Harvest pictures and videos have been rolling in on email and my smartphone. I anticipated some great things to come from these videos and a few days ago I sat down to figure out what to do with 85 minutes worth of video I had. As I sit here distressed, the phone is ringing off …
Area farmers recently gathered in Wellborn and Ft. White, Florida to discuss The Why, When, and How of Cotton Defoliation. Many of our mid-April planted fields are at 70-80% open bolls, and later planted fields are rapidly approaching that point. We recently spent time to discuss several techniques for timing of defoliation including the following: …
Many area corn growers have struggled through a difficult harvest this season. Every season we expect difficulties with equipment, labor, trucking, weather, and dozens of other complications that farmers must work through. However this season we are seeing the additional challenge of harvesting corn fields that are as much as 100% lodged or blown down. Please …
Continue reading ‘Harvesting Lodged Corn Part 1: Observations (Video)’ »
Many area corn growers have struggled through a difficult harvest this season. Every season we expect difficulties with equipment, labor, trucking, weather, and dozens of other complications that farmers must work through. However this season we are seeing the additional challenge of harvesting corn fields that are as much as 100% lodged or blown down. Please …
Continue reading ‘Harvesting Lodged Corn Part 2: Harvesting (Video)’ »
Corn harvest is in full swing here in the area. Farmers are reporting good yields and good harvest weather over the last several weeks. Many are drying corn in their facilities from 25% moisture or less before hauling to the end users or merchandisers who are buying the corn to resell. Corn acreage was up about …
One of our area farms believes that grain sorghum or milo as some call it, has an excellent fit as a rotation crop in our area. There are excellent local markets available using the grain as bird seed and livestock feed. It is a crop that is well adapted to our growing conditions and our …
Continue reading ‘National Sorghum Producers Yield and Management Contest (Video)’ »
We have been dealing with white mold of peanuts here in Columbia County for several weeks, particularly in early planted peanuts. Dr. Nicholas Dufault, Extension Plant Pathologist recently reported ” We can expect to see more disease with the current environmental conditions throughout Florida. Growers should continue recommended white mold fungicide applications.” Additionally, Dr. Dufault …
Continue reading ‘White Mold and Leaf Spot in Peanuts (Video)’ »
It’s the time of year that peanut farmers love to hate. Area farmers are spreading gypsum on their fields to meet the large Calcium requirements of the peanut crop. For many years we have had the standard recommendation of 500 pound-per-acre soil test calcium level in the pegging zone as sufficient for maximum peanut yields. However, the new …
One of our Columbia County farmers has started sweet corn harvest. The spring was challenging for the sweet corn crop with cool temperatures throughout March and April and a hard freeze on the mornings of March 27 and 28. However things have gone well overall and they have started harvest of a great crop. Prior to …
Continue reading ‘Sweet Corn Harvest (Video) and Stinkbugs’ »