at the University of Florida, discusses the state of the industry in Florida. “Growers have converted a few acres in some cases to …
UGA Hires New Pecan Entomologist
University of Georgia (UGA) Extension has a new pecan entomologist as part of its UGA Pecan Team, according to the UGA Extension Pecan Blog, Apurba Barman has been hired as an assistant professor in agroecology, tree nut and fruit entomology and will be stationed at the UGA Tifton Campus. Barman previously served as the University of California (UC) Extension IP …
Vidalia Onion Producers Preparing for Upcoming Season
By Clint Thompson Georgia Vidalia onion producers are already preparing for the upcoming season. Chris Tyson, University of Georgia (UGA) Extension area onion agent, discusses what growers are doing now with planting season less than a month away. “A lot of growers have been putting in orders for seed. We’re now at the time where we’re getting our seed beds …
Citrus and Specialty Crop Expo Starts Wednesday
By Clint Thompson One of AgNet Media’s signature events kicks off on Wednesday in Fort Myers, Florida. The two-day Citrus and Specialty Crop Expo, now in its 30th year, is one of the largest gatherings of industry leaders in South Florida. It attracts almost 1,000 attendees every year and will be held at the Lee Civic Center. The event educates …
Scouting for Fall Armyworms
By Clint Thompson Now is the time of year that fall armyworms make their presence known in Alabama. Eric Schavey, regional Extension agent in Northeast Alabama, said turf producers and some vegetable growers need to be mindful of the insects, which start to appear in late July and early August. “Fall armyworms, there’s some out. I haven’t seen any damage …
Whitefly Populations Increasing
By Clint Thompson University of Georgia Extension specialists are alerting specialty crop producers that whitefly pressure is on the rise in the Southeast. Stormy Sparks, University of Georgia (UGA) Cooperative Extension vegetable entomologist, said populations have increased in recent weeks. While the increased activity is normal for this time of year, it still is a concern that growers should be …
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, “We are in our lull period of production right now for the most part. Okra is coming in very strong in high volumes. It’s getting difficult to pick it all. Fall watermelons …
Peach Production: San Jose Scale Populations Down
By Clint Thompson Normally a persistent pest of peaches, San Jose scale has not been as impactful this year for growers in the Southeast. Brett Blaauw, assistant professor at the University of Georgia (UGA) College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, said this is normally the peak time for scale pressure to increase in peach orchards. That has not been the …
UF/IFAS Scientist: Timing of Pre-Emergent Herbicide Applications is Key
By Clint Thompson Timing is everything for specialty crop growers implementing a pre-emergent herbicide program in their vegetable crops. Ramdas Kanissery, weed scientist and assistant professor at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS), elaborates on the importance of ensuring the herbicide applications are made on time. “We have some herbicides available that can be used …
Scouting Below the Ground Critical in Florida Citrus
By Frank Giles Florida citrus growers faced another challenging season in 2022. Continuing impacts from HLB and inflated input prices forced some growers to scale back their production programs. According to Kendra McCorkle, an agronomic service representative for Syngenta, some growers had to make hard economic decisions. “This past season with spikes (in expenses) across everything, especially fertilizer and fuel, …