By Clint Thompson Peach producers need to be proactive in guarding against San Jose scale, an annual pest that becomes a problem once temperatures start to warm up. “Once the insect gets out of control, it’s really hard to bring the populations back down. We just have a great environment for San Jose scale,” said Brett Blaauw, assistant professor at …
Sneak Peek: March 2026 Specialty Crop Grower Magazine
In this month’s sneak peek, the March issue of Specialty Crop Grower Magazine highlights the recent deep freeze event in January and February that devastated various fruits and vegetables in Florida. Freezing temperatures caused significant damage to specialty crops across the state. Those crops included citrus, blueberries, strawberries, tomatoes, green beans and watermelons. Florida Ag Commissioner Wilton Simpson announced preliminary …
Attention Blueberry Producers: Repeated Insecticide Sprays Needed Against Chilli Thrips
By Clint Thompson Georgia blueberry producers have viable insecticide options to protect their crop against chilli thrips. They just has to be applied more than once, says Ash Sial, University of Georgia (UGA) entomologist. “We do have some (options) but they need to be repeated because of the way these chilli thrips, their life cycles work. It’s really hard to …
Decision Time for Alabama Citrus Producer
By Clint Thompson One Southwest Alabama citrus producer is faced with a potential career-defining decision following the 2025 freeze/snow event. Craig Goolsby, with Silverhill Satsumas in Baldwin County, said last year’s freeze led to a loss in productive trees for him and his colleagues. “We run a small co-op. Prior to the 2025 freeze, we had about 1,200 productive trees. …
Vidalia Onion Diseases a Concern Following Recent Cold Weather
By Clint Thompson Georgia Vidalia onion producers must guard against potential disease buildup following the recent barrage of cold weather. Chris Tyson, University of Georgia Extension area onion agent at the Vidalia Onion & Vegetable Research Center in Lyons, Georgia, highlighted disease management in the UGA Vidalia Onion Blog. “We’re always worried about disease this time of year, but the …
Specialty Crop Grower Magazine: Can MAHA Move the Needle on Sales?
By Frank Giles When President Trump appointed Robert Kennedy Jr. to lead the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), it was a clear signal that it would not be business as usual at the agency charged with “improving the health, safety and well-being of America.” With a budget of about $2 trillion, HHS has significant sway in American …
Postfreeze Irrigation and Fertilization for Citrus Trees
Irrigation and fertilizer applications are important management tools for Florida citrus growers following the recent freeze event in late January/early February. Davie Kadyampakeni, associate professor in soil, water and ecosystem sciences at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS), discussed both facets of tree maintenance during a postfreeze webinar hosted by the UF/IFAS Citrus Team. Key …
Research Critical for Alabama’s Strawberry Industry
By Clint Thompson Strawberry research continues to be a focus at Auburn University. It needs to be for Alabama growers to have a viable future. Sushan Ru, assistant professor in horticulture at Auburn University, hopes to provide her growers with strong alternative varieties. She updated growers about her research during the recent Alabama Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association (AFVGA) Conference …
Estimate Puts Florida Freeze Damage at More Than $3 Billion
As growers surveyed fields and groves after the freeze in late January and early February, it was clear the damage had been catastrophic in many cases. That was confirmed by Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Wilton Simpson with the first estimate of damage released on Feb 20. Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services’ (FDACS) preliminary estimates of losses to Florida …
Registration Open for 2026 Citrus & Specialty Crop Expo
Registration is now open for the 2026 Citrus & Specialty Crop Expo, set for Aug. 12–13 at the waterfront Caloosa Sound Convention Center in downtown Fort Myers. The Expo has earned a reputation as a top event for commercial producers. The event brings together citrus and specialty crop growers, allied industry companies, researchers and industry leaders for two days of …



















