Environment Archives - Specialty Crop Industry

Building a Better Understanding of Ecosystem Services in Agriculture

Jim Rogers — Mon, 07 Aug 2023 10:00:00 +0000

By Frank Giles There has been a lot of media coverage and hype about the potential of agriculture to benefit from emerging carbon-capture markets in recent years. Various certifying agencies and groups have begun jockeying for position for their place in what could become a new segment in agriculture as the movement progresses. But there remains many questions about what ...

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Regulators Eye Scope 3 Emissions

Jim Rogers — Mon, 09 Jan 2023 11:00:00 +0000

By Frank Giles Working within the constraints of regulations is nothing new in agriculture. Farmers usually find ways to produce crops within these constraints, but they often add costs that cut into profitability and sometimes reduce production. PROPOSED RULEIn the fight against climate change, regulations are likely to be increased in all industries, including agriculture. Last spring, the Securities and ...

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Potential Organophosphate Ban Latest Challenge for Vegetable Producers

Jim Rogers — Thu, 22 Sep 2022 11:15:00 +0000

By Clint Thompson First chlorpyrifos. Now, potentially, all organophosphate pesticides. What’s the next resource that the Environmental Protection Agency could be petitioned to take away from specialty crop producers? “At some point it becomes a threat to the food supply,” said Stormy Sparks, University of Georgia Extension vegetable entomologist. It’s a concern for Sparks, who believes carbamates could be next. ...

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Organophosphate Insecticides Ban? Comment Period to EPA is Sept. 25

Jim Rogers — Wed, 21 Sep 2022 10:30:00 +0000

By Clint Thompson Specialty crop producers are reminded that Sunday, Sept. 25 is the deadline to submit a comment to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) about the ramifications of the potential cancellation of multiple organophosphate pesticides. Growers would lose the last broad spectrum soil insecticide in vegetables in diazinon if the cancellation goes through. It would also impact different areas ...

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Gas, Diesel Prices Continue to Tumble

Clint Thompson — Mon, 25 Jul 2022 12:34:35 +0000

Average gas diesel prices continue to drop across the U.S., which is good news for Southeast specialty crop producers hoping to see a decline in input expenses. According to AAA, Monday’s average for regular non-leaded was $4.35 per gallon, a decrease from last week’s $4.52 and last month’s $4.90. It is still much higher, though, than the $3.15 cost from ...

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Gas, Diesel Prices Drop Across Country

Clint Thompson — Thu, 21 Jul 2022 14:00:00 +0000

Gas and diesel prices continue to drop across the U.S. but are still substantially higher than this last year. According to AAA, the national average for regular unleaded gasoline on July 20 was $4.46 per gallon, compared to $4.63 a week ago and $4.98 a month ago. But it is still considerably more than the $3.16 consumers paid a year ...

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Gas, Diesel Costs Drop, Still Elevated

Clint Thompson — Wed, 13 Jul 2022 09:15:00 +0000

Gas and diesel prices remain inflated when compared to last year but have shown signs of decreasing in recent weeks. According to AAA Gas Prices, diesel costs averaged $5.62 on July 12, a decrease of 10 cents compared to the prior week, and down 9 cents compared to a month ago. But the expense is still extremely high compared to ...

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Cover Crops a Management Practice with Multiple Benefits

Jim Rogers — Mon, 20 Jun 2022 10:00:00 +0000

By Clint Thompson The fallow season means an opportunity for specialty crop producers to implement cover crops. It is a management tool that helps growers remain sustainable now and into the future. It is also a practice that Johan Desaeger, assistant professor of entomology and nematology at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Gulf Coast Research ...

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Controlled Environment Agriculture: Future Growth Expected in Industry

Jim Rogers — Fri, 22 Apr 2022 12:30:00 +0000

By Eric Butterman for CAES News Next time you partake of a crisp, green salad, think about where your leafy greens come from. Many producers of high-value crops are shifting from field production to controlled environment agriculture. That is where the University of Georgia’s Marc van Iersel comes in. Van Iersel, the Vincent J. Dooley professor of horticultural physiology in ...

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Rabbit Management: Conserve Habitat for Predators

Jim Rogers — Thu, 24 Feb 2022 13:00:00 +0000

By Clint Thompson Management of a South Florida pest starts with conserving the habitat for its predators. That’s what sugarcane and vegetable producers need to keep in mind when managing rabbit wildlife. “I’m going to quote a gentleman who heard about our (rabbit) workshop. He’s a producer in the western United States, and he said they had similar problems out ...

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