Bloomburg Businessweek published a map this week that caught my attention. It shows the results of a recent research project by German scientists which predict changes in suitability for agriculture in the period 2071-2100 compared to the present under modeled changes in climate. The map shows that the Southeast is…
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We often talk about negative impacts of drought, but for some people it has positive impacts as well. For construction companies and golf courses, dry conditions mean more days to get work and play done, increasing income. In agriculture, a story this week in Growing Georgia highlights one benefit that…
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Last week I mentioned that some Georgia farmers were looking to grow pomegranates as a new crop in the Southeast. Georgia Farm Monitor released a video on this subject a few days later, explaining how growing pomegranates mesh nicely with blueberries because they ripen at different times of year. You…
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The latest release from the National Agriculture Statistics Service shows that 79 percent of subsurface soils are short on moisture, according to Growing Georgia. This continuing lack of rainfall has caused crops like soybeans, cotton and peanuts to fade and pastures to stop producing grass. Even crops that were going…
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Clint Thompson reported this week in Growing Georgia that the number of kudzu bugs in soybean fields this year has been drastically lower than the past few years. Wayne Gardner, a UGA entomologist from Griffin, attributes this to the cold weather we had across the Southeast this winter. A tiny…
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Two stories in the news this week highlight potential advantages growers have in choosing a crop that not only matches the local climate but also takes advantage of market potential. The Modern Farmer released a story this week which described the growing peony crop in Alaska. This hardy plant can…
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Business Insider shared an article from their Australian counterparts this week discussing some recent research results on ways to improve wheat yields without adding additional water. In brief, the research showed better crop yields when summer weeds were reduced to preserve moisture, crops were rotated regularly, and seeds were planted…
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