hurricane

October is the main month for cotton harvest in Florida. There are often tropical storms or hurricanes that can affect harvest timing and result in low yield and quality even though a good crop is made through good management over the previous four months. Many of our peanut/cotton farmers set a priority on getting peanut harvested before cotton harvest begins ... Read More »

• By Mary Hightower • Bryce Baldridge, a Lawrence County Extension staff chair for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, heard the warnings Thursday night. “They said a tornado was headed for Bono which is where I live,” he said on Friday. “My daughter got the dog and headed for the bathtub,” Baldridge said, adding that he was ... Read More »

• By Ryan McGeeney • High winds and heavy rainfall from what forecasters expect will be a major hurricane — Hurricane Laura — will likely sweep through most of Arkansas by Friday, just as harvest nears for several major crops across the state. Laura is predicted to push into Arkansas before turning northeastward toward Missouri, Mississippi and Tennessee. The National ... Read More »

As part of their daily routine, farmers stand in the fields looking up at the sky to try to determine what cards the weather is holding. They can’t control what is going to happen, but they can make decisions to prepare for the short-term effects or adjust their practices for what might happen in future growing seasons. On this month’s ... Read More »

• By Clint Thompson • What was an extremely promising Georgia cotton crop was devastated when Hurricane Michael ravaged south Georgia Oct. 10-11. According to Jared Whitaker, University of Georgia Cooperative Extension cotton agronomist, the prospects of 1,500 to 1,800 pounds of dryland cotton for some producers were reduced, resulting in 80 to 90 percent losses in some fields. “It’s much ... Read More »