By Clint Thompson Current dry conditions in the Southeast are not expected to improve in the short term, which is challenging news for producers who are preparing to plant or currently are planting their crops. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) recently released its spring outlook for climate conditions. Southeast growers must be aware that the prolonged drought may …
Sneak Peek: April 2026 Specialty Crop Grower Magazine
In this month’s sneak peek, the April issue of Specialty Crop Grower Magazine highlights Florida fourth-generation farmer BJ Wilkerson and how his farming family seeks to solve the sustainability puzzle. Wilkerson is based in Gilchrist County, grows watermelon and attributes long-term sustainability to multiple factors like crop diversification, crop rotation and grafting watermelon plants to combat fusarium wilt disease. The …
Cover Crops Cost Effective Way in Reducing Nematodes
By Clint Thompson Cover crops remain a cost effective way of managing nematodes in Florida. That was a message touted by Johan Desaeger, assistant professor of entomology and nematology at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Gulf Coast Research and Education Center, at the recent Florida Citrus Show in Fort Pierce, Florida. Desaeger updated attendees …
Drought Monitor Update: Conditions Not Improving
By Clint Thompson Drought conditions did not improve over the past week. In fact, conditions only worsened across most of the Southeast region, according to the March 26 release of the U.S. Drought Monitor. Florida The driest part of Florida remains in the northern and southern regions of the state. Exceptional drought has expanded in North Florida to include Calhoun, …
Plant Source Remains Best Management Tactic for Strawberry Growers Against Neo
By Clint Thompson Plant source remains the best way for Southeast strawberry producers to manage neopestalotiopsis (Neo). Growers who obtained plants from nurseries with histories of Neo contamination have observed the disease this year. Those producers who got plants from disease-free nurseries out west have enjoyed Neo-free production seasons, says Phil Brannen, University of Georgia (UGA) Cooperative Extension fruit disease …
Specialty Crop Grower Magazine: Freeze Devastates Florida Crops
By Frank Giles and Clint Thompson The freeze that struck Florida in late January and early February brought the coldest air to the state in more than a decade. Freezing temperatures caused significant damage to specialty crops across the state. In many areas, the frigid temperatures held for hours, exacerbated by high winds that thwarted freeze-protection efforts many growers tried …
Cold Temperatures’ Impact on North Florida Watermelons
By Clint Thompson Cold temperatures last week had an adverse effect on recently-planted watermelon plants in North Florida’s Suwanee Valley Region. Growers are determining how to best help their young plants recover. Bob Hochmuth, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Regional Specialized Extension agent in Live Oak, Florida, provided advice for producers who are making chemical …
Drought Monitor Update: Exceptional Drought in North Florida, South Georgia
The March 19 release of the U.S. Drought Monitor shows exceptional drought in North Florida and South Georgia, the part of the region that is the driest in the Southeast. Georgia Exceptional drought conditions in South Georgia are located in parts of Grady, Thomas, Brooks, Lowndes and Echols counties, while the remaining region is still suffering through extreme drought conditions. …
Wait and See: Early-Season Peach Varieties at Risk Following Recent Freeze
By Clint Thompson Last week’s sub-freezing temperatures over multiple days impacted Georgia’s early peach varieties. To what extent remains to be seen, explains Jeff Cook, University of Georgia Cooperative Extension agriculture and natural resources agent for Peach and Taylor counties. “What I saw initially, it’s going to be an impact on some early stuff. It really depends on where you …
Early-Season Disease Management for North Florida Watermelon Growers
By Clint Thompson North Florida watermelon producers should be starting their fungicide applications. Bob Hochmuth, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Regional Specialized Extension agent in Live Oak, Florida, emphasized that message during his weekly email to growers in the Suwanee Valley Region. “I’d say we are usually looking for gummy stem blight. That would probably …



















