It seems to me, just like clockwork, the 3rd and 4th week of July brings white mold (Sclerotium rolfsii) to area peanut fields each year. This year is no exception. We are starting to see leaves and stems “flagging,” giving an indication that stem tissue damage is occurring. Some of our farmers are trying to use the …
We have been seeing a large number of soybean loopers in area peanut fields. I have found up to 20 loopers per foot in some fields. In other fields we are finding very few caterpillars in total. Many of our fields are being sprayed with broad spectrum pyrethroid insecticides as leafhoppers build and are turning the …
I have been working with an Extension Intern this summer to collect information from farmers about challenges they encounter in integration of cattle and row crops in their operation. Many have indicated labor and expense of preparing grass fields for row crop planting is a barrier to rotation of grass with row crops. We are simultaneously …
I hope you will join us as we survey the Columbia County Corn Grain Plots on July 9th. In addition to learning about the latest in corn seed technology, we will offer a Demo of the “Flying Gator” drone. Lunch will be provided at a nearby restaurant following the brief meeting. Sorry for the short notice, …
Continue reading ‘Grain Corn Plot Tour July 9th, 10:30 AM’ »
I have opened countless articles this year that described the important role that drones will play in farming and consulting. From my professional standpoint I wanted to know, “Can a drone play a role in Extension?” I teamed up with Dr. Dan Dourte, UF/IFAS Ag Engineering and Dr. Wendy-Lin Bartels, UF/IFAS Food and Resource Economics to consider the suitability of the …
More accurately, we aren’t out of the woods yet. Most years it seems we will treat a few peanut fields for cutworms early in the season. In my mind, that period of time is usually early June. However, it seems a little later this season and we are seeing a few problem fields crop up. I’ve been checking …
The first glyphosate tolerant Palmer amaranth (PA) populations were found in Georgia in 2005. This area of North Florida has largely escaped from development of these populations over the past decade. In this area; except for glyphosate resistant corn which is nearly always sprayed with multiple modes of action to control broadleaf weeds, there was little use of …
Continue reading ‘Winning the Battle…..But, Losing the War’ »
Farmers in North Florida have been voting with their pocketbook the last several years. The region was covered up in corn in 2013 with virtually every irrigated acre producing corn as a result of the Midwest drought of 2012. The summer of 2012 brought a large expansion in peanut acreage following a drought shortened southeastern …
I have been finding Southern Rust in many area corn fields the last several days. The picture included shows Southern rust in a field that was sprayed with a fungicide 10 days prior. Southern rust is an aggressive disease and we have a long time to maturity/black layer of our corn crops. Several of these …
As we complete peanut planting farmers are heading to the field to analyze the plant stands and weed concerns on a field by field basis. Fortunately with the spring rains and good soil moisture conditions I haven’t seen any replant situations except for a few wet holes that can’t be planted anyway. However, many farmers …
Continue reading ‘Farmers Concerned with “Skippy” Peanut Stands’ »