Row crop harvest season and sooty mold in pecans
John McLemore, County Extension Agent
Peanut harvest season in Coffee County began last week. Growers need to keep an eye on the moisture of peanuts being inverted. The hot and dry conditions are drying peanuts very fast compared to last year. Many of the fields inverted last week have reached the 8 to 10 percent moisture in just 3 to 4 days. I would encourage growers to check the moisture as needed to make sure we do not dry the peanuts too much in the field. This will likely change if we start receiving rains or cooler temperatures over the next few weeks.
As a reminder, I am conducting a weekly peanut maturity clinic at the Coffee County Extension office Monday through Friday from 8:30 to 11:30 am until the first week of October. After October, please call the office at 912-384-1402 to schedule a time for me to check your peanuts for maturity.
Cotton Harvest Underway
Cotton harvest season is underway in Coffee County starting this week. Farmers are facing challenges with the unpredictable weather, and gathering cotton in the midst of peanut harvest. The reason many are harvesting cotton earlier than normal is the hurricane trend from the two previous years. Hurricane Irma and Michael had a significant impact on the agriculture market in Georgia. Therefore, farmers this year are taking a proactive approach to mitigate the problems in the previous two years.
Sooty Mold in Pecan Orchards
Pecan growers need to remain vigilant about scouting their orchards. I am beginning to receive a few calls about sooty mold on pecan leaves. Sooty mold can strip the leaves of trees negatively impacting yield. Sooty mold is treatable and triggered by yellow aphids. If your leaves have sooty mold, use a magnifying lens (10x) to check the top and underside of the leaf for mites and black aphids. If mites and black aphid populations are present and above threshold levels there are certain insecticides that should be used to target those populations. Otherwise, continue to use a commonly used insecticide for yellow aphid control at the recommended rate. For more information please contact me at Coffee County Extension at 912-389-1402.
Remember, if you ate today, please thank a farmer!