AgNet DEMO

Category: Weather

  • Hurricane Eta Soaks Already Saturated South Florida

    Graphic from National Weather Service/Shows Eta’s path for the next couple of days.

    An already saturated South Florida was inundated with rainfall from Hurricane Eta this week. The result were fruit that were either lost or will suffer from expected disease pressure, according to Gene McAvoy, University of Florida Regional Vegetable Extension Agent IV Emeritus.

    “We did have quite a lot of rain. We didn’t really need it. I’m sure we’ll see more disease as a result,” McAvoy said. “Some of the guys that had beans and corn direct seeded stuff, they’re going to experience some stand loss, some damping off. Sugarcane planting was delayed.

    “I’m sure we’ll see some increased calls in terms of cracked fruit in tomatoes and some scarring from wind scarring; disease. There’s a lot of bacteria around. I don’t know how much of that will show up on the fruit, it’s too early to tell yet.”

    Plant Disease

    Plant disease is not uncommon following excessive rainfall. It could really be an issue, though for plants in fields that have been completely saturated and having trouble drying out.

    “I’m sure we’re going to see things like melons; I’m hearing more gummy stem blight and gummy stem loves water; more phytophthora, bacteria. I’ve been out in some pepper fields; specialty peppers, non-resistant varieties, there’s a lot of leaf drop and defoliation going on,” McAvoy said.

    Weather Challenge

    Weather remains a year-round challenge for Florida vegetable growers. The region has experienced two months of excessive rainfall, following a relatively dry summer. McAvoy estimated that in the Fort Lauderdale area, it had received 26 inches over the past month. It’s twice as much as what his area has seen, and they’ve seen quite a bit.

    “We actually had a relatively dry summer. Until about the first week of September it was pretty dry. Then it really got wet,” said McAvoy, who is located in between Immokalee and LaBelle. “My personal property has been basically under water. I have a pasture, but it’s ankle deep across 39 or 40 acres.”

  • Alabama Pecan Producer Still Picking up Pieces Following Hurricane Sally

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

    Hurricanes wreaked havoc on agricultural production this summer and fall. Unfortunately, pecan producers were not immune to nature’s fury.

    Just ask Alabama farmer Adam Bertolla. He lost ¾ of this year’s crop as a result of Hurricane Sally in mid-September. He also lost 250 trees or a third of his pecan operation.

    “It killed me, because I lost over a third of my trees and these trees are over 90-year-old trees. 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. That’s what hurt me the worst is losing my trees.”

    What’s Left for This Year?

    “You talk about a 90-year-old tree, he’s a man now. Then you’ve got all of that stuff to clean up. We cleaned up the orchard without running over no more than we could. It looks like a guestimate of what I saved was probably a little less than a fourth. We probably lost three-fourths of my crop due to that much rain. In one orchard, they floated off and went down the river. They’ll float.”

    Bertolla estimates that he lost 250 trees. It can’t be understated how massive a loss it is considering the age of these trees and the yields they can potentially produce every year.

    “That’s a third of what I’m never going to have again. The other trees can’t make up for it,” Bertolla said. “My grandpa was a pretty young man when he planted those trees. It just makes you sick when see all of that. We’ve had storms and we’ve lost 50 and 100 here and yonder through the years but the (orchard) is really open now. There’s a lot of big gaps out there.”

    Eye of the Storm

    Bertolla’s pecan trees are located about 30 miles north of Gulf Shores, Alabama, which was in Sally’s direct path when she finally made landfall as a Category 2 Hurricane. The slow-moving storm that featured winds over 100 mph and torrential flooding overpowered massive pecan trees. It was a sight to see and left destruction that Bertolla was still picking up the pieces from this week.

    “If you’ve never seen a big pecan tree uprooted it’s something to see how big the roots are and how it was trying to do everything it could to hold onto the dirt but it just couldn’t. It was just too saturated that it couldn’t hold on any longer,” he added.

  • Following Eta, Florida Farmer: Squash is Melting on the Plant

    National Weather Service Graphic/Shows Eta moving across the northern part of Florida and southern part of Georgia today.

    An already challenging year for Florida vegetable farmer Sam Accursio was made worse this week following the impact of Hurricane Eta on his squash crop; hundreds of acres but no production following heavy rainfall and strong winds.

    “The heaviest impact is going to be to our squash crop. The beans, they were hanging on the plant and they’re up off the ground, so some of the plants took it hard, but we’re still harvesting there. The squash production for Thanksgiving on my farm, I’m not going to be able to meet the demand. There’s no way possible,” said Accursio, who farms in Homestead, Florida. “But there’s nothing we can do. I’m sick over it. We had a decent day of weather (Tuesday), and Tuesday night it rained an inch and a quarter again. It just won’t leave us alone.”

    Excessive Rainfall

    He estimated that from the time rain started falling around Saturday or Sunday until Wednesday, it had rained approximately 10 inches.

    “Squash don’t like either (wind or rain). They’re a hollow plant. Some of the wind where we planted north and south rows, some of the plants just broke off. The fields that were planted east to west, the rain got them but not the wind as bad. It’s a crazy deal,” Accursio said. “I’m out here right now looking at it. No. 1, the bees are non-existent. I don’t know what they’re doing. The actual squash is melting on the plant. What grades out is nice, but there’s not a lot of them.”

    Terrible Timing

    It’s never an ideal time for a farmer to experience hurricane-like conditions, but the damage was magnified this week with Thanksgiving just two weeks away.

    “This is the second time in my career this has happened prior to Thanksgiving. It’s devastating, because we gear up for volume because the consumers are eating. They’re eating everything I grow; beans and squash. It’s going to hurt our bottom line severely,” Accursio said.

    “Everybody’s in the same boat. Some are worse than others. There’s one grower where his farm, it looked completely like a lake. It was devastating. At least mine, in the field that was puddled and every row middle was full but his, you couldn’t see anything green. It was completely like a lake.”

    Accursio’s challenging year started last spring amid the coronavirus pandemic. The closures of restaurants combined with so many citizens unemployed left fruits and vegetables not being consumed like they should be. The onslaught of Mexican imports compounded problems. 

  • Hurricane Eta a Threat to South Florida Vegetables

    Graphic courtesy of weather.com.

    The latest hurricane activity to threaten the United States could impact South Florida vegetable production early next week.

    According to weather.com, Hurricane Eta is threatening to approach South Florida this weekend and bring rain, high winds or a combination of both as early as Monday morning.

    Vegetable producers are feeling anxious right now, says Gene McAvoy, University of Florida Regional Vegetable Extension Agent IV Emeritus, especially since they’re at the height of the fall season.

    “We’re watching it anxiously. No matter what happens, I’m sure we’re going to get a bag of rain out of it,” McAvoy said. “Even if it doesn’t directly hit Florida and we don’t have any wind; right now it looks like it will remain a tropical storm and not a hurricane; but there’s one model that has it coming into Southeast Florida as a Category 3 (hurricane) or more.

    “We’re anxious about it because we’re at the stage now where our crops are pretty far along.”

    What’s Being Harvested?

    McAvoy said farmers are harvesting eggplants, peppers, squash, cucumbers, herbs and specialty vegetables. They’ll begin harvesting tomatoes next week.

    “It’s a little different than if they’re baby plants and you can replant rather quickly. Even if (Eta) misses Florida completely, I’m sure it’s going to result in a lot of rain, and we don’t really need any. The past several tropical systems that went through the Gulf, while they didn’t directly impact us, they’ve pumped a lot of moisture into Florida and we’ve had a lot of heavy rains and flooding,” McAvoy said.

     “We’re approaching the height of the fall season. Our big market in the fall is Thanksgiving. The next couple of weeks are critical in Florida.”

    The state’s citrus crop could also be impacted.

    “Citrus, we’re not harvesting yet, but the fruit is big enough that if you do get a lot of wind, the fruit is big enough it could start swinging around on the trees and you’ll have a lot of fruit dropping on the ground,” he added.

  • USDA Encourages Ag Producers, Residents to Prepare for Hurricane Zeta

    WASHINGTON, Oct. 28, 2020 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is reminding communities, farmers, ranchers and small businesses in the path of Hurricane Zeta that USDA has programs that provide assistance in the wake of disasters. USDA staff in the regional, state and county offices stand ready and are eager to help.

    Perdue

    “Our neighbors in the Gulf have endured a devastating Hurricane season this year, and I’ve been awed by their resilience,” said U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue. “We ask everyone in the path of the storm to again prepare, and to rest assure that this Administration will stand by them to provide all the assistance we can, for as long as they need.”

    USDA has partnered with FEMA and other disaster-focused organizations to create the Disaster Resource Center, a searchable knowledgebase of disaster-related resources powered by subject matter experts. The Disaster Resource Center website and web tool now provide an easy access point to find USDA disaster information and assistance.

    Food Safety During an Emergency

    Power outages from severe weather could compromise the safety of stored food. USDA encourages those in the path of the storm to take the following precautions:

    Store food on shelves that will be safely out of the way of contaminated water in case of flooding.

    Place appliance thermometers in the refrigerator and the freezer to ensure temperatures remain food safe during a power outage. Safe temperatures are 40°F or below in the refrigerator, 0°F or below in the freezer.

    Freeze water in small plastic storage bags or containers prior to a storm. These containers are small enough to fit around the food in the refrigerator and freezer to help keep food cold.

    Freeze refrigerated items, such as leftovers, milk and fresh meat and poultry that you may not need immediately — this helps keep them at a safe temperature longer.

    Consider getting 50 pounds of dry or block ice if a lengthy power outage is possible. This amount of ice should keep a fully-stocked 18-cubic-feet freezer cold for two days Group foods together in the freezer – this ‘igloo’ effect helps the food stay cold longer.

    Keep a few days’ worth of ready-to-eat foods that do not require cooking or cooling.

    Protecting Livestock During a Disaster

    USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is urging everyone in the potential path of the hurricane to prepare now – not just for yourselves, but also for your pets and your livestock.

    • Plan for evacuation – know how you will evacuate and where you will go. If it is not feasible to evacuate your livestock, be sure to provide a strong shelter and adequate food and water that will last them until you can return.
    • If you are planning to move livestock out of state, make sure to contact the State Veterinarian’s Office in the receiving state before you move any animals. You may also contact the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) Veterinary Services state offices for information and assistance about protecting and moving livestock.
    • Listen to emergency officials and evacuate if asked to do so.

    Helping Producers Weather Financial Impacts of Disasters

    Livestock owners and contract growers who experience above normal livestock deaths due to specific weather events, as well as to disease or animal attacks, may qualify for assistance under USDA’s Livestock Indemnity Program. Livestock, honeybee and farm-raised fish producers whose mechanically harvested or purchased livestock feed was physically damaged or destroyed; or who lost grazing acres or beehives due to an extreme weather event may qualify for assistance. Producers of non-insurable crops who suffer crop losses, lower yields or are prevented from planting agricultural commodities may be eligible for assistance under USDA’s Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program if the losses were due to natural disasters.

  • Zeta Set to Move Through Region This Week

    National Weather Service Graphic

    Zeta, a tropical system and an expected hurricane once it reaches the U.S. by Wednesday, is churning in the Gulf of Mexico and is expected to move across the Southeast later this week. According to the UGA Extension Viticulture Blog, Pam Knox, University of Georgia Cooperative Extension Agricultural Climatologist, said there will be some rain and gusty winds from that system as it moves through the area after making landfall in Louisiana.

    Knox

    At the same time, a low-pressure center is expected to move through the Southeast region. This would bring more rain to the Ohio and Tennessee River valleys. It could include up to several inches of rain in the more mountainous regions of the region.

    “Cooler temperatures are expected this week due to the cold fronts that are now starting to move through the region. However, the coldest air, which is bringing snow and single-digit temperatures to the northern Plains, is not expected to get to the Southeast. I don’t see any signs of frost in the next couple of weeks,” Knox said.

    This would be welcomed news for vegetable growers, like Sam Watson in Moultrie, Georgia, who are still harvesting their fall crops.

  • 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.

  • Cold Outbreak at End of October Could End Growing Season in Northern Alabama, Georgia

    Map from UGA Extension blog.

    According to Pam Knox, University of Georgia agricultural climatologist, in her UGA Extension blog, the forecasts are starting to show a strong cold front passing through the Southeast at the end of October.

    This will usher in a period of much colder air which could include frost across northern Alabama and Georgia as well as western parts of the Carolinas and Virginia.

    Some of the mountainous areas have already experienced frost conditions, but this looks like it could be a much more widespread event. The latest models put the front through the region on Wednesday, Oct. 28, with lingering cold conditions in the mornings for the next few days after the front passes.

    It is important to be mindful that this is still 10 days out. Changes in the timing and strength of the cold air are likely, but it is something to watch out for, especially if you have plants that are sensitive to freezing conditions.

  • Hurricane Delta strengthens faster than expected

    Photo from National Weather Service.

    According to the UGA Extension blog, Pam Knox, University of Georgia Cooperative Extension Agricultural Climatologist, said the impacts for the Southeast from soon-to-be Hurricane Delta remain the same, with the biggest effects in Alabama, western Georgia and western end of the Florida Panhandle.

    A stronger storm means that storm surge along the coast is likely to be higher than it would be if the storm were weaker. By the time it makes landfall Friday night, it should be moving pretty good, which will reduce the amount of rainfall at any one location. You can get updated information from the National Hurricane Center.

    Delta developed six weeks earlier than the only other time we have had a storm Delta back in 2005, another very active year.

  • Cold Outbreak is Likely the First Week of October

    Photo from National Weather Service.

    According to the UGA Extension Viticulture Blog, Pam Knox, UGA Extension climatologist, said the nights of Oct. 2-4 could see temperatures in the 30s across the Southern Appalachians and into northern Georgia and Alabama.

    She said while most places won’t have temperatures that get down to freezing, areas that are frost pockets and prone to frost could freeze. A second outbreak could also happen the second week of October.

    It’s still a ways off, so the predictions are likely to change somewhat in strength and timing, but something to keep an eye on if you have tender plants that could be impacted by the cold air. You can view these probabilistic threats at https://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/predictions/threats/threats.php.