Crops
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The Specialty Crop Industry newsletter posted a story this week by Clint Thompson describing some of the negative effects of the recent heat wave on vegetable crops in Alabama (and by extension, most of the rest of the Southeast as well). Sunscald was seen on some watermelons, and the high temperatures sped up the tomato…
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As you probably know, the multi-year drought in the Southwestern U. S. has had profound negative consequences for farmers there. The folks who control water supplies are making cuts to irrigation water that are decreasing or stopping water deliveries to some farmers, leaving them with no irrigation for their crops. The scarce water has to…
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Farm Progress posted a story based on some new research that shows the relationships between cloudy conditions and reductions in corn yield based on growth stage that corn growers might be interested in. It can also affect stalk quality and strength. Even though rainfall and temperature are both important, the amount of sunlight that the…
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Grain farmers across the world this year have taken a hit from war, drought, and severe weather. This article from Reuters discusses recent challenges that French and Italian farmers have had with their wheat crop at a time when supplies of wheat are quite low due to the bottleneck in Ukraine and bad weather in…
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A new study by Emory University scientists shows that by 2100, the Corn Belt may be unsuitable for cultivating corn without significant technological advances. Environmental Research Letters published the research, which adds to the evidence that significant agricultural adaptation will be necessary and inevitable in the Central and Eastern United States. It was already known…
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As we roll into Memorial Day weekend, sweet corn farmers are usually seeing a high demand for their delicious crops as people fire up their grills and prepare for picnics and holiday gatherings. However, this year the demand from northern parts of the US has been lower than usual due to lingering cold conditions that…
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As our region gets warmer, farmers are coming up with new ways to adapt to the rising temperatures and more variable rainfall. That includes the choice of what crops they grow as well as when they plant, whether they use cover crops, what kind of irrigation (if any) they use, and other management techniques. Here…