Allison Floyd of Growing Georgia posted an article on Thursday describing some of the agricultural effects that this winter and spring’s weather has had on crops around the state. You can find the article here.
In the article a number of Extension agents and producers discuss the impacts of the late cold snap on fruit production and note that the impacts appear to be less severe than first thought. Cold weather earlier in the year may have delayed the bloom of some varieties of blueberry, leading to less damage than expected. Erick Smith, the UGA blueberry specialist, noted that while early varieties like emeralds and jewels may have lost up to 25 percent of the crop, most other varieties look good. Peaches and apples are also in overall good shape, although some loss did occur.
The biggest complaint from producers this spring has been the persistently wet conditions which have delayed field work. While the total precipitation in March was less than normal, the number of rainy days was above average. Unfortunately, rainy conditions are expected to continue for the next month, although there will be 2-3 day periods of dry weather, so areas which are prone to soggy soils may be hard to work in the next few weeks.
