By Clint Thompson It is still too early to predict the track that Invest 98L will take, but specialty crop producers in the Southeast should keep an eye on the storm and its potential path into the Gulf of Mexico. It will be a concern for growers in Florida, Georgia and Alabama next week. Pam Knox, University of Georgia Extension …
Pongamia: An Alternative Crop With Great Potential In Florida
By Amir Rezazadeh To overcome economic losses from citrus greening disease, Florida citrus growers are looking for alternative crops that could be planted in their current fallow lands. Besides maintaining the ag community’s wellbeing, alternative crops should require low water and nutrient inputs in order to promote environmental sustainability. One such alternative is Pongamia pinnata, also known as pongam, a …
US Drought Monitor: Minimal Dry Conditions Across Southeast
Thursday’s release of the U.S. Drought Monitor showed minimal drought conditions throughout the Southeast, especially in Georgia and Alabama. Georgia has sufficient moisture with no dry conditions. Alabama’s abnormally dry conditions were restricted to the northwest part of the state including Lauderdale, Colbert, Limestone, Madison, Franklin, Lawrence and Winston counties. Florida’s abnormally dry conditions are isolated to the southeastern part …
Florida Growers Seeing Uptick in Stink Bug Problems
By Clint Thompson The stink bug has increasingly become problematic for Florida tomato growers. Not only must producers scout regularly to see if there are stink bugs in their fields, but they must also decipher what species is impacting their crops. That’s what makes controlling stink bugs such a challenge, says Amanda Hodges, an Extension scientist at the University of Florida …
Sorrel Shows Promise as a Florida Specialty Crop
By Clint Thompson Sorrel is a potential new crop for Florida specialty crop producers. It is easy to grow and requires minimal inputs but can suffer in fields prone to flooding. While more research is needed to verify sorrel’s place among growers, it has yielded promising early returns in University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) research, …
Stink Bugs a Growing Concern for Florida Tomato Producers
By Clint Thompson Stink bugs are increasingly become problematic for Florida tomato growers. Not only must producers scout regularly to see if there are stink bugs in their fields, but they must also decipher what species is impacting their crops. That’s what makes controlling stink bugs such a challenge, says Amanda Hodges, an Extension scientist at the University of Florida …
Minimal Dry Conditions in Southeast
Persistent rainfall in early September continues to provide adequate moisture for specialty crop producers planting their fall crops. Georgia is drought free. Alabama has minimal dry conditions in the northwest part of the state. Florida’s abnormally dry conditions are isolated to the southeast area of the state. This is according to Thursday’s release of the U.S. Drought Monitor. Only portions …
Florida Citrus Harvest is Underway
By Frank Giles Steven Callaham, CEO of the Dundee Citrus Growers Association (DCGA), reports citrus harvest got underway on Sept. 4. Brix in the tangerines being harvested are trending higher than last season, and he says that’s good news. “We are very pleased with the quality we are seeing this early in the season. As far as production is concerned, …
Florida Black Spot Quarantine Expanded
Federal and state agriculture officials have expanded the citrus black spot (CBS) quarantine area in Florida. They have added four sections in Collier County and five sections in Glades County. The action was taken by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) in cooperation with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services Division of …
U.S. Drought Monitor: Southeast Mostly Free of Dry Conditions
By Clint Thompson Persistent rain events have helped wipe away most drought across the Southeast. With an exception of one area in Southeast Florida and one in Northwest Alabama, the Alabama-Florida-Georgia region is mostly free of dry conditions, according to Thursday’s release of the U.S. Drought Monitor. Florida’s dry conditions are isolated to an area along the Atlantic Coast. Abnormally …