More Than 70,000 FFA Members Gather for the National FFA Convention and Expo

Web AdminEducation, Events

By Maegan Beatty Every year, the National Future Farmers of America (FFA) Convention and Expo brings in thousands of FFA members to Indianapolis, Indiana, and creates a “sea of blue” throughout the city. This year, the 96th National FFA Convention and Expo was held in the Indiana Convention Center and the Lucas Oil Stadium. Students from across the nation gathered …

Ag Workforce Solutions Remain Elusive

Web AdminAgri-business, Labor

By Frank Giles Southeastern specialty crop growers have been seeking reform in farm labor policy for many years. Because of its nexus with immigration policy, meaningful solutions have been hard to come by. Proposals have been put forth, but partisan politics see those efforts stall. That has forced many growers to utilize the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) H-2A visa …

Season’s Expectations for Cold-Hardy Citrus

Web AdminCitrus

High quality and low quantity are in store for this year’s cold-hardy citrus crop in eastern Alabama, southern Georgia and the Florida Panhandle. Too many natural disasters negated the volume of this year’s crop load, according to Lindy Savelle, president of the Georgia Citrus Association and member of the Georgia Citrus Commission. “We had a freeze, and then we had another freeze, and …

Nutsedge Management in Vegetable Plasticulture Production

Web AdminAgriculture Research, Research, Weed Management

By Ruby Tiwari and Ramdas Kanissery Yellow nutsedge (Cyperus esculentus) and purple nutsedge (Cyperus rotundus) are perennial weeds that resemble grass. They commonly appear in raised bed vegetable plasticulture systems every year. These weeds spread and reproduce through rhizomes, bulbs and small tubers called nutlets. Just one tuber can generate hundreds of shoots, forming a dense patch that can span …

specialty crop

USDA ERS Study: Blueberry Second Most Popular U.S. Produced Berry

Web AdminBlueberries, USDA

A U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Economic Research Service (ERS) study concludes that blueberries are the second most popular berry in terms of value and volume of U.S. production. Highbush and lowbush varieties are the two main types, with highbush blueberries being used for the fresh market and lowbush used in the processed market. Approximately 90% of the total domestic …

Current Dry Period Impacting Cover Crop Establishment

Web AdminCover Crops, Drought, Weather

By Clint Thompson Drought-like conditions continue to plague the Southeast region. That has made establishing cover crops a challenge for specialty crop producers hoping to utilize the management strategy. Extended periods of dry weather in the fall can impact cover crops being produced, according to Tim Coolong, associate professor in the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. …

florida

N.C. Strawberry Producers Delayed in Planting Strawberries

Web AdminNorth Carolina, Strawberry

By Clint Thompson North Carolina (N.C.) strawberry producers are late in getting their plants in the ground this fall. But it should not have long-term repercussions, according to Austin Wrenn, president of the North Carolina Strawberry Association. Wrenn said there were delays in his growers receiving plant materials, and it stemmed from poor weather conditions in Canada. The nursery stock …

Sneak Peek: November 2023 Specialty Crop Industry Magazine

Clint ThompsonSneak peek

By Will Jordan The November 2023 Specialty Crop Industry Magazine will be hitting mailboxes and inboxes soon! Elias Eldayrie, University of Florida Vice President of Information Technology and Chief Information Officer, shares how the hot technology of Artificial Intelligence is set to “supercharge” ag research, improve learning and benefit the specialty crop industry. Rebeckah Adcock, International Fresh Produce Association (IFPA) …

Improving Yields and Traits in U.S. Hemp Crops  

Web AdminHemp, Research

Two research grants will help improve domestic hemp production in the future. The Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research’s (FFAR) Hemp Research Consortium provided two grants totaling $1.17 million to Cornell University to support a breeding program aimed at cultivating hemp for grain, fiber and CBD production in U.S. growing regions. Consortium partners contributed matching funds for a total investment …

FFVA honors Sanjay Shukla as 2023 Researcher of the Year

Web AdminAgriculture Research

The Florida Fruit & Vegetable Association presented Sanjay Shukla with its 2023 Researcher of the Year Award during FFVA’s 79th annual convention last month at The Ritz-Carlton in Naples. The Researcher of the Year Award is given to deserving individuals who have dedicated themselves and their work to improving Florida agriculture.  Shukla is a professor in the Agricultural and Biological …