By Yiannis Ampatzidis Vegetable growers face a variety of challenges, including pest and diseases, labor shortages and climate change. How can new advancements in technology help growers address these challenges? Can technology improve crops, reduce production costs and protect the environment? How can technological innovations be incorporated into traditional farming to improve production practices? In the last few decades, several …
Alabama Hemp Producers Need To Plant Crop Now
By Clint Thompson Alabama hemp producers need to plant their crop now to ensure it is in the ground and growing by the July 31 deadline. According to the Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries (ADAI), if you are a first-time outdoor grower and do not have green plants up and growing by July 31, ADAI will need to know …
Mental Health in Agriculture Industries
Agriculture industries have had to adapt to a lot of change in recent months. The University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) has created a series of professional development webinars to help these industries navigate the global pandemic. The most recent session of the six-part webinar series featured a panel focused on mental health in rural communities. …
GFVGA Executive Director: Grateful For CFAP Revisions
By Clint Thompson The first round of revisions made by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to the commodities covered under the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP) benefited Georgia’s vegetable producers. Georgia Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association (GFVGA) Executive Director Charles Hall was appreciative of the consideration given to the crops his organization petitioned for. “Some of our January …
Clemson Extension Provides Crop Updates
Clemson Extension agents provided updates in The South Carolina Grower this week about the status of various crops being produced throughout the state. Coastal Zack Snipes reports, “Summer crops are all but about done. The afternoon thunderstorms, humidity, and heat have just about finished off the tomato and watermelon crops. Growers are getting fields ready for the fall season now. …
Supplemental Fumigation Strategies for Soilborne Pests, Diseases
By Ashley Robinson The phaseout of methyl bromide continues to stimulate research into the use of other soil fumigants for controlling soilborne pathogens, nematodes and weeds to an acceptable level for production. Researchers at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) are looking at ways to modify the current fumigation system to better reflect the distribution …
GFVA Executive Director: It Was a Pretty Good Season
By Clint Thompson Georgia’s fruit and vegetable growers had their share of obstacles this growing season but emerged mostly unscathed with a productive season, according to Charles Hall, executive director of the Georgia Fruit and Vegetable Association (GFVA). He credits alternative marketing outlets for helping products get sold in a timely fashion. “Because of the Food Box program that the …
Watermelon Shortage? One Farmer Thinks So
By Clint Thompson Watermelon producers continue to enjoy high prices, though, there may soon be a shortage. Carr Hussey, a watermelon farmer in Florida and Alabama and chairman of the board of the Florida Watermelon Association, said there may soon be a shortage as producers in the Southeast region finish harvesting their crop, while the northern states are still not …
Georgia Hemp Up and Growing
By Clint Thompson Georgia’s hemp crop is still being planted across the state. According to Tim Coolong, associate professor in the UGA College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, the recent rainfall could impact the crop both positively and negatively. “Hemp doesn’t like it overly wet. In parts of the state, if there’s standing water in fields or if it’s saturated, …
Thinning Pecan Trees Better Equips Producers For Future
By Clint Thompson University of Georgia Cooperative Extension is encouraging pecan growers to thin their bumper crop this summer to avoid having a down year next season. Southeast Georgia Area Pecan Agent Andrew Sawyer said this year’s pecan crop exceeds the 70% fruit-bearing terminals they recommend pecan trees to have at this stage in the growing season, along with having …