By Clint Thompson North Florida watermelons and South Georgia watermelons are likely on a collision course for the Southeast market this summer. Weather is the main reason why. Florida Frost Producers in the Suwanee Valley Region in North Florida have started harvesting this year’s crop. But many of their fields were impacted by a scattered frost late in the season. …
Waiting for Watermelons: North Florida, South Georgia Crop Delayed by Weather
By Clint Thompson A delay in harvest for North Florida watermelons would normally spell doom for producers in that region hoping to avoid a collision course with South Georgia producers. But that’s not the case this year. Branford, Florida producer Laura Land said most producers are expecting to harvest at least week than they normally would, due to cooler temperatures. …
How to Stay HLB Free in North Florida, South Georgia Citrus
Temperatures are increasing across Florida. Unfortunately, so is the risk for citrus greening disease. While the southern and central portions of the state remain vulnerable to Huanglongbing (HLB) or citrus greening, and Asian citrus psyllids (ACP) – the vectors that cause the most economically damaging citrus disease in the world – growers in North Florida and South Georgia are still …
Citrus Interest Growing in North Florida, South Georgia
Interest in citrus continues to spike in North Florida and South Georgia. Georgia acres have doubled over the past year. North Florida has increased by another 300 to 400 this spring, says farmer Kim Jones, who owns a citrus packing facility in Monticello, Florida. “We’re seeing a whole lot of acres being planted. It’s hard to get trees. We’ve had …
Kelly Morgan Named New Director of UF/IFAS Southwest Florida Research and Education Center
By: Beverly James, 352-273-3566, beverlymjames@ufl.edu GAINESVILLE, Fla. – As Best Management Practices Coordinator for the state, Kelly Morgan has spent years helping growers find optimum ways to irrigate and fertilize their crops to maximize results. Now, he will get the chance to coordinate even more groundbreaking research. The University of Florida has named Morgan the new director of the UF/IFAS …
Potential for Commercial Vanilla Production in Southern Florida
By Alan Chambers Think about your favorite desserts like ice cream, cookies, cream-filled pastries and chocolate. These indulgences are the perfect end to an otherwise healthy meal, or a guilty snack when no one’s looking. Many of our favorite desserts include a common, yet irresistible, vanillin flavor extract from the “bean” of the vanilla orchid. Vanillin has enhanced the sensory …
Drought Monitor Update Across Southeast
By Clint Thompson Much-needed rainfall continues to alleviate some of the drought being experienced across the Southeast. This is according to the Oct. 22 release of the U.S. Drought Monitor. Florida All of the Florida Panhandle has sufficient moisture, while most of North Florida has abnormally dry and moderate drought conditions. All of the counties along the east coast in …
Southeast Regional Scheduled for Jan. 7-9, 2027
By Clint Thompson It is never too early to start thinking about next year’s Southeast Regional Fruit and Vegetable Conference. The annual conference is scheduled for Jan. 7-9, 2027, in Savannah, Georgia. Chris Butts, executive director of the Georgia Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association (GFVGA), discussed the conference, which includes growers and industry leaders from Georgia, Florida, Alabama and the …
Drought Update Across Southeast Region
By Clint Thompson Two straight weekends of rainfall, highlighted by last week’s Hurricane Isaias, have alleviated some of the drought being observed across the Southeast, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. Georgia Much of South Georgia is drought free, extending from Seminole and Early counties in the southwest corner of the state northeastward to Jenkins, Burke and Richmond counties. The …
El Niño Effect: Cooler, Wetter Winter Expected in Southeast
By Clint Thompson An El Niño winter means cooler and wetter conditions in some areas across the Southeast region. That means the wettest conditions are slated for certain parts of Florida, Georgia and Alabama, according to Pam Knox, University of Georgia (UGA) Extension agricultural climatologist. “Typically, the wettest conditions are in, and this is for a typical El Niño, so …