AgNet DEMO

Category: Alabama

  • Alabama Producers Watch Out for Alternaria Disease

    Alternaria disease is alive and well in Alabama vegetables and needs to be monitored, especially as temperatures remain unseasonably mild this winter.

    Photo submitted by Joe Kemble/Shows Alternaria disease on a vegetable.

    Joe Kemble, Alabama Extension vegetable specialist, said growers need to be vigilant in monitoring their crops.

    “Despite the temperature, disease is still an issue right now. Last week I saw some pretty impressive Alternaria on several brassicas,” Kemble said.

    “Unfortunately, temperature range wise, Alternaria is still going to be active with our fairly mild winters. It’s the kind of thing that can take off surprisingly quickly. I encourage growers to especially look on the edge of fields, row ends and things like that. It’s pretty characteristic and the nice thing is, there are very good controls out there for conventional producers.”

    What is Alternaria?

    Alternaria is a fungal disease that can cause a leaf spot. This will make impacted vegetables unmarketable. Greens like cabbage, broccoli and cauliflower are especially vulnerable.

    This winter is expected to be especially mild since a La Nina weather pattern is predicted to move through. Warm temperatures are a characteristic of a La Nina, which means disease pressure could remain high.

    “Unfortunately, the weather we’ve got, it’s still pretty conducive to development in Alabama. We never have prolonged freezing temperatures. That means that, unfortunately, diseases can be problematic especially when we have a mild winter like we’re supposed to have,” Kemble said.

    “Unless we’re going to have weeks of temperatures below 30 degrees, 35, below 40 degrees basically, it’s always going to be an issue.”

  • Alabama Pecan Industry Forever Changed

    Picture from Adam Bertolla/Shows massive pecan tree uprooted by Hurricane Sally.

    Alabama pecan producers in Baldwin and Mobile Counties are still cleaning up debris left behind from Hurricane Sally more than three months ago. What many are not going to be doing, though, is replanting trees that were destroyed on Sept. 16, says Bryan Wilkins, Alabama Extension Research Associate.

     “The older guys, they told me they’re done. Some of them, they’re in their early-to-mid-60s, they told me, ‘I’ll be 70 or 75-years-old before they start bearing, these new ones.’ I don’t know that they’re going to replant but they’re going to keep working what’s up. They’re going to keep working their orchards and what survived,” Wilkins said.

    “I don’t know how much replanting is going to go on, to be honest. I know some of the younger ones are replanting and trying to get back up to speed that had some smaller orchards. But a lot of the older orchards, like those 90-year-old orchards, those guys are not going to replant that I know of.”

    Farmer Testimonials

    Pecan producers like Gary Underwood were hammered by the Category 2 storm. Underwood, who is based between Mobile, Ala. and Pensacola, Fla., lost a substantial amount of his pecan crop. He estimated he lost 600 trees.

    Adam Bertolla lost 250 trees or a third of his pecan operation. He verified that he wasn’t going to replant.

    “People say, ‘You going to replant?’ I say, ‘Hell no, I’m not going to replant,’” said Bertolla, referring to Hurricane Sally that made landfall in Alabama on Sept. 16. “No. 1, there’s going to be some more storms come; No. 2, I’m too old, even though I’m in my early 50s. There’s just not any use in doing it.”

    Growers have another reason to be pessimistic about replanting their crop. Prices are devastatingly low this year.

    “Right now, prices are low. That’s another thing that some of them are looking at and it doesn’t look like it’s going to change in the near future,” Wilkins said. “(But) they’re saying mostly it has to do with age. They’re aging out and they don’t have anybody coming on that wants to replace them.”

  • Foundation Applications Open For Hurricane Zeta Assistance

    The Alabama Farmers Agriculture Foundation (AFAF) is accepting applications through Jan. 15 from farmers who suffered losses related to Hurricane Zeta. 

    The application for Hurricane Zeta assistance and a link for contributions are available at AlabamaFarmersFoundation.org.

  • Chill Hours a Concern for Peach Producers

    Peach trees need chill accumulation every fall and winter to produce a substantial crop the following season. Edgar Vinson, assistant research professor and Extension specialist in the Department of Horticulture at Auburn University, is concerned Alabama producers may be lagging behind.

    “We’re still a little concerned about having enough chill by the end of this month. Typically, we’d like to have about half of the recommended chilling for our area by the end of the year,” Vinson said on Friday. “So far, we have about 172 hours, I think last time I checked. Looking at the extended forecasts, we don’t really see as many opportunities to collect chill as we’d like.”

    Optimal Chilling Temperature

    Vinson said peach growers long to have between 450 and 500 chill hours by the end of the year. He added that temperatures do not need to reach below freezing for chill accumulation to occur. Optimal chilling is at 42 degrees Fahrenheit.

    “Just as an example, you can have a relative warm winter and still get the recommended chilling for your area. The temperature does not have to be at freezing. In fact, anything below freezing, you’re not getting much chill at all. Anywhere below 29, you’re not getting any chill accumulation,” Vinson said.

    “You’re not losing any, but you’re not gaining any. You can have a relatively warm winter where you’re hovering around mid-40s, low 50s; somewhere around there and still get the recommended amount of chilling. It doesn’t have to be bitter cold to get chilling.”

    Peaches need chill hours to mature. The required chill hours depend on the peach variety, but most growers hope to get around 1,000 chill hours before spring.

    Temperatures were relatively warm in Alabama towards the end of last week and weekend which did not help with chill accumulation.

    “Warm days like that, especially at 24-hour cycles at a time like that tend to be pretty detrimental to chill accumulation. Looking at extended forecasts, at least right now, we’ll keep checking extended forecasts and they’ll likely change, but as we look now at the extended forecasts, there doesn’t appear to be as much of an opportunity to collect chill,” Vinson said. “Not saying that there won’t, but we’re a little bit concerned about that.”

  • Christmas Tree Sales Up Amid Ongoing Pandemic

    Photo courtesy of Wadsworth Christmas Tree Farm/Shows Arizona Cypress.

    Christmas tree sales are booming this year, and COVID-19 may be a reason why.

    Both Frank Wadsworth, owner of Wadsworth Christmas Tree Farm in Wetumpka, Alabama and Jeremy Pickens, Alabama Assistant Extension Professor in Horticulture at Auburn University, agree that the recommendations that people social distance themselves and stay quarantined has left many with the longing to get outside and start a tradition with the family.

    A Christmas Tree farm is the perfect place to do so.

    Farmer Testimonial

    “I think a lot of people who have been quarantined for 14 days and a lot of people who have just not been out in public for such a long period, they figured we’ll just come to the farm. You can social distance up here fairly easy when you’ve got a wide-open area,” said Wadsworth, who planted his first tree in 1976.

    “People can wonder around and look for a tree and keep to themselves and have a good time. I’m sure being indoors and all these mandates have had a lot to do with the success at my farm and the people that I’ve talked to, other growers like me.”

    Sold Out Earlier Than Normal

    Wadsworth said his farm was sold out and did so about a week earlier than in previous years.

    “We opened the Saturday before Thanksgiving and we had a pretty good weekend that weekend. Then of course the Friday after Thanksgiving with Black Friday, we call it Green Friday, we were just wrapped up. Then this past Sunday (Dec. 6) we were out of trees in the field. We tag so many trees each year to sell and we have sold every one of the ones we had tagged,” Wadsworth said.

    Earlier the Better

    “Everybody comes early because they know if you come early, you’re going to get a good selection of a tree. I’ve convinced everybody, I guess, over the years to come early, don’t wait late,” Wadsworth added. “We sold our first tree on Oct. 31. We had a lady call me and said she had her house decorated on Oct. 1 and she was waiting until the end of the month and she wanted her tree.”

  • Cautious Optimism: Low Interest Rates Present Opportunities for Farmers

    Interest rates are low and should remain that way for the foreseeable future. Adam Rabinowitz, Assistant Professor and Extension Economist at Auburn University, says vegetable and specialty crop producers may have an opportunity to capitalize.

    Rabinowitz

    “Interest rates are extremely low, and they are forecast to remain low. That is certainly an opportunity to where if there’s interest on any kind of capital equipment or land, in terms of loans that have interest on that; looking at refinancing that is an option, if you can secure a lower rate,” Rabinowitz said.

    “But also, it certainly might be an opportunity, if you have a sound financial position long term, to look at buying some of the equipment that is needed for where you’re going to have a loan that will obviously have a lower interest rate at this point.”

    Interest Rate Background

    The Federal Reserve Bank oversees setting the interest rate, which rises and falls depending on the outlook of the financial market.

    The interest rate is typically high when economic times are good but is low during economic downturns. Such is the case amid the coronavirus pandemic, which led to massive shutdowns and a spike in unemployment when COVID-19 impacted the country in mid-March.

    The interest rate is near zero percent and is expected to remain that way through 2022.

    Proceed with Caution

    But Rabinowitz also cautions farmers to really consider if taking on more debt is the right tactic to take with regards to their farming operations.

    “I would stress, though, it’s important to look at it within the context of the entire operation to make sure the financial position is a sound financial position before taking on that additional debt. We’re still looking at very volatile markets in terms of pricing,” Rabinowitz said.

    “There’s a lot of uncertainty in a lot of other aspects. Taking on more debt is not necessarily the best thing to do either.”

  • Dr. A: Yellowmargined Leaf Beetle Likes Cool Weather

    Ayanava Majumdar, Extension Professor in Entomology and Plant Pathology at Auburn University, cautions all vegetable producers one insect to be wary of right now is the yellowmargined leaf beetle.

    Unlike some insects that thrive only during the summer, or warm conditions, the yellowmargined leaf beetle likes cooler weather and will impact brassica crops.

    “It’s a small beetle that when you scout for it, it may drop off the plant. Farmers may miss it and think it’s a caterpillar but it’s actually this leaf beetle that likes the cool weather,” Majumdar said.

    “It does a massive amount of damage, not only this time of year, but the population just gets worse in spring. Farmers who already have yellowmargined leaf beetles will probably get worse in spring. We need a timely intervention, chemically or organically speaking, to stop the yellow margined leaf beetle.”

    Identification Important

    Majumdar said the first step in yellowmargined leaf beetle management is to make sure farmers identify it correctly.

    “The beetle and the larva, they feed together on the leaves. They especially love turnips, turnips and napa cabbage. They will tear up the turnips and cabbage at first before moving on to other brassicas,” Majumdar said. “The one thing to remember is BT products … they don’t work against the beetle. It will take care of the caterpillars but not the beetles. Diagnosis is very important before farmers take off with control.”

    Another concern that producers need to be mindful is insecticide resistance. Majumdar stresses that growers not overspray, because it could lead to resistance issues.

  • Why are Sales of Real Christmas Trees Breaking Records This Year?

    Photo shows Christmas tree farm.

    Sales of real Christmas trees are breaking records this season. Conversations with tree shoppers may reveal why. (Gary Crawford. Tim O’Connor with the National Christmas Tree Association and several intrepid tree hunters)

  • Ripple Effect: Hurricane’s Aftermath to be Felt for Years on Alabama Pecans

    Picture from Adam Bertolla/Shows pecans and limbs on the ground, knocked over by Hurricane Sally.

    Two counties in Alabama known for pecan production had little to zero pecans harvested this year after being hit hard by Hurricane Sally.

    Unfortunately, it is likely to have a ripple effect on pecan production in Baldwin and Mobile Counties for years to come, says Bryan Wilkins, Alabama Extension Research Associate.

    Extension Testimonial

    “This was the biggest crop some of them ever had but there was probably, in Baldwin and Mobile Counties, there was probably 3.5 million pounds on a rough guess. Everything was loaded,” Wilkins said.

    “We’re going to be in an alternate bearing year next year. You can figure that a lot of these trees got damaged, and the ones that didn’t get blown over, they’re going to have to have some pretty severe pruning on a lot of them. You’re probably looking at three or four years before Baldwin County is back to doing anything terribly, terribly significant.”

    The Category 2 storm hammered Alabama pecan producers like Gary Underwood on Sept. 16. Underwood, who is based between Mobile, Ala. and Pensacola, Fla., lost a substantial amount of his pecan crop, as he estimated he lost 600 trees.

    Loss to This Year’s Crop

    Wilkins said Baldwin County experienced a complete loss of its pecan crop this year. Mobile County experienced a 50% to 60% loss in its crop.

    However, the more pressing concern right now is cleaning up all of the debris left behind.

    Lot to Clean Up

    “We’re going to be cleaning up on into the new year. They’re slowly making some progress but the trees, a lot of them weren’t completely broke off at the roots. They were still attached, just blown over. Those trees haven’t started drying out yet,” Wilkins said.

    “They’re still green for the most part. Even once they get them up, they’re not going to be able to just start burning. They’re going to have to let them dry some. The time you get everything burnt and cleaned up and limb raked and picked up and holes filled in, it’s going to be doggone close to spring, bloom time.”

  • Avoiding a Shutdown: H-2A Help Essential in Harvesting Crops Next Spring

    Growers take steps to protect farmworkers’ health so they can continue to ensure an abundant, safe food supply is available to U.S. consumers. Image source: The Pajaronian

    The early onset of the coronavirus pandemic spelled doom for certain sectors of the agricultural industry. Restaurants shut down, unemployment rose, and suddenly, fruit and vegetable producers across the Southeast faced a decreased demand for their produce.

    There was also temporary concern among farmers about how suspended travel from foreign countries would impact H-2A workers trying to get in the country to help harvest the crops when they were needed the most.

    Could the country experience a similar shutdown once President-Elect Joe Biden takes office on Jan. 20, especially since COVID-19 cases continue to surge?

    No Shutdown Planned

    According to media reports, Biden has said he wouldn’t put the country through another national shutdown to try to slow the virus’ spread.

    This would be great news for those producers who will rely on H-2A workers to be in place to harvest their crops next spring, according to Allison Crittendon, Director of Congressional Relations at the American Farm Bureau Federation.

    “I think when we had the shutdown back in March, we had no idea what this virus really was or how it spread. It’s crazy to think back in March masks weren’t known as what you had to do. Now we certainly have more information and more clarity about how to go about trying to achieve essential operations like food production as safe as possible,” Crittendon said.

    “I hope that with all of the information we’ve now gathered over the last several months that we could avoid a shutdown. But I wouldn’t be surprised if there were further requirements for employers to adhere to when it comes to mitigating the spread once folks are on the farm and have traveled over here from their home country.

    “Hopefully, since we now have more information about the virus, we won’t have to revert to those early practices of shutting everything off completely when it comes to travel of our essential workers.”