The heat and dry conditions intensified last week across the Southeast, especially in Georgia where most of the state is either abnormally dry, moderately dry or severely dry. According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, all of North Georgia is at least abnormally dry. A pair of regions in the northeastern part of the state are moderately dry. The worst conditions …
Florida’s Next Commodity: Tea?
It is iced tea season in Florida. But whether you take your tea hot or iced, sweet or unsweet, black or green, the infused leaf in your cup could soon originate from a Florida farm. University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) researchers are investigating whether it is feasible to produce tea plants in the Sunshine State. …
Florida Tomato Season Update
By Clint Thompson Florida tomato season has all but finished for the year, while South Georgia’s season is beginning to ramp up. Michael Schadler, manager of the Florida Tomato Committee and executive vice president of the Florida Tomato Exchange, discusses the current Florida tomato season production and market facing Southeast producers. “The South and Central Florida season is effectively over. North Florida and …
Rain Events Help Across Southeast
Increased rain events across the Southeast are alleviating more of the drought-like conditions being felt in Alabama, Georgia and Florida, according to Thursday’s release of the U.S. Drought Monitor. Sporadic areas in Alabama are abnormally dry. These include Morgan, Cullman, Jefferson and Cherokee counties in the northern area of the state. Also, a small part of Henry County along the …
Lebbeck Mealybug on the Move in Florida Groves
In the May episode of the All In For Citrus podcast, Lauren Diepenbrock, an entomologist with the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS), discusses her research on the lebbeck mealybug. The pest was first identified in Florida in the Boynton Beach area in 2009 in a natural habit. “It was not until 2019 that we found it in …
North Florida Watermelon Harvests Continuing
By Clint Thompson Harvests of North Florida watermelons are in full swing across the Suwanee Valley. How long they are able to continue vary from farm to farm. Bob Hochmuth, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) regional specialized Extension agent in Live Oak, Florida, discusses the outlook for how much longer the harvests will continue. “There’s …
Recent Rainfall Alleviates Some Dry Conditions Across Southeast
Recent rainfall has helped alleviate the dry conditions in North Alabama and North Georgia, though various regions across the Southeast are still dry. According to Thursday’s release of the U.S. Drought Monitor, only Morgan, Jefferson and Henry counties are abnormally dry in Alabama. Most of the southern region of Georgia is either abnormally dry, moderately dry or severely dry. Dry …
Southeast Farm Labor Update
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture National Agricultural Statistics Service, there were 30,000 farm labor workers hired directly by farmers in the Southeast, including Alabama, Georgia and South Carolina, during the week of April 10-16. Florida producers hired 28,000 during the same timeframe. Southeast farm operators paid hired farm labor workers an average gross wage rate of $13.76 per …
What Southeast Citrus Growers Should Be Watching For
A prolonged dry spell across the Southeast should have citrus growers ensuring their young trees are properly irrigated. But Jonathan Oliver, University of Georgia (UGA) assistant professor and small fruits pathologist, cautions growers about applying too much water. “The real young trees don’t have much of a root system, of course. It has been pretty dry. But you don’t want …
Downy Mildew Disease in South Carolina
Cucurbit downy mildew disease was identified this week in South Carolina, according to the The South Carolina Grower. The disease was observed in a cucumber field in Bamberg County. Clemson Extension reminds producers to make fungicide applications every seven days. Any stretch longer than this increases the potential that the disease will spread. Recommended fungicides for cucumbers include Omega (Fluazinam, …