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The article reports on the increased interest surrounding sesame, as well as the increase in sesame acreage in the U.S. Southeast. It forecasts the potential of sesame as an emerging crop and its expansion due to shift in consumer habits. It offers update on a variety of trials at North Carolina State University on sesame including nitrogen rate and fertility, row spacing and nematode trials. Also noted is the importance for farmers to know sesame as an indeterminant crop.

Because of strong demand and good prices for sesame, both Post and Suchoff believe many North Carolina growers will give the crop a try. Of all the alternative crops David Suchoff works with as the alternative crops Extension specialist at North Carolina State University, he tends to be most optimistic about the potential of sesame. Suchoff says Sesaco would like at least 50 acres of sesame planted by North Carolina farmers in 2023. [Extracted from the article]

Tree species used in alley cropping usually include high-value nut trees like walnut, pecan or chestnut, or high-value hardwoods like oak and walnut. Alley cropping is the planting of two or more groups of single or multiple rows of trees or shrubs on wide spacings, leaving broad aisles in which agronomic, horticultural or forage crops may be grown. While riparian buffers can be part of a successful agroforestry program, alley cropping is another agroforestry system that can work well. [Extracted from the article]

The article discusses how apple farmers use chemical thinners to improve fruit quality and size by inducing stress in apple trees to promote fruit shedding. Topics include the importance of timing chemical thinner applications, the use of a spectrophotometer to predict fruit abscission, and the potential for this technology to assist apple growers in managing thinning decisions more effectively.

The article explores the use of reflective ground covers to enhance apple quality and increase production in Southeastern apple orchards, focusing on the critical role of light management. Topics include the benefits of reflective ground covers in maximizing light exposure for higher fruit quality, the challenges of tree architecture, and their potential application in the Southeastern United States.

The article discusses efforts by scientists at North Carolina State University to develop tomato breeding lines resistant to verticillium wilt, a soil-borne disease, with topics including the breeding program's progress and the development of a test to identify resistant plants.

The article focuses on potential growth of sesame production in North Carolina. It mentions that sesame harvesting does not require much of nitrogen fertilizer which attracts farmers towards its production. It also presents the views of David Suchoff, alternative crops extension specialist at the North Carolina State University, on the need to provide sesame to farmers due to its high demand in the market.

"In the absence of chlorpyrifos (Lorsban and other formulations), growers will continue to rely on bifenthrin as the key insecticide in both pre-plant incorporated and post-transplant directed application", Huseth explained. Huseth said his program is monitoring wireworm populations in the eastern North Carolina sweet potato growing area to determine population density and see how integrated pest management and foliar insecticides will work. For more than 30 years, sweet potato farmers have turned to chlorpyrifos, or Lorsban, to control wireworms, but with the Aug. 18 decision by the Environmental Protection Agency that essentially bans the use of Lorsban from now on. [Extracted from the article]

Orange varieties driving force While Pecota, Yencho and their team are working on breeding additional purple sweet potato lines, orange varieties remain the driving force of their work. Meanwhile, Yencho emphasized that more than 60% of North Carolina State's sweet potato breeding work is now focused on developing varieties that are resistant to the guava root knot nematode. [Extracted from the article]

Chris Pannkuk has worked as an agricultural development specialist in numerous areas of conflict around the world, including Iraq, Syria, Armenia and Azerbaijan. Pannkuk worked closely with Jim Hill, the now-retired associate dean of international programs at UC Davis. Other universities working in Afghanistan included the University of California, Davis, Texas A&M, Purdue University, Michigan State University and the University of Maryland. [Extracted from the article]

"Blackberries do have the potential for a crop on secondary buds; however, this crop is usually smaller and later", McWhirt said. Amanda McWhirt, extension horticultural crop specialist for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, said the second event caught many of the state's fruit crops at a particularly vulnerable stage of development. [Extracted from the article]

The article discusses growth of purple sweet potatoes varieties in Clinton, North Carolina. Topics discussed include efforts to develop new orange sweet potato varieties that meet the demands of packers and processors; offering of a good disease package and provides some of the best resistance to Fusarium; and breeding for guava root knot resistance.

Economists from the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences will discuss the effects of COVID-19 on farming, highlight agritourism impacts in the state, and give a forecast of top commodities for the next year during the annual Georgia Ag Forecast. Two keynote sessions by CAES Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics faculty will be broadcast prior to concurrent sessions of commodity outlooks. Sharon Kane, senior public service associate, will present the results of surveys conducted by the UGA Center for Agribusiness and Economic Development about the impact of COVID-19 on agriculture around the state. [Extracted from the article]

An entomologist well known to row crop producers throughout the South, Scott D. Stewart, has been named by the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture as the next director of the West Tennessee AgResearch and Education Center in Jackson. Known for researching agronomic and horticultural crops since its establishment in 1907, the West Tennessee AgReseach and Education Center supports the work of scientists from several University of Tennessee departments. [Extracted from the article]

Reports on the impact of inclement weather on the quality and supply of crops in California and Arizona. Vegetables and fruits affected by molds and mildew; Efforts of farm producers and suppliers to meet the needs of consumers; Effects of rains on organic produce retailers.

The article reports on two smart phone apps being developed for early detection of tomato pathogens by Duncan McSorley, a graduate research associate at North Carolina State, and his team. Topics covered include how the apps will be helpful to tomato farmers in the western part of North Carolina, the process of the detection test and the sensor under early development at North Carolina State which is designed to measure the volatile organic compounds that flow out of the plant leaves.

David Suchoff has a clear message for anyone considering growing hemp: You won't get rich with the crop. Hemp for CBD is produced more like a horticultural crop like tomatoes, while hemp for the fiber or grain market is produced more like a row crop such as wheat. Suchoff made it clear: Hemp does have pests, hemp does need water and hemp does need fertilizer. [Extracted from the article]

Hemp is getting a lot of attention these days as the potential comeback crop of the century. The writers point out that there are four kinds of hemp cultivars: oilseed, cannabidiol (CBD), fiber, and dual-purpose for oilseed and fiber. The bulletin digs into hemp agronomy, discussing planting rates for the different cultivars, seeding rates and emergence details. [Extracted from the article]

The article offers information on the intercropping plan of farmers for vegetables in Georgia. According to Brian Tankersley, it is the second season that they used intercropping systems in growing cantaloupes and cotton together. Tankersley states that they added watermelons in the intercropping plan in 2011. Moreover, experiments of farmers in intercropping systems are also mentioned.

The article offers agricultural tips on the propagation of corn crops in the U.S. It analyzes the condition of the corn production which totted only for an average of 20 bushels of yield in 2010. It notes that by evaluating the yield of the crops and the aspects that lower down its productivity, it could help solve the problem of crop production.

The article discusses the Pesticide Stewardship Alliance held in Memphis, Tennessee in 2018 focused on auxin symptomoIogy and sensitivity on horticultural crops. Topics discussed include providing Dicamba sensitivity training to farmers, conducting field trials to get a better idea of the impact of herbicides drifting on non-target, highly sensitive vegetable crops, negative impact of glyphosate on crops like watermelon and tomatoes.

The article offers information on the CrossOver soil amendment from Harsco Corp. , industrial company which is registered for use on agricultural crops, turf and horticultural crops in various states. It mentions that it is a refined magnesium and calcium silicate, fertilizer. It states that plants benefit from the calcium, magnesium and silicates into the soil

The article presents the forecasts for California walnut production for 2014 and the results of the Walnut Objective Measurement (O.M.) Survey. It predicts that walnut production in the state will increase to 545,000 tons in 2014 from 492,000 tons 2013. It notes that the survey found that the average nut set per tree in 2014 is 1,372.

The article focuses on berry crops in North and South Carolina as of July 2014. It discusses crop performance in yield and quality of strawberries and blueberries in North Carolina as well as those in South Carolina which have allegedly come off to the market despite the cold weather. It also examines other crops in South Carolina including row crop vegetables, butterbeans and peas, and peaches.

The article deals with the prices of most fresh vegetables offered in the U.S. It states that the prices in 2012 are still below the levels in the past years. According to the author, the growth of vegetables is hampered by problems with drought and heat experienced by agriculturists in the country.

The article focuses on horticultural crop and tobacco grower Paul Dennison's installation of a biomass gasification boiler at his farming operation in Horse Cave, Kentucky in an effort to reduce winter energy costs. The boiler was installed by Dennison with the help of Hart County agriculture and natural resources agent Chris Clark. An overview of on-farm energy audit conducted on his operation to determine whether the boiler is more efficient than his current heat source, propane, is given.

The article explores the pros and cons of food-grade corn and soybean in Canada in 2011. According to Ontario farmer Robert Cornelis, he opted for food-grade crops to plant a shorter-day soybean and grow wheat. The effectiveness of food-grade for Cornelis is attributed to his affiliation with the Hensall District Cooperative. Soybean specialist Seth Naeve of Minnesota cites the competitive advantages of Canadians in the market including the ability to promote their crops.

The article presents information from the annual meeting of the North Mississippi Producer Advisory Council about what agricultural producers' needs are, and focuses on vegetables, peanuts, and cotton. Topics include farm-to-school cooperatives, peanut specialists, and herbicide-resistant weeds. It states that the Mississippi State University Extension and its research personnel use this information to plan projects, programs, and services for the producers.

In this article, the author discusses the condition of wine grape industry in California in 2011. It mentions that grape farm owners anticipated to achieve best economic outlook in the said year due to the continuous success that it gained in previous decades. However, it notes that the growers might encounter problems about the reduction of vineyard acreage due to the preference of planting more economically horticultural crops.

The article reports on the expanded conservation funding for the 2012 farm bill in California. According to the Environmental Working Group (EWG), traditional farm programs have not played well for California. It mentions that fruits, vegetables, and nuts account for 36 billion dollars of value to the state's agricultural economy. In addition, most of California's regulations met the federal Clean Air Act and Clean Water Act.

The article offers information on the economic performance of the cotton industry in the U.S. from 2009-2010. It is speculated that the cotton production would increase due to the widening foreign production deficit. According to Department of Agriculture's (USDA's) report, the estimated production deficits reached from 600,000 bales to 22.4 million bales to several countries including China, Turkey and Vietnam.

The article offers statements from several crop growers in the U.S. on the possible problems arise in crop production processes. Factor involving environmental aspects, herbicide and technology used to enhance the production of the crop worried the crop growers due to possible increase to their expenses. Shep Morris, cotton, corn and soybean grower attests that production is not a problem but higher seed, fertility and technology costs used to enhance productivity is the main concern.

The article presents a 2010 market analysis of several crops in the U.S. including soybeans, corn and cotton. According to Richard Brock, president of Brock Associates, soybean and corn markets could turn bearish or bullish but cotton market remains stable. Brock projected that corn planting will increase, with 89.5 million acres compared to 86.5 million acres in 2009.

The article offers an analysis on the peanut production in the U.S. in 2010. Marshall Lamb, research director of the National Peanut Research Laboratory in Dawson, Georgia said that peanut growers planted the right acreage in 2009, but must analyze that good yields may cause over production in 2010. It also warns peanut growers regarding the trends in supply and demand with 2.8 million ton supply and 2.1 million tons.

The article accounts the Department of Agriculture Vegetables and Melons Outlook for the winter of 2009, which indicate a 5% decline in vegetable acreage in the U.S. The forecast also indicate reduced availability of some warm-season crops such as green beans and sweet corn, courtesy the cold December temperature in California and February freeze in Florida. Accordingly, demand will be low as customers restricts on purchases of fresh produce for away-from-home eating and home consumption.

The article focuses on the report by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) on the cost of vegetables and melons in the country. The study reveals that expenses were higher in the West and lowest in the Midwest followed by fertilizer and agricultural chemicals at 18 percent. In addition, the USDA claims that the production of vegetables and melons on less than million acres. Moreover, labor was found to account for 30 percent of total cash expenses of all vegetable and melon farms.

The article offers information on the method used by Ricky Fulk in his farm in North Carolina. It indicates the use of black plastic with drip irrigation for the vegetables of Fulk. It views on the benefits of using drip irrigation in growing crops on black plastic and fertilizing to the growers. It also cites the development of crop production at the farm of Fulk.

The article reports that the latest report entitled "Vegetable and Melons Outlook" of the U.S. Department of Agriculture has revealed that although vegetable consumption in the country has risen in 2007, little change is expected in the domestic use of vegetables and melons in 2008. According to the report, in 2008, per capita net domestic use of all vegetables, melons, potatoes, sweet potatoes, pulse crops, and mushrooms rose 2% to 444 pounds per person.

The article forecasts the decline of fresh-market vegetable and melon area for harvest in the U.S. from January to March 2008. It is expected to decrease by 3% compared to the same period in 2007. The shipment volume for leading fresh-market crops increased from the freeze-affected year-earlier levels in January, despite the lower acreage and variable yields. Winter season shipping-point prices for fresh-market vegetables are also expected to average well below the freeze-affected highs of 2007.

The article focuses on the horticultural research by Almond Board of California (ABC) in California. The research led to the development of new varieties and rootstocks, improvements in management practices of almond industry. The most important factor of the research of almond yield is to determine its pollination. Moreover, ABC recognized the dependence of the industry on honeybees for pollination.

The article reports on the decline in the domestic use of all vegetables in the U.S. by 3 percent in 2006. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Vegetables and Melons Outlook, the 428 pounds per capita reduction was caused by lower use of head lettuce and processed tomatoes. The use of fresh-market vegetables such as melons, potatoes, sweet potatoes and mushrooms was down by one percent which totaled about 222 pounds per capita.

The article reports on the statement of farm advisor Steve Koike regarding the condition of coastal crops in California. According to Koike, vegetables and other specialty crops of California coastal countries are at low risk of deliberately introduced plant pathogens. He pointed out that unlike the massive acreages of soybeans or wheat in the Midwest, coastal crops are insignificant targets for agricultural terrorism acts.

The article discusses the trend of decreasing supply of smaller peanut crop in Virginia and North Carolina, making a positive outlook for the 2006 in contrary to the problem of over-supply in 2005. CEO Bob Sutter of the North Carolina Peanut Growers Association anticipates a good market in 2007, with the drastic reduction of supply and increasing demand. In North Carolina, plantings for 2006 were about 85,000 acres, down from 97,000 in 2005.

Discusses the benefits of vegetable farming for Oklahoma farmers. Crops focused on by research efforts at the Lane Ag Center facility in Lane, Oklahoma; Factors considered by producers in growing vegetables; Advice for vegetable growers on dealing with price limitations.

The article focuses on the establishment of a Specialty Crop Caucus in the U.S., which is a committee of the lawmakers for protecting the interests of the specialty commodity and horticultural crop producers in the U.S. It mentions that the U.S. farmers are growing more than 350 types of the commodity crops including fruit, vegetable and tree nut but ineligible for federal programs. It list members of the caucus and states that no member from the U.S. south west is in the specialty caucus.

The article reports on the reminder of CropLife America, whose members represent the developers of crop production products, to the public on the importance of crop protection products upon the release of the Environmental Working Group's (EWG) annual "Dirty Dozen" report.