Fire ants are a great issue for farmers on many levels. Not only do they cost famers time and money but they can cause damage to equipment. Whether it is in pastures or hay fields, farmers must determine the best option to treat fire ants. Should I Treat My Fields? Dr. Fudd Graham, an Alabama Extension entomologist, said the first step …
CBD Oil Still Unlawful as a Food Additive in Georgia
Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Gary W. Black reminds Georgians that while the signing into law of HB213 allows for the sale of hemp and hemp products, inclusion of cannabidiol oil (CBD) into a food or dietary supplement is still unlawful according to the Federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulations. “The passing and signage of the industrial hemp bill is the …
Cattle Industry’s Beef Quality Assurance Program Develops, Distributes Extensive National Manual
Checkoff-Funded Effort Is a Resource for Responsible Cattle Management An official manual for the Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) program that is both detailed and extensive is now being distributed nationwide throughout the cattle industry. The manual and the BQA program are both managed by the producer education team at the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, a contractor to the Beef Checkoff. …
Ag Economy Barometer Falls in April
The Ag Economy Barometer plummeted in April, declining to a reading of 115, an 18-point decline compared to March when the index stood at 133. The 18-point decline in the index was the fourth largest one-month fall in the barometer since data collection began in October 2015. Organizers say the barometer’s decline was driven by worsening perceptions of both current …
Helping Producers Cover Costs for Organic Certification
Federal funds are available to help farmers applying for receiving and maintaining organic certification through the Organic Certification Cost Share Program. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) announced the funding Monday. The program provides cost-share assistance up to 75 percent of certification costs each year to producers and handlers of agricultural products for the costs of …
Commissioner Nikki Fried Announces New Water Policy Director
Commissioner Nicole “Nikki” Fried announced her appointment of Christopher Pettit as Director of Agricultural Water Policy for the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. Speaking outside the South Florida Water Management District, Fried highlighted Pettit’s background in water resources management in Florida and beyond. A livestream of the press conference may be viewed here. “Addressing our state’s water issues was one of my …
Charleston Gray Watermelon Sequenced
Summertime is quickly approaching, and Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists and their university colleagues are reporting on genomics research on a traditional summer treat, watermelon. In a long-term study, researchers explored the genetics of “Charleston Gray,” a watermelon variety that was introduced to the public in 1954 by ARS. Watermelon has a long history in the United States and a …
Benefits of Irrigation from an IPM Perspective
Water management is one of the most critical issues in modern agriculture. Water resources have been critical to farmers since the advent of agriculture. Proper and timely irrigation is one of the first requirements of a sustainable integrated pest management (IPM) system. Mismanaged water in a vegetable garden or farm can lead to sick plants that makes them more vulnerable …
FDA Must Step in To End Fake-Butter Proliferation
Plant-based imitations of butter and other dairy products pose an increasing challenge for consumer understanding in the butter sector, which is dealing with proliferating imposters even as butter’s popularity grows. That makes it crucial for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to stop vegan shenanigans before fake products make federal standards of identity for established terms such as “butter” …
Thrips Predictor Model Helps Make Cotton Management Decisions
Spring and warmer weather sends producers to the fields in droves, planting and making decisions about the upcoming growing season. Researchers at North Carolina State University helped to remove some guesswork from cotton management by developing the thrips predictor model. Predicting Thrips Ron Smith, an Alabama Extension entomologist, said for many years specialists and producers have assumed the earliest planted …