See how growers and researchers are applying curiosity, conservation, and creativity in the lab and in the field.
Freeze Protection: Overhead Irrigation Efficient Strategy for Blueberry Growers
By Clint Thompson Frost protection will be an essential management plan for blueberry producers in the Southeast during the upcoming months leading up to harvest. Eric Stafne, a Mississippi State Extension/Research Professor, highlights the benefits and importance of using overhead sprinkler irrigation when temperatures drop below freezing. “The benefit of using that is it’s the most effective way to prevent …
Proclaim Insecticide a Valuable Option for Growers Against Diamondback Moth
By Clint Thompson One of the leading insecticide treatments for diamondback moth could still be vulnerable to overuse and eventual resistance. That’s why John Taylor, agronomic service representative for Syngenta, implores producers to rotate different modes of action so resistance does not develop. “Proclaim® is one of the stalwarts, so to speak, of diamondback moth management. With that being said, …
Baldwin, Mobile Counties Added to Domestic Sweet Orange Scab Quarantine
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), in cooperation with the Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries (ADAI), is establishing a quarantine for Elsinoë australis, the fungal causal agent of sweet orange scab (SOS), in all of Baldwin and Mobile counties to prevent the spread of the disease. The quarantine area encompasses seven nurseries and 60 acres of citrus …
Minimal Diseases so far for Florida Strawberry Producers
By Clint Thompson The extended dry period in South Florida has been a boost for strawberry production. Natalia Peres, Professor of Plant Pathology at the University of Florida/IFAS Gulf Coast Research and Education Center, believes weather conditions have been favorable for strawberries early in the season and diseases have been minimal so far. “It’s been pretty quiet. We’re good, I …
Heat Management Strategies for Tomatoes in High Tunnels
By Juan Carlos Diaz-Perez, Sudeep Bag and Tim Coolong Protected agriculture technologies such as high tunnels (HT) are increasing in popularity in the United States, particularly with small and organic growers. High tunnels, also known as hoop houses, typically have a pipe framework covered by a single-layer plastic film (4 or 6 mil thickness). In contrast to greenhouses, high tunnels …
HLB Quarantines Established in Multiple Alabama Counties
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, in conjunction with the Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries (ADAI), is putting in place new quarantines for huanglongbing (HLB) or citrus greening disease. The quarantines are confined to areas in Baldwin and Mobile counties in Alabama. The action is necessary because HLB was detected in plant tissue samples …
Drought Conditions Persist in Southeast
Abnormally dry conditions are persisting across the Southeast, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. The majority of Georgia is abnormally dry, with even a few counties in east-central Georgia experiencing moderately dry conditions. This includes Burke, Jefferson, Washington, Richmond, Glascock , McDuffie, Columbia, Wilkinson and Lincoln counties. Southeast Georgia counties have received sufficient rainfall. Abnormally dry conditions are being experienced …
Asian Bean Thrips Populations Continue to Vary Across South Florida
According to the University of Florida/Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS), Asian bean thrips (ABT) populations continue to vary throughout south Florida. The highest populations were detected in south Hendry County, though populations were very low in the Palm Beach County region. In south Hendry County, infestations were numbered at 0.2 adult per bloom. Larvae have been observed at …
Updated Recommendations for Peach Orchard Establishment
By Dario J. Chavez The southeastern United States possesses a unique environment in terms of variable soil and humid climate. Although humid, there has been incidences of several droughts throughout the years. A lack of proper irrigation scheduling under these circumstances can result in huge losses in production and in the state’s economy. Since 2000, the Southeast has had five …