Fruit
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Here’s an interesting story about how apple production has changed due to changes in how the trees are grown using new dwarfing rootstocks. The example is from Washington State, but I’m sure that this change in management style is occurring all over the US. You can read it at NPR here.
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There have been several stories in the news this week about the continuing implications of last March’s frost on the supply of peaches and blueberries in the Southeast. Lack of chill hours also contributed to the low yields. In addition to the loss of the fruit production in Georgia and South Carolina, losses can be…
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Bryant Wynes of The Packer has a good short summary of agricultural impacts of the March freeze and the warm winter on Georgia agriculture, including some of the expected impacts on yield. You can read it here.
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According to The Packer, “U.S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue has signed a declaration of disaster for areas in Georgia and Florida for crops affected by a mid-March freeze. The declaration enables growers in affected counties to apply for low-interest loans to help them recover from crop losses.” Many areas of Georgia lost 75% or more…
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An article in Growing Produce this week quoted a USDA researcher speaking to WMAZ-TV of Macon on the peach harvest this year. The scientist, Tom Beakman, from the USDA Southeastern Fruit and Nut Tree Research Laboratory in Byron GA, said ‘We have never been so short (on chill hours). Hardly any of the commercial material that’s out…
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The Packer has an interesting story this week on how producers are dealing with the fall-out of the killing frost in mid-March. While blueberries and peaches took a significant hit, there will still be some crops available. Other fruit like blackberries were not affected by the frost and strawberries have come back strong after the…
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The Vegetable and Specialty Crop News posted a pair of stories by Kelsey Fry today describing the different impacts of the mid-March freeze on blueberry production in Florida and in Georgia. While the Georgia crop was severely impacted by the cold temperatures, which got down to 22 F in some places, the Florida crop was largely…