Alabama Extension to Host Two Irrigation Workshops in February

Clint ThompsonAlabama, Irrigation

AUBURN UNIVERSITY, Ala. — The Alabama Cooperative Extension System is offering two irrigation field days in February. The workshops are designed to provide support to farmers as they implement precision agriculture technologies to strengthen preplanting, in-season and harvest management strategies. Brenda Ortiz, an Alabama Extension precision agriculture specialist, said the topics will allow producers to make plans for irrigation use …

Specialty Crop Grower Magazine: Resistance Management Key to Diamondback Moth Control

Clint ThompsonSpecialty Crop Grower Magazine

By Frank Giles For brassica growers, the diamondback moth reigns as the biggest pest problem they must fight. This is particularly true where the crops are produced year-round, like in Georgia. The pest is estimated to cause as much as $5 billion in crop losses every year worldwide. In the Southeast, cabbage, broccoli and collards are the preferred hosts of …

Neopestalotiopsis: The Latest Tips in Managing Strawberry Disease

Clint ThompsonFlorida, Strawberries

By Clint Thompson Neopestalotiopsis disease in strawberries remains a concern for Southeast growers. Natalia Peres, professor of plant pathology at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Gulf Coast Research and Education Center, provided producers tips on how to control the disease during her presentation at the Southeast Regional Fruit and Vegetable Conference in Savannah, Georgia. …

Sneak Peek: February 2024 Specialty Crop Grower Magazine

Clint ThompsonSpecialty Crop Grower Magazine

The February issue of Specialty Crop Grower Magazine focuses on L&M Farms as its cover story. The story focuses on Adam Lytch, who manages the company’s farming operations, and how it has stayed competitive in the modern marketplace. Lytch said consumer preference is more important than ever, and L&M must stay up-to-date with demand in the information age. Black rot …

Wet Winter Weather Expected to Continue

Clint ThompsonWeather

By Clint Thompson A wet winter is likely to carry over into early spring, according to Pam Knox, University of Georgia Extension agricultural climatologist. Knox noted in her Climate and Agriculture Blog that the latest seasonal outlook for February through April shows wetter conditions for the next three months. She emphasized that scenario can have positive and negative impacts on …

Representative Austin Scott: I’m worried About the Farm Bill

Clint ThompsonGeorgia

Representative Austin Scott: I’m Worried About the Farm Bill By Clint Thompson Georgia Representative Austin Scott understands the political ramifications if a farm bill is not in place sooner rather than later. It would be in danger of not getting passed this year. “I’m worried about it. Obviously, we’ve got a March deadline on some of the funding aspects on …

American Pecan Council Aims to Boost India Exports with Reverse Trade Mission

Clint ThompsonGeorgia, Pecan

Fort Worth, TX – In an effort to grow the pecan industry’s global relationships and increase exports, the American Pecan Council (APC) conducted its first reverse trade mission with Indian nut importers in key growing regions. The mission provided importers an up-close, educational look at the U.S. pecan industry and how the full value chain can offer a high-value, nutritious …

USDA NASS Conducts Hemp Survey

Clint ThompsonHemp, USDA

Athens, GA – The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) sent the Hemp Production and Disposition Inquiry to nearly 1,600 producers across Alabama, Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina on Monday, Jan. 22. This follows NASS’s 2022 Hemp Acreage and Production survey. Like the 2022 questionnaire, this year’s survey will collect information on the total planted and harvested …

Chilli Thrips Emerging Pest to Georgia Blueberries

Clint ThompsonBlueberries, Georgia

By Clint Thompson Chilli thrips are emerging as a serious threat to blueberry production in Georgia. Ash Sial, University of Georgia entomologist, discussed the pest with AgNet Media at the Southeast Regional Fruit and Vegetable Conference in Savannah, Georgia. “It is the most emerging issue. Our key issue is spotted wing drosophila, but thrips are becoming as complex; one of …

Citrus Trees Weather Sub-Freezing Nights

Clint ThompsonAlabama, Citrus, Florida, Georgia

By Clint Thompson Trees in the Cold-Hardy Citrus Region weathered last week’s multiple nights of sub-freezing temperatures, according to one industry expert. “I had somebody here at the house and they said, ‘Are you still running sprinklers?’ I was like, ‘Heavens no, but it’s all that ice thawing out and running out into the road.’ It’s a pond out there …