Reminder: Hurricane’s Impact on Blueberries

Clint ThompsonFlorida

By Clint Thompson Florida’s blueberry industry sustained minimal damage from Hurricane Helene. But the storm’s devastating path of destruction reminds growers about the dangers a hurricane can pose this time of year. Doug Phillips, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) blueberry Extension coordinator, discusses the impacts a hurricane can have on blueberry bushes in early fall. …

Drought Monitor: Georgia Has Sufficient Moisture Following Hurricane Helene

Clint ThompsonDrought, Georgia

By Clint Thompson Hurricane Helene’s trek through the Southeast on Sept. 26 and 27 brought excessive rains to Georgia, wiping out most of the dry conditions present in the state, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. Georgia mostly has sufficient moisture, except for abnormally dry conditions in Northwest Georgia, in parts or all of Chattooga, Walker, Dade, Catoosa, Whitfield, Murray …

Specialty Crop Grower Magazine: Protecting Blueberry Pollinators

Clint ThompsonSpecialty Crop Grower Magazine

By Frank Giles Among the critical elements in blueberry production are pollination and crop protection materials. Managing how those two interact is important to ensure pollinators like honey bees are protected. Recently, Rachel Mallinger, a University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) assistant professor of pollinator ecology and conservation, published a paper on managing pesticide applications during …

Hurricane Helene Impact: Clemson Extension Agents Provide Crop Updates

Clint ThompsonSouth Carolina

Weekly Field Update Clemson Extension agents provide updates in The South Carolina Grower this week about the status of various crops being produced throughout the state. Hurricane Helene cast tropical storm forced winds over most of South Carolina Friday as she tore through Florida and Georgia. The western part of the state took the brunt of the damage and large …

More to Come? Tropic Season Still a Concern Following Hurricane Helene

Clint ThompsonWeather

By Clint Thompson Hurricane Helene’s trek through the Southeast last week serves as a reminder to specialty crop producers that the tropics remain very active. It is expected to stay that way for at least another month or so, says Pam Knox, University of Georgia (UGA) Extension agricultural climatologist. “It’s a sign that the tropical season is not over. We …

Sen. Ossoff, Rep. Scott Lead Bipartisan, Bicameral Push for Disaster Relief Following Helene

Clint ThompsonGeorgia

Tifton, Ga. — U.S. Senator Jon Ossoff and Congressman Austin Scott (GA-08) are leading a bipartisan push for disaster relief funding to prevent deep and lasting economic damage to the agricultural industry in the Southeast. Ossoff and Scott, alongside Georgia’s entire Congressional Delegation, led a bipartisan, bicameral group of 34 lawmakers from Southeastern states, urging Congressional Leadership to work with …

Sneak Peek: October 2024 Specialty Crop Grower Magazine

Clint ThompsonSpecialty Crop Grower Magazine

The cover story of the October issue of Specialty Crop Grower Magazine highlights blueberries and what varieties are in demand for Southeast growers. Certain varieties released by the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) and breeder Patricio Munoz include Sentinel, Falcon and FL19-006. Varieties released by the University of Georgia and breeding team lead Juliet Chu …

Specialty Crop Tracker

Clint ThompsonSpecialty Crop Grower Magazine

By Clint Thompson The Specialty Crop Tracker is a record of this year’s crop progress based on observations from growers, Extension agents and other industry stakeholders on the ground throughout the Southeast. Hurricane Debby Floods Fields In early August, Hurricane Debby slowly rolled through the Southeast, dumping huge amounts of rain in certain areas. For some specialty crop growers, it …

Specialty Crop Grower Magazine: General Session Addressed Issues of Producer Interest

Clint ThompsonSpecialty Crop Grower Magazine

By Clint Thompson The general session at this year’s Citrus & Specialty Crop Expo shined the spotlight on timely topics important to all types of growers. Farm Bill One of those topics was the farm bill, a key piece of legislation that may not be finalized by the end of this year, according to Tori Rumenik, director of commodity services …

diverse

Big Year Expected for Diverse Georgia Citrus Crop

Dan CooperGeorgia, Production, Varieties

Georgia’s citrus industry is growing and so are the diverse varieties producers are planting every year. Jake Price, University of Georgia citrus agent, said at the Citrus Grower’s Summer Update meeting last week in Valdosta that there were 4,400 citrus acres planted in South Georgia. At approximately 145 trees per acre, this equates to about 638,000 trees. What started out …