The young, burgeoning Georgia citrus industry has its sights set on a bright future. Even in the midst of a challenging winter season with two major freeze events, the industry continues its upward trend, believes Lindy Savelle, president of the Georgia Citrus Association. She discussed the state of the Georgia citrus industry during the association’s annual meeting on Feb. 28 …
Florida Watermelon Producers Could Start Planting This Week
By Clint Thompson North Florida watermelon producers are expected to start planting this week in the Suwanee Valley area. Warmer temperatures and the potential for high market prices early in the season are enticing growers to go ahead and start planting earlier than normal, said Bob Hochmuth, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) regional specialized Extension agent …
North Florida Watermelon Producers Could Start Planting This Week
By Clint Thompson North Florida watermelon producers are expected to start planting this week in the Suwanee Valley area. Warmer temperatures and the potential for high market prices early in the season are enticing growers to go ahead and start planting earlier than normal, said Bob Hochmuth, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) regional specialized Extension …
Florida Strawberries Face an Increase in Angular Leaf Spot
By Clint Thompson Angular leaf spot disease has been problematic for Florida strawberry growers. The colder winter weather contributed to its impact this season, says Natalia Peres, professor of plant pathology at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Gulf Coast Research and Education Center. “It usually becomes worse when we have freeze events which we’ve had …
Increased Angular Leaf Spot This Year in Florida Strawberries
By Clint Thompson Angular leaf spot disease has been problematic for Florida strawberry growers. The colder winter weather contributed to its impact this season, says Natalia Peres, professor of plant pathology at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Gulf Coast Research and Education Center. “It usually becomes worse when we have freeze events which we’ve …
Alabama Fruit Still Lagging Behind in Chill Hours
By Clint Thompson The Christmas freeze and mid-January freeze events provided much needed chill hours for Alabama’s fruit tree crops. But commodities like peaches are still lagging behind last year’s totals, says Edgar Vinson, assistant research professor and Extension specialist in the Department of Horticulture at Auburn University. “(Chill hours) are up a little, but they’re actually behind where we …
Upcoming Vidalia Onion Meeting
Georgia Vidalia onion producers should mark their calendars for an upcoming Vidalia Onion Crop Update, scheduled for Thursday, Jan. 26, from noon to 2 p.m. at the Vidalia Onion and Vegetable Research Center in Lyons, Georgia. University of Georgia (UGA) Extension specialists will discuss the recent freeze events and their impact on the current crop. UGA researchers will also present …
Upon Further Review: Vegetables Hammered by Cold Temperatures
By Clint Thompson A week removed from one of the worst freeze events in recent memory in the Southeast, vegetable growers are resigned to the reality their crops were devastated by consecutive days of sub-freezing temperatures. Tim Coolong, associate professor in the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, talks about the devastation, most notably in green production. …
World Peach, Nectarine Production Update
By Clint Thompson Freeze events in late winter and early spring impacted peach and nectarine production in the top three growing states of California, South Carolina and Georgia, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service. Production in the U.S. is expected to decrease by more than 100,000 tons to 605,000. It has been cut in half over the …
North Georgia Peach Farmer: I am Blessed
By Clint Thompson One North Georgia peach producer experienced better-than-expected yields this yield following a late-season freeze event that could have crippled his crop. And Drew Echols couldn’t be more thankful. Echols, owner of Jaemor Farms in Alto, Georgia, and president of the Georgia Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association, discusses the impact that a freeze in mid-April had on his …