Specialty Crop Grower Magazine: Pest Management, Food Safety Discussed at SE Regional

Clint ThompsonGeorgia

Growers Gather To Tackle Crop Threats and Safety Standards By Clint Thompson and Frank Giles The Southeast Regional Fruit & Vegetable Conference convened in January in Savannah, Georgia. The Savannah Convention Center, where the event is held, recently expanded, so attendees had a bigger trade show to enjoy. The conference provides more than 80 hours of educational programming on specialty …

Specialty Crop Grower Magazine: Growers Look at Grafting to Fight Fusarium Wilt in Watermelon

Clint ThompsonFlorida

By Clint Thompson One of the most devastating watermelon diseases in the Southeast can be overcome. But it comes with a high cost for growers. Fusarium wilt is an annual problem that North Florida and South Georgia watermelon producers must contend with every year. Some growers are resorting to grafted plants in hopes of overcoming the disease. Grafting is a …

Specialty Crop Grower Magazine: Choanephora Rot Pest Alert

Clint ThompsonGeorgia

By Clint Thompson Choanephora rot is a fungal disease that causes a soft, wet rot on plants. It thrives in warm, humid conditions and is recognized by a fuzzy, “hairy” or pinhead-like fungal growth on infected areas. Where Is It? Choanephora rot is native to tropical and subtropical Asia and parts of Africa. The disease was first documented in the …

citrus canker

Alternatives to Copper Needed for Citrus Canker Management

Dan CooperDisease

Florida citrus producers have long used copper as a way to protect against citrus canker. However, it’s time for growers to have other options. That’s a message shared by Ozgur Batuman, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) associate professor and citrus pathologist at the Southwest Florida Research and Education Center in Immokalee. He spoke on this …

Georgia citrus

Diversification Taking Root in Georgia Citrus

Dan CooperUncategorized

The Georgia Citrus Association celebrated its 10th anniversary at its recent annual meeting. Much has changed in the industry over the past decade, specifically how growers have diversified their production to include more than just satsuma mandarins. “The industry was initially built on satsumas, being that they’re cold hardy, so that is still the majority of the varieties in Georgia,” …

Specialty Crop Grower Magazine: Growers Look at Grafting to Fight Fusarium Wilt in Watermelon

Clint ThompsonFlorida

By Clint Thompson One of the most devastating watermelon diseases in the Southeast can be overcome. But it comes with a high cost for growers. Fusarium wilt is an annual problem that North Florida and South Georgia watermelon producers must contend with every year. Some growers are resorting to grafted plants in hopes of overcoming the disease. Grafting is a …

Sneak Peek: March 2026 Specialty Crop Grower Magazine

Clint ThompsonFlorida

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 …

10 Years and Counting: Georgia Citrus Association Continues to Grow

Clint ThompsonGeorgia

By Clint Thompson The Georgia Citrus Association celebrated 10 years on Tuesday with its annual meeting at the University of Georgia Tifton Campus Conference Center in Tifton, Georgia. Lindy Savelle, executive director of the Georgia Citrus Association (GCA) and member of the Georgia Citrus Commission, highlighted the growth of the citrus industry over the last decade and the continued growth …

Young Georgia Citrus Trees Look ‘Dicey’ Following Freeze

Clint ThompsonGeorgia

Georgia’s young citrus trees appear to have endured more impact from the recent freeze event than older, mature trees. That’s an initial assessment made by Mary Sutton, University of Georgia (UGA) assistant professor and citrus Extension specialist. “I’m still getting reports, and we’re just starting our evaluation, but we’ve got a lot of leaf drop and leaf burn. There is …