Crops
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Southeast Farm Press reported this week that almost all grain sorghum fields in North Carolina have begun to sprout due to wet conditions following a dry spell. According to the article, “Preharvest sprouting of grain sorghum occurs when there is a period of prolonged rainfall, high humidity, high temperature and alternate periods of wetting and…
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The journal Nature posted a new article this week on the long-term consequences of drought on California agriculture and why things may have to change in the future in spite of short-term relief from El Niño. You can read the article at https://www.nature.com/news/california-agriculture-weathers-drought-at-a-cost-1.18457.
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Rome Ethredge posted an article from Dr. Lenny Wells, UGA Extension Horticulturist, on the start of the pecan harvest this year in Georgia. This year’s crop looks to be one of the best we have had in the past several years and was aided by dry conditions in June which helped prevent scab in the…
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Rome Ethredge posted a link to a video interview off one of his peanut farmers in Seminole County in SW Georgia this week in his blog Seminole Crop E News. The interview discusses how this year’s weather has impacted this year’s peanut crop in that part of the state. I think you’ll enjoy the perspective…
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Vegetable Growers News published an article this month about improving food safety of fresh vegetables by waiting a day after rainfall or irrigation before harvesting. Wet soils are more susceptible to Listeria, which can cause food borne illnesses. By waiting a day to harvest farmers make it less likely that the produce will have listeria present on…
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The Southeast Regional Climate Hub has produced a new comprehensive document describing the Southeast’s vulnerability to changing climate and methods for adapting to and mitigating for the effects of those likely changes. It includes impacts on crops, livestock, and forests across the region. You can read the document at https://climatehubs.oce.usda.gov/sites/default/files/Southeast%20Vulnerability%20Assessment%20Final.pdf.
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Modern Farmer posted a story this week about a new tea farm, the first one to be planted in Mississippi, although there are currently several in Hawaii, a few in the Pacific Northwest and one in South Carolina. Even though tea has traditionally been grown in tropical areas with warm and humid climates, the tea plant…