Spring 2020
SMALL FRUIT NEWS – Vol. 20, No. 2
Published four times annually, Small Fruit News is sponsored by the Southern Region Small Fruit Consortium (SRSFC), www.smallfruits.org.
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The newsletter is undergoing some updates. There is now a team of editors collecting articles and events: Entomology Section: Doug Pfeiffer (Virginia Tech) Plant Pathology Section: Rebecca Melanson (Mississippi State University) Horticulture/ Production Section: Jayesh Samtani (Virginia Tech) Editor at Large: Amanda McWhirt (University of Arkansas) You will notice there are two places where you…
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Alabama: Auburn University resource website Arkansas: COVID-19 Main page Guidance for Farmers Markets Personal Hygiene, Worker Safety and Marketing Resources Louisiana: Best practices to minimize COVID-19 risk while harvesting fresh produce Best practices to minimize COVID-19 risk at the farmers market Cleaning and disinfection of food-contact and touch surfaces for the COVID-19 virus Mississippi: COVID-19…
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Jayesh B. Samtani, Hampton Roads Agricultural Research and Extension Center, School of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Virginia Tech During the spring season, when the strawberry plants are in bloom and fruit, we occasionally hear some growers put down foliar nutrients to increase fruit sugar content using overhead spray nozzles. At the berry trade shows, we…
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Authors: Amanda McWhirt and Bill Cline A Virtual Blueberry School was conducted in 2019 covering the major aspects of blueberry production in the Southeastern U.S. The school consisted of a series of live grower workshops in May, June and September in Arkansas and a four-part weekly webinar series offered exclusively to county extension agents in…
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Dr. Sara Villani, North Carolina State University Get those (sprayer) engines started! If your blackberries have not shown green tissue yet, temperatures in the Southeast during the last week of March likely aided in its emergence. Before even adding a pesticide to your sprayer this spring, one the most important money-saving measures you can make…
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Compiled by Brooke Warres and Phil Brannen, University of Georgia Plant Pathology Department Due to a warm, humid climate that promotes multiple diseases, growing grapes in Georgia and the Southeast as a whole is a difficult task. Fortunately, with the right information, growers have been able to control harmful pathogens and expand the Georgia wine…
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Compiled by Doug Pfeiffer, Department of Entomology, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg VA 24011 This year (and next) we expect in parts of our southeastern region, one of the most predictable fruit pests we have – periodical cicada! Periodical cicada will have major outbreaks in Virginia in 2020 and 2021. This pest complex is well known as…
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Compiled by Doug Pfeiffer, Department of Entomology, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg VA 24061 Spotted lanternfly is a new invasive pest so far restricted to the mid-Atlantic states. As it expands its range, it has entered the northern part (Virginia) of our Southeastern region. It is likely to expand considerably. While grape is the commercial crop at…
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Alabama “Q&A FRIDAY!” This event will be done every Friday 11:30 AM to 12:30 PM. A Facebook live event covering all things Horticulture. The event can be accessed through the team’s Facebook page. Tennessee “Fruits of the Backyard,” June 9. (in-person and virtual tours are planned) Get more information. “Steak and Potatoes,” August 4. (talks…
Posted in: Spring 2020