Crops
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Even though we’re past the average date for last frost in parts of the Southeast, it is not too late for a cold blast to move through the area. Early signs for next weekend, Saturday March 28 and Sunday March 29, show that another surge of cold air is expected to move into the area…
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Clint Thompson of the University of Georgia released a report today on damage to early blueberry varieties in Georgia which was published in Growing Georgia here. Very cold temperatures contributed to damage in some areas that could total up to 50 percent of some varieties. Producers used frost protection in the form of overhead sprinklers to…
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The Los Angeles Times ran an article today describing the impacts of groundwater pumping on agriculture in California’s Central Valley (link). High rates of groundwater use have caused ground levels to subside by as much as a foot a year, and have also lowered water tables, forcing farmers to pay high prices to pump water…
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Sorghum, also known as milo, was one of the few crops that survived the blistering 2012 drought in the Midwest. A story this week on Yahoo News highlighted the grain, which is also gluten-free and is used for animal feed and methanol in the US but is a subsistence crop in sub-Saharan Africa. Sorghum is increasingly…
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Farmers are starting to plant corn in southern Georgia and other areas of the Southeast. Rome Ethredge, in the Seminole Crop E News blog (link), pointed out that corn needs about 100 GDD to emerge from seed to seedling, and that areas in his county are reaching that now. In fact, in spite of the…
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Allison Floyd of Growing Georgia reported today that peach season has started in Florida. Here’s the link. Using new varieties that require less chill hours than traditional peaches, Florida farmers are starting to grow peaches as an alternative to citrus, which is being hampered by citrus greening and other problems. According to the story, only…
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Now that spring has sprung, farmers are starting to get busy in the fields. Here are some recent stories about impacts of climate variability on crops around the country. The Packer reported that due to the record-setting warmth in California this winter, broccoli and cauliflower crops are up to two weeks ahead of schedule. Unfortunately,…