A website from UGA Cooperative Extension

News, events, and happenings in Colquitt County agriculture.

What about the UGA On Farm Cotton Variety Trials? Here’s where you can find out more about the UGA On Farm Cotton Variety Trials. .   Dr. Camp Hand has summarized yield data for nine cotton varieties that were planted in the UGA On Farm variety trials in both 2020 and 2021.  If you have questions please contact your local county Extension agent.

What is the aphid threshold in small grains?

According to the 2022 UGA Pest Management Handbook, inspect fields 25–35 days after planting, full tiller, and heading. Yield-reducing transmission of Barley Yellow Dwarf virus can occur during first two periods; transmission at heading is too late to reduce yield.

 Aphid treatment thresholds are:

• Seedlings (2/row ft)

• 6–10 inch plants (6/row ft)

 • Stem elongation (2/stem)

• Flag leaf (5/flag)

• Heading (10/head to include flag)

• Soft/Hard Dough stages (Do not treat)

Do I need to adjust my cattle feeding program when it gets cold? According to the UGA Beef team, cows, yearlings and calves may need as much as 20% more energy supply when temps drop and/or conditions are wet. Weight loss, reduced gains and poor conception can occur with long enough duration of cold, wet temperatures without proper management changes. Cows within 60 days postpartum are at highest need for supplementation when forage isn’t sufficient, particularly needing feed stuffs that provide energy such as corn, soy hulls and cottonseed. Producers that have tested stored forage are at an advantage. When TDN falls below 50%, energy supplementation is needed for all stages of production. Forage should also be above 7% crude protein. A feed stuff with 12% crude protein will help meet daily requirements. Feeding in the evening can be helpful to boost body temperature during the colder evenings verses morning feeding.

Is the 2022 UGA Pest Management Handbook available for purchase?

Why yes, it is.  The 2022 Georgia Pest Management Handbook is available here for purchase.  The Commercial Edition of the Georgia Pesticide Management Handbook includes two volumes.

Volume 1 covers recommendations for cotton, corn, soybeans, sorghum, peanuts, sugarcane, sunflowers, tobacco, vegetables, fruits, and pecans.

Volume 2 covers recommendations for mosquitoes, livestock, poultry, forages, small grains, canola, stored products, ornamentals, turfgrass, vertebrates/wildlife, and aquatics. Cultural, biological, physical, and other types of control are recommended where appropriate. Both volumes cover pesticide safety, rate and dosage calculations, sprayer calibration, pesticide resistance management, and protecting honeybees from pesticides.

Your purchase will include both volumes. Books are spiral bound with water-resistant covers. The set is $75.00.   Beginning in 2022, the Home and Garden Edition will be updated biennially and the price for this volume is $20.00. 

If you would like to view this resource on line go HERE.

Do I need to lime my pond?  Ponds are limed in order to change the soil pH from acidic to slightly basic. Most soils in Georgia require some liming; however, soils with limestone or marl deposits will probably not need to be limed for fish pond management purposes. Also, ponds that are filled using well water from limestone aquifers need little or no liming. Changing the acidity of soils allows them to release phosphorus more easily so that plants can use this nutrient for growth. Calcium carbonate in lime buffers the pH in the pond water so that changes during the day may not be great enough to cause distress to the fish. The amount of lime needed per acre can be determined by analysis of a soil or water sample. Although lime can be applied at any time, it takes about two months for agricultural lime to go into solution. For best results, lime ponds in fall or winter. This will allow total hardness to reach appropriate levels by the time fertilization begins in the spring. In new ponds, lime can be spread prior to filling. If you would like more information please go to the publications “Sport Fish Management in Ponds” and Pond Fertilization and Liming in Georgia   or call your local county Extension agent.

Also here is an interesting post about diseases in citrus

Disease Control on Citrus

Jan 27, 2022 | Written by Aubrey Shirley

Usually, during this time of year most growers are not concerned about treating for many if any pests in a citrus orchard. However, Derrick and myself were checking for freeze injury at the VOVRC citrus orchard we saw several trees with Greasy Spot (Mycosphaerella citri) and Alternaria Brown Spot (Alternaria alternata).

Alternaria spores are airborne, and most spores are on tree leaves that have recently fallen. Trees should be planted from disease free nursery stock. Trees can be disease free for many years even if the disease is present if trees are healthy. Ensuring that plants are in locations with adequate airflow can greatly reduce disease incidence. READ MORE