Registration is now open for the Southeast (SE) Regional Fruit and Vegetable Conference, the south’s premier fruit and vegetable educational conference and trade show for growers, packers, and shippers. Co-sponsored by the South Carolina Peach Council and Georgia Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association (GFVGA), the 2023 SE Regional Conference will return to the Savannah Convention Center in Savannah, Georgia, on …
Latest Update from Hurricane Ian
By Clint Thompson The center of Hurricane Ian is expected to impact the west coast of Florida either Wednesday night or early Thursday morning as a Category 3 before losing some of its steam prior to arriving in Georgia. Pam Knox, University of Georgia Extension Agricultural Climatologist, provides the latest update on what specialty crop producers should expect in both …
Invest 98L a Threat to Southeast?
By Clint Thompson It is still too early to predict the track that Invest 98L will take, but specialty crop producers in the Southeast should keep an eye on the storm and its potential path into the Gulf of Mexico. It will be a concern for growers in Florida, Georgia and Alabama next week. Pam Knox, University of Georgia Extension …
USDA to Issue First Pecan Forecast for ’22 Crop
ATHENS, GA – During the last week of September, pecan growers will receive a survey from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS). Information generated from this survey will be used to forecast pecan production for 2022. “The pecan industry is an important part of U.S. agriculture, especially in southern states and it is crucial for us …
US Drought Monitor: Minimal Dry Conditions Across Southeast
Thursday’s release of the U.S. Drought Monitor showed minimal drought conditions throughout the Southeast, especially in Georgia and Alabama. Georgia has sufficient moisture with no dry conditions. Alabama’s abnormally dry conditions were restricted to the northwest part of the state including Lauderdale, Colbert, Limestone, Madison, Franklin, Lawrence and Winston counties. Florida’s abnormally dry conditions are isolated to the southeastern part …
Registration Ongoing for Upcoming Georgia Ag Labor Relations Forum
By Clint Thompson Registration is ongoing for the upcoming Georgia Ag Labor Relations Forum, scheduled for Nov. 9-10 at ABAC’s Georgia Museum of Agriculture in Tifton, Georgia. The event is tailored towards agricultural employers, human resource managers and administrators. It will provide discussions with leading experts on how to navigate the challenge of finding and maintaining a consistent workforce, says …
Minimal Dry Conditions in Southeast
Persistent rainfall in early September continues to provide adequate moisture for specialty crop producers planting their fall crops. Georgia is drought free. Alabama has minimal dry conditions in the northwest part of the state. Florida’s abnormally dry conditions are isolated to the southeast area of the state. This is according to Thursday’s release of the U.S. Drought Monitor. Only portions …
Dry Weather Leads to Improved Grape Season
By Clint Thompson There is still a month left of harvest for some grape varieties in the Southeast, but the crop has already shown better results than last year. The better yields are attributed to the dry weather experienced this summer, said University of Georgia Cooperative Extension fruit disease specialist Phil Brannen. “I think, overall, it’s a lot better this …
Kernel Filling Stage: Sunshine Needed for Pecan Crop
By Clint Thompson The pecan crop is loaded in orchards across the Southeast. But if the crop is to reach its full potential, it needs more sunshine over the next couple of weeks. Cloudy weather helped doom the crop last year, as sunshine was lacking during the most critical stage of development. Lenny Wells, University of Georgia (UGA) Extension pecan …
Pecan Breeding: ‘Avalon’, ‘Kalos’ Strong Cultivars to Consider
By Clint Thompson Two pecan cultivar releases by University of Georgia (UGA) pecan breeder Patrick Conner provide growers strong varieties to consider producing in their orchards. The UGA Tifton scientist discussed what producers will see when planting ‘Avalon’ and ‘Kalos’. “We’ve had good response with our first release of ‘Avalon’ in the pecan breeding program. That’s gotten to be pretty …