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. Lowcountry Report Anna Sara Hill Zack Snipes Midlands Report Rob Last Daniel Lyon Pee Dee Report Brad Fowler Upstate Report Andy Rollins Sponsored ContentNew Syngenta Varieties Offer Grower SolutionsFebruary 1, 2026Attribute® II Technology Adds …
FFVA Advocating for TRQs in USMCA
By Clint Thompson A joint review of the USMCA is a little more than two months away. The Florida Fruit and Vegetable Association (FFVA) is hopeful that timely assistance be provided for its specialty crop growers. FFVA President Mike Joyner spoke during the recent University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Agricultural Policy Outlook Conference. He highlighted how …
Specialty Crop Grower Magazine: Producers Seek USMCA Improvements
By Frank Giles When the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) went into effect in July 2020, specialty crop growers in the Southeast were disappointed the replacement of the North American Free Trade Agreement did little to protect their domestic interests and markets. When the agreement was crafted, it included a provision that the USMCA would undergo a joint review to assess …
Insect Pests To Be Mindful of in Georgia
By Clint Thompson The current hot and dry weather conditions are conducive conditions for insect pests to build up population levels. That’s the current case in Georgia. Stormy Sparks, University of Georgia (UGA) Cooperative Extension vegetable entomologist, discussed what insect pests that growers should be mindful of as plants are going into the ground. “With it hot and dry, you’re …
Alabama Extension Specialist Cautions Growers About Potential Insect Concerns
By Clint Thompson The prolonged dry weather conditions in parts of Alabama have been conducive for insect populations to build up. One insect pest is a concern this time of year, especially for tomato growers, explains Paulo Gimenez Cremonez, Auburn Assistant Professor and Extension Specialist. “Right now, we are looking for some thrips,” Cremonez said. “They’re starting to show up …
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 …
Specialty Crop Grower Magazine: Choanephora Rot Pest Alert
By Clint Thompson Choanephora rot is a fungal disease that causes a soft, wet rot on plants. It thrives in warm, humid conditions and is recognized by a fuzzy, “hairy” or pinhead-like fungal growth on infected areas. Where Is It? Choanephora rot is native to tropical and subtropical Asia and parts of Africa. The disease was first documented in the …
Estimate Puts Florida Freeze Damage at More Than $3 Billion
As growers surveyed fields and groves after the freeze in late January and early February, it was clear the damage had been catastrophic in many cases. That was confirmed by Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Wilton Simpson with the first estimate of damage released on Feb 20. Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services’ (FDACS) preliminary estimates of losses to Florida …
Government Shutdown Impacted H-2A Worker Availability for Florida Farming Operation
By Clint Thompson Fruit and vegetable farmers from across the Southeast were in Savannah, Georgia, during the second weekend of January to attend the annual Southeast Regional Fruit and Vegetable Conference. Producers from Georgia, Florida, Alabama and the Carolinas attended the show which was bigger and better this year. Many discussed the issues and concerns they have heading into this …
Lack of Fungicide Options for Choanephora Rot
By Clint Thompson The lack of effective fungicide options targeting choanephora rot makes the disease a growing problem for pepper growers, according to University of Georgia Extension Vegetable Plant Pathologist Bhabesh Dutta. “We have not found any effective fungicides that can control choanephora. The only fungicides that have shown some promise, I would say that’s Miravis Prime. But if you …



















