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| This Week's Titles: |
| Signing
Up For An Important Program |
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Seedless Watermelons Becoming
More Popular |
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| Tobacco
Farmers Trying To Catch Up |
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| Georgia's
2003 Peanut Crop Starts Good |
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| Georgia's
2003 Blueberry Crop Looking Good |
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| Signing
Up For An Important Program |
1:19 |
Farmers and landowners need
to consider signing up for an important program. |
This general signup for
the Conservation Reserve Program began May 5, and will continue
through May 30. Curt Lacy, an agricultural economist with the
University of Georgia Extension Service says land that has problems
with erosion, as well as land sensitive to the environment are
eligible for the program. "In exchange for planting long term
resource conserving covers such as native grasses or improved
grasses and trees, participants receive an annual rental payment
from U.S.D.A. Typically the length of this agreement is ten
to fifteen years." Curt Lacy with the College of Agricultural
and Environmental Sciences, who adds growers and landowners
that have contracts about to expire can resign their land for
the Conservation Reserve Program. Those wanting to sign up land
for the program should do so at their local Farm Service Agency.
John Harrell, University of Georgia College of Agricultural
and Environmental Sciences, reporting from Tifton. |
Links to audio files:
(files include a brief quote from the source for your use.)
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| Seedless
Watermelons Becoming More Popular |
1:45 |
More watermelon farmers are
expressing an interest in growing seedless watermelons. |
Up to one-third of Georgia
farmers' vegetable acreage is used to grow watermelons. There
are still plenty of the traditional seeded melons. But a horticulturist
with the University of Georgia Extension Service says seedless
watermelons are not really seedless. However, the seeds don't
completely develop. So they remain soft and edible. He adds
seed companies continue to develop seedless watermelon varieties.
However, growing seedless watermelons will cost more. "Yes,
the seeds are very expensive and, as much as twenty cents per
seed. They're also very difficult to germinate, they have to
be grown in a greenhouse and germinated under low water conditions,
just sort of high humidity and high temperature in order to
get good germination." That was George Boyhan with the College
of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. Larger seedless
melons in the elongated twenty to twenty-five pound class were
recently released. Seed companies are also offering new small
melons called personal melons that have the added benefit of
being seedless. John Harrell, University of Georgia College
of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, reporting from Tifton. |
Links to audio files:
(files include a brief quote from the source for your use.)
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| Tobacco
Farmers Trying To Catch Up |
1:41 |
Tobacco farmers are having
to play catch up with the 2003 crop. |
Heavy rains across the
tobacco belt in early April delayed transplanting by about three
weeks. Wet fields also kept farmers from applying chemicals
young tobacco plants need to help them grow early in the season.
J. Michael Moore, an agronomist with the University of Georgia
Extension Service says several diseases are also causing early
season problems in tobacco. "We also see some increased levels
of rhizoctonia damage to the lower stem and this usually results
in the stem rotting into, or causing a deep wound which will
eventually result in the plant breaking off at the soil line,
even as late as topping time." J. Michael Moore with the College
of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. Despite the slow
start, there are some positive developments, according to the
university scientist. Tomato spotted wilt levels are lower early
in the 2003 tobacco season, compared to recent years. Also,
farmers should have plenty of water to irrigate their tobacco
this summer if the weather turns dry. John Harrell, University
of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences,
reporting from Tifton. |
Links to audio files:
(files include a brief quote from the source for your use.)
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| Georgia's
2003 Peanut Crop Starts Good |
1:22 |
So far 2003 has been a very
good year for peanut farmers. |
Peanut experts predict
Georgia farmers will plant around 550,0000 acres of peanuts
in 2003, about ten percent more than last year. John Beasley,
an agronomist with the University of Georgia Extension Service
says for the first time since the late nineties, soil moisture
and temperatures are ideal for planting peanuts, which should
help the crop get off to a good start. He adds the next important
phase of peanut production is weed control. "If you can maintain
your fields relatively weed free for the first six weeks after
planting, then weeds will not be a yield limiting factor." John
Beasley with the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences,
who adds many peanut growers waited until May to plant, since
the latest university studies indicate planting in May could
lower the risk of infection from the deadly tomato spotted wilt
virus. John Harrell, University of Georgia College of Agricultural
and Environmental Sciences, reporting from Tifton. |
Links to audio files:
(files include a brief quote from the source for your use.)
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| Georgia's
2003 Blueberry Crop Looking Good |
1:27 |
Georgia's 2003 blueberry crop
should be a good one. |
Reports coming in from
counties that produce blueberries in Georgia state this year's
blueberry crop should be better than the 2002 crop. Danny Stanaland,
a county extension agent in Bacon County says the crop had to
overcome several problems earlier this spring. "Large amount
of rain during the month of March that hindered some field conditions
and also set us up for one of the heaviest disease pressure
times that I've seen since I've been in Bacon County, and that's
been since 1979." Danny Stanaland with the University of Georgia's
College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, who adds
botrytis and mummy berry disease were the diseases causing the
most problems. The county agent reports blueberry harvest began
several weeks ago, and should continue through mid-July. If
blueberry producing counties receive normal rainfall during
early summer, and damaging hail and high winds stay away, most
blueberry growers should harvest a good crop. John Harrell,
University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental
Sciences, reporting from Tifton. |
Links to audio files:
(files include a brief quote from the source for your use.)
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