Alfalfa crops are once again returning to the Southeastern agriculture scene. Once a dominant forage, producers saw an elimination of many productive stands because of several factors, including insect pressures and a harsh growing environment. Researchers, working with improved varieties, are incorporating these varieties into mixtures with bermudagrass. Now, these mixtures allow producers to grow alfalfa for both hay and …
Women in Ag Numbers on the Rise
Lauryn Bryght of Macon County is part of an expanding group of farmers—women farmers. From 2012 to 2017, the number of women involved in U.S. agriculture grew by nearly 27 percent. Out of 3.4 million farmers nationally, more than 1.2 million are women. The most recent Census of Agriculture shows a dramatic increase in the number of women in agriculture—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 …
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 …
Alabama Prospective Planting Numbers Released
A year of tumultuous weather and natural disasters, 2018 brought challenges where expectations were high for good yields and market pricing. In Alabama alone, producers experienced hurricanes, tornadoes and flooding on top of the usual changes in weather farmers expect. Alabama Cooperative Extension System economist, Max Runge, said while uncertainty is normal in the agricultural sector, there is more uncertainty for 2019 …
Alabama Extension Hosts Precision Ag Workshop
The Alabama Cooperative Extension System will host the year’s first precision agriculture workshop Jan. 18 from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens. While producers continue to adopt new farming technologies, Alabama Extension professionals are committed to working alongside them with industry partners to expand their practical knowledge and increase adoption. Previously held at E.V. Smith Extension …
Pleased with Alabama Herdbuilder Sale
The 19th Annual Herdbuilder Replacement Female Sale was held recently at the Alabama Livestock Auction in Uniontown, Alabama. The annual sale is hosted by Alabama Cooperative Extension and Alabama Beef Cattle Improvement Association. Kevan Tucker, Clarke County Extension Coordinator, told Southeast AgNet’s Randall Weiseman that they had the largest consignments and likely the highest quality offering of bred heifers in …