Georgia Clean Day

Gwinnett County is a long drive but it may be worth it you have alot of unwanted or old pesticides

Georgia Clean Day                                                                                                                           

This is an excellent opportunity to dispose of pesticides that you have been holding because you had neither an economical nor legal means to dispose of them. Canceled and suspended pesticides by definition cannot be used and must be disposed of, often as hazardous waste. Some reasons to participate in this program are: 1. No disposal fees for those who participate in the 2015 program. 2. The disposal contractor secures all permits and approvals. 3. Disposal contractor takes possession of the waste and thereby becomes the generator. 4. Participants are not directly involved with state and federal regulatory agencies. 5. All materials eligible for destructive incineration will be destroyed. 6. Minimization of ongoing liabilities from continued storage of these wastes on your property.

The Georgia Department of Agriculture is proud to announce it has secured limited funding for a one day Georgia Clean . The event will be held at the Gwinnett County Fairgrounds 2405 Sugarloaf Parkway

Lawrenceville, GA 30045 from 8:00am – 3:00pm on July 22, 2015.

Southern Rust Found in South Georgia

Andy Shirley, Mitchell County Ag Agent, confirmed southern rust in a growers field late last week. Check out Dr. Dewey Lee's blog post to learn more.

http://georgiagraincrops.com/corn/southern-rust-found-in-georgia-corn-dang-it

Peanut Pegging Zone Sampling

Peanuts produce their own nitrogen and are great at scavenging for phosphorous and potassium.  The one nutrient that is critical, especially on larger seeded peanuts like Georgia 06G, is calcium.  Since most of our peanuts were planted by the first of May now is the time to determine if you need to apply calcium.  We can easily determine calcium levels by taking a pegging zone soil sample. 

To take a pegging zone sample simply take a soil sample in the zone where the peanuts will eventually be pegging.  This sample needs to be taken to a depth of 3".  Calcium levels in this sample will help us determine if there is a need for additional calcium and if so how much.  We can supply the needed calcium by applying gypsum or landplaster.  Lack of calcium especially in Georgia 06G will result in decreased yields due to excessive pops or empty pods.

Pecan Scab Sensitivity Testing

UGA Extension Specialists continue to provide timely information to both growers and Agents across the state.  Lenny Wells, Extension Pecan Specialist is no exception.  His Pecan blog offers timely information to growers in Georgia and the southeast.  His latest post is about a free program that Dr. Katherine Stevenson is offering again for the 2015 growing season.  

To read more about the program and stay current on what is happening in Georgia's Pecan crop you can check out Lenny's Blog at UGA Pecans.  Thanks to Lenny, Dr. Stevenson, and the Georgia Agricultural Commodity Commission for Pecans for making this program available to our producers.

Farm Bill 2014 Update

With regards to the Farm Bill of 2014 some very important dates are approaching.  The first is December 12th 2014.  This is when economists from UGA, the Farm Service Agency, and USDA Risk Management Agency will be conducting a meeting to explain the changes to the new Farm Bill.
The meeting will be from 9:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at the CW Pettigrew Center at Fort Valley State University.

This is a very important meeting,  Under the new farm bill producers will be able to update/reallocate crop base and to update their yields.  They will also discuss the new farm programs and what they will mean for different commodities.

The next important date is February 27th, 2015.  This is the final day to update your base and yields with FSA.  This should be done for each farm serial number that you currently farm and it is up to the owner to do this.  Owners can give producers power of attorney to complete this action.

Next is March 31st, 2015.  This is the final date to decide between either Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) or Price Loss Coverage (PLC).  All producers on the farm must agree on the same coverage. You can select different coverage for different commodities, but the decision is final for the life of the farm bill.

With good yields in recent years it is critical that we update yields on farms if nothing else.  This will determine the yield that you will be protected against under either of the new coverage plans.

There are two decision aids available to help producers with reallocation and coverage choices.
Texas A& M's Decision Aid or the  University of Illinois's Decision Aid.