By Clint Thompson It is dry in Alabama. Not just in one area, either. It is prevalent throughout most of the state. Just ask Neil Kelly, Alabama regional Extension agent in southeast Alabama. “We were fortunate early in the year, had been getting good rainfall. It’s really gotten drier now. We’ve been probably 20-plus days in a lot of places, …
Troxler Announces More Than $1.6 Million in Specialty Crop Research
RALEIGH – North Carolina Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler has announced that nine research projects, focusing on helping specialty crop growers, were awarded more than $1.16 million in specialty crop block grant funding. “Specialty crops offer great opportunities for North Carolina farmers and these projects have the potential to lead to better production recommendations for farmers and ultimately increased production,” Troxler …
Attention Strawberry Growers: ‘Alarm Bells’ for Neopestalotiopsis Disease
By Clint Thompson A disease that first impacted Florida strawberry fields in the 2018-2019 season is already causing trouble for next year’s crop. Phil Brannen, University of Georgia (UGA) Cooperative Extension fruit disease specialist, is cautioning growers about the high potential risk for Neopestalotiopsis with plants originating from Prince Edward Island. “As many strawberry producers are aware, some nurseries are …
UF/IFAS Scientists Use AI to Improve Strawberry Disease Detection
Florida’s strawberry season doesn’t return until December. But University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) researchers work year-round to support an industry with a $500 million-a-year farm-gate value in Florida. Among their research endeavors, UF/IFAS scientists search for ways to help growers control diseases that threaten strawberries. Most of Florida’s 13,500 acres of strawberries are grown in …
Earlier the Better: Chilli Thrips Most Vulnerable Early in Strawberry Season
By Clint Thompson Chilli thrips were as challenging as they have ever been in Florida strawberries. According to Sriyanka Lahiri, assistant professor of entomology and nematology at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Gulf Coast Research and Education Center, the insect pests were especially tough on strawberries planted in early fall. “This season was particularly tough …
What’s Happening? 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. Statewide Tony Keinath, Extension Plant Pathologist Lacy Barnette and Jhessye Moore-Thomas, Climate-Smart Grown in SC Midlands Rob Last Pee Dee Brittney King Upstate Andy Rollins Sponsored ContentNew Syngenta Varieties Offer Grower SolutionsFebruary 1, 2026Attribute® …
Thrips Pressure: Insect Pest a Problem for Peach Producers in Southeast
By Clint Thompson A tiny pest is wreaking havoc in some Southeast peach orchards this year. Thrips’ impact is unsettling since management options are limited, explains Brett Blaauw, assistant professor at the University of Georgia (UGA) College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. “We do not have a lot of options for thrips. There is a couple of relatively good materials, …
Specialty Crop Grower Magazine: The Quest to Be the Best
By Clint Thompson Spencer McLeod did not set out to be one of the largest peach producers in the Southeast. It just happened that way. “I don’t necessarily want to be the biggest grower and I don’t want to be the smallest grower, but I want to be the best grower,” McLeod said. Producing a Plethora of Peaches McLeod has …
Lack of Late Spring Freeze Benefits Alabama Strawberry Producer
By Clint Thompson It is amazing how the absence of a late-season freeze event will impact strawberry plants in Alabama. For producer Taylor Hatchett, it meant all the difference in this year’s crop. “It’s a thousand times better than last year. It was very unusual in that, normally you start small with your harvests, then get up to your maximum …
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. Statewide Tom Bilbo, Extension Entomologist Pickleworms have arrived in Charleston already. Keep a look out to protect your cucurbits, especially your cucumbers and summer squash, which they prefer. But they can also be damaging …



















