Author: Justin Ballew
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2022 Watermelon Stats
In the Fall of 2022, Extension Agents throughout South Carolina surveyed growers on specialty crop acreage for the year. This was the first year of what is expected to be an annual survey. For this first year, data was collected for six crops: collard greens, lima beans, peaches, strawberries, sweet corn, and watermelon. The goal…
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Weekly Field Update – 7/10/23
Check out the latest episode of the SC Grower Exchange podcast for an in-depth discussion on downy mildew with Extension Plant Pathologist Tony Keinath. Don’t forget about the Watermelon Field Day coming up this Thrusday (7/13) at the Edisto REC in Blackville, SC. Come and hear updates on watermelon research and taste some new varieties.…
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Seeking Stakeholder Input for New Fusarium Wilt Grant
From Clemson Plant Pathologist Tony Keinath The USDA Specialty Crop Research Initiative (SCRI) funded as part of the Farm Bill provides multi-million-dollar grants to solve problems identified as priorities by specialty crop producers. Last year the USDA awarded a planning grant to the University of Florida to plan a grant proposal on Fusarium wilt of…
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Question of the Week – Armillaria Root Rot
This week, the question was: What is growing at the base of this peach tree? These are mushrooms from the fungal root disease Armillaria Root Rot (Armillaria spp.). This soil-borne disease is of major concern for the stone fruit industry as it causes premature tree decline. There are currently no resistant rootstocks available. Therefore, cultural…
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2022 Sweet Corn Stats
In the Fall of 2022, Extension Agents throughout South Carolina surveyed growers on specialty crop acreage for the year. This was the first year of what is expected to be an annual survey. For this first year, data was collected for six crops: collard greens, lima beans, peaches, strawberries, sweet corn, and watermelon. The goal…
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Weekly Field Update – 7/3/23
We hope everyone has a safe and happy Independence Day! Check out upcoming meetings on the Upcoming Events tab, and don’t forget to look at our Resources tab for links to crop handbooks, helpful websites, and related blogs. Also, check out the latest episode of the SC Grower Exchange Podcast. Be sure to scroll all…
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Question of the Week – Excessive Water
This week, the question was: What caused these ripe blueberries to split on the bush? Blueberry splits are caused by excessive water from rainfall or irrigation when ripe or near-ripe fruit are on the plant. These berries of the rabbiteye cultivar ‘Climax’ split following nearly four inches of rain over three days. In blueberries, root…
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2022 Peach Stats
In the Fall of 2022, Extension Agents throughout South Carolina surveyed growers on specialty crop acreage for the year. This was the first year of what is expected to be an annual survey. For this first year, data was collected for six crops: collard greens, lima beans, peaches, strawberries, sweet corn, and watermelon. The goal…
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Weekly Field Update – 6/26/23
Check out upcoming meetings on the Upcoming Events tab, and don’t forget to look at our Resources tab for links to crop handbooks, helpful websites, and related blogs. Also, check out the latest episode of the SC Grower Exchange Podcast. Be sure to scroll all the way to the bottom to see this week’s Question…
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2023 Fusarium Wilt on Seedless Watermelon Experiment – Week 7 Observations
From Clemson Plant Pathologist Tony Keinath This year’s Fusarium wilt experiment includes 3 seedless cultivars, 3 fungicide treatments applied via drip irrigation, and grafting. This experiment is supported in part by a USDA SCRI grant. Transplants were set April 5 in a field infested with Fusarium races 1 and 2. These preliminary results are based…
The South Carolina Grower 