By Clint Thompson Alabama specialty crops that are planted are in desperate need of water. It may be a while before that happens and it concerns Katelyn Kesheimer, Auburn University assistant professor and Extension specialist. “The crops that are in the ground, like corn, they’re thirsty. It’s also impacting weed control,” Kesheimer said. “There’s no rain to activate the (pre-emergence …
Georgia’s Peach Harvest is Underway
By Clint Thompson Georgia’s producers have begun peach harvest of this year’s crop. However, increased volume is not expected until early-to-mid June, according to Jeff Cook, University of Georgia Cooperative Extension Agriculture and Natural Resources agent for Peach and Taylor counties. “This is about our normal start time. It wasn’t necessarily expected to be our normal start time after March …
What’s Happening? Alabama Extension Plant Pathologist Provides Disease Update
By Clint Thompson There have been no signs of downy mildew disease in Alabama vegetable crops, while tomato spotted wilt has been observed in one tomato field. Those are observations shared by Ed Sikora, professor and Extension plant pathologist in the department of entomology and plant pathology at Auburn University. One of the main points so far this season is …
Dealing With Different Drought Types
By Pam Knox Dealing with drought is something that all growers need to face from time to time. Drought is a natural part of the climate system, but it can look very different depending on where it occurs. Drought is a lack of enough water for what farmers (and their crops) need. Climatologists define four different kinds of drought, each …
Summer Weed Management Tips
By Clint Thompson Successful weed management programs this summer involve an integrated approach. No longer can farmers rely on just herbicides to overcome all of their weed issues. Other components must factor into the program, says Nathan Boyd, associate center director of the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Gulf Coast Research and Education Center and …
John Chater, A Welcome Addition to the CREC Team
By Peter Chaires The University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) is firmly engaged in the fight against HLB in a range of scientific disciplines. These include entomology, plant improvement (scion and rootstock), gene editing, microbiology and cell science, soil and water research, pathology, root health, irrigation, nutrition and others. The recent hire of John Chater further …
What’s Happening? Clemson Extension Agents Provide Updates
Clemson Extension agents provide updates in The South Carolina Grower this week about the status of various crops being produced throughout the state. Weekly Field Update Coastal Region Zack Snipes reports, “It seems like everything happened all of a sudden this week. We are flushed with strawberries right now. I am seeing some anthracnose on berries as well as lots of …
What To Do About Anthracnose Fruit Rot in Blueberries
By Philip Harmon and Doug Phillips Anthracnose fruit rot (AFR), also known as ripe rot, is a significant disease on southern highbush blueberries. Caused by the fungal pathogen Colletotrichum gloeosporioides on southern highbush blueberries in Florida, AFR creates sunken lesions on the surface of blueberries. This is followed by eruptions of orange- or salmon-colored spores from the lesions when the …
Insect Populations Increasing Amid Hot, Dry Conditions
By Clint Thompson Hot temperatures and little rainfall could be a recipe for increased insect pressure in Georgia. Stormy Sparks, University of Georgia (UGA) Cooperative Extension vegetable entomologist, discusses what vegetable growers should be scouting for as the calendar turns to May. “Squash bugs are picking up, because they’re coming out of overwintering. We’re seeing squash bugs and squash bug …
Starting in Strawberries? Input Expenses Costly but Reward is Potentially Great
By Clint Thompson Strawberries have the potential to be a lucrative commodity for interested specialty crop producers. But they can also be extremely expensive to grow. Farmers need to understand the investment before diving head first into the industry next season, says Jessie Rowan, Alabama regional Extension agent, who specializes in commercial horticulture and farm and agribusiness management. “To me, …