Research studies show that about 60% of Florida citrus trees are infected by HLB disease within six months of planting. By one year, 100% of citrus trees are infected. For that reason, the use of individual protective covers (IPCs) has become very popular to protect young citrus trees from the Asian citrus psyllid (ACP). The covers have proven to be effective in …
$4 Billion in Emergency Relief Program Payments
Deadline to Submit Applications is Friday, July 22 Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced that to date, agricultural producers have already received more than $4 billion through the Emergency Relief Program (ERP), representing approximately 67% of the more than $6 billion projected to be paid through this first phase of the program. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) mailed out pre-filled …
Weather Conditions ‘Not Ideal’ for Alabama Hemp
By Clint Thompson Alabama hemp production wilted under the stress of prolonged dry conditions combined with extremely high temperatures. Katelyn Kesheimer, Auburn University assistant professor and Extension specialist, said the “timing wasn’t ideal.” Plants were being put into the ground right as weather conditions worsened across the region. “There’s been quite a bit of plant mortality, transplant shock, that sort …
North Florida Watermelon Crop ‘Pretty Well Done’
By Clint Thompson North Florida’s watermelon crop is “pretty well done,” according to Bob Hochmuth, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) regional specialized Extension agent in Live Oak, Florida. The intense heat in recent weeks helped accelerate the crop’s harvest across the region. “I think we were on the way to winding down anyway but certainly …
Watermelon Producer: It’s Been a Downhill Slide
By Clint Thompson Various factors have contributed to a difficult watermelon season for Southeast producers. But it has been a challenge, says Carr Hussey, a watermelon farmer in Florida, Georgia and Alabama and chairman of the board of the Florida Watermelon Association (FWA). “From the beginning it’s been a downhill slide. These guys are actually probably selling stuff below production …
Management Update for Spotted-Wing Drosophila
By Clint Thompson Even in a year when hot and dry weather conditions prevailed across the Southeast region, spotted-wing drosophila was still a problem for blueberry producers. Ash Sial, University of Georgia entomologist, discusses the challenging characteristics of the spotted-wing drosophila and what growers should remember for future seasons. “This is the unique thing about this pest is that dry …
Sneak Peek: July 2022 Specialty Crop Industry Magazine
The July issue of Specialty Crop Industry Magazine highlights the changing landscape in agriculture and the need for policy reform, specifically pertaining to increased imports. Zhengfei Guan, an associate professor, and Kuan-Ming Huang, a postdoctoral research associate, both at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Gulf Coast Research and Education Center in Wimauma, Florida, discusses …
Extreme Heat Sweltering Watermelon Crop
By Clint Thompson Extreme heat the past couple of weeks should lead to an early end for watermelon harvests across the Southeast. Especially with temperatures this week eclipsing 100 degrees Fahrenheit, watermelons ripen quicker, leading to fields being done earlier than expected. “Everything is based on growing degree days. We accumulate a lot more growing degree days when it’s 100 …
Sweet Onion Growth Responses Under Organic Fertilizers
By Juan Carlos Díaz-Pérez Vidalia onions are sweet, short-day, low-pungency, yellow Granex-type bulbs popular in the United States because of their mild flavor. These onions are exclusively grown in southeastern Georgia, in a region with mild winters and low-sulfur soils. There is increasing interest in utilizing organic fertilizers because of the growing demand for organic vegetables, including organic sweet onions. …
Heat Impact on Georgia Watermelons
By Clint Thompson High temperatures in Georgia the past couple of weeks should have a positive and negative impact on the state’s melon crops. Tim Coolong, associate professor in the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, discussed what growers experience when temperatures near 100 degrees Fahrenheit (F). “I think the quality of the fruit is going to …