According to the South Florida Pest and Disease Hotline, vegetable producers in West central Florida report that chili thrips are wreaking havoc in pepper and watermelon fields. Thrips are causing serious damage to watermelons and peppers in the Plant City area of Hillsborough County. It’s been a carry-over effect in most cases. Thrips have moved over from the strawberry crops …
Crops Update: Clemson Extension Agents Provide Updates Across State
Clemson Extension agents provide updates in the The South Carolina Grower this week about the status of various crops being produced throughout the state. Coastal Rob Last reports, “As we mentioned last week, cucurbit downy mildew has been confirmed in cucumber crops locally. All cucurbit growers should be applying downy-mildew specific fungicides, such as Ranman tank mixed with either chlorothalonil …
South Florida’s Vegetable Production Ends With a ‘Whimper’
By Clint Thompson South Florida’s vegetable season started off strong but ended with a “whimper,” according to Gene McAvoy, associate director for stakeholder relations at the University of Florida/IFAS. “It was pretty strong there in January and February. Then Mexico started coming in with more product, especially in April,” McAvoy said. “It varies by crop. Sweet corn had probably the …
Statistically Speaking: Imports Increasing Dramatically
Imports are a real concern for vegetable and specialty crop producers across the Southeast and were the basis for a couple of U.S. International Trade Commission hearings. A closer look at the most recent USDA data explains why. According to the USDA Vegetable and Pulses Outlook: April 2021, the value of all vegetable and pulse imports totaled $16.1 billion in …
Georgia Farmer: Labor Shortage to Have Snowball Effect
By Clint Thompson Agriculture is not immune to the labor shortage epidemic in America. Farmers are struggling to obtain essential items that they once took for granted; pallets to ship the produce on; boxes to put the produce in; drivers to transport the produce. All can be attributed to the lack of a workforce, says South Georgia vegetable farmer Ricky …
Florida Ag Commissioner: Soul of our Country Built on American Farmers
If the U.S. relies on foreign markets for its food supply, it is a dangerous trend, says Florida Ag Commissioner Nikki Fried. She, like many of her farmers, believe it to be a national security issue. It needs addressing now. “We cannot afford to let our farmers go out of business and sell their land to development and then force …
The Future of Precision Weed Control
By Yiannis Ampatzidis Farmers use mainly agrochemicals for weed control and follow conventional crop protection strategies that use a vast amount of chemicals, despite some negative impacts on the environment and human health. More than 90% of the acreage of crops in the United States is sprayed with herbicides. It is estimated that around $31.5 billion was spent on herbicides …
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-5/3/21 Coastal Rob Last reports, “Botrytis (gray mold) is evident in places following rainfall. Sanitation and removal of the infected berries are critical to reducing inoculum loading. Fungicide applications will also be required to prevent spore …
Chilly Impact: Cold Temperatures Impact Alabama Vegetable Crops
By Clint Thompson Last week’s brief cold snap is likely to have a lasting impact on Alabama’s vegetable crops. Joe Kemble, Alabama Extension vegetable specialist, expected farmers to start seeing cold damage this week, especially on warm-season vegetables like tomatoes and peppers. “I think there was enough hours below optimal temperatures for a lot of crops that you’re going to …
Key Investment: J&J Family of Farms Acquires 1,000-Acre Farm in Vero Beach
A national grower, packer and shipper of vegetable commodities is expanding its farming operation in the Southeast. J&J Family of Farms announced the construction of a new 1,000-acre farm in Vero Beach, Florida. “The Vero Beach expansion really accomplishes a couple of things. It gives us a 1,000 acres of farmland, of which about 750 will be controlled by us …