Crops

  • The Atlanta Journal-Constitution had a long and detailed article in yesterday’s paper on Georgia’s agriculture, including the variety of crops grown and changes that are expected in the coming years due to market demands, water shortages in California and elsewhere, and changes in recent climate.  You can read the article at https://specialprojects.myajc.com/georgia-farm-change/.

    Posted in: ,
  • The latest NWS 30-day precipitation maps from https://water.weather.gov/precip show how wet California has been this year compared to normal.  The two maps below show the departure from normal and the percent of normal since June 26, 2015.  While the Southeast has been slightly below normal during that time period, California has received 1-2 inches of…

    Posted in: , ,
  • Did you know that bananas are one of the biggest monocultures that exist in agriculture?  Almost every banana we see in the grocery store is a clone of the Cavendish banana, which has disease resistance and good traveling qualities that make it profitable for banana farmers.  But now a new disease called “Fusarium Oxysporum Tropical Race…

    Posted in: ,
  • Bloomberg Businessweek had an interesting article last week on the rapid depletion of the Ogallala Aquifer, a huge underground water source that feeds agricultural irrigation in most of the central Plains.  The aquifer is being rapidly depleted by overuse in many places, leading farmers to consider the need to switch from corn to less water…

    Posted in: ,
  • The National Wildlife Foundation recently released a new report on the importance of soil quality in producing sustainable agriculture.  The report is entitled Can Soil Save Us? Making the Case for Cover Crops as Extreme Weather Risk Management.  In the report it details the impacts healthy soil can have on reducing the effects of extreme weather,…

    Posted in: ,
  • Castor beans, which were grown in Florida in World War II and which can produce some components of military jet fuel, are currently being studied by University of Florida scientists to determine if they can be successfully grown as a commercial crop in the Southeast. Growing Georgia reported earlier this week (link) on some efforts…

    Posted in: ,
  • Growing Georgia posted an article from Clint Thompson of UGA about the impacts of the recent heat on watermelon farmers.  The high temperatures and strong sunlight could cause sunburn on the nearly ripe melons, making them unattractive and less able to sell.  Some farmers are using sprays to help protect the melons from sun scald,…

    Posted in: ,