Registration Deadline for Tomato Conference

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Florida tomato growers and industry leaders have until Monday, Aug. 29 to pre-register for the upcoming Florida Tomato Conference. It is scheduled for Wednesday, Sept. 7, at the LaBelle Civic Center in LaBelle, Florida. The cost is free for employees of Florida tomato growers/packers, sponsors, presenters and university affiliates. The cost is $50 for other attendees. Registration after Aug. 29 …

Increased Rainfall Projected This Week for SE

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Increased rainfall is expected this week throughout the Southeast (SE), according to the University of Georgia (UGA) Extension Climate Blog. Most areas in the region should receive at least an inch of rain, says Pam Knox, University of Georgia Extension agricultural climatologist. Southwest Alabama could see additional rainfall from the remains of Potential Tropical Cycle 4. Areas along the East …

USDA to Invest up to $300 million in New Organic Transition Initiative

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WASHINGTON – Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced details this week of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) $300 million investment, including with American Rescue Plan funds, in a new Organic Transition Initiative that will help build new and better markets and streams of income for farmers and producers. According to the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service, the number of non-certified …

Clemson Extension Agents Provide Crop Updates

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Clemson Extension agents provide updates in The South Carolina Grower this week about the status of various crops being produced throughout the state. Midlands Justin Ballew reports, “We had a few rain events last week, and temperatures were a little cooler. Fall planted crops are growing really well right now, but due to the recent moisture, we need to pay …

OPINION: Florida Citrus is Disappearing; Why It Matters and How We’re Fighting Back

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By Nicole “Nikki” Fried Florida is facing an ongoing crisis that threatens jobs, our economy, and possibly our state’s identity. Depending on your political affiliation, a whole range of threats may come to mind, however, this problem is not concerned with political parties and its consequences will reverberate across partisan lines. I am speaking of the decades long battle to …

Increased Rainfall, Fewer Drought Areas in SE

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By Clint Thompson Rainfall has been more frequent in recent weeks leading to fewer dry areas across the Southeast (SE), according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. What were abnormally dry areas across all of northern Alabama have been isolated to the northwest part of the state. Lauderdale, Lawrence and Limestone counties remain moderately dry, while Franklin, Winston and Morgan counties …

Minimize Mite Pressure in Citrus

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Hot temperatures and dry conditions in some parts of the Southeast add up to ideal conditions for mite populations to increase in citrus groves. Lauren Diepenbrock, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences assistant professor and entomologist, said citrus can tolerate some spider mite pressure. Increased pressure, though, can leave an impact. “You can handle some amount of …

Update on New HLB Treatments

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By Frank Giles The Citrus & Specialty Crop Expo, held Aug. 17-18, in North Fort Myers drew growers from across Florida and beyond. Citrus growers in attendance were eager for information on HLB treatments. Rick Dantzler, chief operating officer of the Citrus Research and Development Foundation (CRDF), spoke during the general session educational seminars and provided an update on products …

USDA Moves to Protect U.S. Grapefruit

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The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced it will enforce the juice content maturity requirements on imported grapefruit. USDA will also collect the necessary data to issue a new and lasting marketing order regarding the imported grapefruit. Last fall, the USDA suspended Section 8e grapefruit juice content standards for imported grapefruit without warning. As a result, low-quality grapefruit products from abroad flooded …

Water Split in Pecan Crop Looming

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University of Georgia Extension Pecan Blog Increased rainfall combined with the current stage that the pecan crop is under spells perfect conditions for water splits. University of Georgia (UGA) Extension pecan specialist Lenny Wells cautions growers in the UGA Extension Pecan Blog that they will likely see fruit split on multiple varieties over the next couple of weeks. “The problem …