Crops
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The Packer reported this week that cold temperatures and rain in the Southeast have delayed harvest and discolored peppers in Florida and decreased yields in cucumbers, eggplant and squash. In the Northeast, icy roads slowed the movement of trucks through the region. In California, fires and mudslides caused problems for crops like avocados and shut…
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While this is only tangentially related to climate, it’s an interesting story about avocados anyway. Atlas Obscura provides another quirky tale of odd things from the past. In this case, how avocados developed and spread with the help of giant and now extinct giant land sloths. You can read the story here.
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According to an article today in Southeast Farm Press, the Arctic cold that invaded the Southeast in the last few weeks has done good things for farmers. After a couple of warm winters, the frigid air will help to kill nematodes, whiteflies, and other cold-sensitive pests that were a real problem this past growing season.…
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Producers are always looking for new crops to add to their basket of products to enhance profits and reduce risks from weather, pests, and other invasive species. Here is an interesting article from Vegetable and Specialty Crop News about the potential for commercial development of vanilla in south Florida. Normally it is grown in the…
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Here’s a really interesting story by Brad Haire of Southeast Farm Press on some farmers’ work to turn a pine forest into a productive cotton field. The climate plays a factor in the story as they were aided (and sometimes impacted) by the dry conditions caused by the 2016 drought across the Southeast. You can…
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Southeast AgNet Radio network posted a story today noting that in spite of some weather challenges this year, Alabama cotton yields are expected to be the third highest in history. Other crops also did well, although farmers were hurt by low prices for those crops. You can read more at https://southeastagnet.com/2017/12/19/alabama-cotton-yields-third-highest/.
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Can you grow vegetables and other crops in winter? Well, of course it depends on where you are, since in south Florida you never experience frost and things grow all year. But for most of the Southeast, at some point you will experience freezing temperatures, which will limit your growing season. Modern Farmer has an…