AgNet DEMO

Blog

  • Capitalize on Conservation Funding and Enhance Produce Safety

    The Farm Innovation Project will deliver hands-on conservation and produce-safety training to growers.

    By Kristin Woods

    Conservation funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (USDA NRCS) can help growers implement good land stewardship practices in an economically sustainable way. While these practices may affect pathogen movement in the farm environment, they are not meant to reduce produce safety risk. Additional consideration must be given around how implementing specific practices could affect the safety of produce.

    MICROIRRIGATION

    The USDA NRCS Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) can provide cost-share reimbursement for the installation of microirrigation. This practice reduces overall water use compared to overhead irrigation by limiting water delivery directly to the roots of the plant and reducing evaporation. On some crops, microirrigation also reduces plant diseases caused by excess moisture accumulating on the leaves.

    From a food-safety perspective, microirrigation can reduce risk. For crops with the harvestable portion above ground, limiting water contact with that portion reduces the chance of pathogens from the water attaching to the surface of the produce. Additionally, the use of microirrigation can minimize the chances of water contacting produce by reduced splashing from the direct water to root application. If you are getting water from an open water source such as a pond, river or canal, the food-safety benefits are even greater since these water sources can be more likely to carry pathogens.

    When using surface water, a filter needs to be installed to prevent debris and solids from the water source from clogging irrigation lines. Because the use of water is reduced with microirrigation, this sometimes makes the use of novel methods for irrigation water treatment more feasible, such as UV light, which is more easily implemented with reduced flow volumes.

    ROTATIONAL GRAZING

    Growers operating diversified farms with both produce and animals can benefit from USDA NRCS EQIP and Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) funds to help implement rotational grazing. While EQIP provides a one-time cost-share reimbursement, CSP provides ongoing payments based on the specific practices and the acreage that those practices are applied to.

    In the case of rotational grazing, EQIP might help with the upfront capital cost of cross fencing, while CSP helps a rancher enhance soil health and forage quality long-term. Animals can graze primary crop debris, graze cover crops and simultaneously apply organic soil amendments (manure) to a growing area. To maximize animal production and forage, carefully considering the number of animals and the available forage throughout the rotation is important.

    Because forage recovers faster when not overgrazed, land that is properly rotationally grazed can be more productive overall. For goats, rotational grazing also has the added benefit of helping reduce parasite loads, since the barber pole worm larvae, commonly affecting goats, resides primarily in the bottom three inches of grass.

    Implemented properly, rotational grazing can lead to more productive land.

    Whenever animals are present on a farm with fresh produce, there are additional food-safety concerns. Adherence to the National Organic Program 90/120 rule where manure is applied at least 120 days prior to harvesting crops where the edible portion of the crop has soil contact and 90 days prior to harvesting of other crops will reduce risk.

    Adjacent to animal production areas, you might also consider short vegetative buffers that will help reduce manure runoff into growing areas or water sources. Additionally, woody buffers may help with wind spread of pathogens and will provide habitat for pest predators and pollinators.

    CONSERVATION BUFFERS

    Conservation buffers are also supported by EQIP, CSP and several other USDA programs such as the Conservation Reserve Program, Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program and Wetlands Reserve Program. This broad support is due to the expansive benefits of conservation buffers to water quality, erosion preservation, and support for pollinators and insect predators.

    Conservation buffers are small strips of land strategically located to catch pollutants from entering water sources and to reduce erosion. According to NRCS, buffers can remove up to 50% of nutrients and pesticides from runoff, up to 60% of pathogens and up to 75% of sediment. Smart implementation also provides a diversity of habitat to support native plant, animal and microbial species, ultimately improving the environment for pollinators and pest predators. The ability of buffer strips to catch nutrient runoff and control erosion via wind spread and water runoff potentially reduces food-safety risk by reducing the physical movement of manure and general spread of pathogens in a farm environment.

    FARM INNOVATION PROJECT

    In December 2020, Alabama Extension, along with partners from the Deep South Food Alliance, Alabama A&M University, Fort Valley State University, Alcorn State University and the National Farmers Union, piloted a hands-on training program that will rollout across Mississippi, Alabama and Georgia this year. The program, geared toward small and limited resource growers, aims to improve farm viability by helping growers balance food safety and conservation concerns.

    Known as the Farm Innovation Project, the program will bring hands-on training on water conservation, water quality, soil health, rotational grazing and produce safety practices. It will also bring access to technology-based resources to farms and rural communities. Additionally, participants in the program will learn about USDA conservation funds available to help implement practices on their farms.

    To find out more about this project funded by the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture, go to aces.edu/farm_innovation.

    ACCESSING FUNDS

    The first step in accessing funds to implement conservation practices is to visit your local USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) office to register and receive an FSA farm number. Once registered, visit your local NRCS office to learn about conservation programs in your area. Due to the pandemic, be sure to call ahead and make an appointment. More information on accessing NRCS programs can be found at nrcs.usda.gov.

    Kristin Woods is a regional Extension agent with the Alabama Cooperative Extension System.

  • Florida Farmer: It Needs to be Fair

    Almost a month after testifying before the U.S. International Trade Commission, Florida vegetable farmer Marie Bedner is optimistic about potential change to imports of cucumbers and squash flooding the domestic market.

    “I am optimistic. They’re listening to us. The fact that we had these hearings, the one back in August for the bell peppers and this one for the cucumbers and the squash, I am optimistic and hopeful that there will be some kind of relief for us,” Bedner said.

    Bedner was one of numerous farmers from Florida and Georgia who testified on April 8 that imports from countries like Mexico are hurting the domestic market.

    “I was glad I got to voice my opinion and then also my neighbor Dick Bowman was on the call, too. We were able to get our thoughts out there and especially dispute some of the other facts that were out there, like having hurricane damage that’s affecting our numbers and labor issues and other facts that are not true,” Bedner said. “I was very pleased with that aspect of it.”

    Ways to Help

    While the USITC is not expected to make a decision until December, Bedner already has ways that the government could help with this escalating problem.

    “It needs to be fair. It’s not a fair playing field at this point,” Bedner said. “Two of the (remedies) would be a volume control and price control. Those two triggers need to be put in place.”

    Both are factors in how imports are being dumped in the United States.

    Large quantities of imported produce, such as peppers, cucumbers or anything else, are brought into the country with no set price. They are imported to New York, for example, and the buyer sets his own price for what they’re willing to pay. Mexico is willing to sell for whatever it can get because it is backed by government subsidies.

    “We can’t compete with that. We need a minimum to get our return back on our boxes. We’re just not able to do that. It’s an ongoing problem,” said Bedner, who added that it happens weekly.

    The more the problem continues, the more likely Southeast farmers will not be able to compete and be forced to retire prematurely.

    “That’s something that we’ve said before that we’re going to be relying on a third-world country for our produce, which is sad when right where we are in Palm Beach County, we were the winter vegetable capital of the world before NAFTA. We have great land here that can grow to provide for all of the U.S,” Bedner said.

  • Sneak Peek: May 2021 VSCNews Magazine

    By Ashley Robinson

    The future of weed control is here. The May issue of VSCNews Magazine provides the inside scoop on all things weed control.

    First up, Yiannis Ampatzidis, an assistant professor at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) at the Southwest Florida Research and Education Center (SWFREC) covers the future of precision weed control. Using artificial intelligence, Ampatzidis has shown that new spraying technologies are a significant improvement in efficiency and safety.

    Weeds are problematic throughout the entire year in Florida. Peter Dittmar, associate professor at UF in Gainesville, shares pre-emergent herbicides, post-emergent herbicides and nonchemical weed control for blueberries.

    In addition, Ramdas Kanissery, an assistant professor and Ruby Tiwari, a Ph.D. graduate student, both at the UF/IFAS SWFREC, discuss a pesky weed of vegetable production.

    Cutleaf evening primrose is an annual weed, or sometimes a biennial, commonly found throughout vegetable farms in Florida. The weed is a heavy seed setter and the seeds can remain viable in the soil for several decades. It creates a seed bank in the soil for future infestation if not managed properly. Together, Kanissery and Tiwari discuss management options.

    Switching gears, the 2021 Atlantic hurricane season is on the horizon, and now is the time to prepare. Pam Knox, agricultural climatologist at the University of Georgia, talks all things hurricane prep and recovery for fruit and vegetable growers.

    Lastly, in the Organic Corner column, Tiffany Bailey, owner, and Ida Vandamme, farm manager, at Honeyside Farms in Parrish, Florida, share their top secrets to successfully sell your products online.

    Find all these articles and more in the next issue of VSCNews magazine.

    To receive future issues of the magazine, subscribe here.

  • Hello world!

    Welcome to WordPress. This is your first post. Edit or delete it, then start writing!

  • North Florida to Feature More Late-Season Watermelons

    North Florida watermelons will be in supply later than normal, says Branford, Florida producer Laura Land. Land, who is also a member of the Florida Watermelon Association, says there will be more late-season watermelons this year in North Florida.

    “The increase in acreage that I’m seeing here in the North Florida area is pretty much that later crop,” Land said. “They’ve got their early crop like they’ve been having them, about the same acreage. Then they’ve put in 40 to 80 more acres for some later crops.”

    Additional acreage in North Florida could challenge South Georgia for the market in mid-summer. Both regions are hoping to duplicate last season’s success, where there were high yields and high prices for farmers.

    “Normally we try to be through before (Georgia) ever gets started. Georgia acreage doesn’t seem to have increased a lot. It’s staying pretty level. This (North Florida) area seems to be dropping their time back so that they’re coming in a little later,” Land said. “There seems to be a pretty good acreage. Crops all look very good. It’s acreage that’s scattered in all different ages.

    “Looks like from the 15th of May through the 15th of July, they’ll have watermelons here in North Florida.”

    Land said farmers in her region normally want to be done before the end of July, but some were still planting as of last week. That followed a freeze during Easter weekend that killed some watermelon plants. Farmers were forced to replant.

    “I think maybe acreage in the north Florida area has gone up a little bit but considerably little. It’s pretty much the same people that’s been growing watermelons, may have added 40 more acres,” Land said. “It could just be how their land worked out. Everybody in the watermelon business knows that no two years are ever the same. There’s a new challenge every year.”

    Current Market

    Land said prices are around 30 cents per pound right now with not a lot of availability. Watermelons are available mainly just in the South Florida area, around Immokalee. Land said producers in the Lake Placid, Arcadia regions should start harvesting this week or at least by the first of May.

  • Twig Dieback: What to Look for and How to Protect Peaches

    Photo by Alabama Extension

    While peaches can be a sweet summertime treat, if trees are impacted by twig dieback, that can leave a sour taste in producers’ mouths.

    Plant diseases cause the twigs, branches and shoots of a peach tree to die. Alabama Cooperative Extension System Plant Pathologist Ed Sikora offers tips about what causes twig dieback, its symptoms and how to manage the disorder in peach trees.

    Why Does it Happen?

    Either bacterial blight disease or blossom blight disease lead to twig dieback. They are not uncommon to producers who contend with these diseases every spring. Bacterial blight is a bacterial disease that can cause dieback of twigs. Also known as brown rot, blossom blight – caused by a fungal pathogen – is a fruit tree disease that can also cause twig dieback in the spring, as well as fruit rot later in the production season.

    Symptoms

    Infected leaves can dry up and cling to their sticky branches. Cankers can also form at the base of the leaf buds and flowers. Especially in the spring, gummy sap can often be found exuding from these cankers.

    During wet weather, brown-to gray spores of blossom blight can appear on dead flowers, indicating the fungal disease is the cause and not bacterial blight. If these spores are lacking, however, the Auburn University plant diagnostic lab can confirm which disease is the culprit.

    According to Sikora, trees that are growing under stressful conditions are more susceptible to both diseases.

    If weather is cool and wet, bacterial blight thrives. Blossom blight is associated more with warm, moist weather.

    Management

    The first step in management of twig dieback is removing infected twigs from infected trees. Sikora advises pruning out affected tissue during dry weather to avoid the spread of bacterial blight, blossom blight or other pathogens.

    It’s also important to disinfect pruners between trees. Soak the pruners in a 70% alcohol solution or a 10% bleach solution.

    Later in the season, untreated blossom blight can lead to fruit rot, also known as brown rot. Once this occurs, it is crucial to remove and destroy all the affected fruit from the ground. This will reduce the spread of the pathogen.

    “If affected fruit remains on the ground, fungal spores produced on the fruit surface can spread to healthy fruit in the tree,” Sikora said.

    More Information

    For more information, see the Alabama Extension content piece Causes of Twig Dieback in Peach Trees at www.aces.edu. People can also contact the Extension commercial horticulture agent that serves their area.

    Source: Alabama Extension

  • Georgia Farmer: It’s Just a Mess Right Now

    South Georgia vegetable farmer Bill Brim had a couple of days to survey the damage following more than seven inches of rainfall on Saturday. The Tifton, Georgia producer’s response was simple: “It’s just a mess right now.”

    Photo shows water along Lower Ty Ty Road in Tifton, Georgia.

    Brim was one producer impacted by the excessive rainfall, high winds and some hail damage throughout Saturday in South Georgia. What started in mid-morning didn’t end until late that night. It was a devastating day for some growers.

    “We had some damage a little bit everywhere. We had some ponds that burst or washed off the back ends, we had a little bit of hail on some squash. It didn’t hurt the bush that bad, just dinged up the squash itself,” Brim said. “We just had a lot of rain, that’s the problem.

    “We got hurt all over a little bit. I think overall we’ll be okay. Our tree seedlings where we’ve got them on these pivots, it washed a bunch of seed out on them. We won’t know what the damage there’s going to be for another 10 days.”

    Flash Flooding

    Brim said of the seven-plus inches his farm received, three inches dropped in about an hour. Flash flooding was also a concern throughout the area.

    “All the field roads are washed away. Sewer pipes are overflowed. It’s just a mess. Something that we’ll have to get fixed; just cost you more money to fix it,” Brim said. “I’ve heard some guys that have got bare ground watermelons that (the weather) really hurt them pretty bad. They had hail down in Lake Park, real bad hail down in Lake Park that tore up cabbage and squash.

    “You get seven inches of rain, it’s just unbelievable what it does,” Brim added.

    According to the University of Georgia Automated Weather Network, Tifton, Georgia received 6.36 inches on Saturday.

  • Be on Alert: Gray Mold in Strawberries Can be Devastating

    Alabama Extension photo shows gray mold in strawberries.

    One of the most common diseases of strawberries has already been observed this year in Alabama. Gray mold, also known as Botrytis blight or Botrytis fruit rot, can devastate a crop and cause millions in lost revenue if not managed, according to Alabama Extension.

    No part of the strawberry plant is immune from the disease. Gray mold can affect the leaves, stems, flowers and crowns of the plant. Its wide host range and ability to over-winter in an infested field makes gray mold a challenge to manage.

    The main symptom to look for is fruit rot. A light gray or brownish lesion will develop near the fruit stem. Over time, a grayish, fuzzy mass of spores will spread and cover the entire fruit. Gray mold can also cause post-harvest rot, developing after harvest while still in storage.

    The best management practices include:

    1. Start with healthy transplants. Obtain plants from a reputable nursery.
    2. Use sanitation. Remove dead and infected plant material to reduce the pathogen population.
    3. Allow sufficient spacing between plants. This allows good airflow through the canopy and dries the foliage and fruit quicker.
    4. Avoid over-fertilization. Too much nitrogen can increase fruit rot amid favorable weather conditions.
    5. Early and regular spray. Start fungicide sprays early.
    6. Crop rotation. Rotating strawberries with other crops for two to three years reduces the disease in a field.

    Source: Alabama Extension    

  • Citrus Interest Growing in North Florida, South Georgia

    Interest in citrus continues to spike in North Florida and South Georgia. Georgia acres have doubled over the past year. North Florida has increased by another 300 to 400 this spring, says farmer Kim Jones, who owns a citrus packing facility in Monticello, Florida.

    “We’re seeing a whole lot of acres being planted. It’s hard to get trees. We’ve had some difficulties getting trees for Georgia growers and Florida growers,” Jones said. But there’s still a lot of demand and a lot of interest in planting them; a lot of cleaning up being done and wells put in and irrigation put in.

    “I’ve got 2,000 trees I can’t get. They won’t be here until next April. I ordered them in 2019 and won’t get them until next year.”

    Acreage

    Jones estimates North Florida acreage is up to around 1,200 to 1,300 acres. South Georgia’s acreage is around 2,000 acres. The acreage is increasing amid the Citrus Greening era that has devastated the crop in the rest of Florida.

    “We’re worried about it, but hopefully counting on there being a solution or a remedy to that before long. We’re just hoping and praying that’s the case,” Jones said. “It is a factor. We got it in Perry. We got it all along the Gulf Coast in East Point and Apalachicola and Panama City; those areas through there that have homeowner trees. No commercial groves yet.”

    Jones believes that since most of the citrus groves are isolated and spaced out, they should be able to fight the disease pretty good. Everybody is watching out for Asian citrus psyllids, which vectors Citrus Greening.

    “There’s not much that won’t kill a psyllid,” Jones added. “We’re not doing preventative sprays, but we’re already having to spray for the other insects; it helps keep them at bay.”

  • UGA Encourages Cleaning of Equipment to Reduce Spread of Neopestalotiopsis

    Neopestalotiopsis spots and pepper-like fruiting structures in spots (photo from Mark Frye; Wayne County Cooperative Extension Service)

    Neopestalotiopsis Fruit Rot is devastating strawberry fields in Georgia and Alabama.

    In an effort to reduce the pathogen’s spread, University of Georgia (UGA) Extension is encouraging strawberry producers to make sure farm equipment is clean before moving from field to field.

    According to the UGA Extension strawberry blog, washing equipment with soap and water after use in a field with the disease, may or may not be sufficient enough to kill the pathogen. But it needs to be done to reduce the spread through the removal of dirt, debris and plant residues left on the equipment.

    Equipment sanitizers can also be considered as well. Cleaning and disinfecting shoes should also be considered. They are also considered a potential means of disseminating the pathogen.