One Georgia farmer sees citrus as an emerging industry in Georgia with huge potential. Justin Corbett even compares it to another popular crop that’s dominated the state’s fruit landscape. “I think it has the potential to be a big industry. I compare it to blueberries 10 or 15 years ago, I just hope we don’t follow the same path they …
Weekly Update: Clemson Extension Agents Provide Crop Updates
Clemson Extension agents provide updates in the The South Carolina Grower this week about the status of various crops being produced throughout the state. Weekly Field Update-4/12/21 Statewide Dr. Matt Cutulle reports, “I am starting to see some goosegrass popping due to soil temperatures being 65 degrees Fahrenheit. Goosegrass will typically be problematic in more compacted areas of the field. …
Challenging Seasons for Georgia Blueberry Producers
By Clint Thompson Between natural disasters, a pandemic and unfair trade practices, Georgia blueberry farmers have taken one blow after another the past four years. For some farmers, a hailstorm on April 23 was the ultimate knockout punch. Russ Goodman, co-owner of Cogdell Berry Farm with 600 acres in Clinch and Lanier counties, lost between 60% and 70% of the …
Let the Peach Harvest Season Begin
By Clint Thompson Those peach lovers ready for a ripe, juicy peach won’t have to wait too much longer. Peach harvest season is just a few days away, says Jeff Cook, University of Georgia Cooperative Extension Agriculture and Natural Resources agent for Peach and Taylor counties. “If they’re not picking any by Friday, they’ll be picking some by Monday,” Cook …
Mother Nature Impacting Blueberry Production
By Clint Thompson Weather has already played a factor in this year’s blueberry crop production in the Southeast. Farmers need to be wary of potential disease pressure following last week’s excessive rainfall, according to Renee Holland, University of Georgia area Extension blueberry agent in Alma, Georgia. RAINFALL ABOVE AVERAGE “With certain root-rot diseases, rain will actually help move pathogen spores …
Whitefly Management Methods
By Hugh Smith The silverleaf whitefly (Bemisia tabaci) transmits tomato yellow leaf curl virus in tomatoes. The pest also transmits three viruses to cucurbits, including squash vein yellowing virus, which causes watermelon vine decline. In addition to virus transmission and contamination, the silverleaf whitefly induces irregular ripening in tomato and the silverleafing in squash that gives it its common name. …
Higher Prices Save Florida Watermelon Season
By Breanna Kendrick The 2018 Florida watermelon season posed challenges for most growers that resulted in lower yields and higher fruit prices. Bob Hochmuth, regional specialized Extension agent for vegetable crops at the University of Florida (UF) Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences North Florida Research and Education Center in Suwannee Valley discussed Florida’s 2018 watermelon season. He addressed the …
Clemson Extension Agents Provide Crop Updates
Weekly Field Update Clemson Extension agents provide updates in The South Carolina Grower this week about the status of various crops being produced throughout the state. Pee Dee Report Brad Fowler Bruce McLean Upstate Report Briana Naumuk Sponsored ContentNew Syngenta Varieties Offer Grower SolutionsFebruary 1, 2026Attribute® II Technology Adds More Flexibility and Strength to Sweet Corn Pest ManagementJanuary 1, 2026Nuseed …
Specialty Crop Grower Magazine: Artificial Intelligence Gaining Ground in Agtech Sector
By Frank Giles In almost every conceivable sector, artificial intelligence (AI) is exploding onto the scene as it merges into our daily lives. Agriculture is no exception, as AI technology becomes integral in the agtech sector. Some sources indicate that the U.S. market value of AI in agriculture has already surpassed $1 billion. Expectations are for that figure to rise. …
UF/IFAS Extension Agent Recaps North Florida Watermelon Season
By Clint Thompson Watermelon harvests have come and gone for North Florida producers in the Suwannee Valley Region. A challenging start to harvest season ended positively for growers, explains Bob Hochmuth, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Regional Specialized Extension agent in Live Oak, Florida. “I think that, overall, the season has been okay, and I …