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  • University of Florida Awarded Key Federal Grants to Continue Fight Against Citrus Greening

    UF Glow variety of citrus. University of Florida photo taken 11-17-17

    By: Ruth Borger, 517-803-7631, rborger@ufl.edu

    LAKE ALFRED, Fla. — University of Florida (UF) researchers hope to discover new methods to help citrus growers fight the deadly citrus greening (or Huanglongbing) disease with cost effective, long-term sustainable treatments with the support of recently awarded federal grants. 

    Three teams of scientists from UF’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences received nearly $4.5 million in U.S. Department of Agriculture funds to study new ways to manage the invasive insect causing millions of damage to Florida’s citrus crops.

    “These grants build on an existing portfolio of success in finding solutions to combat citrus greening throughout Florida’s citrus groves,” said Michael Rogers, director of UF/IFAS Citrus Research and Education Center and coordinator of the UF/IFAS statewide citrus program. “They will contribute to the solutions we are providing that support citrus growers in sustainably and profitably growing citrus throughout the state.”

    Managing the Asian Citrus Psyllid With Environment in Mind

    Bryony Bonning, eminent scholar and professor in entomology and nematology, leads a team from Gainesville and the UF/IFAS Citrus Research and Education Center in Lake Alfred, Florida in a project that uses a bacteria-derived pesticidal protein combined with gene silencing to manage the invasive Asian citrus psyllid (ACP) population. The long-term goal of the proposed work is to create an environmentally benign approach for citrus growers to control ACP that works within an integrated pest management (IPM) strategy. The project intends to identify the optimal components for an ACP control product for grower use.

    The grant project aims to: 1) optimize ACP-active proteins derived from the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) that suppress psyllid populations; 2) further develop genetic solutions that would disrupt ACP; and 3) screen for the best combination of these methods for use against ACP. On completion of this project, researchers will be well positioned to produce transgenic citrus and/or trap plants that will suppress ACP populations for use by citrus growers.

    This method of effective vector control, combined with other measures, will help the citrus industry in Florida rebound, and protect the industries in California and Texas. The results of this research are anticipated to reduce the need for tree removal and replanting as well as reduce insecticide applications and increase yields and fruit quality, contributing to the long-term profitability and sustainability of U.S. citrus production.

    Attacking Citrus Greening From Inside Out

    Amit Levy, assistant professor of plant pathology, received a NIFA grant to examine how the Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus (CLas) bacteria interacts with a narrow tissue – known as the phloem – which is buried inside the stem of the citrus tree. CLas resides in and plugs the phloem in the stem of the citrus tree, leading to inhibition of sugar and nutrient transport into the tree’s sink tissues, including the fruit.

    Eliminating these plugs can presumably result in renewed sugar transport and increased fruit yields.

    However, there is a significant gap in understanding CLas-phloem interactions in citrus, which has been a major limiting factor for controlling the disease. Levy and a team of UF/IFAS researchers and Sainsbury lab and Cornell University scientists plan to address these challenges with a novel seed coat-based system that supports in-depth analyses of phloem dynamics and CLas-phloem interactions in HLB-affected citrus. The project will identify key players required for phloem plugging, host immune response and CLas colonization inside the phloem. These key players can later become novel targets for manipulation with gene editing techniques that can be translated into usable products, such as transgene-free CRISPR/Cas9 edited plants to block the disease propagation and movement, and increase sugar and nutrient translocation into fruit thus increasing tolerance or resistance to HLB.

    A Novel Therapeutic Strategy for HLB-Infected Trees

    Huanglongbing (HLB)-resistant or tolerant citrus trees are the long-term solution for citrus greening disease. Existing research has generated transgenic citrus lines that provide robust tolerance to HLB. These transgenic lines are already in field tests as a potential management possibility for HLB. However, these trees will have to go through an extensive approval process before being made available to growers.

    A research team led by UF/IFAS microbiology and cell science professor Zhonglin Mou and faculty from the UF/IFAS Citrus Research and Education Center and UF/IFAS Southwest Research and Education Center are working to speed up this process by reproducing the greening resistant or tolerant genetic makeup in non-transgenetically modified plants by gene editing using CRISPR/Cas9. This is a better long-term approach but will take time.

    The primary goal of this project is to develop an interim treatment for HLB. The project hopes to turn off the genes that negatively control the citrus immune system and result in disease symptoms in citrus when exposed to disease-causing pathogens. Coupled with other work to target the HLB-causing bacterium itself, the overall goal is to develop new management strategies making citrus varieties highly tolerant to this disease. The project will use a vector derived from citrus tristeza virus (CTV) to remove negative regulation of the citrus immune system, leading to improved immune response and HLB tolerance. The same CTV vector will also deliver antimicrobial peptides to reduce HLB pathogens.

    The synergism between the immune system-provided tolerance and the antimicrobial peptide-mediated pathogen reduction is expected to provide effective control of the HLB disease. Importantly, CTV naturally occurs in the field and does not make genetic changes to the citrus genome, and thus the employed strategy is a non-transgenic approach.

  • Alabama Extension Economist Tries to Clear Up Misconception about Hemp

    File photo shows field of hemp.

    A misconception between hemp and marijuana has Adam Rabinowitz concerned about how consumers view an up-and-coming agricultural commodity in the Southeast.

    Rabinowitz

    Rabinowitz worked as an Extension economist at the University of Georgia before he moved to Alabama this summer to become an Auburn University Assistant Professor and Extension economist. At UGA, Rabinowitz helped conduct a survey to gauge consumer knowledge of hemp. The results were staggering.

    “I feel like there really hasn’t been any education to really make that distinction. Hemp has gotten that stigma of being the same as marijuana because we haven’t had the production. We haven’t had the products that really have taken hold in our society. It’s resulted in a lack of knowledge of what the crop really is,” Rabinowitz said.

    Hemp Production Across the Southeast

    However, farmers in Alabama, Florida and Georgia farmers understand the significance of the hemp crop.

    The USDA approved Florida’s state hemp program in April, which paved the way for growers to cultivate hemp this year. According to the University of Florida/IFAS, the UF/IFAS Industrial Hemp Pilot Project is under way across the state at three production locations in Quincy, Hague and Homestead to examine variety selection, cropping system development, production economics and invasion risk assessment.

    According to Mike Evans, director of plant industries who oversees the hemp program at the Georgia Department of Agriculture, they received 166 applications from farmers who were interested in producing hemp this year.

    Hemp production in Alabama is in its second year. Katelyn Kesheimer, Auburn Assistant Professor & Extension Specialist in Entomology and Plant Pathology, there were 150 licensed growers with 10,000 acres approved last year. This year there are close to 500 official licensed growers throughout the state. 

    What Distinguishes Hemp From Marijuana?

    What distinguishes hemp from marijuana is the amount of THC or tetrahydrocannabinol present in the plant. It is the main compound in cannabis that produces the “high” sensation. Legal hemp must contain no more than 0.3 percent of THC. Otherwise, the THC is at an unacceptable level. When hemp contains more than 0.3 percent THC, the crop must be destroyed. THC levels must be tested within 15 days of anticipated harvest.

    According to healthline.com, marijuana refers to cannabis that has more than 0.3 percent THC by dry weight.

    Rabinowitz believes initially, the hemp awareness and education he’s trying to spread will not necessarily lead to more acreage in the future. In fact, he doesn’t expect hemp acres to increase in 2021.

    “The hope is that it leads to better informed consumers about what is actually happening. I think what’s going to really drive the acres discussion is the market for the product. If we talk about like fiber products and some of the other uses, the price of hemp to be produced for those products is very, very low,” Rabinowitz said. “It was really the CBD market that got the attention of some farmers but a lot of folks that are not even in agriculture to think about, ‘Hey, is it possible I could make tens of thousands of dollars per acre on this crop?

    “I think now we’re starting to get more towards the core of these are the farmers that are going to be engaged in the actual production. But we still need to see what the consumer side looks like.”

    Rabinowitz also said he is part of a recently funded USDA grant that will look at the marketing aspect for hemp-based products which will continue to focus on the consumer side.

  • Climate Outlook for the Southeast

    University of Georgia Agricultural (UGA) Climatologist Pam Knox provided a climate outlook during a recent Georgia Citrus Update webinar.

    Knox

    According to Knox, a strong La Niña is in place in the eastern Pacific Ocean, and the winds are now in sync with the ocean conditions. This signifies that La Niña is likely to continue through the winter months and into next spring.

    Knox says that with La Niña well established and expected to persist through the upcoming winter season, a warmer than average, drier South and a typical cool and wet North are anticipated.

    Based on the outlook, the greatest chances for warmer-than-normal conditions extend across the southern part of the United States from the Southwest, across the Gulf states and into the Southeast. Additionally, the greatest chances for drier-than-average conditions are predicted in the Southwest, across Texas along the Gulf Coast and in Florida.

    “For South Georgia, South Alabama and into Florida, we’re expected to be very dry over the winter,” said Knox. “That doesn’t mean we won’t get anything, but it means we’ll probably get less than usual.”

    With drier conditions on the horizon, crops will require supplemental watering, particularly for new plantings. The warmer temperatures may provide beneficial conditions for some crops, but the conditions are also favorable to extend the active presence of many pests, so growers must be aware.

    Increased sensitivity to droughts is expected in spring and summer of 2021.

    “After we have a La Niña, things are pretty warm. The soil moisture may be fairly dry going into the next growing season,” Knox said.

    For more information, visit UGA’s Climate and Agriculture in the Southeast website.

    Ashley Robinson, AgNet Media communications intern, wrote this article.

  • Citrus Advisory System Alerts Growers So They can Stem Post-Bloom Fruit Drop

    Photo is of damage from postbloom fruit drop. Buttons are shown where the fruitlet fell off.
    Credit: “Courtesy, Megan Dewdney, UF/IFAS.”

    October 22, 2020

    By: Brad Buck, bradbuck@ufl.edu

    Beep. Beep. Beep. That’s the sound of the alert, telling a citrus grower it’s time to spray fungicide to help prevent fruit from falling off the tree.

    When the new fruit fall off a citrus tree, post-bloom fruit drop (PFD) can cause major losses for citrus growers. Infection of flowering citrus by the fungus that causes PFD can lead to crop loss of up to 80%, although losses are seldom that high, UF/IFAS researchers say.

    In the battle against PFD, UF/IFAS scientists have developed the Citrus Advisory System (CAS), which sends web-based alerts to citrus farmers via mobile devices. That way, growers can tell when to spray their trees with fungicide.

    “We believe that CAS represents an important contribution to help the citrus industry in Florida increase resource-use efficiency, reduce costs and increase profitability,” said Clyde Fraisse, a UF/IFAS professor of agricultural and biological engineering at the main campus in Gainesville, who led new research to develop and test the system.

    In newly published research, Fraisse, his lab members and faculty colleagues tested CAS over three years at farms in Polk County. Among those who helped Fraisse with the research were Megan Dewdney, an associate professor of plant pathology at the UF/IFAS Citrus Research and Education Center and Natalia Peres, a plant pathology professor at the Gulf Coast Research and Education Center.

    CAS, available at http://agroclimate.org/tools/cas, uses real-time weather data from stations with the Florida Automated Weather Network, which are scattered throughout the state. The data determine whether risk for PFD is low (green), moderate (yellow) or high (red). Specific fungicide spray recommendations are given according to the disease-risk conditions. If desired, notifications can be sent via SMS or e-mail for an alert to check the system.

    Prior to CAS, there were two forecasting models for post-bloom fruit drop, Dewdney said. The most recent was the PFD-Fungicide Application Decision (PFD-FAD), which was developed as part of Peres’ Ph.D. dissertation about 20 years ago. Growers found PFD-FAD too complicated to use regularly since the weather information was not automated and it required grower input to determine if the fungus was present. 

    “In the new CAS, we consider the fungus to be present at all times and the weather data input is automated, so the system is simpler to use,” Dewdney said. “We also have newer models for how leaf wetness and temperature affect spore germination. They’re incorporated into the system to help predict when infection is likely to happen or has occurred. Combined with a more modern, simple interface, this will hopefully allow growers to use CAS regularly. During our last outbreaks, many growers were applying weekly fungicide applications, whether they were needed or not.”

    CAS mirrors the Strawberry Advisory System (SAS), developed by Fraisse and Peres several years ago. SAS also sends web-based alerts to growers, so they know when to spray for diseases like anthracnose. Until scientists developed that system, strawberry growers sprayed for the fungus on a calendar-basis; for example, every other week, whether the fungus was there or not.

    Peres said it’s important to note that anthracnose and citrus post-bloom fruit drop are both caused by the same fungus, Colletotrichum acutatum.

    Just like the Strawberry Advisory System, “CAS aims to take the guesswork out of whether an infection occurred or not,” Dewdney said. “Some growers are already using CAS and have been happy with the outcomes.”

    “You can use the system now, and we encourage it,” she said. “We are still confirming the accuracy of the predictions, but it is still better than just a weekly application.”

    The system is already available in Brazil, where it’s been tested extensively.

  • Harvesting and Storing Pecans This Fall

    Alabama Extension photo shows a pecan.

    Posted by: Victoria Dee

    AUBURN UNIVERSITY, Ala. – According to Alabama Extension, as leaves begin to darken and pumpkins decorate every doorstep, pecans are ripe and ready for harvest as fall settles in in the Southeast.

    These nutritious nuts are members of the hickory family and grow on towering shade trees commonly found in yards, orchards and pastures throughout Alabama. Though pecan harvest typically occurs from October to December, enjoying the bounty year-round is possible with proper harvesting and storing methods.

    Harvesting Pecans

    “Pecans are mature and ready to harvest any time after the shuck begins to open,” said Angela Treadaway, an Alabama Extension regional food safety and quality agent.

    When these shucks are open, shaking or thrashing branches becomes an easy way to harvest nuts directly from the tree. Doug Chapman, an Alabama Extension regional commercial horticulture agent, offers another option for removal of pecans from tree limbs.

    “While commercial growers use tree shakers, homeowners mostly can and do rely on natural drop from the tree,” Chapman said.

    Beware of leaving nuts on the tree too long, however, as predators often want to harvest them for themselves.

    If harvesting occurs early in the season, nuts will have a high moisture content, which would require drying before storage.

    “Dry them in the shell in thin layers on elevated screens, or hang them in small mesh bags in a well-ventilated area at room temperature out of direct sunlight,” Treadaway said.

    After approximately two weeks of drying, shell one or two and if the nuts are dry enough, they should snap when bent. This indicates that they are ready for immediate use or for storage.

    Storage

    Because of their high oil content, pecans are perishable nuts. Proper storage is the best way to ensure good quality year-round.

    “At home, unshelled pecans can be stored in a cool, dry place,” Treadaway said. “Shelled pecans should either be refrigerated or frozen.”

    Storing pecans away from air and light is crucial. Vacuum sealed bags or jars allow for the best storage. After properly storing nuts frozen, thawing and refreezing can occur repeatedly for a period of two years without loss of texture or flavor.

    Test stored nuts before using them in recipes. Rancid pecans have a bitter and oily taste. A dark color may also be a characterizing factor of rancid pecans. Make sure to discard any rancid nuts, as rancidity is not reversible.

    More Information

    For more information on harvesting and storing pecans, visit www.aces.edu or contact your local Extension Agent.

  • South Georgia Farmer: Need to Buy Georgia Grown

    One South Georgia farmer is hoping American consumers will buy more locally grown produce. After all, the future of the American farmer is at stake.

    Brim

    Bill Brim, co-owner of Lewis Taylor Farms in Tifton, Georgia, implores consumers to truly consider who they’re buying their fruits and vegetables from. Not the retailer but the country of origin the blueberries and cucumbers and squash originated from.

    The biggest threat to vegetable and specialty crop producers in the Southeast remains constant imports from Mexico. It’s happening right now with the fall production season underway in Georgia.

    “They’re pumping cucumbers in here right now and squash and bringing the markets down to where we can’t compete. We’ve got to do something to make people realize that they need to buy Georgia Grown or American Grown and to heck with the Mexican Grown stuff,” Brim said. “Don’t buy it, just do without it. They’re going to put us out of business if we don’t stop it somehow.

    “When you’re dropping $22 to $12 (for squash), you cut your profit to nothing.”

    Hearings

    Brim was one of the Georgia producers who testified during a virtual hearing on Aug. 20 with the U.S. Trade Representative’s Office. He and other farmers and industry leaders like Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Gary Black and Charles Hall, executive director of the Georgia Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association, testified that if action was not taken, Mexican imports will continue to drive down market prices and make it impossible for producers to continue farming.

    USTR Response

    The USTR responded with a plan to support American producers of seasonal and perishable fruits and vegetables. It includes a Section 201 global safeguard investigation into the extent to which increased imports of blueberries have caused serious injury to domestic blueberry growers.

    The USTR also announced plans to pursue senior-level government-to-government discussions with Mexico to address industry concerns regarding the imports of Mexican strawberries, bell peppers and other products.

    While it may take some time for any subsequent action to be taken, producers like Brim remain vulnerable to the constant barrage of imports coming in from Mexico.

    “When they start pulling all of this stuff from Mexico, these brokers and these people that are doing these for Kroger or Wal-Mart or whoever they are, they’re going to buy the cheapest product that they can get. They’re going to try to make as much money off of it as they can get. It’s just a matter of trying to convince the Krogers and Wal-Marts of the world not to buy from Mexico and buy from us,” Brim said.

    “If they don’t, we’re going to be out of business. They’re not going to have any choice for anything else.”

  • Whiteflies Vary in Impact in Florida Vegetables This Fall

    Whiteflies infest fall cucurbits.

    According to the South Florida Pest and Disease Hotline, whiteflies are varying in impact in vegetables in South and Central Florida.

    Around the Central Florida area, respondents report that whiteflies remain active in tomato and melons at mostly low numbers. 

    Growers and scouts in Southwest Florida report that whitefly pressure has declined with recent rains. Scouts report finding mostly low numbers in cucurbits, eggplant and tomato. But there are flare-ups reported with higher numbers showing up in eggplant and squash.

    Scouts are reporting finding mostly low numbers of whitefly in eggplant on the east coast.

    Reports from Homestead indicate that whiteflies are present in oriental vegetables.

    Management

    Management of whiteflies later in the season depends on early suppression of whitefly populations. Growers need to be aggressive with the best systemic materials like Venom, Sivanto Prime and Verimark, early in the season. Growers who are on seepage and not drip are at a particular disadvantage if whiteflies and virus are high early in the season.

    Preventative soil applications of either imidacloprid, thiamethoxam, dinotefuran, flupyradifurone or cyanatraniliprole should be used preventatively in tomato and cucurbits.

    Proper scouting is essential to manage silverleaf whitefly. Over the years, University of Florida entomologists have developed usable action thresholds that have been successful for many tomato farmers. However, these thresholds are only guidelines. Farm managers may modify them to fit their situations and expectations.

    Thresholds

    Silverleaf whitefly thresholds

    0-3 true leaves 10 adults/plant

    3-7 true leaves 1 adult/leaflet

    Field hygiene should be a high priority and should be an integral part of the overall strategy for managing whitefly populations, whitefly-vectored viruses and insecticide resistance. Growers are advised to be alert for volunteer tomato or cucurbits that may be present in row middles and field margins as these may be a source of whiteflies and virus.

    For more whitefly management tips – see http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/in695.

  • Tomato Juice with UF/IFAS-Bred Garden Gem Pleases Palates

    Sam Hutton in a greenhouse. Photo taken 01-17-17.

    October 21, 2020

    By: Brad Buck, bradbuck@ufl.edu

    Florida-grown tomatoes – particularly the UF/IFAS-bred Garden Gem – pack a tasty punch for tomato juice, new University of Florida research shows.

    By and large, the biggest market for Florida tomatoes remains food services. They’re not generally harvested for processed products, such as juice, paste and more. But they’re still fresh, whole tomatoes.

    For years, researchers have toiled to help breeders develop the genetic traits to give UF/IFAS-bred tomatoes more flavor.

    Now, for a newly published study, scientists used six UF/IFAS varieties to process into six different tomato juices. In three testing panels comprising a total of 255 consumers, researchers asked the testers at the UF Sensory Lab how they tasted and smelled. The verdict: two “thumbs-up.” While other varieties fared well in the tests, panelists consistently rated juice made from the Garden Gem significantly higher for aroma, flavor and texture.

    “I think this study shows that Florida tomatoes are viable for making processed tomato products,” said Paul Sarnoski, a UF/IFAS associate professor of food science and human nutrition. “Our juice exhibited better flavor – with more fresh and fruity attributes closer to that of a fresh-picked tomato.”

    Better Tasting Tomatoes Lead to Improved Tomato Juice Flavors

    Sarnoski, lead author of the new paper that summarizes the research, said better-tasting tomatoes lead to improved tomato juice flavors. So, it behooves tomato growers to produce tomatoes that go beyond the bland flavors of the past and deliver tasty products to consumers.

    Sam Hutton, a UF/IFAS associate professor of horticultural sciences and tomato breeder at the Gulf Coast Research and Education Center, believes the new data on tomato juice will help his efforts to develop tastier tomatoes for farmers to grow.

    “This research is interesting to me because the chemistry of better-tasting juice is very similar to the chemistry of better-tasting tomatoes,” Hutton said. “So, these results help to direct my program’s efforts to develop varieties with improved flavor, especially ones with more of these fruity attributes. Such varieties may then be more preferred by consumers and could help boost demand and consumption of Florida tomatoes.”

    Better Marketing Opportunity?

    Now that researchers know Florida-grown tomatoes are good for tomato juice, scientists want to know whether Florida tomatoes can be marketed at a cost-effective price. Once they clear those hurdles, scientists hope to help producers stock grocery stores with Florida-grown tomato products. Generally, processed tomatoes are sold for less money than fresh-market ones and need to be processed into a juice, sauce, paste and so forth, Sarnoski said.

    Toward that end, scientists need to find out whether — working with farmers — they can produce tomatoes at a cost that’s competitive with other regions. They also need to know whether Florida has the food-processing infrastructure in place. If not, does the industry need to adapt existing food processing infrastructure to produce processed tomato products?

    “I think these two questions relating to costs need to be answered before juice from Florida processed tomato products end up in a supermarket,” Sarnoski said. “Right now, in Florida, most of the juice processing is focused toward citrus. Perhaps some of that infrastructure can be modified to make tomato juice.”

  • N.C. Pecan Growers Expect Plentiful Crop

    File photo shows bag of pecans.

    Contact: Dexter Hill, pecan marketing specialist
    NCDA&CS Marketing Division
    252-527-7125; dexter.hill@ncagr.gov

    RALEIGH – After several years of weather-related setbacks, North Carolina pecan growers are reporting a strong crop. That is welcome news for farmers such as Tim Haithcock, who has been growing pecans for over 25 years.

    “My trees have been heavy,” Haithcock said. “They are looking very, very good with plenty of pecans on every variety.”

    Haithcock owns Indian Springs Pecans in Goldsboro. The 107-acre farm has about 30 acres of pecan trees as well as a nursery that grows trees for other commercial pecan operations. Haithcock attributes the good crop to adequate moisture and sunshine throughout the growing season. In addition, no major storms impacted eastern North Carolina during this year’s hurricane season.

    Haithcock began hand harvesting early-variety pecans at the end of September. He plans to start full-scale harvesting in the coming weeks. North Carolina’s pecan season will ramp up in early November and run through the end of the year.

    “Consumers should have no trouble finding North Carolina pecans this season,” said Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler. “Local pecans will be available in retail stores, at area farmers markets and directly on the farm. Wherever you shop, be sure to look for the Got To Be NC logo to know you’re getting a quality product from North Carolina farmers.”

    North Carolina is one of the top 10 pecan-producing states in the nation. Local farmers grow between 4-to-5 million pounds of in-shell pecans annually. While pecan trees can be found across the state, most commercial orchards are in eastern and southeastern North Carolina. To find a local orchard near you, go to www.buyncpecans.com.

  • Alabama Hemp Growers Dealing With Low Quality Crop

    Photo by Luis A. Monserrate shows hemp.

    Hemp harvest is under way in Alabama, but quality may not be what farmers had hoped for in their second year of production.

    It’s understandable, though, considering the challenges that producers dealt with during the growing season, says Katelyn Kesheimer, Auburn University Assistant Professor and Extension Specialist.

    “It’s not fantastic. I wouldn’t say there’s a lot of good quality hemp out there, just between disease, insects and rain and late plantings. I fear that we’re not going to have the quality that a lot had hoped for,” Kesheimer said. “I’ve gotten calls from buyers that are looking for smokable flower grade hemp and they can’t find enough. Folks from Georgia are looking in Alabama and I was like ‘eh’; a lot of it is going to be harvested and extracted but the flower, and quality just isn’t there that I think a lot of the buyers are looking for.”

    Kesheimer said the price of CBD oil has dropped significantly, which doesn’t make it economically feasible to extract the oil and then sell. This has forced buyers to consider other options.

    Tough Growing Season

    Hot and dry conditions highlighted last year’s production season. But it’s been much different this year with the wet environment the hemp has grown in. It’s led to countless battles with plant diseases. Ant swarms were also problematic throughout the season.

    “The price of CBD oil has gone down so much and it’s going to cost you to extract that oil and it’s not always economically feasible to pay someone to get the oil out of that plant and then sell it. You can’t afford it. You’re not going to make a profit,” Kesheimer said. “The other option is large quantities of high grade smokable flower, but it can’t be full of bud rot or have caterpillar damage or any other disease. I think some of the large groves didn’t end up with the great quality that some buyers are looking for, and then there are some people that will process it but they won’t buy your end product. We’ve been talking about this for a year but the supply chain, it’s not there yet.”